GPU Utilization with 2 tasks!
2 Apr 2012 23:37:49 UTC
Topic 196265
(moderation:
Hi there,
I picked up that you can run 2 BRP4cuda32 WUs using the preference switch. That seems to be running fine, but...
Under Win7 Home 64, using BOINC manager 6.10.60, I still only get about 60% GPU usage, and the times reflect that in the first couple of returns. While they are slightly better, I thought that I could get more like 90+% GPU utilization, and a little more oomph out of the GTS450. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks much!
GPU Utilization with 2 tasks!
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One key point can be to improve the ability of the CPU job which supports your GPU work to respond quickly.
A quick way to get some idea whether this is a fruitful avenue to pursue can be to suspend all the CPU tasks, and to avoid other work (such as weekly virus scanning of your disk) which might distract the attention of your CPU from promptly servicing the GPU. If that looks promising, you may find that bumping up the relative priority of the CPU support task will help. You can do that for the current running instance just by a little clicking in Task Manager or (better) Process Explorer. But doing it on a continuing basis would require another tool, such as efMer's Priority, or the commercial Process Lasso (the free version would be good enough).
But I can't guarantee that you can get there from here. The Einstein BRP GPU jobs require quite a lot from the CPU support, so a slow CPU or memory system will cripple you regardless. I don't know the AMD product line well enough to have any idea where your "AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4200+" lies on the scale of capabilities.
Also, in the end, you should pay closer attention to throughput, using the number of tasks and the elapsed wall clock time, than to utilization. Yes, they are correlated, but the first is what you really are getting done that is useful--the second is just a measure of being busy.
I would also think, that your
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I would also think, that your cpu has not enough power. I have a 9800GX2 which has 2x128 cores. So one gpu is weaker than your gts450 with 192 cores. On my the utilization is arround 70% for running 1 wu. Plugging this card in my i72600K gives >90% and serious thermal pressure.
Your X2 4200+ is in the same performance region like a stock C2D E6300. Current intel cpus are per core a factor 3 faster and have a direct connection to the PCIe bus (gpu). Time to upgrade? ;)