Could someone give some suggestions on programs to use to better optimize your computer to run while running SETI. I already use something called game booster that stops unnecessary windows processes etc. But, was wondering what else is being used to make my computer run leaner and meaner, I'm running vista and I know vista has been a real pain at times it seems like its hogging resources out of nowhere.

Other than disabling unneeded Tasks and not using unneeded Software running in the Background - not much you could do.

Just make sure you don't run CPU-intensive tasks like 3D Screensavers - which includes the BOINC screensaver option - to optimize performance.

Viewing your computer Details in the Computer Listing will show you the average CPU efficiency. It should be 99.x% for dedicated systems and in the high 90's for typical systems, unless you're running Games or alike (tasks using 100% CPU power) while BOINC is still running.

For max. performance, most people forget the easiest way to achieve it :
Let BOINC run at all times and leave the system running 24/7.
A slower CPU with 24/7 uptime can easily beat a high-end system running only 1 hour a day.

There are a few smaller tweaks (BIOS related, disabling CPU power saving functions or all unneeded Visual Effects within Windows) but those either come with a drawback or require in-depth knowledge.
Performance gains usually are present but quite low, for most people it's not worth the effort while potentially risking system stability.

PS.
I'd advise to stay clear of so-called "optimizer Programs" that claim to make your System faster (your Game Booster shouldn't affect BOINC performance however).
Most of these freeware/shareware "optimizers" either do nothing for performance or even cause problems, resulting in actually decreased performance.

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Forgot the most essential thing :

It looks like your're not using an optimized CPU Application or modified GPU Application.
For the CPU that means you're wasting alot of performance and your GPU will from time to time encounter the so-called VLAR-Bug (a series of workunits that will block the GPU for longer periods of time)

Go to the Lunatics Website and download the appropriate Unified Installer.

After selecting the proper functions for your CPU + GPU crunching, it will install the latest optimized/modified applications, which should increase your overall performance massively.

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Hi, there are so called Optimized Applications
They, speed up the actual search for pulses, spikes, triplets and gaussians and report a -9 overflow!.

Here a WEBSITE , about optimized app.'sLunatics KWSN.net WEB SITE.

Do take your time to read and ask!?

Another option is to (heavily) OC your C.P.U. and or using (a lot of) CUDA (nVIDIA) card's, preferably 8800GT? / 9800GT? 200XX, also OC'ed

One look through at this forum alone, would inmediatly show the right article! ;)

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Could someone give some suggestions on programs to use to better optimize your computer to run while running SETI. I already use something called game booster that stops unnecessary windows processes etc. But, was wondering what else is being used to make my computer run leaner and meaner, I'm running vista and I know vista has been a real pain at times it seems like its hogging resources out of nowhere.

Hi, for Vista one thing I recommend doing on a dedicated cruncher is to disable Aero interface. Everything will look more like the "Windows 95" UI but you will notice more free RAM and a more responsive interface. It might also impact CUDA crunching (I haven't verified this though). This can be done by:

1) Go to Control Panel
2) Click System and Maintenance
3) Click Performance Information and Tools
4) On the left pane, click Adjust visual effects
5) On the Visual effects tab, click the button next to Adjust for best performance

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And for the truly hardcore..start giving useless system services the axe. I'm not going to explain or elaborate that one. This is a time when vague is good.

If done right, 2k/XP can be trimmed down to 12 processes. Haven't tried service-axing Vista yet, but I imagine it is probably in the mid 20's.

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Linux laptop:
record uptime: 1511d 20h 19m (ended due to the power brick giving-up)

And for the truly hardcore..start giving useless system services the axe. I'm not going to explain or elaborate that one. This is a time when vague is good.

If done right, 2k/XP can be trimmed down to 12 processes. Haven't tried service-axing Vista yet, but I imagine it is probably in the mid 20's.

A good site for those wishing to guild the lily.......

Black Viper....

Mind you.......tweaking services is not for all......the wrong edit in the registry can send your system into never never land........requiring a complete reload of the OS....

And really, folks, I have done most of this, and there is precious little to be gained.....but just a little bit.

So take care if you wander here.......

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"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

One thing that can help on the processes front is to have BOINC running at the login screen, where you have fewer processes running such as explorer and those system tray icons. To be honest I don't recall the specific BOINC 6.x installer settings to enable that or if it's even default behavior now.

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One thing that can help on the processes front is to have BOINC running at the login screen, where you have fewer processes running such as explorer and those system tray icons. To be honest I don't recall the specific BOINC 6.x installer settings to enable that or if it's even default behavior now.

During install; click advanced and select the "protected" mode installation. This is service install. Run all my machines like this at the logon screen. Then use Boincview etc to control the clients.

