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Message boards : Graphics cards (GPUs) : I7/gt480 - how to coexist with other projects?

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darwincollins
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Message 17151 - Posted: 19 May 2010 | 5:58:59 UTC

i7 930 with 6gb ram, nvidia gt 480 card.
(my kid plays games but there is plenty of time, I can have it do other things)

Well, so, I have boinc. I join projects cpugrid (due to the gt 480 card), and wcg (due to having 8 threads).

However, I have not yet been able to figure out how can I get them to share. Simply, its either in the mood to run cpugrid (keeping nvidia busy), or running wcg (keeping 8 threads busy). They won't play together (share).

help

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Message 17154 - Posted: 19 May 2010 | 8:38:54 UTC - in response to Message 17151.
Last modified: 19 May 2010 | 8:44:34 UTC

i7 930 with 6gb ram, nvidia gt 480 card.
(my kid plays games but there is plenty of time, I can have it do other things)

Well, so, I have boinc. I join projects cpugrid (due to the gt 480 card), and wcg (due to having 8 threads).

However, I have not yet been able to figure out how can I get them to share. Simply, its either in the mood to run cpugrid (keeping nvidia busy), or running wcg (keeping 8 threads busy). They won't play together (share).

help


It should be running both at same time as one only uses GPU and other only CPU.

I notice you are downloading 6.03 WU's and they don't work on that card, you need to go to GPUGRID preferences in your account and uncheck "ACEMD ver 2" in appliances, leaving only ACEMD checked.
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Message 17155 - Posted: 19 May 2010 | 8:44:31 UTC - in response to Message 17151.

I am also running WCG on the 8 Threads of the i7 and GPUGrid on the NVidia card (like some other people here). I got no problems at all, so what exactly are your issues?

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Message 17156 - Posted: 19 May 2010 | 10:02:44 UTC - in response to Message 17155.

As betting slip said, he was trying to run non-fermi tasks; 6.03 are for CC1.3 and under, not Fermi cards. He just needs to change his preferences at GPUGrid.

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Message 17158 - Posted: 19 May 2010 | 15:27:09 UTC - in response to Message 17155.

thanks for the help. I will make the change and hopefully the box will make more heat. (grin)

To sum it up, since it sounds like I was not clear.

Looking at the boinc manager screen from time to time, I can see that it is running 8 tasks of wcg, or running the cpugrid task.

I have not seen it run both at the same time. (yet)

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Message 17159 - Posted: 19 May 2010 | 15:39:04 UTC

You may have a mis-configuration. Did you set any of the options to max use of CPUs?

Because what you have is not the norm. I have 5 systems and they all run GPU tasks at the same time as the CPUs are busy a bees running tasks from other projects ... to the point where I have, when tasks are available, something like 34 tasks running on my 8 CPUs and 2 GPUs (25 FreeHAL, WUProp, QCN, and 8 from other projects on the CPU and 2 on the 2 GPUs) ...

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Message 17160 - Posted: 19 May 2010 | 17:10:42 UTC - in response to Message 17159.

Perhaps you have configured Boinc to disable GPU crunching when the computer is in use?

Open Boinc in Advanced View,
Goto Advanced Preferences,
Processor Usage,
Tick Use GPU when computer is in use,

Also, set the "While processor usage is less than" value to 0 (Zero).
And, set the "On multiprocessor systems, use at most" value to 99 - important when using a Fermi.

Good luck,

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Message 17165 - Posted: 20 May 2010 | 4:41:13 UTC - in response to Message 17160.


The 'default' setting for the new boinc install was to not have the 'Use GPU while computer is in use' checked. I will now checkmark it.
(this won't conflict with games)

As per your suggestion, I have updated/set to
'While processor usage is less than 'x' percent, to 0.
and
"On multiprocessor systems, use at most" value to 99. (it was set to 100)

presently, it still has 'Use at most 80% CPU time'.

