I had my machine (which I recently bought used) set to use just its cpu to crunch. Then, I discovered that I have a gpu that has OpenCL (or _should_). Well, I have various questions about it.

I used TechPowerUp GPU-Z to see what I have. It reported "ATI Radeon HD 3450, 256 MB". I then checked
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_ATI_graphics_processing_units
and saw that it has OpenCL v 1.0.

Then, I followed http://boinc.berkeley.edu/wiki/GPU_computing
I already had the most recent boinc, so I downloaded ATI's drivers (which have a different name from the installed version -- I figured that I had an old version). One note: Catalyst failed installation.

I suspended the project, rebooted, and resumed the project. Things seemed to be humming along -- the icon in the tray stated "GPU computer is enabled.", and saw this in the event log:
SETI@home | Requesting new tasks for CPU and ATI

But, now I'm not so sure.

First question: Is that enough to get my GPU to crunch, or do I need to visit lunatics for more software?

I was thinking that there would be some indication of what silicon was crunching on which tasks (i.e. cpu or gpu). I have a 4 core cpu; I had 4 tasks crunching before the gpu, and still have 4 going (I figured that I'd have more). Trying to figure that out (in the Q&A forum), it seems that I have the wrong notion about this concept. So, does the GPU merely help the CPU(s)?

I wanted to find *some* evidence that my gpu is actually crunching. Reading the Q&A more, I noticed someone asking about a gpu which is the same as, or similar to, mine. He couldn't get it to do any work, and was told that it's not OpenCL capable.

So, here is the current event log:
8/5/2014 2:36:06 AM | | cc_config.xml not found - using defaults
8/5/2014 2:36:06 AM | | Starting BOINC client version 7.2.42 for windows_intelx86
8/5/2014 2:36:06 AM | | log flags: file_xfer, sched_ops, task
8/5/2014 2:36:06 AM | | Libraries: libcurl/7.25.0 OpenSSL/1.0.1 zlib/1.2.6
8/5/2014 2:36:06 AM | | Data directory: C:\ProgramData\BOINC
8/5/2014 2:36:06 AM | | Running under account Karin
8/5/2014 2:36:06 AM | | CAL: ATI GPU 0: ATI Radeon HD 2300/2400/3200/4200 (RV610) (CAL version 1.4.1734, 256MB, 224MB available, 96 GFLOPS peak)
8/5/2014 2:36:06 AM | | Host name: vostro410
8/5/2014 2:36:06 AM | | Processor: 4 GenuineIntel Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz [Family 6 Model 15 Stepping 11]
8/5/2014 2:36:06 AM | | Processor features: fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss htt tm pni ssse3 cx16 nx lm vmx tm2 pbe
8/5/2014 2:36:06 AM | | OS: Microsoft Windows Vista: Business x86 Edition, Service Pack 2, (06.00.6002.00)
8/5/2014 2:36:06 AM | | Memory: 3.00 GB physical, 6.19 GB virtual
8/5/2014 2:36:06 AM | | Disk: 288.03 GB total, 212.58 GB free
8/5/2014 2:36:06 AM | | Local time is UTC -4 hours
8/5/2014 2:36:06 AM | Einstein@Home | URL http://einstein.phys.uwm.edu/; Computer ID 11474899; resource share 100
8/5/2014 2:36:06 AM | SETI@home | URL http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/; Computer ID 7347051; resource share 100
8/5/2014 2:36:06 AM | SETI@home | General prefs: from SETI@home (last modified 29-Jul-2014 08:55:29)
8/5/2014 2:36:06 AM | SETI@home | Computer location: home
8/5/2014 2:36:06 AM | SETI@home | General prefs: no separate prefs for home; using your defaults
8/5/2014 2:36:06 AM | | Reading preferences override file
8/5/2014 2:36:06 AM | | Preferences:
8/5/2014 2:36:06 AM | | max memory usage when active: 1534.73MB
8/5/2014 2:36:06 AM | | max memory usage when idle: 2762.51MB
8/5/2014 2:36:06 AM | | max disk usage: 1.00GB
8/5/2014 2:36:06 AM | | suspend work if non-BOINC CPU load exceeds 25%
8/5/2014 2:36:06 AM | | (to change preferences, visit a project web site or select Preferences in the Manager)
8/5/2014 2:36:06 AM | | Not using a proxy

I don't think this GPU will have usable OpenCL for BOINC (as you see the log shows only CAL - not OpenCL)

Did you get this driver?:
http://support.amd.com/en-us/download/desktop/legacy?product=legacy2&os=Windows%20Vista%20-%2032

Direct link:
http://www2.ati.com/drivers/legacy/13-9-legacy_vista_win7_32_dd_ccc_whql.exe

Did you select (check) OpenCL during install?
On the page is listed 'OpenCL(tm) Driver 10.0.937.2' but ATI AMD is notable to 'lie' in the info on pages, the OpenCL may not exist in the actual package!


