Dual SMP or Single SMP on Quads?

[[XC] riptide]

I got good advice via msn last night telling me that single SMP was the way forward for Quads, as it gave more PPD than Dual SMP. Then i see occasionally that some people recommend the Dual SMP on Quads.

This is 2 polls in one. XP and Vista. Single or Dual for each.

I'd like to see your opinions on this. Also note that I have enabled multiple choice. Menaing that guys with experience of both Vista and XP can vote twice for the XP and Vista options. Thanks.

[Sparky]

multi choice poll! Can I select every option?????

[[XC] riptide]

multi choice poll! Can I select every option?????

BAN

[MikeB12]

until a2 core comes out, the only way you can access all the cpu cycles on a quad is with 2 smp's... a1 core is not very efficient...
sure one smp will list 100% cpu in tsk magr, but it's not efficiently using that 100% with 4 threads of fahcore_a1...

a perfect example of this is with my linux x2 4600 folder... the a1 core will turn about 1000ppd, and the a2 core will turn 1700ppd.... a2 is not avail for windows yet.. but when it does become avail, there will be no need for running 8 threads of fahcore_a1 to get all the cycles out of a quad. 4 threads of a2 will do it.. but Pande has already said they are having major problems with a2 core and windows... imo, I think that's one of the reasons 6.22 was pushed out so fast, they're trying to get ready for windows a2 core, which is definitely not going to be a 5.9x client thing...

you can listen to various rumors from various users all over the internet. but the hard fact is a quad will not access all of it's cycles with 4 threads of fahcore_a1.. I don't care what bobby, billy, or bob thinks they can do.. that's the hard reality.

for example:
here's one of my quads right now on dual clients, total smp for one machine is about 3200-3400ppd.

Project : 2665
Core : SMP Gromacs
Frames : 100
Credit : 1920


-- X4-smp1-Vista-Q6600-3420mhz5.91 --

Min. Time / Frame : 16mn 23s - 1687.57 ppd
Avg. Time / Frame : 16mn 39s - 1660.54 ppd
Cur. Time / Frame : 16mn 32s - 1672.26 ppd
R3F. Time / Frame : 16mn 35s - 1667.22 ppd
Eff. Time / Frame : 17mn 18s - 1598.15 ppd


-- X4-smp2-Vista-Q6600-3420mhz5.91 --

Min. Time / Frame : 15mn 51s - 1744.35 ppd
Avg. Time / Frame : 15mn 59s - 1729.80 ppd
Cur. Time / Frame : 17mn 08s - 1613.70 ppd
R3F. Time / Frame : 16mn 51s - 1640.83 ppd
Eff. Time / Frame : 16mn 37s - 1663.87 ppd

it loses approx 1000ppd with 1 smp... because 4 threads of fahcore_a1 cannot access all the cycles. it needs 8 threads of fahcore_a1.
I wish it wasn't this way, but it's not our fault. it's a deficiency in the a1 core... it's the software that's causing it... if a2 would get here, we wouldn't need to do these little parlor tricks to access all our cpu cycles in quads.


for a dual, you should stick with one client... but when a2 core comes along, you'll see a boost.. just like I did on my linux dual core box (x2 4600)...
not only that but xp tends to be a little more efficient than vista with smp by a hair.. but Vista seems to handle the fahcore_11/facore_a1 relationship better.
so the question gets kinda complicated...

[[XC] riptide]

Thanks mike. Great response there. IIRC the SMP Intall guide needs an addition then for Installing 2 SMP's.

[[XC] Synthetickiller]

Mike, I had issues w/ turn time. I think thats what you guys call it. It took my clients well over an hour to get 1% done on each smp client. Running one right now gets 1% done ever 13 minutes, so if you round, about 5% per hour. That's a lot faster.

[[XC] 4X4N]

To maximize efficiency with smp the best is with dual clients and ubuntu. With my quad at 3.8, I was averaging 3800-4000 ppd. With XP, about 3400 ppd. Never tried with vista. Now I'm only running the gpu client and running wcg on the cpu.

[[XC] Synthetickiller]

I don't doubut you guys, just giving my experience. My ppd for dual clients ended up being less than running a single client. I don't know why, the ppd just keep dropping and turn time was excellent.

If you never use the pc for anything other than folding, I'm guessing you won't see that.

[road-runner]

Ubuntu and 2-SMP clients is the best I have found...

[Kingcarcas]

Dual, but if it gets the WU in faster i would only run 1.

[road-runner]

Dual, but if it gets the WU in faster i would only run 1.

Ubuntu can do 2 WUs in just a little longer time than windows takes to do 1....

[WFO]

My vote would be 2 Linux smps in vmware. Especially now that core 2 is out. The WUs start midrun at 25%

I now run dual-gpu2s and 1 smp in vmware.

[DAK1640]

OK, I wish to try Dual smp on my Quads...As simple as possible, how exactly do I go about this?

[[XC] riptide]

I asked in the SMP-Install thread was there any guide for the second SMP.

[[XC] 4X4N]

All you need to do is follow the guide a second time except create a new directory for the second client. Then run the affinity changer found here.

In ubuntu, same thing. Just create 2 directories and use taskset for setting affinity.

[[XC] riptide]

Right... and what about flags to change machine ID? Never mind. I'll just try anyway.

[[XC] 4X4N]

The machine ID is the last question in the advanced settings when you run the config only.

[[XC] riptide]

[02:30:54] Rejecting checkpoint
[02:30:56] ][2]=9.23815 v[17273][2]=NaN

WTF?

EDIT: Thanks 4x4. I normally didn't use the advanced selection for the other installs. Thats what was getitng me there on my 1st attempt at 2 SMPs. I had it done just before you posted..

As for the error above, i just deleted the Work folder and the qeue.dat file, and all 2nd SMP's seem ok now.

Got a few 3064 WU's

[Sparky]

3064 are nice units. I want more of those. 2653 are the best but 3064 are a close second.

btw, I did vote for all the options....

[[XC] riptide]

I see they have shorter max deadlines... I hope I can upload the damn things now.

[Sparky]

I don't think you'll have an issue.

[[XC] riptide]

I've got 2 2653 too!

[Kingcarcas]

I tried installing the 6.22 on the X2 rig, didn't look like it was even running and it wasn't as a service so i ditched it. I might try the 5.91 again.

[DAK1640]

I tried running 2 smp clients with GPU client and...It's all working !!! SMP's at approx 1600ppd each without negatively affecting GPU production...Finally ! All with WinXP32.

Thanks team for your brilliance... I wished I was as smart.

P.S. This knowledge you gave me isn't going to help Team S very much...lol