Question about GPU usage and optimized apps

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Profile Silverdude Crowdfunding Project Donor*

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Message 1558712 - Posted: 18 Aug 2014, 14:01:51 UTC

Hey everyone! I built a new system recently with a pair of GTX 780 TIs in it, but GPU-Z is saying they're only about 25% utilized during S@H crunching. I obviously want to maximize the amount of work my GPUs are doing, so I'm wondering if there's a setting or something I missed? I'm running the regular BOINC client, but just started reading about optimized apps (Lunatics specifically). I don't mind messing around with command lines and registry edits, but is there a way to use 100% of my GPU power through BOINC or should I start using Lunatics? Thanks for any input you have.
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Message 1558722 - Posted: 18 Aug 2014, 14:38:59 UTC
Last modified: 18 Aug 2014, 14:40:14 UTC

The use of the Lunatics optimized code is allways a good ideia.

After you install it then you could try to run multiple instances on your GPU to increse the GPU usage.

It´s easy and there are few thread explaining who to do.

But first go for the Lunatics optimized apps and put them to work.

For more info about that look: http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/forum_thread.php?id=75391
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Message 1558724 - Posted: 18 Aug 2014, 14:42:14 UTC

Optimized apps are probably the best way to go. If you want to use them or the stock apps you can create a app_config.xml to control the number of tasks the GPUs run to fully utilize your computers resources.
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Message 1560408 - Posted: 22 Aug 2014, 3:53:29 UTC - in response to Message 1558712.  

go into/create the app_config.xml file in the boinc/projects/setiathome.berkeley.edu folder....

then put the following in it:

<app_config>
<app>
<name>setiathome_v7</name>
<gpu_versions>
<gpu_usage>0.5</gpu_usage>
<cpu_usage>.5</cpu_usage>
</gpu_versions>
</app>
<app>
<name>astropulse_v6</name>
<gpu_versions>
<gpu_usage>0.5</gpu_usage>
<cpu_usage>0.5</cpu_usage>
</gpu_versions>
</app>
</app_config>

Then save it and restart boinc-seti.

change the gpu_usages to 0.33 (to run 3 instances) or 0.25 (to run 4 instances.)

I would also change the cpu_usage figure to 0.75 when doing 3 instances, and 1.0 when running four instances - this allows 1 CPU core per seti job which is one of the main bottlenecks in keeping the GPU working as hard as possible.

I wouldnt go past 4 instances as I think that performance and output past this does not increase by any great margin.

Hope this helps.
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Message 1560468 - Posted: 22 Aug 2014, 7:42:45 UTC - in response to Message 1560408.  

Then save it and restart boinc-seti.

More efficient to open BOINC Manager.

Advanced view, Advanced menu, 'Read config files'.
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Message 1560488 - Posted: 22 Aug 2014, 8:42:42 UTC - in response to Message 1560408.  

go into/create the app_config.xml file in the boinc/projects/setiathome.berkeley.edu folder....

then put the following in it:

<app_config>
<app>
<name>setiathome_v7</name>
<gpu_versions>
<gpu_usage>0.5</gpu_usage>
<cpu_usage>.5</cpu_usage>
</gpu_versions>
</app>
<app>
<name>astropulse_v6</name>
<gpu_versions>
<gpu_usage>0.5</gpu_usage>
<cpu_usage>0.5</cpu_usage>
</gpu_versions>
</app>
</app_config>

Then save it and restart boinc-seti.

change the gpu_usages to 0.33 (to run 3 instances) or 0.25 (to run 4 instances.)

I would also change the cpu_usage figure to 0.75 when doing 3 instances, and 1.0 when running four instances - this allows 1 CPU core per seti job which is one of the main bottlenecks in keeping the GPU working as hard as possible.

I wouldnt go past 4 instances as I think that performance and output past this does not increase by any great margin.

Hope this helps.


I copied this portion of app_config, and it works a treat, I now have 2 apps running on a Radeon 6950. However, I have a query.
Boinc Manager shows that each app is using 0.04% of a cpu, that seems a bit wasteful of limited cpu resources, can't both apps use the same cpu, since they're only using 0.04% ? Is it more efficient to run this way ?

yours quizzicly,

P.
;-)
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Richard Haselgrove Project Donor
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Message 1560498 - Posted: 22 Aug 2014, 9:03:48 UTC - in response to Message 1560488.  

Boinc Manager shows that each app is using 0.04% of a cpu, that seems a bit wasteful of limited cpu resources, can't both apps use the same cpu, since they're only using 0.04% ? Is it more efficient to run this way ?

yours quizzicly,

P.
;-)

Modern multi-tasking operating systems don't work like that. Windows will decide which of the 100-odd processes running inside your computer will get access to which bit of silicon, every couple of milliseconds or so.
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Profile Fred J. Verster
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Message 1560593 - Posted: 22 Aug 2014, 14:50:50 UTC - in response to Message 1560498.  

