SETI v8 Optimized Apps for Mac OS X?

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Profile Jonathan Jeckell

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Message 1762665 - Posted: 5 Feb 2016, 22:11:44 UTC

I appreciate everything the development staff has done to make these apps and how difficult it is to produce the optimized versions for all of these platforms. So I don't mean to be trite when I ask this.

Does anyone know if or when optimized versions of the Mac OS X will be available? v7 had versions optimized for SSSE3, SSE4.1, and AVX. I'd be happy if just one of these were deployed soon. I understand there is some work on that with the Lunatics project, but that presents some system management problems as further upgrades come in, as well as information assurance concerns. I'd much rather have a canonical version from SETI direct from their servers.

Right now the Windows version of the v8 app is performing as good as the v7, but the new v8 apps are only producing 40% of the credit for a given CPU time compared to the SSSE3, SSE4.1 or AVX optimized v7 variants for Mac OS X.

So please don't see this as a complaint, but rather an opportunity to optimize the contribution I and other Mac users (I assume most are having the same performance drop--I didn't make any other changes which would cause something like this) are making to this project.
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Message 1762694 - Posted: 6 Feb 2016, 0:13:04 UTC - in response to Message 1762665.  
Last modified: 6 Feb 2016, 0:18:53 UTC

Here are a few steps I'd recommend.
1) There is something amiss with the CPU on this host, http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/results.php?hostid=7774797&offset=160
The times are about twice as slow as they should be with the stock CPU App. Do you have the CPU throttled with the "Use at most ___% of CPU time"? You would probably see better results by setting "Use at most" to 100% and using the setting above it to reduce the number of cores in use.
2) Since you have an AVX CPU, download and use the AVX CPU App from Crunchers Anonymous for a few days and note the differences from the Stock CPU App on Your Machine.
3) Start PMing Eric and request the AVX CPU App be placed on Beta noting the advantages you see on Your AVX Mac.

Other considerations for Your Mac.

1) Stop using the Stock iGPU App and use the CUDA65 App from C.A. on your nVidia GPU instead. The nVidia CUDA App is much faster, produces nearly perfect results with very few inconclusives, and the iGPU App is known to slowdown the CPU production while producing numerous inconclusive results. I'd also update to 10.11.3 as it has better GPU drivers than what you are using.

2) After running the CUDA65 App a few days, add it to the PM you are sending to Eric, again noting the improvements over the Stock Mac GPU App on You Mac.

You May see results and possibly see better Mac Apps on Main.....at some point in the future.

Good Luck.
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Profile Jonathan Jeckell

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Message 1763516 - Posted: 8 Feb 2016, 18:53:16 UTC - in response to Message 1762694.  

Thanks for the advice.

1) that machine is an i7 laptop running 8 work units simultaneously as well as an Intel GPU and an NVIDIA GPU. The CPU and the Intel GPU are all running SETI, the NVIDIA is running Einstein. I have noticed that this machine is substantially slower because of the GPU overhead, but am collecting data for cost/benefit vs just running the CPU and NVIDIA GPU. Anecdotally, it looks like the 8 slower CPU units are worth it for the extra credit from the Intel GPU. But this machine is an outlier. I have several running no GPU at all that are getting at best 70% of the credit they were. While I am competitive and like the credit, this is also telling me on an objective level that my machines could be doing a whole lot more science for the entropy I'm generating.

2) I'll check out the CA apps you mentioned. I do appreciate that people are doing that. No disrespect to them, but I'd prefer a canon app from SETI if available.

3) I'd love for Eric to make that a priority, but I understand the guy is in pretty high demand. I wonder if I can bribe him with some quantity of his preferred beverage or something...
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Message 1763521 - Posted: 8 Feb 2016, 19:24:07 UTC - in response to Message 1763516.  

If you can show Eric there is significant improvement he usually makes time.
Here is a very similar Laptop to yours only the CPU is a little slower and he is using the older AVX App. I understand the newer App is about 10% faster, http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/results.php?hostid=7366840&offset=200
This is the important part;
In progress (200) · Validation pending (104) · Validation inconclusive (3) · Valid (140) · Invalid (0) · Error (0)
If you look at the Inconclusives you will see they are from the Stock Apps. The AVX & CUDA Apps have Zero Inconclusives...right now. A good number of the nVidia Laptops have mostly inconclusive results on the GPU tasks. I suppose he could be running the iGPU on another project, I don't know, but the SETI results look great.
I don't have an AVX Mac, an iGPU, or a badly preforming nVidia Laptop. So, not much I can do.
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Profile Jonathan Jeckell

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Message 1764472 - Posted: 12 Feb 2016, 22:28:30 UTC - in response to Message 1763521.  

Thanks for the link for the Mac optimized version for AVX. It certainly seems to be showing a performance leap over the stock version. And, thanks for apparently *making* this optimized version. So far it looks like a 14% boost.
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Message boards : Number crunching : SETI v8 Optimized Apps for Mac OS X?


 
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