I recently was having a problem where, even though a GPUGrid work unit was running, my GPU was not using the Max Boost Mhz. The same issue was happening in my game, iRacing, too.

I did some research, and found that there is a way to force it. See here:
http://www.overclock.net/t/1267918/guide-nvidia-inspector-gtx670-680-disable-boost-fixed-clock-speed-undervolting
This is a pretty nice guide on force-overclocking.
You can run: nvidiaInspector.exe /?
... to see the list of command-line arguments.

To fix my particular problem:
1) I ran: nvidiaInspector.exe -forcepstate:2,2
Note: The first '2' is the GPU index, and in nVidia Inspector's dropdown, my Kepler is last in the list, with a (2), which is why I used 2 here.
2) In nVidia Inspector, on the P2 GPU Clock, I unlocked the Max, and set it to my Max Boost (1241 Mhz). I actually had to set it to 1242 here for it to work correctly.

My GPU clock now stays at 1241, when a GPUGrid task is running, and when I'm gaming, even if there is only light load. Mainly, though, it assures that the GPUGrid tasks get done as quickly as possible, since previously it wasn't using Max Boost.

Hope this helps someone!
Jacob Klein

I've found that max boost can usually be sustained by keeping the GPU temperature below 80C.

If you are interested, have a poke about in the output progress.log file and plot the temperatures and instantaneous performance (ns/day) that are periodically reported. That'll give you an idea of how consistent your performance is (in optimal circumstances the rate should have little variation)

Matt

You don't understand. I am keeping temps below 70.

GPU-Z actually reports that the reason for performance limitating was "Util", meaning "GPU Utilization", meaning that the GPUGrid task is not pushing the GPU hard enough for it to think it needs the boost.

Same thing for iRacing.

It may be a bug in the drivers, not sure. But it's causing it to not stay at Max Boost, and I needed a fix.

Huh, that's bit rubbish. Presumably it's a side effect of the overhead of WDM that's keeping the GPU load so low.

It seems to me that, on my GTX 660 Ti on 334.89 drivers, it doesn't Boost at all unless it can get at least 88% constant GPU Load. With my CPUs fully loaded, many GPUGrid tasks get less than that.

I can prove this all by starting BOINC fully loaded, watching it in GPU-Z with a sensor refresh rate of 0.1 sec, watch it not get 88%, then change "Use at most x% of the processors" down in increments (from 100, to 88, 75, 68, 50, etc.), until a threshold is reached. That threshold is 88% GPU Load. At that point, it boosts to Max, and PerfCap changes from "Util" to "VRel, Vop".

And so, again, I wanted a fix. I'm not sure if it means results will get completed faster or not.

Apparently 88 mph wasn't the only "88" threshold required for advanced science.

It's a bug in the 334.89 drivers. They are preventing some GPU's from Boosting.

On my W7 system the GTX770 sometimes ran at the base clock, only boosting after a restart. GPU Power dropped to ~49% when it could have been 65 to 70%. For me that resulted in a 17.5% loss of performance in the 770 (1045 instead of 1228MHz). This is with Prefer Maximum Performance set. It appears that the Boost is dropped when the app momentarily utilizes less GPU, but doesn't increase normally again. I really don't see the point in ignoring user settings - it's my GPU and I want to be able to configure it!

Instead of lowering the GPU core clock frequency, the hardware and software use other methods to put the GPU into a low power state when the GPU is idle or in response to changing application requirements. This ensures optimum power use while continuing to provide high graphics performance. Ref. 334.89 manual

The second GPU is a non-reference GTX670 (normally operates at ~54C on air while crunching). It kept boosting normally.
Others have reported similar experiences.

We've been through similar driver problems in the past; since 280. I'm recommending the previous WHQL driver (332.21) until this is fixed.

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Hello !

A short message, for information only, to tell you I am running 2 * GTX 770 Gigabyte ref GV-N770OC-4GD, on an ASUS Z-87 Pro MB + i7 4770K.
Driver: 334.89
RAM = DDR3 Corsair vengeance 2 x 8 go 1600 Mhz CL10 LP

I am using EVGA Precision X in order to manually increase the GPU's fans speed : T° + 10 = Fan Speed (%)(I use the same fan config on my PNY 660Ti)

No OC, target power set at 100 % - Using the Default options.

