First of all please accept my apologies for what is probably an appallingly ignorant set of questions.
I have been running BOINC for SETI for the past 10 years and have happily left it running in the background slowly racking up points. To my sad level of excitment I have just passed 1,000,000 points but have yet to find ET. I have only recently started looking at these forums and my ageing brain whose neurons are declining at an alarming rate can only process information at a very basic level.
I am interested in trying to run some of the super duper programs with go-faster stripes and turbo-chargers which so many of you computer geniuses have designed.
Is there an idiot's guide, a sort of BOINC/SETI for Dummies which can explain how to find out what processors, cards, systems a computer runs and which of these marvellous programs might be suitable for me to install and use.
I would love to join the computer equivalent of Formula one or Indy500 but am currently limited to Model T Ford.
I currently run several computers using Windows XP and Vista but have no idea what other exciting bits of electronic wizardry may be residing in the various black boxes.

Happy crunching

Patrick Pearson

Well, you have your hosts hidden, so we can't make any specific suggestions, but here is a good place to start if you want to try and squeeze a little more out of them.

Alinator

The Lunatics web page will sort you out with the optimised go-fast software.

The key to a High RAC at the moment seems to be how many high end NVidia graphics cards your system board, PSU and wallet can support. You can play around with different CPUs (Intel Core 2s seem best), overclocking, etc. But plugging in a better graphics card will give a much bigger boost to any PC.

Your PCs are hidden from public view so it's hard to comment on what you actually have and what you can do with them.

Ian

You can start by grabbing the lunatics optimized apps here

Grab either of these depending on if you use 64 bit windows or regular 32 bit.
Win32 Lunatics' Unified Installer v0.2
Win64 Lunatics' Unified Installer v0.2

Before you start the installation for that you will want to know details about which optimized app to select.

For that you will want to get CPUID's CPU-Z application here

Unzip it and run the exe.

The info we want is the line that says 'Instructions' MMX, SSE, SSE2 and what not. You want to know which is the highest level you have.

Stop BOINC Manager and stop processing science.

Run the lunatics installer "Lunatics_Win32v0.2_AP505r168_AKv8b_CudaV12.exe" or "Lunatics_Win64v0.2_(SSE3+)_AP505r168_AKv8bx64_CudaV12.exe" for 64 bit.

When you get to the "select applications" section choose the highest level listed that was displayed in the CPU-Z application.

Follow the onscreen steps in in the installer and when your are done you should have the optimized applications installed and ready to go.

Restart BOINC or reboot and you should be good.

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SETI@home classic workunits: 93,865 CPU time: 863,447 hours
Join the [url=http://tinyurl.com/8y46zvu]BP6/VP6 User Group[

This is the place to ask for help. Like you I was a set and forget guy for 9 years. I ahve learned a lot from the fine folks who post answers to quesations here. And welcome to the boards.

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[/quote]

Old James

You can start by grabbing the lunatics optimized apps here

Grab either of these depending on if you use 64 bit windows or regular 32 bit.
Win32 Lunatics' Unified Installer v0.2
Win64 Lunatics' Unified Installer v0.2

Before you start the installation for that you will want to know details about which optimized app to select.

For that you will want to get CPUID's CPU-Z application here

Unzip it and run the exe.

The info we want is the line that says 'Instructions' MMX, SSE, SSE2 and what not. You want to know which is the highest level you have.

Stop BOINC Manager and stop processing science.

Run the lunatics installer "Lunatics_Win32v0.2_AP505r168_AKv8b_CudaV12.exe" or "Lunatics_Win64v0.2_(SSE3+)_AP505r168_AKv8bx64_CudaV12.exe" for 64 bit.

When you get to the "select applications" section choose the highest level listed that was displayed in the CPU-Z application.

Follow the onscreen steps in in the installer and when your are done you should have the optimized applications installed and ready to go.

Restart BOINC or reboot and you should be good.

Thats a great overview you have added there, I have followed the Lunatic installation steps on my Quad 6600 with GeForce 8800 GT running on Vista. How would I know that lunatic is installed and working! Any way one can check? Thanks

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I have a quick instruction here in my -> <-.

For to look if you installed the opt. apps correct, have a look in the Windows TaskManager [EDIT: press [CTRL] + [ALT] + [DEL]] ..and search names like.. AK_v8b_win_SSSE3x.exe (CPU) or MB_6.08_CUDA_V12_VLARKill_FPLim2048.exe (GPU)..