See if OpenCL 'Demos' of GPU Caps Viewer work:
http://www.ozone3d.net/gpu_caps_viewer/

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

> Did you get this driver?:
> ... legacy2&os=Windows%20Vista%20-%2032

That's it. It's still in my download dir.

> Did you select (check) OpenCL during install?

I did a custom install; no SDK - but did get all the others.

How does Catalyst figure into this? Note that it failed installation. I don't know what it is. It was already installed. I just tried it: R-click on screen, it's at the top of the menu. But, nothing comes up (no window, or ?) I also tried it from the start menu; the Catalyst Control Center dir has 5 entries (I tried 'help' and 'restart' -- no windows or anything happens).

> See if OpenCL 'Demos' of GPU Caps Viewer work:

Reports that OpenCL is not active.

* UPDATE *
I researched a bit more (in the Q&A), and found this:
http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/forum_thread.php?id=75322&postid=1550755#1550755

Maybe the previous owner had an nvidia card installed, and didn't completely uninstall it.

There is another concern: searching the web to solve this problem, I found another boinc project that requires OpenCL 1.1 (I believe). That is, a gpu that's only v 1.0 will *not* get WUs.

So, does seti still work with _all_ OpenCL versions? I checked the message board -- didn't see anything.

Your GPU does not support OpenCL. See AMD OpenCL MD5 Checksums, System Requirements & Driver Compatibility. The minimum version of ATI/AMD HD GPUs that had OpenCL 1.0 support was the 4350, and that only had beta support, long since no longer available in the present day drivers.

I think 13.9 is one of the driver packages that dropped support for older than HD5xx0 GPUs, so you can try Catalysts 12.1 instead. But I don't think those work either.
You may also want to install AMD APP SDK 2.7 at minimum.

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Reply to Ageless --

http://developer.amd.com/tools-and-sdks/opencl-zone/amd-accelerated-parallel-processing-app-sdk/system-requirements-driver-compatibility/

I don't understand what that 'supported devices' list refers to (exactly). It /looks/ like (as note 1 states) they're the cards that support OpenCL 1.2. This is confirmed by -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_AMD_graphics_processing_units

In other words, that not _all_ AMD cards that support OpenCL (apparently).

The minimum version of ATI/AMD HD GPUs that had OpenCL 1.0 support was the 4350, and that only had beta support, long since no longer available in the present day drivers.

Ok. So, why does this page --
http://boinc.berkeley.edu/wiki/GPU_computing
state:
"ATI GPUs: you need a platform based on the AMD R600 or AMD R700 GPU or later. R600 GPUs are found on ATI Radeon HD2400, HD2600, HD2900 and HD3800 graphics board. R700 GPUs are found on HD4350 to HD4890 graphics boards."

The 4350 is the first of the R700 series. The R600 covers HD 2xxx and HD 3xxx. Is that statement wrong?

You may also want to install AMD APP SDK 2.7 at minimum.

Why, specifically? That's for software development. Is there some file or library I need from it?

Is that statement wrong?

Shrug. I don't know who wrote that into Wikipedia, but not everything in Wikipedia is correct. I know from experience that the 3xx0 range of GPUs did not have OpenCL support, as I had a HD3850 at the time that wouldn't do it. Minimum was really a HD4xx0 GPU, and as I said it only had OpenCL 1.0 beta support.

That AMD only shows OpenCL 1.1 and 1.2 compliant GPUs on that list is because they would want people to develop and use at minimum OpenCL 1.1 because of its benefits over 1.0

It's like DirectX, where game developers add DirectX11 compliancy, so you're required to get a DX11 card. DX9.0c just doesn't cut it anymore, in terms of eye candy.

You may also want to install AMD APP SDK 2.7 at minimum.

Why, specifically? That's for software development. Is there some file or library I need from it?

Yep, it's for software development, which means that it has specific hardware support that isn't necessarily in the Catalyst drivers. It may add the needed beta support.

But as I started with, I doubt your GPU has OpenCL support, no matter what Wikipedia states. Then again, who am I? No need to believe me on my pretty eyes.

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