The new Boinc system should really make things easier, but I've immediately encountered trouble that at the moment, is preventing me from using Seti on one of my machines.

The computer uses Hyper Threading, and the old seti would use one thread, and the other would be left for me to use at my descretion. This was fine, if I wasn't doing anything, it was maxed out as hard as it could go on one thread, and working as hard as it could on Seti. Yet I could jump in and work, and it wouldn't slow Seti at all because I would be on the other Thread.

But my machine runs HOT. With Seti using one thread, I was at the upper limits of what I'll let this system do. And I have at least seven fans in this beast and an aluminum case, so I can't get it any cooler either.

But with this new boinc, it keeps downloading new units every ten minutes and is maxing out my computer, taking me up past my acceptable range quite quickly, and shy of going in every ten minutes and suspending all but one work unit, there's nothing I can do to control this beast. Is there some way to only let it work on one work unit at a time? I don't mind if it downloads more, just hold them until the current one is done?

Until then, I can't run, unless I can control this beast.

Hmmm... just realized it was reading each thread as a "computer."

Maybe I can make it "blind" to the other thread somehow?

> Until then, I can't run, unless I can control this beast.
>
You can download a few utility programs from the Intel web site to help diagnose your computer system if you are having problems with running BOINC with multiple CPUs. These are OS specific.

http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scripts-df/Product_Filter.asp?ProductID=483

Hyper-Threading Technology Test Utility
Intel® Processor Identification Utility

http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scripts-df/Product_Search.asp?Prod_nm=chipset*ID*utility

Intel® Chipset Identification Utility
Intel® Chipset Software Installation Utility

Running the Hyper-Threading Technology Test Utility, it discovered that the 845PE Chipset on my ASUS P4PE-X motherboard was defective causing it to freeze.

Did you install the chipset drivers from the motherboard installation disk? Intel may have a more recent version.

Franz

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Yeah, I'm updated.

I'll try it but the computer itself is running fine, but I can't max out this system without overheating it. It's never been a problem before because seti could only use HALF my machine before, one thread. If I use threadmaster, I can only get it to use a portion of each thread, which isn't the same thing. I only want Boinc, or Seti specifically, to run on ONE thread, it can go ahead and max it out, but leave the other one free. That's the only way I can really work without the temperature rocketing up.

As far as the computer goes, the only problem is it runs hot, and I looked at how seti is running, and the boinc manager is opening two copies of seti@home. Can we have a "Max copies" or something, so it'd only open one?

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> As far as the computer goes, the only problem is it runs hot, and I looked at
> how seti is running, and the boinc manager is opening two copies of seti@home.
> Can we have a "Max copies" or something, so it'd only open one?
>


in Your preferances change the number of CPU's to use to the number 1 instead of 2 (default)

that should resolve your issue

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Wiki de BOINC

<img src="http://www.boincstats.com/stats/banner.php?cpid=51a3eaaef8df276544f56140a8a65413">

ahhh, thank you.

That fooled me, because I have another computer at home running it and I thought it was how many computers were logged in.

I just noticed that actually, when I opened global_prefs.xml, I hard changed the tag to 1, and it has successfully stopped the problem, thanks guys!


And nice quick response by the way.

> ahhh, thank you.
>
> That fooled me, because I have another computer at home running it and I
> thought it was how many computers were logged in.
>
> I just noticed that actually, when I opened global_prefs.xml, I hard changed
> the tag to 1, and it has successfully stopped the problem, thanks guys!
>
>
> And nice quick response by the way.
>
>

no prob hope you enjoy....

you can tweak BOINC very well.
Set your write to disk to a higher number of seconds 600 - 900 (10-15 minutes).
Amount of virtual mem to use to 80% to 90% - you computer will generate more when it needs it for projects you are working on.
Leave in Mem if you have a good amount of mem and run more than 1 project.

all of these will spead things up for you.