---

You can start by grabbing the lunatics optimized apps here

Grab either of these depending on if you use 64 bit windows or regular 32 bit.
Win32 Lunatics' Unified Installer v0.2
Win64 Lunatics' Unified Installer v0.2

Before you start the installation for that you will want to know details about which optimized app to select.

For that you will want to get CPUID's CPU-Z application here

Unzip it and run the exe.

The info we want is the line that says 'Instructions' MMX, SSE, SSE2 and what not. You want to know which is the highest level you have.

Stop BOINC Manager and stop processing science.

Run the lunatics installer "Lunatics_Win32v0.2_AP505r168_AKv8b_CudaV12.exe" or "Lunatics_Win64v0.2_(SSE3+)_AP505r168_AKv8bx64_CudaV12.exe" for 64 bit.

When you get to the "select applications" section choose the highest level listed that was displayed in the CPU-Z application.

Follow the onscreen steps in in the installer and when your are done you should have the optimized applications installed and ready to go.

Restart BOINC or reboot and you should be good.

Thats a great overview you have added there, I have followed the Lunatic installation steps on my Quad 6600 with GeForce 8800 GT running on Vista. How would I know that lunatic is installed and working! Any way one can check? Thanks

To verify the optimized apps are running open task manager & select the processes tab. It should be the 2nd one. Then look for "AK_v8_win_SSE3.exe" (or something like) that instead of "setiathome_6.03_windows_intelx86.exe" running.

EDIT: or like Sutaru Tsureku said that's good too :)

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SETI@home classic workunits: 93,865 CPU time: 863,447 hours
Join the [url=http://tinyurl.com/8y46zvu]BP6/VP6 User Group[

You can also use GPU-z from here

to see if you have a CUDA capable video card. This can improve your throughput many times if you have got one. In fact, the top few producers are now using several to beat the rest of us into submission (mentioning no names, Vyper or Sutaru! ;-P)

regards, Gizbar.

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A proud GPU User Server Donor!

Patrick,

You are also going to want to watch your computer's results very carefully.

This will help you see if any of your modifications helped.

Good luck!

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Overclock with the MSI G31M3-L and Intel E8600 3.33Ghz
Intel D865GLC Socket 478 Motherboard
~How To Overclock The Eee ASUS 1005HA Netbook To 1.9Ghz~

To verify the optimized apps are running open task manager & select the processes tab. It should be the 2nd one. Then look for "AK_v8_win_SSE3.exe" (or something like) that instead of "setiathome_6.03_windows_intelx86.exe" running.

EDIT: or like Sutaru Tsureku said that's good too :)

Thank you for the tip, just tried looking for the "AK_v8_win_SSE3.exe" process, its not running,

Below is a screen grab of the processes running, anything else I should do or am missing for Lunatic to work, I did use CPUZ, and followed the instructions by allowing the maximum instruction levels allowed for the Quad 6600, and tick marked cuda as well as the GPU is cuda capable.

Kartik, something hasn't taken there. Your CPU usage is showing as 2%, which means that the machine is idle. It isn't running the standard or optimised app.

Try posting the steps you went through to install the Lunatics app, and machine details, OS etc.

The Lunatics app should be fairly straightforward.

Then we can try to help further.

regards, Gizbar.

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A proud GPU User Server Donor!

Kartik, something hasn't taken there. Your CPU usage is showing as 2%, which means that the machine is idle. It isn't running the standard or optimised app.

Try posting the steps you went through to install the Lunatics app, and machine details, OS etc.

The Lunatics app should be fairly straightforward.

Then we can try to help further.

regards, Gizbar.

Shouldn't he just use the unified installer?

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Overclock with the MSI G31M3-L and Intel E8600 3.33Ghz
Intel D865GLC Socket 478 Motherboard
~How To Overclock The Eee ASUS 1005HA Netbook To 1.9Ghz~

Yes, he should.

But something isn't right there as he is running Boinc, but not any application (standard or optimised), which is why I asked him to clarify how and what he has done so far.

regards, Gizbar.

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A proud GPU User Server Donor!

Thank you for the tip, just tried looking for the "AK_v8_win_SSE3.exe" process, its not running,

Restart BOINC and post the first 20-30 messages

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

To verify the optimized apps are running open task manager & select the processes tab. It should be the 2nd one. Then look for "AK_v8_win_SSE3.exe" (or something like) that instead of "setiathome_6.03_windows_intelx86.exe" running.

