Posts by Biffa

1) Message boards : Number crunching : 79XX Dont Run II (Message 53478) Posted 28 Feb 2012 by Biffa Post: Which up date - an AMD driver ? If so, I'd try still using the release day drivers as the changes to the driver sets so far have been gamer related not Compute - obvious dilema if your a gamer as well .... but there ya go :) 8.921.2 RC11 What utilisation figure do you have in CCC ? If its 95%+ thats pretty well it, 97-99% is the norm on 7970s. Significantly less than that circa 85-90% then there maybe an issue lurking. As to what hard to say with no more symptoms. 75-85% Before the default frequency change I was getting 99% on the card regardless of running one or two instances. I also found no gain by running two instances as I was getting 36 sec/wu just running one at a time, and similar speed with two at a time but much higher temps/noise. An app_info will allow 100% useage running two WUs per GPU. It can alsohide issues such as you described, so another dilema sometimes. Below is an app_info that will put two WU per gpu on a card. Note the cmd line frequency value. Thats a low 10 (old default was 30, new default is 60). The 7970s respond quickly switching to the display screen to service it, so a low value usually works ok. If the screen lags horribly, step up the value in steps of 5 until you are happy with screen response - should be ok, but step up slowly like that if issues. I changed the web frequency to 20 but it didn't seem to make any difference, does having an app_info.xml stop the client using the web pref settings? Dont forget to clear cache before using the app_info.xml, and to restart BAM after inserting it into the Milkyway program directory. Use Notepad to create the app_info.xml to prevent hidden charactors being inserted making it un-useable. <cmdline>--gpu-target-frequency 10 --gpu-disable-checkpointing</cmdline> Regards Zy Great I'll try both an app_info with the --gpu-target-frequency set and I'll try without the app_info (as I'm only running one task at a time) Haven't noticed any desktop issues but then its probably because its ignoring the web settings as the app_info is there. :D
2) Message boards : Number crunching : 79XX Dont Run II (Message 53473) Posted 28 Feb 2012 by Biffa Post: Since the most recent update I can no longer get my 7979 to use 100% of the GPU If I'm using app_info.xml does that override the web settings? If so what do I need to put in the app_info.xml to get the gpu crunching full power again? Running drivers after the release drivers but before the 12.2 drivers :)
3) Message boards : Number crunching : MilkyWay_GPU (Message 24264) Posted 5 Jun 2009 by Biffa Post: The home page suggests that people use the link I used to add the project in the Boinc Client. The point poeple seem to be missing here is that there actually is a GPU home page! It suggests people sign up and it even gives people the link to the non-active project. I posted the errors so that the author could have a look at the HTML and fix it! I also wanted people to know that the project is not yet live yet, This was not an open invitation for smart mouths to stick their necks out and lip off. The Milkyway home page doesn't suggest that people use the GPU home page link, the only page that does that is the work in progress home page of the gpu project. So where did you find the link that tells you to sign up for the not-ready-yet gpu project? Yes there is a home page, but to find it you would have at least had to browse a thread that indicates just through casual browsing that the gpu sites not ready. And yet you post into a thread where lots of people already know about the status of the project in the hope of alerting those people who already know (assuming they have had the common sense to read the thread, or any number of threads saying that already) Riiiight.. good one.. thanks for letting us know. kthanksbye.. :) Oh and this is a public forum, you don't have to invite people to respond its the nature of the beast, if you don't like that sort of thing, or have a overly thin skin, I suggest you stick to email :)
4) Message boards : Number crunching : MilkyWay_GPU (Message 24194) Posted 4 Jun 2009 by Biffa Post: Today I signed up to the MilkyWay_GPU Project. I entered the Project URL as suggested, http://milkyway.cs.rpi.edu/milkyway_gpu/ Who suggested that you do that? No one invited you to try and sign up for the project, its not being promoted or available through the BOINC client. So basically you are saying you signed your computer up for a boinc project you knew nothing about, that could have done anything to your computer or gfx card, and then you came in and complained about it in a huge thread that if you had read it would have explained the situation to you. Then some people point out your error and you start getting all defensive. Pretty funny stuff.
5) Message boards : Number crunching : ATI HD 4890 (Message 23957) Posted 2 Jun 2009 by Biffa Post: Yep, but not for a few weeks.
6) Message boards : Number crunching : 4 * GPU Slots! Oh My! (Message 22875) Posted 21 May 2009 by Biffa Post: I think you are missing the point my friend. You don't use SLI or Crossfire to crunch data like Folding@Home or Boinc, you use the cards as separate devices. So when I had 4x9800GT's (top photo) you don't SLI them together, same with the 3 GTX260's I am using now, you don't SLI them you keep them separate.
7) Message boards : Number crunching : 4 * GPU Slots! Oh My! (Message 22676) Posted 18 May 2009 by Biffa Post: While folding I ran this for a while: Now switched to:
8) Message boards : Number crunching : MilkyWay_GPU (Message 20405) Posted 25 Apr 2009 by Biffa Post: Just bought a machine (to be built next week) specifically to run my 2x4850 in crossfire with the X2-5050e energy efficient AM2 processor (45W), with 2GB RAM. Technically at 150W full pelt for a 4850, using a 550W for two should be fine. But that's still pushing the limit a little (300 + proc + other bits = ~400ish), hence I'll be using a 700W to power it. It'll have some headroom also if I want to swap one out for a 4850X2 (which uses 275-325W so I read on benchmark websites). I have an 800W I could use if I wanted to double up on X2 cards, but 300*2 + proc + other stuff, even 800W would be pushing it. My 0.02 Well I had a Q6600 + DDR2 + DVD + SATA + 4 (yes 4) Pcie 9800GT's running off a 550W Coolermaster for 2 months on FAH no problemo.