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Wiki de BOINC

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Good that you got it under control... but there is obviously something wrong with your cooling setup. I have a HT P4 at work and let BOINC run on both virtual CPUs and it does not overheat. All you say is it gets hotter than you will let it go... how hot is that? Anything under 60C is acceptable for P4s. I have seen a chip get up to 100C without permanent damage (though it did lock up when it got that hot). If the chip really is getting too hot then I can only guess that either you have some of the 7 fans blowing in the wrong direction or that you either don't have any thermal compound between the CPU and the heatsink or that it is poorly applied. You SHOULD be able to let BOINC have both virtual CPUs without negatively impacting your system.

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A member of The Knights Who Say NI!
For rankings, history graphs and more, check out:
My BOINC stats site

It is an intel system. But it's a Prescott LGA775, which runs much hotter than the older Northwood chips, and unfortunately, I went with a boxed cpu fan, rather than getting the chip OEM. And the cpu fan is utter junk, we put the other fans in to drownd the sound of the processor fan, really.

Typically, if I have the cpu fan on 80% max, it can keep the system at around 54-57 Celsius, depending on what I'm doing, and that's with Seti taking on thread entirely, pretty much (50% of my system). If I'm doing something pretty intensive, sometimes I'll up my fan speed to 90%, but seti was dragging my fans waaay to high when I went full max, and it was still climbing, and I'd like to stay below 60. When nothing is running, I get around 32 degrees on 80% fans.

Poor application of thermal compound is quite possible however, and junky fan too. But the Prescott has always run hot, particularly when under load. Right now, it's about 52% usage, and about 55 degrees celsius.

Shy of a wind tunnel, I don't know what else I can do here.

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> It is an intel system. But it's a Prescott LGA775, which runs much hotter
> than the older Northwood chips, and unfortunately, I went with a boxed cpu
> fan, rather than getting the chip OEM. And the cpu fan is utter junk, we put
> the other fans in to drownd the sound of the processor fan, really.

i have a 775 3.0GHz too, it runs constantly about 70ºC. even with no load, i've never gotten below 58ºC.
with the days of research i have done, i see nothing that will definatly help except for liquid cooling, which i will probably have to do come summer.

meltdown appears to be 85ºC or so, countless ppl have run above 70 for long periods, mine has been going for over 5 months.

happy crunching
Micah

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S@h Berkeley's Staff Friends Club

Wow, I think I have my motherboard set to warn me at 60% on the processor and just shut the system down if it ever reaches 65%.

Wow, maybe those seven fans do do something after all.

I have two extra cd bays, and I wouldn't mind turning them into a fan, but I want to pipe air behind my motherboard, because there is no airflow back there, and I think that would cool my system off a bit, do you know of anyway to do that?

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> I have two extra cd bays, and I wouldn't mind turning them into a fan, but I
> want to pipe air behind my motherboard, because there is no airflow back
> there, and I think that would cool my system off a bit, do you know of anyway
> to do that?
>
well, there are certainly fans made to fit into an empty 5.25 external drive bay. to get air behind the board is probably not going to do much good, but the only way i can think of off the top of my head would be to cut a hole on that side of the case, or the bottom fan spot (if you have one) would get some flow back there.
the best is of course to get all your fans flowing in the same direction. there was a thread here about which way to run the cpu fan and the discussion drifted into overall cooling.
the full copper zalman fan appears to be the best cpu fan for 775, but the results have been mixed on the amount of good it did (and for $50, i want a guarantee, so will go with the $200 for a nice liquid cooling...)

i do only have 3 external fans running on that system, but it is a 4foot tall tower server case and things are pretty spaced out.

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S@h Berkeley's Staff Friends Club

I tried to design for a good flow, I have a silent fan in the front grill which is my main intake.

ATX case:

The cpu fan air is pulled by the PSU fans; a two fan system. There are also two back panel fans there. Then, since I have a PCI Express x16 video card (middle slot only), I have a PCI slot fan to cool that. I think increasing my intake at the front of the case is my best idea, that one fan in my weakest fan (shy of the PCI slot).


