Hopefully the right board.

So I have BOINC/SETI set to run as a high priority program, and I have CPU computing set to Always.

However I never seem to have all 8 cores running at 100% which logically would have my system pumping out the most work. I do have the GPU enabled and it seems like that is doing the majority of the work, but I also want to push as much out CPU wise as possible at the same time. Any tips on how to do so?

For reference I have an AMD FX 8350 overclocked to 4.7GHz and an Asus R9 290 Direct CUII

A few tips:

1) Setting BOINC to high priority (I'm assuming you mean OS priority level high) won't do anything since BOINC is just a framework/management program. It is the science applications that do all the work. Setting the science applications to high OS priority is also pointless as BOINC is designed to launch each new process in the lowest priority supported by the OS. This means that each time a workunit finishes, the science application exits and BOINC starts a new instance of the science application and re-sets it to the lowest priority.

You don't actually want to set it to a higher priority as it will simply make your system feel less responsive when you need user interaction. So long as you don't have much else running on the system, low priority is fine.

2) Ideally, since GPUs are much more powerful at this number crunching stuff than your CPU is, you want to leave an entire CPU core free to feed your GPU. Starving the GPU of a CPU will actually reduce the efficiency of your GPU. So contrary to your thinking, don't run all CPUs at full bore when utilizing GPU crunching too.

Hope that helps.

Alright. I recall reading somewhere about setting it to a high priority helped but that makes sense.

I'm not even sure how to set it to run 7 of my 8 cores at 100%. Usually it never goes above 30-40%.

---

How many CPU tasks are running?
Only 3? (3/8 = 0.375)

How many CPU tasks do you have on board?
If more than 3 and they do not run - check Status column in Tasks tab
Also check in Event Log (Ctrl+Shift+E) for any 'strange' Messages

Did you changed any of this:
Use at most 100% of the CPUs
Use at most 100% of CPU time

---

 


- ALF - "Find out what you don't do well ..... then don't do it!" :)
 

Log file below. Everything seems to be running quite slowly lately and I'm not sure what the issue is. I'm also not seeing any work being routed to the GPU. I've also posted a screenshot below of my tasks tab. Work used to just zip along and now it's hanging for a second or so every few seconds. If need be I can also post a screenshot of my settings in BOINC for you.


5/23/2015 8:35:19 AM | | cc_config.xml not found - using defaults
5/23/2015 8:35:19 AM | | Starting BOINC client version 7.4.42 for windows_x86_64
5/23/2015 8:35:19 AM | | log flags: file_xfer, sched_ops, task
5/23/2015 8:35:19 AM | | Libraries: libcurl/7.39.0 OpenSSL/1.0.1j zlib/1.2.8
5/23/2015 8:35:19 AM | | Data directory: C:\ProgramData\BOINC
5/23/2015 8:35:19 AM | | Running under account Dj
5/23/2015 8:35:19 AM | | OpenCL: AMD/ATI GPU 0: Hawaii (driver version 1642.5 (VM), device version OpenCL 2.0 AMD-APP (1642.5), 4096MB, 4096MB available, 3200 GFLOPS peak)
5/23/2015 8:35:19 AM | | OpenCL CPU: AMD FX(tm)-8350 Eight-Core Processor (OpenCL driver vendor: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., driver version 1642.5 (sse2,avx,fma4), device version OpenCL 1.2 AMD-APP (1642.5))
5/23/2015 8:35:19 AM | | Host name: Dave
5/23/2015 8:35:19 AM | | Processor: 8 AuthenticAMD AMD FX(tm)-8350 Eight-Core Processor [Family 21 Model 2 Stepping 0]
5/23/2015 8:35:19 AM | | Processor features: fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2 htt pni ssse3 fma cx16 sse4_1 sse4_2 popcnt aes f16c syscall nx lm avx svm sse4a osvw ibs xop skinit wdt lwp fma4 tce tbm topx page1gb rdtscp bmi1
5/23/2015 8:35:19 AM | | OS: Microsoft Windows 8.1: Core x64 Edition, (06.03.9600.00)
5/23/2015 8:35:19 AM | | Memory: 15.90 GB physical, 31.90 GB virtual
5/23/2015 8:35:19 AM | | Disk: 232.54 GB total, 96.10 GB free
5/23/2015 8:35:19 AM | | Local time is UTC -3 hours
5/23/2015 8:35:19 AM | | VirtualBox version: 4.3.20
5/23/2015 8:35:19 AM | SETI@home | URL http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/; Computer ID 7514069; resource share 100
5/23/2015 8:35:19 AM | SETI@home | General prefs: from SETI@home (last modified 21-May-2015 09:18:41)
5/23/2015 8:35:19 AM | SETI@home | Computer location: home
5/23/2015 8:35:19 AM | SETI@home | General prefs: no separate prefs for home; using your defaults
5/23/2015 8:35:19 AM | | Reading preferences override file
5/23/2015 8:35:19 AM | | Preferences:
5/23/2015 8:35:19 AM | | max memory usage when active: 8140.44MB
5/23/2015 8:35:19 AM | | max memory usage when idle: 12210.67MB
5/23/2015 8:35:19 AM | | max disk usage: 10.00GB
5/23/2015 8:35:19 AM | | (to change preferences, visit a project web site or select Preferences in the Manager)
5/23/2015 8:35:19 AM | | Not using a proxy
5/23/2015 8:37:20 AM | SETI@home | Sending scheduler request: To fetch work.
5/23/2015 8:37:20 AM | SETI@home | Requesting new tasks for CPU and AMD/ATI GPU
5/23/2015 8:37:22 AM | SETI@home | Scheduler request completed: got 1 new tasks
5/23/2015 8:37:24 AM | SETI@home | Started download of 27au12aa.4650.3748.438086664198.12.229
5/23/2015 8:37:27 AM | SETI@home | Finished download of 27au12aa.4650.3748.438086664198.12.229
5/23/2015 8:38:35 AM | SETI@home | General prefs: from SETI@home (last modified 21-May-2015 09:18:41)
5/23/2015 8:38:35 AM | SETI@home | Computer location: home
5/23/2015 8:38:35 AM | SETI@home | General prefs: no separate prefs for home; using your defaults
5/23/2015 8:38:35 AM | | Reading preferences override file
5/23/2015 8:38:35 AM | | Preferences:
5/23/2015 8:38:35 AM | | max memory usage when active: 8140.44MB
5/23/2015 8:38:35 AM | | max memory usage when idle: 12210.67MB
5/23/2015 8:38:35 AM | | max disk usage: 10.00GB
5/23/2015 8:38:35 AM | | (to change preferences, visit a project web site or select Preferences in the Manager)

