Anyone using new beta SMP?

[MikalCarbine]

Uses a new MPI system which is supposedly more stable, I couldn't get it to work right though

Direct download link: http://www.stanford.edu/group/pandegroup/folding/release/FAH5.92beta-win32-SMP-update.zip

Install Notes: http://foldingforum.org/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1783

Hopefully someone else can have some luck with it


Edit: Ooooo got it working, had to start from scratch, MPI is solid :up:

[MikeB12]

I haven't had mpi issues, so I'm still on 5.91's on all my dual AC clients..

[sc00p]

It was slower (http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=181925)...

[coo-coo-clocker]

whats the best manual affinity assignment/monitoring tool?
Now that I have quad core/dual smp/gpu/AC, dual core/gpu, I'm confused as to how to manage all these processes so they do what they're supposed to do without getting in each other's way! :confused:

[Marvin_The_Martian]

Set Affinity I think.

http://www.geocities.com/edgemeal_software/SetAffinity/index.htm

I'm not entirely running 100% atm, but I think the issue remained that once smp finished and closes and starts a new project, the threads are recreated. I am not sure if Set Affinity monitors the parent process or just watch which processes are running and then reassigns them based on a preset pattern. I'm also not sure if it detects the heaviest smp thread and makes sure it has a core for it's own ( to optimize smp ppd ) depending on config offcourse.

Other then that I hear some people on the folding forums use it, seems to have a nice GUI to it so give it a try and report back on it? If it's good for our purpose it might deserve it's own sticky link with optimization efforts by coo-coo-clocker :up:

[MikeB12]

Thanks Marvin.. My 8800gt 256 arrived today and I've been having fits trying to get it to play nice with smp.

the card turns about 4600-4700ppd by itself, stock. 25% cpu on a quad.

but as soon as I try one smp no ac, it drops to 3100ppd.
2 smp's with ac and it drops to 2700ppd...
both times here about 7-11% cpu on fahcore_a11, so it's obviously getting bottle necked.

tried that app
and set fahcore_a11 to cpu3 (which is the default, it's checked that way from installation of gpu2 client).
and set fahcore_a1 to cpu012.

first I tried running dual smps with AC and gpu2, with the affinities set above.
but the smp clients went 30 min with out proceeding to the next frame (even though task mgr showed them going).
the gpu2 was turning full points though. 4600...

so now I'm trying just one smp (no AC) and gpu2... still using the app to set cpu affinity for smp to 012..
I'll post a fahmon tskmgr shot when they get a couple frames in...

Thanks for the link..

edit:
\/this is what I finally ended up with... one smp, no ac, using affinity app...
http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/4261/36865391ix7.jpg


\/this is what the card does by itself...
http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/8885/16811773xj8.jpg


\/this is what it was doing without the affinity app, just setting higher core priority in gpu2.
no ac, just one smp and gpu2 with higher core priority.\/
http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/6134/24662630ox7.jpg


\/I also tried it with ac and dual smps, but when the smp frame time hit 30min and still hadn't proceed to the next frame, I quit...
\/I'm guessing having ac running and the app assigning fahcore_a1 to cpu012 is causing some kind of malfunction..
http://img55.imageshack.us/img55/2576/93934827pc4.jpg


anyway, the best I could manage was about 6600ppd... I was really hoping to squeeze more, but watcha gonna do...


thanks for the affinity app link, Marvin.. :up:

[coo-coo-clocker]

there's another twist, too.
The core priority setting has something to do with all this as well. I was surprised to find that on my dual core box running just the GPU client, if I allowed it to run "slightly higher" priority it would go hog wild eating up tons of CPU, but no apparent improvement in frame times!! So two things are converging in my head:
1) the O/S seems to have a substantial impact: those with Vista have reported little CPU utilization for GPU client, while XP has substantial CPU use.
2) GPU Core Priority setting: giving the GPU client access to more CPU resources on an XP O/S allows it to consume significant CPU cycles, but delivers no apparent benefit

Hmmmm... :shrug:

[MikeB12]

hmmm... I have a spare vista 64 license too... should I wipe this pc and go vista 64...

[The_Barnacle]

If you have a spare one then yes. I am running Vista 64 on one machine and XP-32 on another, the vista machine gets over 1000ppd more than the XP machine from SMP clients while running GPU2. Mainly due to the fact that I can run 2 SMP clients on the Vista machine without it interfering with the GPU2 client.

[MikalCarbine]

While running GPU+SMP CPU I get about 2.2k PPD on the GPU and only 600 PPD on the CPU, that was with the GPU on high priority, I'll try it without that, this is running with or without set affinity :(

[twiggy]

If you have a spare one then yes. I am running Vista 64 on one machine and XP-32 on another, the vista machine gets over 1000ppd more than the XP machine from SMP clients while running GPU2. Mainly due to the fact that I can run 2 SMP clients on the Vista machine without it interfering with the GPU2 client.

After hearing this all the time I finally installed Vista32 again today and I'll be damned! 2xSMP+1GPU runs great! I might have to stick with Vista lol.

q6600 and q66002 is this rig with the GTS(quad at 3.2ghz and GTS at 800/2000/mem stock)

[The_Barnacle]

While running GPU+SMP CPU I get about 2.2k PPD on the GPU and only 600 PPD on the CPU, that was with the GPU on high priority, I'll try it without that, this is running with or without set affinity :(

This is on XP? What do you mean by with or without set affinity? Are you manually setting it or letting affinity changer do it? In XP my GPU scores were really low until I manually put SMP on 0,1,2 and GPU on 3.

[MikalCarbine]

Under XP, I am only on dual core, so I set one core to the GPU and the other to the 4 processes for the SMP, either way this is higher PPD than GPU+normal CPU client

[Marvin_The_Martian]

All those on XP, dump it :D

Took you all long enough to be convinced ;)

Mike from looking at the screens you posted I see the flaw in the program, well not a flaw but still. If you can set favourites to 012, it will balance the 4 threads on the 3 cores but you can't specify how. With the current smp loadout, setting the thread with the highest memory usage to have the most cpu time ( 3 cores 4 processes, one core has to be shared atleast ) it can give you 400ppd xtra on smp if you balance them manually depending on the memory usage. Not sure, but yes running AC and this app would be trouble. AC does manage smp threads based on memory usage and not just process names.

Bear with my english, still got sleep in my head :)

[MikeB12]

All those on XP, dump it :D

Took you all long enough to be convinced ;)

ok, did it. on vista now. :up:
2 smp's with AC and a GPU2 w/higher core priority setting in client.
*Q6600@3375hz | GA-P35-DS3L | 2x1GB Xtreem | Gigabyte 8800GT 256mb stock | TT 430w | Raidimax 802BP | Scythe Mugen

who woulda thunk it, Vista out performs XP...

http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/1448/90011754wg3.jpg


which gave me a nice overall boost, now I need a 8800gt to put in the x2 box and I'll be close to 20k.
http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/3900/85226156ih9.jpg