GPU Boinc Goes Mainstream!

Post by **Megacruncher** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 11:23 pm

The official release of Boinc Manager 6.4.5 now includes GPU support.
Also Seti {not just Seti Beta} supports the GPU as soon too will Einstein.
More blurb here.

Nightlord · Post by **Nightlord** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 11:54 pm

Pity that 6.4.5 has goosed the DCF for GPU projects resulting in loss of work and daily nursing of multiple boxes

On the whole though it's got to be a good step, I just wish they had fixed the client before going "public".

Looking at the GPUGrid forums, and even more so at Seti, there are a large number of people clamouring to just run point and click GPU Boinc. It's not quite there yet

.....To be brutally honest, from what I see, the Boinc developers don't seem to know how understand how to integrate GPU's into the mainstream Boinc architecture yet (not that I do either you understand!).

Every recent client release has fixed a bug, but introduced others, to the extent that Dr A now says "reset your clients" to fix the DCF problem - great job: loose 15 hours work, plus a cache of WU's, get locked out of a project for 24hrs and it doesn't work!

Post by **Megacruncher** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 12:19 am

Err...DCF?
Otherwise I entirely agree: the public release really should be an improvement on the beta. Still, you can't fault the direction of travel even if the falling over is a little exasperating.

Nightlord · Post by **Nightlord** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 1:09 pm

DCF = Duration Correct Factor. On GPUGrid, take a look at the WU's in your queue. They are likely to suggest several days to complete if you have upgraded to 6.4.5. This screws up the scheduler and prevents you downloading any more work.

Anyway, I'm quite interested in the other projects running up on Cuda GPU's - it's definitely a positive step, even if flaws still exist.

MacDitch · Post by **MacDitch** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 2:21 pm

DCF = Duration Correct Factor. On GPUGrid, take a look at the WU's in your queue. They are likely to suggest several days to complete if you have upgraded to 6.4.5. This screws up the scheduler and prevents you downloading any more work.

Stop BOINC (fully, do not just exit the GUI)
Open the client_state.xml in teh BOINC folder
Find the GPUGrid section (Search is good. :) )
Near the bottom of the section is a line like:
<duration_correction_factor>1.006404</duration_correction_factor>
Change the number to 1.000000 (or whatever you need, but keep 6 decimal places)
Save and close the xml
Restart BOINC

Nightlord · Post by **Nightlord** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 4:12 pm

http://www.gpugrid.net/forum_thread.php ... =true#4281

and

http://www.gpugrid.net/forum_thread.php ... =true#4483

Diese Betriebsart ist fubar

Post by **rowpie** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 2:20 pm

ok just tried the stick gpu grid on. disabled sli as i had been gaming (crysis looks stunning btw) and im getting all the wonderful problems that others are posting about.

will try some more after the football. no doubt certain xml values and boinc revisions are all about to get altered.

Post by **Megacruncher** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 11:59 pm

There seems to be a recognition that it is a server side issue. This concords with my experience that however you upgrade or down grade Boinc Manager or footer with your client_state.xml sometimes you get work and sometimes you don't. But now they've fixed it and generally you do!

Post by **rowpie** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 12:17 am

well i upgraded it to the development version and it downloaded 6 wu's before saying that was enough. Not knowing anything about cpu +1 etc... is it normal for all 8 threads to still be cruncing seti while 2 gpu threads are going?

anyways we'll see how long these take as these 260's are the 216 core versions rather than the 192. i'll say one thing though. boy can they throw some heat out the back of the system.

i dont think these cards will ever hit full capacity for me though as i will be changing them to sli for gaming omst evenings and weekends however dont worry i will remember to change them back for crunching. now if only there was a gaming and sli friendly version..... yeah i know lets settle for one that works first.

Nightlord · Post by **Nightlord** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 12:29 am

You shouldn't need to adjust ncpus or anything similar. Boinc will load your GPU's and CPUS as required.

If you have 8 CPU cores running Seti, you can still run 2 GPU's (not in SLi mode) on GPUGrid.

I think on Seti GPU, there is some problems with the app that forces it to run GPU or CPU only, not both, but that is being looked into using app_info.

Sounds like a beast

Post by **rowpie** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 12:36 am

I noticed the optomised seti app stops the gpu version of seti downloading. I had problems with that when i first connect the pc to seti as it immediatly wanted to use my gpu's (which at the time were busy in far cry 2) untill i exited the manager and started it again to make it see the new optomised apps. now i just need crunch3r to use sse 4.2 to improve it more and i'll put that app on it.

Anything i should be doing with resource share between gpu and cpu projects? right now there all just 100? guess its now a waiting game to see if my cards are returning wu's within expected time frames.

steve · Post by **steve** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 3:16 am

I finally understand what gpugrid is

USER STRESS TEST !!!!!!!!!!

Ben · Post by **Ben** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 6:37 pm

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=cm6WUk45V ... re=related

Post by **Megacruncher** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 12:07 am

Great stuff.
Your post led me to some other CCTV recordings of stress related incidents my favourite being this. Moral, if somebody goes apeshit in the office leave them to it.

The Scottish Boinc Team

GPU Boinc Goes Mainstream!

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