I was thinking that if I could radiate off the back of the motherboard, it could pull heat from the processor easier, but I'm not sure.

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> Wow, I think I have my motherboard set to warn me at 60% on the processor and
> just shut the system down if it ever reaches 65%.


It sounds like you may be able to reset your BIOS to alarm at a higher temperature.

Also did you see this thread from the other day.

http://setiweb.ssl.berkeley.edu/forum_thread.php?id=12894

Ulrich wrote to try threadmaster to throttle back the CPU usage.

Threadmaster

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Well, there's threadmaster, but you have to set it for each thread (at least last time I used it)

You can also set BOINC to use only 1 CPU (how I have it now), but this isn't the end-all of solutions

You can put a better heatsink on your CPU.
--Best examples of "practical" and "OVERKILL" i can find: I'd go with the overkill + 2 120mm fans.
Link1
Link2 -- can be used with two 120mm fans for increased cooling.

you can go to a liquid-cooling setup (water isn't as good as some other mediums you can find) -- pressure-test it for 48 hours constantly before installing.

you can check the airflow in your case; check out Overclocking/modding forums (such as Gideontech or Bit-Tech) for tips on airflow.
-- Make sure you're pulling air from the front/bottom, and pushing it out the back/top; make sure your intake is not blocked, and has more than 1/2 inch to breathe; make sure your exhaust fan(s) are pulling air away from your CPU; don't use your power supply as your only exhaust (tends to heat it up and make it unstable).

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<a href="http://boinc-doc.net/boinc-wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page">BOINC Wiki</a>
<a href="http://www.tamaness.hostrocket.com/BOINC_team.html">Gideontech BOINC team!</a>

> the computer itself is running fine, but I can't max out this system without overheating it.

If you can't run the system at 100% load, then there is a problem with it.


BTW- having 7 fans could be part of the problem.

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Grant
Darwin NT

> i have a 775 3.0GHz too, it runs constantly about 70ºC. even with no load,
> i've never gotten below 58ºC.

As hot as the present Intel CPUs are, that's not normal.
Using the stock cooler & at ambients as high as 40&deg;c i wouldn't expect that CPU to reach 70&deg;c even under full load.

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Grant
Darwin NT

I'm running a 775-3.2 with a stock Intel fan and heat sink. With Seti and Climate running producing full load, both threads active, the CPU sits at 47C. The case is a full tower with two sets of paired 80mm intake fans and a single 80mm intake fan right above the CPU fan. The exhaust fans are also 80mm. Yeah it's loud but it sure runs cool! I have hacked at the case over the years to get all the fans in and I'm using them in dual configs (as in server cooling) in case one should fail. The machine runs 24x7x365 and all intake fans are filtered. I always wondered about PCs using exhaust only cooling with no filtering. Seems a little lame to me but then again I'm not an engineer and I like to keep the dust levels as low as possible. I made the filters out of washable "cut to size" filter material I bought at the local Home Depot.

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Yeah, I thought about the seven fans, but I thought it was a good airflow pattern. I think increasing the intake to the front fan would be a good idea.

I've managed to keep it under 60 degrees by increasing my fan speeds a bit and after a while the temperature stabilized and has actually dropped from when seti is just running once.

Right now it's coasting at 50 degrees. I went back and looked at my temperature logs and something happened at around 2am, and for some reason the processor temperature dropped about eight degrees in under a minute and has stayed there. I don't know what happened, but I'm happy!

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O.K. O.K. Ya got me thinking …

I’ve been running my two 3Gh in HT mode for a year now so I
Thought I’d look at the cpu temp and cee what was up.

CPU 1 CPU2
66 dec C 72 Deg C

So I got out the can of air shot it around inside
and … voila … both running at 55 deg C

Perhaps a little regular P.M. is the lesson here!

EdwardPF