Cuda and bonic version 6.4.5 problem

Message boards : Number crunching : Cuda and bonic version 6.4.5 problem
Message board moderation

To post messages, you must log in.

AuthorMessage
Bedrich Hajek

Send message
Joined: 14 Jun 99
Posts: 6
Credit: 1,231,650
RAC: 0
United States
Message 858419 - Posted: 27 Jan 2009, 2:49:07 UTC

I updated to version 6.4.5 a couple of weeks ago. Over the weekend, I installed Nvidia Geforce 9500GT video card into a AuthenticAMD AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 5000+ [x86 Family 15 Model 67 Stepping 2] running Microsoft Windows XP Professional x86 Editon, Service Pack 2, (05.01.2600.00). I installed the driver and was able to running Seti cuda on one processor and Einstein on the other for about a day and a half. Then things went downhill, the computer was slow, explorer was using up a lot of cpu time (up to 50%), and computational errors on results from both seti and einstein occured, when I was running bonics. Computer was fine when I stopped running bonics. I cleaned up the register and reinstalled the Nvidia driver, that didn't work. I finally had to remove bonics entirely, clean out the computer's register and reinstall bonic 6.4.5. Now it seems to be running ok. Is there any reason why this happened? And how can this be prevented?
ID: 858419 · Report as offensive
Profile ML1
Volunteer moderator
Volunteer tester

Send message
Joined: 25 Nov 01
Posts: 21561
Credit: 7,508,002
RAC: 20
United Kingdom
Message 858580 - Posted: 27 Jan 2009, 13:35:50 UTC - in response to Message 858419.  

... running Microsoft Windows XP ... I installed the driver and was able to running Seti cuda on one processor and Einstein on the other ... computer was slow, explorer was using up a lot of cpu time (up to 50%), and computational errors on results from both seti and einstein occured ... Computer was fine when I stopped running bonics. ... clean out the computer's register and reinstall bonic 6.4.5. Now it seems to be running ok. Is there any reason why this happened? And how can this be prevented?

???

That sounds like your graphics card was overheating, or that the nVidia driver is buggy for your system.

Is that an old or a new machine? Dusty inside or a failed fan?

Antivirus software choking the system?...

Good luck,
Martin


See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)
ID: 858580 · Report as offensive
Borgir

Send message
Joined: 5 Dec 05
Posts: 1
Credit: 1,731,722
RAC: 0
Italy
Message 858675 - Posted: 27 Jan 2009, 23:34:00 UTC

The same happen here, Intel Q6600, Vista Home Premium, 8600GS, last drivers installed, same with 6.4.5 or 6.6.2, after the first cuda process done the computer was very slow.
I run some 3d tests and there was the same temp 70/80 °C

I downgrade to 6.2.19, any idea?
ID: 858675 · Report as offensive
Scott Mills
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 24 Jun 99
Posts: 1
Credit: 167,482
RAC: 0
United States
Message 859513 - Posted: 30 Jan 2009, 0:59:37 UTC

I haver a similar problem.
Graphics went downhill on GPU.
Running 9600 GT and AMD quad core 9550
CUDA also says running 0.08 CPU's and 1 CUDA.
System is also sluggish.
So in version 6.4.5, why won't it let me pick the CPU's and GPU to use.


Have to shut Boinc down to do anything cpu intensive.
ID: 859513 · Report as offensive
Dzimitry Krutko

Send message
Joined: 24 Sep 04
Posts: 1
Credit: 39,982
RAC: 0
Belarus
Message 859700 - Posted: 30 Jan 2009, 12:21:31 UTC

I also have similar problem

Win XP
8500 GT
Intel Core 2 6600
Latest nVidia drivers (181.22_geforce_winxp_32bit_english_whql.exe)

Running Einstein and SETI. SETI running on CUDA.

Einstein works good. But when make SETI project active - cannot use my PC. explorer uses about 50% of CPU time. Even to swich between windows takes about a minute.
ID: 859700 · Report as offensive
Bedrich Hajek

Send message
Joined: 14 Jun 99
Posts: 6
Credit: 1,231,650
RAC: 0
United States
Message 859882 - Posted: 30 Jan 2009, 23:08:02 UTC - in response to Message 858580.  

No, it was not a hardware problem, or anti virus. After, I removed boincs, cleaned out the register, and reinstalled boincs, it has worked fine since last Monday night. Though Windows Tasks Master does show explorer using about 1 to 2% CPU time when boincs is running a cuda process, sometimes spiking to 4%. This is a lot better than before, and the computer is definitely not slow! When boincs is disabled or not using cuda, explorer is using close to 0 CPU time. Since version 6.4.5 is the first cuda capable version, it definitely needs some tweeking, and I am not using any demo versions!
ID: 859882 · Report as offensive
TopposHome

Send message
Joined: 15 Jan 00
Posts: 1
Credit: 2,998
RAC: 0
Denmark
Message 860201 - Posted: 31 Jan 2009, 11:12:39 UTC

I tried the bionic (for SETI) too.