Usage : 24/7

1 card is running All The Time at 1240 Mhz - 1.2 V and the other All The Time at 1215 Mhz - 1.87 V

GPU's Temp : 59° / 62 ° - Air Cooling - Case open + small Antec external fans to help heat dissipation.

The 3 fans of these GPU are great, but I am thinking about installing WC.

First step done, just ordered a CPU WC Kit.

No problem with this config, except sometimes if I have to switch off the computer or BM. Sometimes this action leads to computation errors.

Kind Regards,

Philippe

I gave feedback here:
https://forums.geforce.com/default/topic/690370/geforce-drivers/official-nvidia-334-89-whql-display-driver-feedback-thread-released-2-18-14-/post/4141663/#4141663

I don't know if we'll get a response.

1 card is running All The Time at 1240 Mhz - 1.2 V and the other All The Time at 1215 Mhz - 1.87 V

This is actually 1.187V, right?

You don't understand. I am keeping temps below 70.

GPU-Z actually reports that the reason for performance limitating was "Util", meaning "GPU Utilization", meaning that the GPUGrid task is not pushing the GPU hard enough for it to think it needs the boost.

Same thing for iRacing.

It may be a bug in the drivers, not sure. But it's causing it to not stay at Max Boost, and I needed a fix.

I I have exactly the same problem on my GTX Titans..
1 card is on perfCap -Util 71 Cels gpuload 70% cca
2 and 3 -VRel 78- 62 gpuload 60%--50% ..no more
I set the speed on all the cards on 3800RPM

But it does not help. After searching about this problem on the internet, I discovered that this problem has a lot of people from Kepler NVDIA graphics card and older..
It's probably a mistake in the design of PCB graphics cards from other manufacturers as well as a software nvidia driver..

It seems to me that maybe the problem started Install latest nvidia driver but by the people you read on the internet, did not help pure reinstal os and drivers.
So it's a problem nvidia

I agree that it sounds like NVIDIA drivers are not properly recognizing that the GPU is being used, or perhaps the "utilization curve" that determines when downclocking occurs is not ideal for us.

Did you try my workaround, in the first post? It's been working nicely for me.

I agree that it sounds like NVIDIA drivers are not properly recognizing that the GPU is being used, or perhaps the "utilization curve" that determines when downclocking occurs is not ideal for us.

Did you try my workaround, in the first post? It's been working nicely for me.

I set on nvidia inspector 1 card according to gpu-z from under a VRel- 980mhz est.max but it did not work,but the card is underclocked to 880 now, something preventing him from overclocking and temperature as hell are not,,

card 2-3 are mild overclock, max 1000 and 980 MHz, so no success, and the difference compared to about 50 MHz to boost, and card temperatures are the same as I have wrote above..It must also be a problem in driver

Did you try my workaround, in the first post? It's been working nicely for me.

This sounds great as I am STILL getting one (and only ever one - GPU0 for some reason but never GPU1) of my cards not boosting or boosting and then throttling back to base speed.

I may give this a try in the next couple days if I see the behavior continue. Is that 1241Mhz on your card overclocked at all, or just the normal max boost? Last time I tried any overclocking on GPUGrid I ended up with a lot of failed WUs.

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I have a factory-overclocked eVGA GTX 660 Ti 3GB FTW GPU.
The factory overclocks are: base 3D clock 1045 Mhz, Max Boost clock 1241 Mhz.

I don't apply any additional overclocking, but I do apply a custom fan curve to keep the temp below 70*C. That way, it runs at Max Boost clock and yields very successful results.

The workaround in post 1, keeps it at Max Boost clock even when the drivers would normally back it off to the base 3D clock because of utilization.

1 card is running All The Time at 1240 Mhz - 1.2 V and the other All The Time at 1215 Mhz - 1.87 V

This is actually 1.187V, right?

Hello,

You're totally right, my mistake ....

