My configuration is:
q6600, 8Gb RAM, nVidia 8600 GT 512Mb.
I run x64 Ubuntu system.
I'm running einstein@home and started running this project.
The problem is that after installing this project my desktop performance has become quite slow. For example if I'm watching a movie it doesn't run smoothly. It is logical that it effects graphics performance, but I was hoping that I wouldn't have problems with ordinary desktop tasks. The project seems to be running well. Is there a solution to this?

The only solution would be to suspend GPUGRID while you use your computer, or to get a faster card... ;-)

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pixelicious.at - my little photoblog

8600GT has "only" 32 Shader Units, so performance will be boarderline in the use you have described. You have plenty of memory on the card, but it looks like its being bottlenecked by the (relatively) lowish shader count. The latter will really come into play in a significant way when you play a movie at the same time as GPUGrid. The card has the memory to cope with both (512mb), but its going to crawl trying to cope with the processing requirements of both a movie and a WU at the same time due to the Shader Count.

Whilst ordinarily the following would make no difference where the availability of a wide margin of processing power above needs exists, where its boaderline, small tweeks can make a difference - Try reducing desktop resolution from 32bit to 16bit - less work for the gpu to do. Also make sure your graphics drivers are bang up to date, often new tweeks inside drivers boost their performance in particular scenarios, you might get lucky and hit an update that addresses indirectly your background issue and give a performance increase.

If the latter tweeks dont work, and frankly they probably wont (try it tho - might work for you and save some dosh), then its run one or the other - not both at the same time, or as stated above update the card for a hassle free life :)

Regards
Zy

Thank you guys. For now I'll have to do it manually and maybe I could go with a better card in a near future. :)

I note you have 4 downloaded (default as you have 4 cpu). If the time to crunch exceeds the time limit of 4 days for all of them together as a batch due to card performance, abort one or two WUs, as appropriate, to prevent delays in getting a WU result - they will then be reissued straight away to another PC.

When it comes time to redownload new WUs, go into Preferences and set the cache to a fraction of a day, not just the default one day. On my quad Phenom2 9800GTX+, I usually find 0.25 as a cache setting will result in only two being downloaded, bringing it down further if I only want one downloaded.

Experiment by setting it at a really low fraction (0.1 maybe?) and increase the fraction until it gives you a single or two WUs depending what you want - then you know the setting for the future so you are not flooded with WUs that cant be processed in the 4 days time allowed, under the use you put the beast to.

Regards
Zy

Ok, thank you. I will do so.

You could try to give the BOINC / GPU-Grid threads a higher nice value, if they're not at maximum already. Not sure how to do this and if it helps, but it's not the amount of work per screen refresh that kills your performance, it's the long time between refreshs (which depends on GPU speed and how often the cpu asks the GPU to calculate the next step).

MrS

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Scanning for our furry friends since Jan 2002

I've changed the card to 9800 GTX+ 512MB. I can still see the difference, it smaller difference, but when for example I'm watching the movie at fullscreen (1920x1200) it's not as smooth as it's without running gpugrid. Is that normal, or do I need to dig deeper? Can you see and difference?

That should be normal. With my 9800GTX+ I can also see / feel the difference, even the mouse movement doesn't feel totally smooth. Can't test with HD videos, though. Normal videos are a mixed bag. Sometimes I think I see it stuttering, but when I switch GPU-Grid off and concentrate on the image it doesn't appear to be smooth either.

MrS

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Scanning for our furry friends since Jan 2002

Ok, thanks, I guess it's normal then.

Try running at a slightly lower resolution, doing that on my 9800GTX+ did the trick, the smaller amount of work it had to do meant the slight stutturing went away. I run at 1650x1050 now, and whilst the beast works for its living, it does both at the same time without too much drama.

Regards
Zy

In a movie it probably won't matter much, but for anything else you can't run a TFT below its native resolution. You can set it, but it looks extremly ugly and may give you head aches soon :p

MrS

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Scanning for our furry friends since Jan 2002

I don't really know if I just got used to it, or something else, but I don't notice it that much any more. I still do notice the difference in watching the movies, but for that short amount of time I suspend work.
I'm quite satisfied now, especially when I see the granted credit. :)