CPU usage too high....

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Jack
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Message 1527314 - Posted: 12 Jun 2014, 16:25:49 UTC

.....and causing computer to run slow. I've been running Setiathome since 2002 and never had any problems. Now I have a new computer running Windows 7, SP1 and Setiathome seems to ignore my preferences and computer settings. It never ceases during use as my preferences dictate and I've cut way back (in preferences) on CPU use% and Setiathome just ignores those settings. I've set priorities for all Seti to low, but it always runs on high priority. I keep getting warnings of high CPU usage by Setiathome.

To get the use of my computer back in my control, I've suspended Setiathome in Boinc. As soon as I suspend Seti, things go back to normal.

I'm only running two projects; Setiathome and QCN.
Jack
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Message 1527733 - Posted: 13 Jun 2014, 18:10:17 UTC - in response to Message 1527314.  

Where are you changing your preferences? On the Web or locally?
Are you aware that local settings override Web page settings?

Are you saving the changes if your using the Web page?

Are you shutting down Boinc then restarting to force the changes
to take effect?

Just what settings are you changing?
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Message 1528379 - Posted: 15 Jun 2014, 22:24:37 UTC - in response to Message 1527733.  

I've tried both. Locally, it says that changes will take effect when I restart OR update. Neither work. Seti uses 95% of my CPU and I have preference set to 50%, then 25%, then 10%. Finally, I suspended Seti. It's not like I haven't done this before. When I was running XP, my preferences were followed. In Windows 7....not so much.
Jack
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Message 1528388 - Posted: 15 Jun 2014, 22:56:54 UTC - in response to Message 1528379.  

Make sure that Activity is set to 'use based on preferences', or else it won't.
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Message 1528779 - Posted: 16 Jun 2014, 23:27:28 UTC - in response to Message 1528388.  

And therein lies the problem. Apparently, I can't have two different sets of preferences....one for QCN and one for Seti. QCN needs to run all the time and Seti takes the whole computer if I set QCN to run all the time. Now that I understand the problem, I'll have to choose between the two and QCN takes precedence because I live in earthquake country.

Maybe someone can help me strike a balance between the two.....but to catch an earthquake QCN needs to be running continuously. Or as close to that as I can make it.
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Message 1528780 - Posted: 16 Jun 2014, 23:48:53 UTC - in response to Message 1528779.  

But QCN is a non-CPU intensive application. All it does is 'listen' for earthquakes through a sensor you have attached to it, or through the movement sensor of your laptop. So even when you have your activity set to run based on preferences and the preferences state that Seti can only start up when the computer is idle, QCN will always run and be active. Non-CPU intensive projects always run, they don't use the CPU that much, perhaps a peak of 10% every 4 hours or so.

It's only CPU intensive projects such as Seti, Einstein, CPDN etc. that will act upon "don't compute when system is in use", because they can be interfering on what else you do with your system. Non-CPU intensive projects and applications aren't CPU intrusive.
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Message 1529017 - Posted: 17 Jun 2014, 16:06:14 UTC - in response to Message 1528780.  

Excuses, although QCN is a non-CPU intensive project, it best does not run always. It is best only run when the computer is idle, aka not in use, as else the vibrations from the keyboard or mouse can be picked up by the sensor (mostly in laptops) and seen as earthquakes.

So you can easily set up BOINC to only do work when the computer is idle, thereby Seti won't interfere with what you're doing and you won't interfere QCN and give it possibly false data.
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Message 1529082 - Posted: 17 Jun 2014, 16:50:20 UTC - in response to Message 1528780.  

Preferences "Suspend work while computer is in use? yes" then under activity "Run based on preferences" selected. Any movement of the mouse immediately suspends QCN and SETI. To keep QCN running always, I have to select "Run always" under Activity. If I select "Run Always" SETI takes all (95%) of my CPU no matter what other activities I'm doing and I get a warning that SETI is using 95% of my CPU.

I can't see any way to change this. It's either all or none when I'm working.
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Message 1529108 - Posted: 17 Jun 2014, 16:55:35 UTC - in response to Message 1529082.  

My QCN sensor is a USB stand alone and firmly mounted and I want it running 100% of the time when possible. This is what QCN prefers, too.
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Message 1529187 - Posted: 17 Jun 2014, 23:06:24 UTC - in response to Message 1529108.  