Thank You

Philippe

I got a response in the driver feedback thread.
https://forums.geforce.com/default/topic/690370/geforce-drivers/official-nvidia-334-89-whql-display-driver-feedback-thread-released-2-18-14-/post/4143297/#4143297

Apparently, the "Prefer maximum performance" setting is tied to "choosing a P-state", and has no bearing/effect on GPU Boost.

Also, they are requesting that I send them my vBIOS, which I will do shortly.

For reference, I created 2 .bat files to tinker with forcing max boost of 1241 Mhz, on my "index 2" eVGA GTX 660 Ti 3GB FTW:

"Force Max Boost.bat"
"c:\Program Files\nVidia Inspector\nvidiaInspector.exe" -setGpuClock:2,2,1242 -forcepstate:2,2

"Reset To Default.bat"
"c:\Program Files\nVidia Inspector\nvidiaInspector.exe" -restoreAllPStates:2 -forcepstate:2,16

If anyone knows how to easily reproduce this problem, please let me know. I think I'll have to uninstall my driver, then reinstall my driver, to reproduce it... since I believe that monkeying with NVIDIA Inspector has put my setup in a situation where it doesn't reproduce.

Time to reinstall the driver to see if I can get this to reproduce.

So.. today I uninstalled 334.89, then reinstalled it, so that I could be sure that I was running the "stock P-states" without any NVIDIA Inspector command lines to possibly interfere.

Sure enough, I'm watching my GPU right now... GPUGrid is using ~82% GPU Usage like normal, power is at 76%, yet the clock is at 1058 Mhz (instead of max boost 1241 Mhz), and GPU-Z reports PerfCap Reason: Util. Even if I suspend all BOINC tasks except for GPUGrid.net... the GPU Load on this SANTI_MAR420 task goes up to 86%, yet the clock remains low at 1058 Mhz, and doesn't boost.

So, for anyone that wants to maintain Max Boost while using these drivers, I still recommend the link in the first post of this thread.

In the NVIDIA Forums, ManuelG requested I try to determine which driver this started with. So I will now uninstall 334.89 (and all its components), and then see if I can reproduce it on the previous version (I keep local copies). So I'll attempt to reproduce it on the following: 334.67, 332.21, 331.93, 331.82.. until I find the version where it doesn't happen anymore.

Wish me luck!
Jacob

In the NVIDIA Forums, ManuelG requested I try to determine which driver this started with. So I will now uninstall 334.89 (and all its components), and then see if I can reproduce it on the previous version (I keep local copies). So I'll attempt to reproduce it on the following: 334.67, 332.21, 331.93, 331.82.. until I find the version where it doesn't happen anymore.

Wish me luck!
Jacob

Hopefully 332.21 (I'm on Linux)!
See the Graphics cards (GPUs): New driver for nvidia thread:
http://www.gpugrid.net/forum_thread.php?id=3634

Here's to you finding it!

334.67 is also exhibiting the behavior, where a GPUGrid task at ~86% GPU Utilization was not getting Max Boost due to PerfCapReason "Util". Note: I think this is the first Windows driver that incorporated the "decreased CPU Polling" change.

Time to uninstall it 334.67, and reinstall 332.21, to test it.

In the NVIDIA Forums, ManuelG requested I try to determine which driver this started with. So I will now uninstall 334.89 (and all its components), and then see if I can reproduce it on the previous version (I keep local copies). So I'll attempt to reproduce it on the following: 334.67, 332.21, 331.93, 331.82.. until I find the version where it doesn't happen anymore.

Wish me luck!
Jacob

Hopefully 332.21 (I'm on Linux)!
See the Graphics cards (GPUs): New driver for nvidia thread:
http://www.gpugrid.net/forum_thread.php?id=3634

Here's to you finding it!

It's not an issue for me with 332.21 on Windows (version functionality might vary on Linux WRT the numbering). It either turned up with the Beta, which I only tested for a few days, or the WHQL. As other people found some performance drop with the WHQL, while I didn't, it most likely turned up then (and was possibly exasperated with the subsequent WHQL).

Apparently, the "Prefer maximum performance" setting is tied to "choosing a P-state", and has no bearing/effect on GPU Boost.

So it doesn't do not what it says on the tin then?!? Another Bogus setting!
We need to be able to control our GPU's, not have NVidia decide what they should be doing.

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