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Message 17186 - Posted: 20 May 2010 | 18:01:53 UTC - in response to Message 17165.
Last modified: 20 May 2010 | 18:02:55 UTC

When you are playing games it is best to close Boinc.
Alternatively you can setup exclusions in an xml file or NVidia Control Panel (but that is a bit complicated, and I dont play games, so I'm not the best to advise on that).

Use at most 80% CPU time is probably set to that because you set it to 80% in a profile on another project. If you change it locally on Boinc, that will hold. I would suggest you set it to 100%.

Also do this, as you have Win7:
Start, right (alternate) click Computer, Click Properties - Opens System Window.
Click Advanced System Settings (left side), then Environmental Variables.
Under System Variables, Click New,
For the Variable name type Swan_Sync
For the Variable Value type Swan_Sync=0

You should note that Fermi's are faster on XP than either Vista or Win7.
They are even faster on Linux, but that is not my thing.

I see you are getting the odd failure after about 10sec. Perhaps this is a system RAM issue or perhaps the card is a bit too hot.
You can use EVGA Precision 1.93 to control fan speed on Fermis (you do have to register to get it, but you dont have to pay).

Good luck,

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Message 17219 - Posted: 22 May 2010 | 12:36:16 UTC - in response to Message 17186.

Crunching on the GPU during games will affect performance, it just depends on the card and the game by how much. In Civ 4 I leave it on, whereas I'll switch it off if there's 1st / 3rd person view involved.

'Use at most 80% CPU time' - that setting does not much good, except slow calculations down. Just set it to 100.

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Message 17341 - Posted: 26 May 2010 | 13:39:14 UTC - in response to Message 17219.

'Use at most 80% CPU time' - that setting does not much good, except slow calculations down. Just set it to 100.


You mean that it would be slower since it is at 80% than 100%, or is there some type of additional slowdown due to having a setting?

oh well... you got it... its now at 100%. I haven't received any work from gpugrid for a few days anyways, so 1 cpu core and gtx480 is bored to death.
lol

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Message 17344 - Posted: 26 May 2010 | 15:31:22 UTC - in response to Message 17341.

Please make sure you have acemd2 checked in your GPUGrid preferences.
I have all of the boxes checked on all of my preferences profiles. My 480 and 285 are being fed plenty of work.
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Message 17372 - Posted: 28 May 2010 | 5:23:18 UTC - in response to Message 17344.

How I set those preferences? When I click on 'Your account',
scroll down to GPUGRID Preferences, click on that choice.
I do not see any choices related to project types.

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Message 17383 - Posted: 28 May 2010 | 10:46:26 UTC - in response to Message 17372.

That section was removed in the last day or so (did not know that myself until a few minutes ago).

Thinking about your "no work" issue a little more I wonder if it is BOINC Manager that is confused ... please try detaching and re-attaching to this project. That will reset the BOINC Managaer's internal counters and then perhaps it will properly ask for more work for you.
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Message 17390 - Posted: 28 May 2010 | 13:35:42 UTC - in response to Message 17383.

darwincollins has 2 tasks in progress. Whatever setting was wrong is either now fixed or no longer there to be a problem.

The web/server changes were made today, so any advice given on preferences 2 days ago was applicable then, but not now.

Might be a good idea to delete several settings threads of what use to be good info, but is now bad info!

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Message 17418 - Posted: 28 May 2010 | 23:57:16 UTC - in response to Message 17390.

Just for grins, I did save the settings even though I did not see any settings related to the projects.
Also, I downloaded the latest boinc, and installed it.

Interestingly, later, I saw that it was had downloaded 2 tasks. cool

I am glad. I specifically, bought this video card since it was on the 'recommended' list. (I didn't realize till later that it was abit too bloody edge). Hmm... could we get a 'recommmended recommended' list that most folks would be happy with... complete with boinc configuration... LOL

oh well, I currently see that it is busy working. Great!

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Message boards : Graphics cards (GPUs) : I7/gt480 - how to coexist with other projects?

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