PC setup; 3 months old. E8500+n9800gtx.

Installed a version (no CUDA support or my driver werent updated)
Day one; niiiiice - no problems
Day two; i see that there are some packages it won't do. Updates to latest bionic and nvidia drivers (i belive bionic version was a beta; i read about cuda)
Day three; niiice (again) - no problems and doing packages like never before
Day four; occassional "calculation error" seen in a bionic module (or seti). This is usually while PC is in screensaver mode.
Day four (a few hours later); ARTIFACTS on screen; blocks; lines;hangups etc.

I uninstall; reboots and now a few weeks later I haven't seen any artifacts, hangups or similar.

I suspect that when PC goes into screensaver - it also throttles down on the fans in cabinet (may even do so on the GPU itself); and thus I saw artifacts.
ID: 860201 · Report as offensive
Richard Haselgrove Project Donor
Volunteer tester

Send message
Joined: 4 Jul 99
Posts: 14687
Credit: 200,643,578
RAC: 874
United Kingdom
Message 860206 - Posted: 31 Jan 2009, 11:25:23 UTC - in response to Message 860201.  
Last modified: 31 Jan 2009, 11:25:45 UTC

I uninstall; reboots and now a few weeks later I haven't seen any artifacts, hangups or similar.

The very early SETI application did indeed cause "artifacts, hangups and similar".

But the current version (released here 21 Jan 2009) seems to have cured the worst of them - some tasks still run slow, but at least almost all of them complete without error.

If you're feeling adventurous, you might like to try again - but perhaps without the screensaver, this time.
ID: 860206 · Report as offensive
Wandering Willie
Volunteer tester

Send message
Joined: 19 Aug 99
Posts: 136
Credit: 2,127,073
RAC: 0
United Kingdom
Message 860211 - Posted: 31 Jan 2009, 11:40:16 UTC

One other solution to screen saver is not to run it. Use power saver solution to shut down monitor after xx:xx minutes. Never had any problems using this meathod.

Michael
ID: 860211 · Report as offensive
mick depear

Send message
Joined: 16 Oct 06
Posts: 15
Credit: 355,105
RAC: 0
United Kingdom
Message 860277 - Posted: 31 Jan 2009, 16:26:51 UTC - in response to Message 860211.  

I am having a problem with a number of Cuda work units downloaded today, all dated 23/02/2009. I have currently suspended them as the earlier dates have been processing normally. Boinc version 6.4.5 I have removed via control panel and installed again still no change. Units process in real time about 5 minutes for 0.273% complete, and completion time contnues to increase.
Any ideas please?.

Many thanks Mick.
ID: 860277 · Report as offensive
Richard Haselgrove Project Donor
Volunteer tester

Send message
Joined: 4 Jul 99
Posts: 14687
Credit: 200,643,578
RAC: 874
United Kingdom
Message 860285 - Posted: 31 Jan 2009, 16:43:41 UTC - in response to Message 860277.  

I am having a problem with a number of Cuda work units downloaded today, all dated 23/02/2009. I have currently suspended them as the earlier dates have been processing normally. Boinc version 6.4.5 I have removed via control panel and installed again still no change. Units process in real time about 5 minutes for 0.273% complete, and completion time contnues to increase.
Any ideas please?.

Many thanks Mick.

If that's a deadline date, they're probably VLAR (Very Low Angle Range) tasks - data recorded while the Arecibo telescope was focusing on a single point source, barely moving across the sky.

They'll run, eventually - they take about four times as long as 'normal' tasks with the same deadline: you'll find they run much faster towards the end, as they approach 100%, but very slowly indeed at the beginning. They may also make your screen very jerky and unresponsive while they run.

I tend to save mine up to run overnight, when they don't affect anything else I want to do on the machine: but if you don't have the patience to let them run to completion, I don't think anyone could object if you decided to abort them.
ID: 860285 · Report as offensive
mick depear

Send message
Joined: 16 Oct 06
Posts: 15
Credit: 355,105
RAC: 0
United Kingdom
Message 860295 - Posted: 31 Jan 2009, 17:03:25 UTC - in response to Message 860285.  

Hi Richard,

Many thanks for your reply, I will see how things progress and if I am short of work at any time I can give them a go.
Your point about the screen is correct, best to wait until nothing else is being done on the system :).

THanks again Mick.
ID: 860295 · Report as offensive
Bedrich Hajek

Send message
Joined: 14 Jun 99
Posts: 6
Credit: 1,231,650
RAC: 0
United States
Message 860463 - Posted: 1 Feb 2009, 0:57:38 UTC - in response to Message 860285.  

So, that's the problem, the work unit itself! I downloaded few today, that are due February 22 and 23, causing the same problem. I hope they fix this.
ID: 860463 · Report as offensive
Richard Haselgrove Project Donor
Volunteer tester

Send message
Joined: 4 Jul 99
Posts: 14687
Credit: 200,643,578
RAC: 874
United Kingdom
Message 860470 - Posted: 1 Feb 2009, 1:15:52 UTC - in response to Message 860463.  

