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Posts by borandi

21) Message boards : Number crunching : Which ATI cards? (Message 27629)
Posted 12 Jul 2009 by Profile borandi
Post:
Yeah sorry, that's what I meant. Will teach me to drink 'n' surf :)

Hope your new card(s) help your BOINC total!
22) Message boards : Number crunching : Setting up s GPU's (Message 27628)
Posted 12 Jul 2009 by Profile borandi
Post:
That's not his problem GG - just that MW is crunching on one card only, not that BOINC is not getting enough work.

Ben:

Use Cat 8.12

Disable crossfire

Use dummy plug. (or extend the screen and make second screen primary monitor, as detailed here)

GPU-Z should show both as crossfire disabled, and both working 70%+

No special config should be needed for app_info.xml

Also, for the record, GPUs doesn't have an apostrophe, unless you are describing a feature, e.g. the GPU's colour. Same goes with CPUs, DVDs, TVs, PCs. </grammar>
23) Message boards : Number crunching : Which ATI cards? (Message 27595)
Posted 12 Jul 2009 by Profile borandi
Post:
Sorry, I didn't explain it clearly.

Here's my method of detecting power usage with an example:

[1] Idle with one card = 400W
[2] Full with one card = 450W

[3] Idle with two cards = 500W
[4] Full with two cards = 600W

Thus the one card uses 100W (thats [3] - [2]) on idle, 150W (thats ([3]-[2])+([2]-[1])) on full. So 150W would be the TDP in my table.

Review websites could do this, but most don't. This is just the way I would do it if I didn't have the appropriate equipment. Some websites do (Hexus, Toms Hardware), which are the ones I usually check.
24) Message boards : Number crunching : Optimal project shares and number of CPUs for crunching MW + SETI (Message 27594)
Posted 12 Jul 2009 by Profile borandi
Post:
Having 3 SETI and MW running is a good idea - if my CPUs are jam packed with another project, it can increase MW times by a noticeable %.

If you still want 4 SETI + MW, then goto app_info.xml in your MilkyWay folder, and change this:

    <avg_ncpus>0.01</avg_ncpus>


0.01 means no. of CPU per WU. So if you get 24, BOINC will assume that MW is using 0.24 CPU. As this is less than 0.5, it'll open up all the cores for SETI.

But I reiterate, I've seen times for WUs on milkyway to increase if all my cores are busy. In terms of a noticeable amount of thousands of credits per day per 4850.
25) Message boards : Number crunching : ALERT MILKY DATABASE IS DOWN (Message 27593)
Posted 12 Jul 2009 by Profile borandi
Post:
Every so often there's a fiddle done on the server. Do need to panic, wait a few mins (get a beer or something) and it's usually back up.
26) Message boards : Number crunching : Settings while running 2x 4870x2's (Message 27592)
Posted 12 Jul 2009 by Profile borandi
Post:
I'm currently having trouble with my Gainward 4870X2 on its own. Can't disable crossfire on it, so it's using only 50% of each GPU.

The way most of us have done these X2 cards, is to goto CCC and disable CrossfireX. Then put a dummy plug on a DVI port for each GPU so it's enabled by windows. Then just run MW as normal. Then it'll run all the GPUs as it should.

Again, usual setup is Catalyst 8.12 and the 0.19f application.

Like I said, my problem at the minute is that I can't disable CrossfireX between my two GPUs on one Gainward card.
27) Message boards : Number crunching : Which ATI cards? (Message 27450)
Posted 10 Jul 2009 by Profile borandi
Post:
Review sites I looked at with different cards showed total system idle/load wattage. Since I don't know what the system drew w/o any video card I can't really determine that starting point.


There is equipment to do it, or an easy way without that equipment would be with two cards in the same system. Measure the full system at idle and load with one card, then add another and measure at idle and load again, compare the values.
28) Message boards : Number crunching : Which ATI cards? (Message 27369)
Posted 9 Jul 2009 by Profile borandi
Post:
Skip I'd rather do spreadsheets like that than my PhD atm :)

Yeah 4730 is basically a 4870 stripped with budget components. Also, it uses 2x 6-pin PCI-E according to Hexus, not 1 as I thought. It was made to fit a £60 price point, and still draws power.

My power calculations in that spreadsheet also may be a bit off, add about 10-15% to most. I took the values as rated by ATi, but review sites seem to suggest that they draw a bit more.
29) Message boards : Number crunching : VPU recoveries with HD4770/XP32/Catalyst 9.x (Message 27272)
Posted 8 Jul 2009 by Profile borandi
Post:
I had a look at the Sapphire site, but they only offer 9.5 and 9.6



Go here and you can get the Catalyst 8.12 file.


Which doesn't work if 8.12 doesn't recognise your card. As mentioned in the thread already.

For example my Sapphire 4850X2, which the 8.12 drivers from your link won't recognise. However Sapphire's own Cat 8.12 does. So if those 8.12 drivers from that link don't work on the card, and the manufacturer doesn't supply 8.12 that work, then he's either stuck with 9.5 or a really kludgy work around.
30) Message boards : Number crunching : X2 GPU use 50% each GPU? (Message 27271)
Posted 8 Jul 2009 by Profile borandi
Post:
I'll just use the Dummy Plugs for safetys sake ...


Whatever works :) I should prob get some 70 ohm resistors and make some rather than doing this software faff =D
31) Message boards : Number crunching : X2 GPU use 50% each GPU? (Message 27270)
Posted 8 Jul 2009 by Profile borandi
Post:
Do you not see a screen when putting the DVI cable in on any of the ports? That's odd, it should show on at least two.