9) Message boards : Number crunching : Power consumption by GPUs (Message 18082) Posted 9 Apr 2009 by Biffa Post: What CPU do you have?
10) Message boards : Number crunching : Server Updates and Status (Message 17429) Posted 3 Apr 2009 by Biffa Post: Oh "those" guys. :) I know the ones you mean. I have less time for them than you seem to give me credit for. Please try and judge my post on the content of it rather than on what some other tools say or think. To reiterate. I do not think I or anyone deserves special treatment. I don't think any of the projects "owe" me anything for the work I do and the electricity I use, thats my choice. There are plenty of other projects. As I said, I think its fine that the sci-bods give out harder/bigger work units to the GPU's than the CPU's for lots of valid scientific reasons I DO think that if your hardware does more work or works harder then it should be reflected in the points allocated. I DO think that its a bad idea to split the stats in one project to reflect a particular hardware/software or combination. Hope that clarifies things for people. Oh btw as for buying hardware, I reccomend going second hand. :) Oh and peace!
11) Message boards : Number crunching : Server Updates and Status (Message 17404) Posted 3 Apr 2009 by Biffa Post: I have an AMD Athlon64 3700+ that completes tasks just fine. It takes 15-30 minutes, depending on which type of task that it is given. I've never turned a task in late, not on this project or on any of the other 4 projects I have participated in. Great so you fall into the first group I described who do it to contribute to the science. And every WU crunched is appreciated by every project contributed in. Thats your perogative. Personally I try and maximise the amount of science I can do, and yes the points that it generates where I can. I dislike where this is going, from numerous people. All of you seem to be acting "snooty", like spoiled rich kids. Sorry you feel like that, I honestly did not intend to give that impression. Let's get some things straight. Because you have a newer computer or a newer graphics card means that you either: Happened to buy a computer at a later date than someone else. Happen to have more money to use for such purchases. You are 100% correct. What it does NOT mean is that you are "better than" someone that has a lesser computer, Again, hit the nail on the head :) NOR does it mean that you are "entitled to more" than others. It simply means that you have benefited from advances in technology (buying later) or you have extra money that some of us do not have. Its not about being more entitled, its about doing more work, I get the same credit per work unit that you do, I just do more work so get more credit. Thats not something I feel I should be ashamed of. Neither should you. Personally, I was laid off in early 2007.... Sounds like a nightmare! I was also made redundant twice in twelve months in 2006, its not fun and those months without income can be scary especially when you are the only breadwinner and have two kids, wife, house mortgage as your responsibility. Not sure what point your trying to make here. I too ran on lower end PC's in the early days, in fact I mentioned in my earlier post that many of us probably all started with PC's that became uneconomical to run or just couldn't hack it anymore. So we moved on. I've always been a computer geek, its my hobby and my job, so I sell parts to minimise the cost of new kit and at the same time am always looking for ways to economise (electricity is damn expensive over here!) GPU's are actually a good way to economise for people like me who crunch for more complex reasons than you give us credit for. Its part science, part competition, part fun, part community, part.. something indefinable. No, what it's really about is you don't like the idea of starting out at zero. It has nothing to do with "science" and everything to do with "bragging rights". Woah.. Heh, ok again I'm sorry you feel the need to take it personally, I've been doing this distributed computing stuff since 1999, if I was only doing it for bragging rights I'd have given up along time ago. We started at zero a few times with a few projects along the way. Good luck with that 3700+ knowing my luck you'll be the guy who gets the 100K WU/day gfx card just as I get my next tax bill :)
12) Message boards : Number crunching : Server Updates and Status (Message 17374) Posted 2 Apr 2009 by Biffa Post: I agree with Renata et al. This distributed computing lark whether it be BOINC or FAH or whatever has always been about either getting the science done. Now you are either in the camp of not worrying about how fast the science is done, you are just happy to contribute or you are a get the science done as fast as possible type of person. So lets say most of us here fall into the latter category, and the points system and inherent competitive spirit it creates encourages people to find faster ways to get the science done. That was either to get hold of lots of machines to do the work or to get more powerful machines to do the work. (or in some cases both!) :) Since this stuff started we have been pushing the performance envelope chasing each other up the tables for more and more points and therefore in the process getting more and more science done faster and faster. Every now and then we get so good at doing the science faster the scientific bods come up with a way to level the playing field and get us to crunch more data for the same sort of results. What happens then is that the old slow machines of yesteryear become un-economical to run as crunchers. Who here crunches any sort of work units on an single core CPU? Or even on a AMD X2 or P4? Its just not worth the electricity for the results gained, and very often won't complete work within the time limit. So where am I going with this? Well I think its a VERY bad idea to split the project from a statistics point of view. It goes against everything that has helped this crazy drive for scientific computing power get to where it is now and hopefully continue to drive it to greater heights in the future. Sure separate the type of work so that GPU's get different sorts of work units than CPU's but don't split the stats or the project please. Sorry for the rant. I've been at this game since Seti@Home first started (same handle look me up) only recently came over to Milkyway and liked the banter and that my 4850 actually could do some work I was interested in. Whatever you guys decide to do I wish you the best of luck but for now I'm putting the 4850 back to work on FAH till theres some more work to do here.