Throttling CPU

Questions and Answers : Windows : Throttling CPU
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Profile Ben Tremblay

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Message 1470909 - Posted: 30 Jan 2014, 21:47:01 UTC

Phenom 965 running Win7-64.

Under real and sustained load (for example running ArmA3) my CPU routinely reaches 58C. Under unusual load, it might spike to 64C.

Even with Preferences set to 20% of CPU time (only when activity is less than 50%) SETI drives the cores to 68C.
I lower the CPU time, I reset Max Temps, and there it is again.

I don't like pushing the CPU above 64C but can find no way of throttling to that level.

Something I can do?

p.s. Radeon 7850 GPU running Always never gets above 59C.
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Message 1470943 - Posted: 30 Jan 2014, 23:34:54 UTC - in response to Message 1470909.  

Phenom 965 running Win7-64.

Even with Preferences set to 20% of CPU time (only when activity is less than 50%) SETI drives the cores to 68C.

I wonder how you set that, as as far as I know so far, there are no preferences that do throttling only when a certain activity value is reached. Example given, the preferences for Use at most X% CPU time and Suspend work when non-BOINC CPU usage is above Y% are separate preferences that do not work together.

But really, when you live dangerously close to the max temperature of the Phenom II X4 (71C), I would think it comes down to adequate cooling, aka don't use the cooler AMD put on it, but buy an aftermarket cooler.

As an example, my Intel i5-2500K would easily reach 75+C when under load with the stock cooler, but since I put a Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo onto it, temperatures don't even reach 65C in summer.

You do need a case that's large enough to be able to house such a beast, plus you'll need additional fans that suck cooler air into the case. I had to saw out part of the side, to be able to get the copper knobs to fit in the case. Added a self-made filter, that allows hot air to pass through, but dust (and cat hairs!) not so much.
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Message 1470945 - Posted: 30 Jan 2014, 23:36:10 UTC - in response to Message 1470909.  

Take a look at this.


TThrottle: Keep your CPU and GPU temperature controlled.

http://www.efmer.eu/boinc/index.html
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Profile Ben Tremblay

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Message 1471259 - Posted: 31 Jan 2014, 19:12:31 UTC - in response to Message 1470943.  
Last modified: 31 Jan 2014, 19:17:15 UTC

Even with Preferences set to 20% of CPU time (only when activity is less than 50%) SETI drives the cores to 68C.

I wonder how you set that, as as far as I know so far, there are no preferences that do throttling only when a certain activity value is reached. Example given, the preferences for Use at most X% CPU time and Suspend work when non-BOINC CPU usage is above Y% are separate preferences that do not work together.
I can't tell if you're agreeing with me or telling me something new.
see http://bentrem.sycks.net/images/seti.jpg

But really, when you live dangerously close to the max temperature of the Phenom II X4 (71C), I would think it comes down to adequate cooling, aka don't use the cooler AMD put on it, but buy an aftermarket cooler.
Same again.
I have an "adequate" cooler. Is why temps are usually just fine.

As an example, my Intel i5-2500K would easily reach 75+C when under load with the stock cooler, but since I put a Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo onto it, temperatures don't even reach 65C in summer.
And mine only reaches high temps (68C) with SETI, as I wrote.
This doesn't address my question.

You do need a case that's large enough to be able to house such a beast, plus you'll need additional fans that suck cooler air into the case. I had to saw out part of the side, to be able to get the copper knobs to fit in the case. Added a self-made filter, that allows hot air to pass through, but dust (and cat hairs!) not so much.
I appreciate the anecdote, but my well installed cooler in a large case is doing fine work ... but things get hot with SETI ... which is what I was asking about ... please do read my post sometime.

have a good day
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Message 1471260 - Posted: 31 Jan 2014, 19:13:57 UTC - in response to Message 1470945.  
Last modified: 31 Jan 2014, 19:19:09 UTC

Take a look at this.
TThrottle: Keep your CPU and GPU temperature controlled.
http://www.efmer.eu/boinc/index.html
Thanks. Maybe this will do the trick.

But I really was asking about SETI. Everything else is fine.
It makes no sense to me that it pushes my CPU to 65C and even 68C when set to use no more than 20% of CPU time.
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Message 1471263 - Posted: 31 Jan 2014, 19:18:12 UTC - in response to Message 1471260.  

I'll repeat what has already been said. BOINC will use your CPU 20% of the time. BOINC will max out the usage per hour not 20% at all time. So you are not getting any benefit from reduced usage as you might think would happen. You'll want to use an after market Heatsinkfan(HSF) combo that quite honestly only run around $40. That certainly will reduce the heat and allow you to run more work without burning up your CPU


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Message 1471265 - Posted: 31 Jan 2014, 19:22:16 UTC - in response to Message 1471263.  
Last modified: 31 Jan 2014, 19:23:28 UTC

I'll repeat what has already been said. BOINC will use your CPU 20% of the time. BOINC will max out the usage per hour not 20% at all time.
I appreciate that information.
But you aren't repeating. I do not see this information elsewhere here. Is talking down to people a preference? or compulsion?