If all seems borked, it might not need a new OS installation. Just boot up the comp with one card in, sort the display out, then put the other cards back in.
32) Message boards : Number crunching : VPU recoveries with HD4770/XP32/Catalyst 9.x (Message 27262)
Posted 7 Jul 2009 by Profile borandi
Post:
OK, yeah you're stuck with 9.5 then. Just rename the dll files in the system32 directory.

When running MW, open up GPU-Z (if you can), and click on the sensors tab. Is the temperature stupidly high?

33) Message boards : Number crunching : X2 GPU use 50% each GPU? (Message 27261)
Posted 7 Jul 2009 by Profile borandi
Post:
In Win XP:

Right click Desktop
Goto Properties
Click Settings
Goto Second Monitor
Click 'Extend Desktop to this Monitor'
Click 'Make Monitor Primary Desktop'
Click Apply
You'll look like you have a blank screen, or just icons. If icons, select them all, then drag them off screen to the right.
Unplug the VGA/DVI cable from the first card, and plug into the second.

Now you have a desktop, with the mouse able to go off screen to the left. Both GPUs are active and function normally.

I believe this works because the PC will always activate the first GPU in the system, and now the 2nd is activated because it is the primary monitor.

I doubt this method works with 3 GPUs in one system, but it definitely works with two.

Edit - you may be able to do three. Have the two working, then go to the third. Click 'extend the desktop to this monitor', then hover over Apply. Then put the VGA cable into the 3rd GPU. Then click. It may work, I'll try it later :)
34) Message boards : Number crunching : VPU recoveries with HD4770/XP32/Catalyst 9.x (Message 27249)
Posted 7 Jul 2009 by Profile borandi
Post:
Try going to the card manufacturers website (XFX, Sapphire, Asus, w/e) and see if they have v8.12 drivers for that card. For some reason the standard 8.12 ATI drivers you get from ATI don't recognise certain cards, but manufacturers will have a version that does.
35) Message boards : Number crunching : this result wasn't sent (not needed) (Message 27237)
Posted 7 Jul 2009 by Profile borandi
Post:
The optimised application is a refinement of the stock application for specific processor types. So processors have instruction sets - a series of commands to make math quicker. Some have more than others. If the CPU code takes advantage of this, then it will run quicker. However you can't just make everyone blanket download the same code, because some PCs will not have these faster instruction optimisations.

The CPU optimised app link is in many threads in this forum, as well as help to install it. The website you need is http://zslip.com - have a read around the forum if you have time to get info on how to use it if the readme is unclear.
36) Message boards : Number crunching : X2 GPU use 50% each GPU? (Message 27230)
Posted 7 Jul 2009 by Profile borandi
Post:
Awesome ta - did my method of enabling the 2nd GPU to extend my desktop to that GPU then making it my primary monitor. Switch over the cable in the back, and both GPUs are seen without the need for a dummy plug.

Both GPUs running at 675/1000, between 60-90% GPU load depending on the WU. 55cred WU takes 65 secs, a 74 cred WU takes around 100. A nice and toasty 74ºC in the middle of the day in a warm UK.

I switched the settings to

<avg_ncpus>1</avg_ncpus>
<max_ncpus>1</max_ncpus>
<cmdline>n1</cmdline>

Just incase the slow CPU (x2-5050e) was detrimental and the WUs kept flicking between cores.

Many thanks for the info Poorboy, great help :) Now I just got offered a very nice 4870X2 dirt cheap...
37) Message boards : Number crunching : HD 4730 (Message 27223)
Posted 7 Jul 2009 by Profile borandi
Post:
The GPU chip is an RV770, and previous incarnations of this chip (4830, 4850, 4870) all do double precision, so I imagine this would. If you could find stock.

It'll crunch about 2.1 times more than a 3850. (3850 with 320 cores at 668Mhz, 4730 with 640 cores at 700Mhz.)
38) Message boards : Number crunching : Which ATI cards? (Message 27222)
Posted 7 Jul 2009 by Profile borandi
Post:
You want this post:

http://milkyway.cs.rpi.edu/milkyway/forum_thread.php?id=925&nowrap=true#25910

Also gives you comparison of how each card does relative to each other.

As for your questions:

1) No.
2) Yes, because a 3870 only has 320 cores, whereas a 4830 has 640 and is more than half the speed than the 3870.
3) I go by the following chart I made:



These are from wiki and reviews. I can't be held liable if it's inaccurate :) Ideally a 700W PSU drawing 400W will perform better and last longer than a 450W drawing 400W. I've got a 550W powering 2x 4850s using a low power proc, and that just about works.
39) Message boards : Number crunching : X2 GPU use 50% each GPU? (Message 27210)
Posted 7 Jul 2009 by Profile borandi
Post:
Had a play around - the drivers on my Sapphire install CD aren't recognised by GPU-Z as any version of Catalyst, however RivaTuner sees them as Cat 8.10. Needless to say MW doesn't like them.

Went to the Sapphire website, got their 8.12 (I still find it weird that the 8.12 from ATi doesnt recognise the card, but oh well). MW is now computing again, but still on 50% of each GPU. Tried the 0.05 CPU/n3 settings too, still no dice. Host is still taking 2x as long as a single 4850 to do WU.

Only thing left is to go to 6.6.20, which will be the task this evening, or do it without Crossfire and hopefully VPU wont set in again.
40) Message boards : Number crunching : X2 GPU use 50% each GPU? (Message 27168)
Posted 6 Jul 2009 by Profile borandi
Post:
8.12 is recognising your 4850X2? How weird, maybe I should redownload. My normal Cat 8.12/XP32 installation that I carry on a USB has worked flawlessly, but wouldn't recognise the X2...

Also, any reason for not upgrading to SP3? (If it works, don't fix it? =D)


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