---

I'm also not seeing any work being routed to the GPU

Your computer now don't have tasks for GPU:
http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/results.php?hostid=7514069&offset=0&show_names=0&state=1&appid=

- Enlarge (make wide) the 'Application' column on your screenshot, now you can't see which tasks are for GPU

- Check on SETI@home preferences 'Use ATI GPU' is checked
But since you have "Requesting new tasks for CPU and AMD/ATI GPU" it is very probably checked.

Work is not "routed to the GPU" - instead the task is marked/labeled 'for GPU' at the moment it is assigned (Downloaded) to your computer.
Despite the tasks are the same: Tasks assigned 'for CPU' will not be "routed to the GPU" locally

Work ... now it's hanging for a second or so every few seconds

If you talk about CPU load graph in some program (Windows Task Manager, Process Explorer, ...)
- this is clear sign you set:
Use at most XX% of CPU time
... to less than 100%

First read this my post to understand which preferences are/will be in effect:
http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/forum_thread.php?id=77325&postid=1679909#1679909

You use Local preferences - I know because of this line:
5/23/2015 8:35:19 AM | | Reading preferences override file

So change the values in Local preferences

If you need to control temperature - don't use the BOINC Setting "Use at most XX% of CPU time" (= set it to 100%)
Use TThrottle instead.

5/23/2015 8:37:20 AM | SETI@home | Requesting new tasks for CPU and AMD/ATI GPU
5/23/2015 8:37:22 AM | SETI@home | Scheduler request completed: got 1 new tasks

Check/set the Local preferences for e.g.:
Minimum work buffer 3 days
Max additional work buffer 0.1 days

(don't use more than 0.1 days for the second value, big value will make BOINC ask for work much less often)

---

 


- ALF - "Find out what you don't do well ..... then don't do it!" :)
 

No, the CPU is set to:

Use at most 100% of the CPUs
Use at most 100% of CPU time

Use ATI GPU is also checked off as well so I'm really not sure where the hang up is coming from. It was using my GPU for a time but for some reason isn't doing so any longer.

Would a full re-install of BOINC perhaps solve the issue?

---

Uninstalling and reinstalling BOINC only removes and replaces the BOINC programs. It does nothing about changing or deleting anything in the data directory. Useful as that way you can easily update BOINC without always having to empty your cache prior to doing so.

The Seti programs (running the tasks) run at the lowest possible priority that the operating system can do, this so anything else asking for the CPU(s) can take it without having to wait.

You may want to check with Windows Task Manager, or Windows Performance Monitor, what else is taking up the CPU(s).

Also,

Use at most 100% of the CPUs
Use at most 100% of CPU time

Where did you set this? In the local preferences, or in the web-preferences?
If in the latter, your log shows you're using the local preferences, and these override the web-preferences. So you'll have to check there what these are set to, or clear them to tell BOINC to use the web-preferences instead.

Local preferences is BOINC Manager->Tools->Computing Preferences...
Web-preferences are the Computing Preferences in Your Account.

---

No, the CPU is set to:

Use at most 100% of the CPUs
Use at most 100% of CPU time

You don't read or do not understand.
Read again my previous post - these 2 values set on web to 100 do not matter at all since it is clear you use Local preferences

Would a full re-install of BOINC perhaps solve the issue?

No
"full re-install of BOINC" do not touch any Settings/Preferences - they will remain as they are now
Un-install of BOINC also don't remove any Settings/Preferences

---

 


- ALF - "Find out what you don't do well ..... then don't do it!" :)