So, that's the problem, the work unit itself! I downloaded few today, that are due February 22 and 23, causing the same problem. I hope they fix this.

Back on 16 January, they certainly achnowledged that it was still a "work in progress". But I haven't heard of any actual progress since then.
ID: 860470 · Report as offensive
Profile Far Star

Send message
Joined: 23 Jan 02
Posts: 1
Credit: 137,401
RAC: 0
Canada
Message 867612 - Posted: 21 Feb 2009, 5:56:26 UTC - in response to Message 858419.  

I'm running BOINC version 6.4.5 on an Intel Q6600 Quad processor CPU with an NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX GPU. Right now I have one Astropulse 5.00 WU, one SETI@home Enhanced 6.08(cuda) WU amd two MilkyWay@home 0.19 WUs crunching. Using Process Explorer, I see the three non-cuda WUs all running at about 25% (full utilization of 3 out of 4 CPUs). The fourth CPU, working on the cuda WU, is running at about 0.4%. Meanwhile I am seeing explorer.exe jumping around between 0.3% and 20 %. When explorer.exe gets up above about 2%, the cuda WU goes to 0%. As noted by others, other apps are extremely slow when running BOINC.

Suspending the MilkyWa@home does not improve the situation. Exiting AVG and Spyware Terminator doesn't help either.

The following seems to help. Suspend the cuda WU, which allows a MW@home WU to start up. Now resume the cuda WU and suspend one of the MW@home WUs. The cuda WU now runs at 1% to 5% and explorer.exe is between 0% and 1%.

Just now the cuda WU has finished and a new cuda WU has started. I am now back in the situation I was in at the start of this post. the cuda WU is running 0% to 0.3% and explorer.exe is 0.3% to 20%. Other apps have slowed to a crawl.
ID: 867612 · Report as offensive
Profile Jord
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 9 Jun 99
Posts: 15184
Credit: 4,362,181
RAC: 3
Netherlands
Message 867642 - Posted: 21 Feb 2009, 9:20:35 UTC

When this thread started, I asked the development team about this. They told me that the CUDA application does not use explorer.exe in any way, so it must be something on your computer that does this.

Think about indexing programs, search programs and the extensions option.
It's probably a good idea to check with FileMon and Process Explorer what is happening on your system.
ID: 867642 · Report as offensive
Ricardo

Send message
Joined: 16 Jan 06
Posts: 1
Credit: 99,467
RAC: 0
Spain
Message 889186 - Posted: 28 Apr 2009, 14:48:32 UTC - in response to Message 867642.  

Hi, same problem here. I had an AMDX2 5000 with a GForce 8800GT running smoothly. A week ago y moved to a new Intel Quad 8200 with same Nvidia card, same windows (exaclty) and now it works really slow. In fact, when the 3D screensaver is working, it moves very slow (even if in the previous computer it was a smooth animation)

The computer starts going REALLY slow even if CPU usage seems very low, and closing BOINC and the seti tasks is not enough to recover normal performance. I have to reboot to achieve it.

I'll try disabling CUDA and report back. Hope the development team fixes this!
ID: 889186 · Report as offensive
Profile Jord
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 9 Jun 99
Posts: 15184
Credit: 4,362,181
RAC: 3
Netherlands
Message 889195 - Posted: 28 Apr 2009, 15:19:29 UTC - in response to Message 889186.  

In fact, when the 3D screensaver is working, it moves very slow (even if in the previous computer it was a smooth animation)

You were using your GPU to do calculations with! Of course the screen saver is slow (whichever screen saver you used). I repeat: You were doing calculations with your GPU! There is nothing to fix, other than that you shouldn't use a screen saver when doing CUDA. Read my CUDA FAQ for more information and tips.
ID: 889195 · Report as offensive
Profile Dirk Sadowski
Volunteer tester

Send message
Joined: 6 Apr 07
Posts: 7105
Credit: 147,663,825
RAC: 5
Germany
Message 889259 - Posted: 28 Apr 2009, 21:49:34 UTC
Last modified: 28 Apr 2009, 21:53:20 UTC


Someone said that it could be maybe a VLAR-prob?

In past I used the stock CUDA app.. my PC was veeryy slooowww with VLAR-WUs..

http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/forum_thread.php?id=52212

Latest CUDA application near the bottom of that thread.


EDIT:
BTW.
I would use now BOINC V6.4.7 or V6.6.20

ID: 889259 · Report as offensive

Message boards : Number crunching : Cuda and bonic version 6.4.5 problem


 
©2025 University of California
 
SETI@home and Astropulse are funded by grants from the National Science Foundation, NASA, and donations from SETI@home volunteers. AstroPulse is funded in part by the NSF through grant AST-0307956.