Einstein@Home causing system chunkiness

Cruisin'
Cruisin'
Joined: 9 Apr 11
Posts: 29
Credit: 147758
RAC: 0

Here is an overview of my

Here is an overview of my BOINC settings. I'd like to help with this project so am doing what I can to get help to try to iron this out.

Computing allowed:

While computer is on batteries (unchecked)
While computer is in use (unchecked)
Use GPU while computer in use (unchecked)

Only after computer has been idle for 3 minutes
While processor usage is less than 25%
Every day between 00:00 and 00:00 (no restrictions if equal)

Other options:

Switch between applications every 60 minutes
On multiprocessor systems, use at most 100% of the processors
Use at most 75% of CPU time.

Disk and memory usage:

Use at mose 10 gb disk space
Leave at least .10 gb disk space free
Use at most 50% of total disk space
tasks checkpoint to disk at most every 60 seconds
Use at most 75% of page file(swap file)

Memory usage:

Use at most 25% when computer is in use
Use at most 90% when compuer is idle

Leave applications in memory while suspended(unchecked)

32bit Windows XP Home
AMD Opteron 180
ASUS A8N-SLI Motherboard
Nvidia 450GTS GPU
4GB DDR 400 Memory

FrankHagen
FrankHagen
Joined: 13 Feb 08
Posts: 102
Credit: 272200
RAC: 0

RE: I think what you're

Quote:
I think what you're confused with is that BOINC under XP can be installed as a service, where it cannot be done so under Vista and 7, as these Windows versions split the driver layers.

probably - i never ran XP on my CUDA-hosts. so just another rumour..

FrankHagen
FrankHagen
Joined: 13 Feb 08
Posts: 102
Credit: 272200
RAC: 0

RE: Here is an overview of

Quote:
Here is an overview of my BOINC settings. I'd like to help with this project so am doing what I can to get help to try to iron this out.

ok, but this setup will rarely perform.

bad ideas:

While computer is in use (unchecked)
Use GPU while computer in use (unchecked)
Only after computer has been idle for 3 minutes
While processor usage is less than 25%
Use at most 75% of CPU time.
Leave applications in memory while suspended(unchecked)

worst thing with this combination is probably the last one. whenever and whyever a task is suspended, it will drop back to the last checkpoint and restart from there.

of course if there is a checkpoint for restart...

Cruisin'
Cruisin'
Joined: 9 Apr 11
Posts: 29
Credit: 147758
RAC: 0

I checked the Use CPU while

I checked the Use CPU while computer is in use.

I checked leave applications in memory while suspended.

Increased computing allowed up to 50%.

Will try these settings for a bit.

32bit Windows XP Home
AMD Opteron 180
ASUS A8N-SLI Motherboard
Nvidia 450GTS GPU
4GB DDR 400 Memory

ExtraTerrestrial Apes
ExtraTerrestria...
Joined: 10 Nov 04
Posts: 770
Credit: 536624327
RAC: 185854

RE: While computer is in

Quote:
While computer is in use (unchecked)
Use GPU while computer in use (unchecked)
Only after computer has been idle for 3 minutes

That's all the "throtteling BOINC" you should need to make it fluent. Now BOINC doesn't run whenever you actively do something with the machine. The only case left would be video playback. It'll probably get sluggish after 3 mins, so you might want to use the "right click on BOINC icon -> suspend GPU" option for these occasions.

MrS

Scanning for our furry friends since Jan 2002

Cruisin'
Cruisin'
Joined: 9 Apr 11
Posts: 29
Credit: 147758
RAC: 0

I'm starting to think its the

I'm starting to think its the BOINC client itself. I can shut BOINC off completely and the system still wont stop chunking until I reboot.

32bit Windows XP Home
AMD Opteron 180
ASUS A8N-SLI Motherboard
Nvidia 450GTS GPU
4GB DDR 400 Memory

Gundolf Jahn
Gundolf Jahn
Joined: 1 Mar 05
Posts: 1079
Credit: 341280
RAC: 0

RE: I can shut BOINC off

Quote:
I can shut BOINC off completely and the system still wont stop chunking until I reboot.


What do you mean by "shut off completely"? Exiting the BOINC manager doesn't always stop the client. It depends on your exit options.

Check with windows task manager if all project applications (and boinc.exe) have been stopped.

Are you still using your GPU for crunching (with Einstein)?

Gruß,
Gundolf

Computer sind nicht alles im Leben. (Kleiner Scherz)

joe areeda
joe areeda
Joined: 13 Dec 10
Posts: 285
Credit: 320378898
RAC: 0

RE: RE: I can shut BOINC

Quote:
Quote:
I can shut BOINC off completely and the system still wont stop chunking until I reboot.

What do you mean by "shut off completely"? Exiting the BOINC manager doesn't always stop the client. It depends on your exit options.

Check with windows task manager if all project applications (and boinc.exe) have been stopped.
Are you still using your GPU for crunching (with Einstein)?

Gruß,
Gundolf


I'm pretty sure I can confirm Cruisin's observation.

I am working on some video processing. I have an NVidia 3100m in my laptop.

I have Boinc set to Run while computer is in use but not to use GPU while computer is in use.

After a few days I find H264 decoding runs at a variable rate between 10 and 25 frames per second. Exiting Boinc from the manager and confirming with top or System Monitor that no Einstein tasks are running does not affect it. After rebooting before starting Boinc decoding runs at a consistent 100 fps.

It seems to behave as though some GPU resources are allocated but not released.
The only GPU tasks I seem to get are einsteinbinary_BRP3 version 108 (BPR3cuda32nv270).

Joe

joe areeda
joe areeda
Joined: 13 Dec 10
Posts: 285
Credit: 320378898
RAC: 0

After reading my last

After reading my last message, I realized I haven't proven it's Boinc and not my code that is degrading GPU performance. I will leave Boinc off for the next long development session to verify but I'm pretty sure.

Joe

I'm running version 6.10.58 and reporting about a Lenovo T510 running Ubuntu 11.04 64 bit with NVidia drivers 270.41.06

Gundolf Jahn
Gundolf Jahn
Joined: 1 Mar 05
Posts: 1079
Credit: 341280
RAC: 0

Could that be the "driver

Could that be the "driver downclock" problem mentioned at the SETI boards with the newest nVidia drivers?

Gruß,
Gundolf

Computer sind nicht alles im Leben. (Kleiner Scherz)

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.