EDIT: or like Sutaru Tsureku said that's good too :)

Thank you for the tip, just tried looking for the "AK_v8_win_SSE3.exe" process, its not running,

Below is a screen grab of the processes running, anything else I should do or am missing for Lunatic to work, I did use CPUZ, and followed the instructions by allowing the maximum instruction levels allowed for the Quad 6600, and tick marked cuda as well as the GPU is cuda capable.

This may seem like a silly question, but do you currently have any tasks to process? If you don't then that could be one, of several, reasons you don't see it there.

If you open the BOIONC Manger > Select Advanced > Select the tasks tab. Then you can see any tasks you have on your computer.

Once it is all working you will be able to see soemthing like this.

---

SETI@home classic workunits: 93,865 CPU time: 863,447 hours
Join the [url=http://tinyurl.com/8y46zvu]BP6/VP6 User Group[

To verify the optimized apps are running open task manager & select the processes tab. It should be the 2nd one. Then look for "AK_v8_win_SSE3.exe" (or something like) that instead of "setiathome_6.03_windows_intelx86.exe" running.

EDIT: or like Sutaru Tsureku said that's good too :)

Thank you for the tip, just tried looking for the "AK_v8_win_SSE3.exe" process, its not running,

Below is a screen grab of the processes running, anything else I should do or am missing for Lunatic to work, I did use CPUZ, and followed the instructions by allowing the maximum instruction levels allowed for the Quad 6600, and tick marked cuda as well as the GPU is cuda capable.

This may seem like a silly question, but do you currently have any tasks to process? If you don't then that could be one, of several, reasons you don't see it there.

If you open the BOIONC Manger > Select Advanced > Select the tasks tab. Then you can see any tasks you have on your computer.

Once it is all working you will be able to see soemthing like this.

Hi,

Re-read all the posts and tips on the Lunatics install. I did mess it up the first time around. Did a clean uninstall of BOINC including deleting all the registries etc, reinstalled BOINC and it started getting WU again, I was not getting any tasks prior to that.

I installed the Lunatic unified installer, with care, and installed the CUDA DLL's as well, which I did not previously.

Now everything seems to be running smoothly! Thanks for all the help.

12/10/2009 11:32:10 AM Starting BOINC client version 6.10.18 for windows_intelx86
12/10/2009 11:32:10 AM log flags: file_xfer, sched_ops, task
12/10/2009 11:32:10 AM Libraries: libcurl/7.19.4 OpenSSL/0.9.8l zlib/1.2.3
12/10/2009 11:32:10 AM Data directory: C:\ProgramData\BOINC
12/10/2009 11:32:10 AM Running under account ghar
12/10/2009 11:32:10 AM Processor: 4 GenuineIntel Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz [x86 Family 6 Model 15 Stepping 11]
12/10/2009 11:32:10 AM Processor: 4.00 MB cache
12/10/2009 11:32:10 AM Processor features: fpu tsc pae nx sse sse2 pni mmx
12/10/2009 11:32:10 AM OS: Microsoft Windows Vista: Home Premium x86 Edition, Service Pack 1, (06.00.6001.00)
12/10/2009 11:32:10 AM Memory: 2.00 GB physical, 4.24 GB virtual
12/10/2009 11:32:10 AM Disk: 280.17 GB total, 206.99 GB free
12/10/2009 11:32:10 AM Local time is UTC +8 hours
12/10/2009 11:32:10 AM NVIDIA GPU 0: GeForce 8800 GT (driver version 19562, CUDA version 3000, compute capability 1.1, 512MB, 339 GFLOPS peak)
12/10/2009 11:32:11 AM SETI@home Found app_info.xml; using anonymous platform
12/10/2009 11:32:11 AM Not using a proxy
12/10/2009 11:32:11 AM SETI@home URL http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/; Computer ID 5211044; resource share 100
12/10/2009 11:32:11 AM No general preferences found - using BOINC defaults
12/10/2009 11:32:11 AM Reading preferences override file
12/10/2009 11:32:11 AM Preferences limit memory usage when active to 1637.10MB
12/10/2009 11:32:11 AM Preferences limit memory usage when idle to 1841.74MB
12/10/2009 11:32:11 AM Preferences limit disk usage to 10.00GB

That's great!

Now you should see a real improvement in your RAC!

Of course, it all depends on how long the computer is left on for. I have 2, one is mine and one is used by my children, and they never get turned off.

@Patrick: You started this thread, and have gone quiet... Did any of this help you or make sense?

regards, Gizbar.

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A proud GPU User Server Donor!