So you are not getting any benefit from reduced usage as you might think would happen.
Thanks for saying so. That wasn't so hard, was it.

You'll want to use an after market Heatsinkfan(HSF) combo that quite honestly only run around $40. That certainly will reduce the heat and allow you to run more work without burning up your CPU
You evidently didn't read what a wrote above.
a) I have an after-market heatsink, as stated above
b) my temps are always fine //except for// SETI.

Perhaps you should read before preaching at people.
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Message 1471267 - Posted: 31 Jan 2014, 19:24:41 UTC

Thank you to bill for being on point and decent.
I appreciate that simple dignity.
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Message 1471341 - Posted: 31 Jan 2014, 21:30:33 UTC

not preaching, or at least not trying to do so. but an Aftermarket HSF shouldn't heat up like that. Check your hsf seating and thermal paste. YOu might just have to little paste or a poorly seated HSF. another thought... Are you using a larger PC case. air doesn't flow well in a hot small microatx box. A very good heat solution is a newer larger box with multiple fans pushing and pulling air. also look for a box that has the PSU attachment on the bottom where the air intake and exhaust are external.

That is if you dont already have this going for you. not to be preaching of course


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Message 1471346 - Posted: 31 Jan 2014, 21:39:23 UTC - in response to Message 1471259.  
Last modified: 31 Jan 2014, 21:40:57 UTC

have a good day

Yes, you too.

But before you go, a further lesson.
Projects running under BOINC will maximize the hardware's capabilities. In other words, they will stress CPUs and GPUs to the ultimate maximum. And beyond, in some cases. This will result in heat.

The stress that e.g. Seti will put on the hardware cannot be compared to the stress that a game puts on the hardware, as the game does so in (small) bursts, while Seti's application(s) do it continuously from start of task to end of task. The game will also use the GPU more, than it will use the CPU.

That this heats up your CPU more than playing a game does, is because of the level of optimization that's in the science applications. Seti uses SSE, SSE2, SSE3 (and from Lunatics even higher extensions) to speed up the calculations. But this speed up means also more heat. SSE(x) calculations heat up your CPU more than 'just' calculations.

Thus it is of the utmost importance that you run with a clean computer, in a clean environment, and when you want to run anywhere from an hour a day to 24/7, that you do so on hardware that is capable and cooled sufficiently.

With that out of the way, your CPU has a maximum range of 55°C - 62°C. Its theoretical ultimate maximum set by AMD is 71° Celsius. Your temperatures with your aftermarket cooler are 58°C playing a game, which is in the max range and getting precariously. When it's then really being maxed out with doing calculations, it's at 64°C, which is already over the max set by AMD.
This means that your aftermarket CPU cooler isn't really doing a good job, or that you lack the necessary case coolers, or that your environment is bad, or that your case (airflow) is bad, or...

And that it is bad can be seen here, where a person with a comparable CPU to yours (the 955) and the stock cooler reaches... 58°C. You could've just as well not put a 'better' cooler onto it.

Now, then. BOINC throttling.
20% CPU time means that for every 10 seconds, BOINC will allow the Seti application to run for 2 seconds at full burst. This is a total waste of electricity.
'only when activity is less than 50%', if set through Suspend work when non-BOINC CPU usage is above Y% will suspend BOINC completely when a non-BOINC process takes up 50% or more CPU. Non-BOINC means anything but for the project science applications and BOINC. For instance, your game, Notepad, Internet Explorer, a screen saver, etc.

And while Tthrottle will do it differently, it will not make your base problem go away: your cooling isn't adequate enough. Or perhaps, the AMD you run with isn't the best suited to run Seti at long runs. Perhaps you best check around for a project less optimized.

All things you do not want to read, I know, and that you rather wave away as being not true. Shrug. Your choice.

Apropos of nothing, as per direct you're on my ignore list. I will not have to see your next post, nor will you be able to PM me with whatever message you have for me. People on my ignore list generally find themselves to be there for the duration of between 3 years and forever. So welcome there.
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Message 1471347 - Posted: 31 Jan 2014, 21:39:59 UTC - in response to Message 1471341.  
Last modified: 31 Jan 2014, 21:40:16 UTC

HSF shouldn't heat up like that.


Agreed.

Check your hsf seating and thermal paste. YOu might just have to little paste or a poorly seated HSF.


Or too much thermal paste can have the same effect.
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Message 1471439 - Posted: 1 Feb 2014, 4:47:52 UTC

There is a known bug that should not be hitting SETI, but could be.

First: Depending on the version of BOINC, it either cycles the tasks by second (20% would be 1 second on followed by 4 seconds off) or by 1/10 of a second (.1 second on followed by .4 seconds off). The bug is that some applications only pay attention every second, so the sub second throttling would always be on or off at the second mark.

Check the CPU usage in task manager and see what the usage actually is.


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Questions and Answers : Windows : Throttling CPU


 
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