I just started, with a fresh new BOINC manager, not yet in a virtual machine,
and both 5870 GPU work fine. The I7-2600 runs at 60-70% otherwise it gets too
hot.
And finished enough work to let me post on the forum pages.
Nice to be back ;^).
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Profile Fred J. Verster
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Message 1560663 - Posted: 22 Aug 2014, 16:48:33 UTC - in response to Message 1560593.  
Last modified: 22 Aug 2014, 17:25:42 UTC

Nice to see both S@H and AstroPulse science-app's in BOINC manager behave
beautiful without any tuning.
Both HD5870 GPU's run at 75% off their maximum capacity.
The CPU, I7-2600 with stock cooler get too hot with HT on, so a setting off
70% and an auxillairy fan, is necessary.
Tipp off the hat for implementing the OpenCL app's in BOINC manager!
And ofcoarse the testing, tuning and getting the OpenCL app's to work in BOINC.

And no problem to use the computer for 'other' purposes as well.
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Message 1560945 - Posted: 23 Aug 2014, 3:31:44 UTC
Last modified: 23 Aug 2014, 4:04:00 UTC

Curious as to why I had to change .......

<cpu_usage>0.25</cpu_usage>

In order to have 4 wu running on the CPU.
Boinc....Boinc....Boinc....Boinc....
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Message 1560966 - Posted: 23 Aug 2014, 5:06:42 UTC - in response to Message 1560593.  

I just started, with a fresh new BOINC manager ...

Welcome back after 1.589 years of absence ;)
 


- ALF - "Find out what you don't do well ..... then don't do it!" :)
 
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Message 1561405 - Posted: 24 Aug 2014, 5:22:57 UTC

I hope it's okay to ask this question in this thread. I have just reinstalled the optimised applications and I currently have 77 tasks running on cuda 32. I know there is a way to make these run under anonymous platform but I have forgotten how to do it could somebody please remind me?
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Message 1561408 - Posted: 24 Aug 2014, 5:34:39 UTC - in response to Message 1561405.  
Last modified: 24 Aug 2014, 5:39:23 UTC

Speedy what are you trying to do ?

if you have loaded the latest version of Bonic and you wish to run Lunatics just install the latest version 0.42 and if you wish to run more than 1 unit on the GPU you edit app-info.xml

open app-info up in Word pad

then look for <type>CUDA<type>
<count>?<count> ? = number of units expressed as 1 = 1 , 0.5 = 2 , 0.33 = 3

Change all instances of this statement and then save (not save as)

there is a bug with the new version but it should not effect your GPU as the bug only happens on the older GPU's so you should be right go mate

EDIT : also you will have to change the settings to receive Astropulse you haven't got any yet and there won't be any more till proubly Wednesday after the weekly outage
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Message 1561410 - Posted: 24 Aug 2014, 5:46:27 UTC

Glenn what I am wanting to do is force my GPU to use the anonymous platform it is currently using the stock application that it downloaded from the web. I know there is a way to do this I have forgotten how to do it. You somehow force the tasks to re-download and they start using the anonymous platform
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Message 1561414 - Posted: 24 Aug 2014, 6:05:38 UTC - in response to Message 1561410.  

Speedy i would not bother you won't get much of a increase as the new version of Bonic has some of the optimised apps already i believe .

Otherwise reset the project i think does what you want to do and it will resend them back to you optimised i think !
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Message 1561418 - Posted: 24 Aug 2014, 6:17:27 UTC - in response to Message 1561410.  

Glenn what I am wanting to do is force my GPU to use the anonymous platform it is currently using the stock application that it downloaded from the web. I know there is a way to do this I have forgotten how to do it. You somehow force the tasks to re-download and they start using the anonymous platform

If you check with Windows Task Manager, you ought to see that the tasks are actually running with the app installed by v0.42. The servers only know that they were originally delivered to be run by the stock app so continue to tally results that way. Your recent MB v7 work, for instance, was sent for "SETI@home v7 v7.00 (cuda32)" but if you look in the stderr there's a line showing it was actually run by "setiathome enhanced x41zc, Cuda 5.00".

Because the project has the resend lost work feature enabled, it is possible to deliberately lose the tasks by doing a project reset. That wipes out the tasks locally so the next work request gets them resent to be done by the current apps. It does make the records clearer, but also involves redownloading the tasks unless you save them and put them back in the project folder after doing the reset. Assuming you're on 24/7 broadband it's simpler to just redownload.
                                                                    Joe
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Message 1561419 - Posted: 24 Aug 2014, 6:31:38 UTC

Thanks Glenn and Josef moved in. I have reset the project & I am happy everything is back to the way it was
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Message boards : Number crunching : Question about GPU usage and optimized apps


 
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