CUDA_V12_app

[Lord Asmodeus]

I didn't know there was an uninstaller. Does it restore the previous optis .exe ? I saw a backup folder. It wouldn't have cost me WU, because they were only screwed when I used my "old style" method of restoring. And V12 didn't screw the WU, it was just rendering my computer unusable.

[Jason G]

Ahh , yes the uninstaller, is  in add/remove programs via control panel, and uses that backup folder to put back previous app, DLL's and app_info.  It was tested a few times by me, though I don't know know if many people have used that feature, so it is still a cross-your-fingers approach anyway.  BTW: yes we are working on improving the usability and runtime performance at Low angle ranges, and have largely isolated the offending code portions.  It is challenging, and will take some time yet, but very gradual progress is being made.

[Lord Asmodeus]

Is there a way to make a fresh new install (of BOINC, projects, optis) without losing WUs ?

I noticed that since a month or so my RAC has dropped, my GTX280 isn't so freaking fast as before. Also, boinc.exe is using lots and lots of CPU time, I don't think it is normal (on my other computer, identical except without CUDA device, I don't see this).

I already stopped getting new WUs but I have a big cache (~1700WUs).

[Raistmer]

Your problem is big cache. Search for this in SETI main forums, it was discussed in details.
BOINC can't do correct scheduling of huge task lists. It will consume more and more CPU time, up  to completely take whole CPU core for its own needs. It's no way can be considered as correct behavior of framework that only needed to send and recive tasks (roughly speaking) but there is no bugfix available AFAIK, only cache reduce 

[Lord Asmodeus]

OK that explains one thing. But my videocard used to make more RAC than the CPU (roughly 4500 for the CPU and 5500 for the GPU), and now it is clearly not the case (6700 total), do you have an idea about that ?

What cache size do you suggest ?

[Raistmer]

Explanation not very complex:
app needs CPU to feed GPU with data. CPU busy by boinc.exe, this process has higher priority than app so app starve. GPU stays idle. So, low total RAC.
I don't know value that will fit to your config. Try to reduce cache until boinc.exe will almost not eat CPU.

[Lord Asmodeus]

ATM I don't ask any WU, I still got 1250 to go. I'm not really conviced by your idea, my GPU seems to work all the time, I can tell by the temp of the water (watercooled PC). Moreover I have a quad core so I don't see why a boinc.exe taking 100% of one core would affect the GPU.

When I got this card some 3 months ago, it was doing the WUs in around 10 minutes, and now it's twice that, I wonder why.

[msattler]

ATM I don't ask any WU, I still got 1250 to go. I'm not really conviced by your idea, my GPU seems to work all the time, I can tell by the temp of the water (watercooled PC). Moreover I have a quad core so I don't see why a boinc.exe taking 100% of one core would affect the GPU.

When I got this card some 3 months ago, it was doing the WUs in around 10 minutes, and now it's twice that, I wonder why.

There was a change made at Seti which roughly doubled the length of MB WU's............to increase the science a bit, but also to try to tame the bandwidth as well.
But don't fret.......if you check your completed results, you should see that the awarded credits have roughly doubled too.
Probably not a problem with your setup or card.

[Raistmer]

ATM I don't ask any WU, I still got 1250 to go. I'm not really conviced by your idea, my GPU seems to work all the time, I can tell by the temp of the water (watercooled PC). Moreover I have a quad core so I don't see why a boinc.exe taking 100% of one core would affect the GPU.

When I got this card some 3 months ago, it was doing the WUs in around 10 minutes, and now it's twice that, I wonder why.

Well, look at msattler post, did you accounted that task changed indeed?
About BOINC-related things, you can simply check if it applies to your config or not - just leave host running few hours w/o reboots and BOINC restarts than launch task manager and see how many CPU time was consumed by boinc.exe + boincmgr.exe processes. If only few seconds - well, your BOINC behaves good. If minutes - you should decrease cache probably.

[Lord Asmodeus]

Well the WUs my CPU crunched were not taking double the time so I didn't think it was a change like that. But now they are.

A few days ago I asked again some WUs (my GPU had nothing left), after having set the cache to one day, and I received hundreds and hundreds of them ! Now I restarted the "not asking WUs" part, and used the rebranding utility to compensate the lack of GPU WUs. The old script wasn't working anymore, but the exe is fine. With less than 1000 WU boinc.exe takes almost no CPU time, so around 4-5 days of cache should be the sweet spot. But I want to start from fresh so I'll finish up what I have and then reinstall.

[efmer (fred)]

Is there a way to make a fresh new install (of BOINC, projects, optis) without losing WUs ?

I noticed that since a month or so my RAC has dropped, my GTX280 isn't so freaking fast as before. Also, boinc.exe is using lots and lots of CPU time, I don't think it is normal (on my other computer, identical except without CUDA device, I don't see this).

I already stopped getting new WUs but I have a big cache (~1700WUs).

Keep BOINC in the taskbar when not in use. This will take away the heavy BOINC load on your machine.
What happens is, that BOINC and the manager exchange all the WU about every  1-2 seconds.
When you have a lot of WU you will notice this.
I have about 1500-2000 WU on my machines, no problems there. I use my own BOINC manager replacement, that's a bit faster.

[k6xt]

Keep BOINC in the taskbar when not in use. This will take away the heavy BOINC load on your machine.

Isn't it a true statement that it is not necessary to run BOINC Manager (BM) at all? As I see the EXIT page by right-clicking BM in taskbar, it is possible to stop BM altogether while continuing to process, upload, download WU. If BM is stopped my processors and GPU continue at 100%. BM can be started when needed, then put away for future use.

[efmer (fred)]

Keep BOINC in the taskbar when not in use. This will take away the heavy BOINC load on your machine.

Isn't it a true statement that it is not necessary to run BOINC Manager (BM) at all? As I see the EXIT page by right-clicking BM in taskbar, it is possible to stop BM altogether while continuing to process, upload, download WU. If BM is stopped my processors and GPU continue at 100%. BM can be started when needed, then put away for future use.

Just close the manager with the [X] and it hides in the taskbar. It no longer uses extra time. You can also close the manager, if you leave the applications running. The manager is only the visual shell, the BOINC core client keeps on running.

[Lord Asmodeus]

BOINC runs in service mode. I usually just launch the manager once a day or less, to check if all is right. I don't see why letting it run would make boinc.exe (not the manager) use less CPU time. Anyway this problem is "solved" by asking less WUs. Since the other day, my RAC has continuously raised, I don't really understand why. boinc.exe used to use like 12h of 1 core per day (one eighth of the CPU) which doesn't add up with the raise I see. Even my other computer see a raise and I have not touched it for ages (server use), so I guess it has to do with the SETI crew.

My last WUs will be finished in a few minutes, I will then completely uninstall BOINC and reinstall, we'll see if V12 is OK after that.

[Lord Asmodeus]

Well, it is still no good.

I removed all traces of BOINC, rebooted, reinstalled, optimized with the auto installer. All seemed OK, except maybe a few glitches during the day, surfing and multitasking as usual. Sometimes the mouse slowed a bit.

Then comes the night and the watching of movies or episodes, and it stutters like hell. I have only one GPU WU in RAM and plenty of video RAM (1GB). No VLAR.

It was exactly MB_6.08_CUDA_V12_VLARKill_FPLim2048_test.exe

Back to MB_6.08_mod_CUDA_V11_VLARKill_refined.exe which works flawlessly.