I'm playing with preferences and unchecking the suspend while computer is in use, then cutting down CPU usage % in preferences to see if I can find a balance I can live with.
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Message 1529267 - Posted: 18 Jun 2014, 2:23:58 UTC - in response to Message 1529108.  

My QCN sensor is a USB stand alone and firmly mounted and I want it running 100% of the time when possible. This is what QCN prefers, too.

Actually, that isn't necessary anymore since that David (Anderson) fixed the NCI applications and made them run always, despite what state BOINC is in.

I further asked Carl Christensen (QCN admin) about this and here's what he answered me: "QCN should behave like an ordinary NCI app so no need to set for running all the time. the only problem seems to be users that peg their CPU at 100% ie running other BOINC projects 24/7 -- it seems some of the sensors like the ONavi can have a hard time "keeping up" the 50 Hz data rate -- even though they only use .1% CPU or whatever. I think it's a USB bus issue."

So there is really no need to have BOINC Activity set to Run always, because the application from QCN already does so by itself.
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Message 1529568 - Posted: 18 Jun 2014, 18:28:30 UTC - in response to Message 1529267.  

That doesn't seem to be the case. At least from what I can determine. When set to run on preferences, as soon as I touch the mouse, it suspends all applications and freezes the QCN graphics. I can only assume that when it says suspended (in BOINC).....it really is. Nothing I have tried has changed this. Either QCN is suspended when SETI is suspended or SETI uses 96% of my CPU and I get warnings and a very slow computer. I tried everything I can think of and nothing works.

I'd like to continue SETI, but QCN is more important to me, so for the time being, I have dropped SETI from my projects and am only running QCN. I've been running SETI for 14 years and stopping it is not something I really want to do. Hopefully I can figure it out.
Jack
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Message 1529651 - Posted: 18 Jun 2014, 20:55:55 UTC

I think you may be confusing graphical activity with the logging activity that QCN apparently continues to do in the background - no live data is lost, just the "pretty pictures". To check this theory out, run task manager to monitor the real activity of QCN, which is normally quite low, but should drop to zero if the task(s) associated with it are really being suspended.
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Message 1529691 - Posted: 19 Jun 2014, 0:03:03 UTC - in response to Message 1529651.  

Task manager also says all activity is suspended and nothing is happening. I have given up for now. One thing....when I click on "update" I get a message that communication is deferred. I wait until that message disappears then assume that my new preferences are in effect. Is that correct?
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Message 1529694 - Posted: 19 Jun 2014, 0:21:04 UTC - in response to Message 1529691.  

I just discovered that there is another "preferences" under Tools and it does not agree with the preferences I've been setting on the Manager projects or tasks side bar. Now I'm really confused. Too many "preferences". More experimenting is in order. I've never run more than SETI the past 14 years. QCN is new to me, but important because I live on the West Coast where earthquakes are frequent (although right here) and expected. Maybe I'm working with the wrong "preferences".
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Message 1529746 - Posted: 19 Jun 2014, 4:58:46 UTC

Local preferences take precedence over the global ones set on the web site.
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Message 1529902 - Posted: 19 Jun 2014, 15:45:58 UTC - in response to Message 1529691.  

Task manager also says all activity is suspended and nothing is happening.

A non-computing intensive program does not use the CPU as you would see with a computing intensive program. Seti's CPU application is a CPU intensive program, when it runs you'll see that the program will take up the whole CPU core, it being loaded at 23-25% continuously.

A non-computing intensive program does not act this way. It does not use the CPU intensively, as its name would imply. When you see this run, it will show little or no CPU activity for ages upon ages. And then it'll peak once for maybe a maximum of 5%. Don't blink, or you'll miss it. :)

QCN uses this latter program. It will not show as using the CPU as Seti's program(s) will. And so when you check in Windows Task Manager, the QCN program may show as suspended, since it uses no CPU. But then, that's exactly as it should be.
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Message 1529904 - Posted: 19 Jun 2014, 15:48:19 UTC - in response to Message 1529746.  

Using the preferences settings under 'tools' menu, I now have the control I needed. SETI is back up and running on my computer. All is well. Thanks for the feedback, everyone.
Jack
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Questions and Answers : Windows : CPU usage too high....


 
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