Do the 4.2 tasks need/make use of as much of a CPU as the 3.1 tasks? I've been watching a 4.2 task run on my GTX 570 and noticed that the CPU utilization by the core I've set aside for GPU tasks is much lower than before. It looks like it uses significantly less RAM, too.

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@ Wiyosaya: my 460 which is clocked at 880 normally gets poala tasks in around 20 hours. It's a bit of a golden card though, they normally don't clock that high.

if the current trend of around a 50% reduction in runtime holds true, It should have no problem getting Poala tasks in on time.

@ ritterm: funny, I've noticed that while, according to my Boinc manager it requires around the same amount of CPU time (.42 cores) when I run, I actually have to free up 2 cores to get the time-to-completion counter to move. If I don't it just sits at the same time until about 50% is completed and then starts counting down > increases the runtime by about 25% over only having 1 core free.

I have 8 cores/threads and used to run 7 WCG threads and 1 GPUGrid, now have to run 6 WCG threads and 2 GpuGrid. The load on the CPU drops accordingly, so it seems it might be a scheduling issue with the faster GPU app fighting for CPU cycles and needs the lower load to run at optimum speed.


My question: What is driving this HUGE increase in speed [decrease in runtime]. Is it solely due to CUDA 4.2, or have the programmers achieved an amazing increase in the efficiency of the 4.2 app?

Nathans jobs run well as long as I don't use PC for anything else. They are crippling. Remote computer not so good but have no access to it as yet to make adjustments.

NATHAN get your jobs sorted out nobody else's cause the computer to become useless.

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Nathans jobs run well as long as I don't use PC for anything else. They are crippling. Remote computer not so good but have no access to it as yet to make adjustments.

NATHAN get your jobs sorted out nobody else's cause the computer to become useless.

Strange, Nathan tasks don't have that effect on my PC. Even the new 4.2 tasks that run 95-99% GPU utilization.

even when I'm running 7 threads of WCG and 1 thread for GPUGrid with a Nathan task I have no problems.
A slight lag when changing programs/screens etc, but nothing else. I can sort that slight issue out by freeing up another CPU core.

What's your CPU load like?
maybe you need to look at that....

I have no slowdown with mine either. All 4.2 tasks on W7 are using a minimum of 95 GPU Aw well.

Graphics card is only GTX460

Runs everything fine apart from Nathans so he must be doing something different.

or it could be my PCIE 1.1 slot

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Graphics card is only GTX460

Runs everything fine apart from Nathans so he must be doing something different.

or it could be my PCIE 1.1 slot

I run a 460 as well as a 560, no difference in functionality of the computer when either or both of them are running NATE tasks.

Why do you have it in a 1.1 slot??????
Is this card also your primary graphics card?
It could be that you are running out of PCIE bandwidth.

It's a 16 X slot just MB is a few years old now and I don't have the option of PCIE2

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Might be due to the high amount of memory required to run these tasks and W7; I'm seeing ~990MB in use. I have a GTX 470 (1279MB), so I have some headroom. However W7 eats some GPU memory leaving you short of 1024MB. Possibly too short. That said Boinc reports 1023MB (maybe another rounding error in the driver), and might not be true anyway (W7 is probably using more, ~60 to 90MB I think).

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I just check the GPUGrid computing preferences and noticed we still only have 3 queues, long, short and beta. It would be good to find a way to get 4.2 tasks exclusively to machines with the correct mix of hardware and drivers.

All of my cards are now optimized for 4.2 work units so when 3.1 work units hit my systems, they run a bit slower than in the past.

If the problem is a bug on the server, do we have an estimated time to repair?

So far it looks like we don't have a solution to the mixed work unit issue. Aborting 3.1 work units usually works but recently I aborted 2 of the 3.1 work units and received 2 more 3.1 work units.

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Thx - Paul

Note: Please don't use driver version 295 or 296! Recommended versions are 266 - 285.

I just check the GPUGrid computing preferences and noticed we still only have 3 queues, long, short and beta. It would be good to find a way to get 4.2 tasks exclusively to machines with the correct mix of hardware and drivers.

All of my cards are now optimized for 4.2 work units so when 3.1 work units hit my systems, they run a bit slower than in the past.

If the problem is a bug on the server, do we have an estimated time to repair?

So far it looks like we don't have a solution to the mixed work unit issue. Aborting 3.1 work units usually works but recently I aborted 2 of the 3.1 work units and received 2 more 3.1 work units.

I imagine that most/all new tasks will be coded in 4.2.

Just have to run the 3.1 hoppers dry. (I hope this is the case anyway. Seems fairly pointless to code in 3.1 now that 4.2 is here and ~40% more efficient)

There might be a lot of non-4.2 capable drivers in use.

While I doubt there would be any issues, I suppose it's good science to compare cuda3.1 with cuda4.2 runs.

If a solution has to come in the form of a bespoke server patch, who knows how long it will take?

For now we could use the 3.1 to 4.2 workaround

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i got a unit on a gtx260 (win7 x64 latest boinc and drivers), but i had to abort it as it was making my computer completely unusable with 99% usage.

Is there any way to make it less aggressive? like 90-95% usage or am I doing something wrong?

99% usage of what? If it's a CPU core, try telling BOINC to leave one CPU core free for programs other than BOINC workunits.

If it's the GPU, I haven't found a usable method yet.

i got a unit on a gtx260 (win7 x64 latest boinc and drivers), but i had to abort it as it was making my computer completely unusable with 99% usage.

Is there any way to make it less aggressive? like 90-95% usage or am I doing something wrong?

99% usage of what? If it's a CPU core, try telling BOINC to leave one CPU core free for programs other than BOINC workunits.

If it's the GPU, I haven't found a usable method yet.

it's the gpu usage

i got a unit on a gtx260 (win7 x64 latest boinc and drivers), but i had to abort it as it was making my computer completely unusable with 99% usage.

Is there any way to make it less aggressive? like 90-95% usage or am I doing something wrong?

Same thing's happening on the GTX275 in my wife's machine. I've simply unchecked "Use GPU while computer is in use" until I get around to upgrading the card.

Can I receive only cuda 4.2 ?

Not unless you use the 3.1 to 4.2 workaround
- Actually you will still get 3.1 tasks but they will run just as fast as 4.2, so it's a fix.

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thanks

The 4.2 units actually run slower on my old GTX 260, and additionally the newer drivers are still causing threadsafe exit downclocks with other projects. I guess it may finally be time to get some new hardware and relegate the old card to running einstein full time.

For now, go back to an older driver (285).

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