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"The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not Eureka! (I found it!) but rather, 'hmm... that's funny...'" -- Isaac Asimov

One thing that can help on the processes front is to have BOINC running at the login screen, where you have fewer processes running such as explorer and those system tray icons. To be honest I don't recall the specific BOINC 6.x installer settings to enable that or if it's even default behavior now.

During install; click advanced and select the "protected" mode installation. This is service install. Run all my machines like this at the logon screen. Then use Boincview etc to control the clients.

Unfortunately no good for those wishing to run CUDA under Vista :-(

F.

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Hello Everyone! I've just found Mz CPU Accelerator in the web, and now it's running in my system background. It really doesn't "accelerate" CPU, but it should better take care of it, increasing priority levels... Do you know that software? Do you think it would be good to BOINC and Seti@home?
Let me know please.

Thanks a lot, have a good time!

The Dreamer

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changing priorities isn't such a good idea with BOINC/seti@home. these processes were intended to work off of the spare CPU cycles. To change the priority of these processes will definitely interfere with other programs that are ran on your PC.

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In a rich man's house there is no place to spit but his face.
Diogenes Of Sinope

Thanks a lot for being so quick skildude! I have to say that application only changes priority of the program IN USE, so BOINC must be open and visible to gain benefit from Mz CPU Accelerator. This is useful only in idle time, when you're AFK and with BOINC window open. Is this behavior good, regarding your reply? Maybe it is, I don't know...

The Dreamer

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changing priorities isn't such a good idea with BOINC/seti@home. these processes were intended to work off of the spare CPU cycles. To change the priority of these processes will definitely interfere with other programs that are ran on your PC.

Additionally, if you have a dedicated cruncher, the science application will very likely be the highest priority task running on the machine -- not because it's running at any but the lowest priority, but because there just aren't any higher priority tasks.

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Hi Ned Ludd! That's a "dedicated cruncher"? Sorry for my ignorance ;-)

Thanks a lot for being so quick skildude! I have to say that application only changes priority of the program IN USE, so BOINC must be open and visible to gain benefit from Mz CPU Accelerator. This is useful only in idle time, when you're AFK and with BOINC window open. Is this behavior good, regarding your reply? Maybe it is, I don't know...

The Dreamer

Actually, this is just one more bit of software taking up clock cycles.

"Priority" means just that. If a higher priority task needs time, it will get it, if not, it won't.

The "idle" task is the very lowest priority task. While it doesn't "count" on CPU usage, it still runs when nothing else does. BOINC runs just slightly above the idle task, so all extra time goes to it.

If you use the machine for other things (as I do, I crunch on my workstation) then you want your work to run first, then whatever is left goes to BOINC.

... and that's what BOINC does, without help.

If you buy a machine just for crunching, and don't run other things on it, then BOINC is going to be the highest priority task actually running, and raising it won't make a bit of difference.

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Ok Ned, thank you, this is clear to me. Only, I didn't know what a "dedicated cruncher" is 'cause I DON'T conceive PCs running ONLY for BOINC. That would be a greater weight for environment and I don't want that. But this is a private opinion.
Back in topic, I'll try that program in the next days with some other application, like games and video editing software - let's see how it works.
If someone else has this accelerator running and want to share an opinion... I'm here :-)

Bye!

The Dreamer

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Thanks a lot for being so quick skildude! I have to say that application only changes priority of the program IN USE, so BOINC must be open and visible to gain benefit from Mz CPU Accelerator. This is useful only in idle time, when you're AFK and with BOINC window open. Is this behavior good, regarding your reply? Maybe it is, I don't know...

The Dreamer

Caution:

Generally BOINC and everything you see on your Screen and Taskbar Runs "under" Explorer.exe (Program Manager) on System Start up. IT starts/manages the applications/handoffs to what is active.
The "running priority" of the various applications is designed to give the Best Balance for what is running to allow You to be able to use computer. If you incorrectly increase a priority of any running application(s). You may be sitting for a couple hours while you are trying to regain control of your system. Your other option would be the power off button.

If you want a crude idea, you can open a CMD window and type
tasklist /svc
it will show the first two items as
System Idle Process
System
- everything below System until you get down to explorer.exe is probably a Service.
Explorer.exe - Program manger
- everything after that is the programs you have running.


That said BOINC is not the process that you would want to increase the priority of. What you would need to increase is the priority of the Seti Application (MB or AP).

Regards

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Please consider a Donation to the Seti Project.

BOINC is not the process that you would want to increase the priority of. What you would need to increase is the priority of the Seti Application

Btw, I had that doubt! Thanks Pappa. Anyway, I already use Lunatics optimized app, and THIS really increased my performance.

Greetings

The Dreamer

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