CPU/GPU question

[Pete_In_Syr]

Hi. I've been folding a while and just discovered that by updating my F@H software, the PC I use for folding can now use the GPU in the video card.

I'd like to process more WUs and plan on upgrading the video card. My current CPU is a reasonably robust i7-4770K, which, according to task manager, has been running at 100%. The GPU is an EVGA GTX 650 Ti. Task manger shows GPU running at 25%. System Interrupts are showing 98% of the CPU utilization.

Questions: 1) Does this sound about right, or is there some incorrect setting driving the interrupts and impeding processing? 2) In looking at a new GPU (budget allowing me something in the GTX 1660 range), will the CPU and its interrupts be a limiting factor in the increased performance of a new GPU?

Thanks!

[toTOW]

Don't trust Windows Task Manager to monitor GPU load ... use a tool like GPUZ instead.

Your current CPU will be fast enough to feed a newer GPU like a GTX 1660.

[JimboPalmer]

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en ... 0-ghz.html
8 threads* of AVX2 is a good strong CPU.

https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/g ... 0-ti.c1188
OpenCL 1.2 and 64 bit Floating Point math meets F@H's requirements. Kepler is the oldest Nvidia architecture fully supported.

*If you fold with the GPU, one thread of your CPU is used to feed data to the GPU.

So far as I know, the 'best' card that does not need extra power from the Power Supply are some models of the GTX 1650. If you have 6 pin or 8 pin power cables, you can go better.

https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Phoenix-Gra ... 08G5CH316/
Does not need additional power, as an example.

[Pete_In_Syr]

Don't trust Windows Task Manager to monitor GPU load ... use a tool like GPUZ instead.

Your current CPU will be fast enough to feed a newer GPU like a GTX 1660.

Thanks!

[Pete_In_Syr]

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en ... 0-ghz.html
8 threads* of AVX2 is a good strong CPU.

https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/g ... 0-ti.c1188
OpenCL 1.2 and 64 bit Floating Point math meets F@H's requirements. Kepler is the oldest Nvidia architecture fully supported.

*If you fold with the GPU, one thread of your CPU is used to feed data to the GPU.

So far as I know, the 'best' card that does not need extra power from the Power Supply are some models of the GTX 1650. If you have 6 pin or 8 pin power cables, you can go better.

https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Phoenix-Gra ... 08G5CH316/
Does not need additional power, as an example.

Thanks! I ended up looking at a ASUS GeForce GTX 1660 PH-GTX1660-O6G. Case has sufficient power, but considering $ budget, potential heat issues, etc, thought this would be the path of least resistance/simplest to implement. Plan on adding this card as an additional GPU to the 650 TI

[Foliant]

Hey!

Im running an i5-4670 and a GTX 1660 Super.
The CPU is manually set to just one core because I dont want to pause if the PC is needed.

A while ago i temporary did add a second GPU (GTX 750) and I could not see any disadvantages. There seems to be some headroom.

Your config should run very well.

[Pete_In_Syr]

Hey!

Im running an i5-4670 and a GTX 1660 Super.
The CPU is manually set to just one core because I dont want to pause if the PC is needed.

A while ago i temporary did add a second GPU (GTX 750) and I could not see any disadvantages. There seems to be some headroom.

Your config should run very well.

Thanks! I knew the CPU was a beast, as I just retired this PC from being my main work PC. I'm letting it run full steam. Before noting the comment above about GPU-Z, I was believing Task Manager showing me 100% CPU (which I don't mind) and only 23% GPU, so I was concerned the new GPU wouldn't be utilized properly. Using GPU-Z, the little ole 650 TI is doing its best!

[Joe_H]

Depending on which version of Windows and its update status, you can use Task Manager to see the GPU utilization connected to F@h. By default the windows show the video related utilization, using the drop down menu on one of the graphs to select CUDA or one of the Compute entries will do this.

[bruce]

Hey!

Im running an i5-4670 and a GTX 1660 Super.
The CPU is manually set to just one core because I dont want to pause if the PC is needed.

A while ago i temporary did add a second GPU (GTX 750) and I could not see any disadvantages. There seems to be some headroom

I have several kit that are more or less like that and I don't find any reason to run a CPU:1 slot except maybe because the Core i5-4670 produces a lot of heat and needs decent cooling. With 4 real cores and after allocating two to run GPUs, the other two can do a reasonable job of folding, even when I need to use the PC. FAH does an excellent job of temporarily releasing CPU resources when they're needed for foreground tasks.

I've been complaining to FAH's scientists because they assign work to a single thread which cannot be easily completed by the timeout so some of my CPU's work gets wasted. I've had some success but I'm still working on it. A CPU:2 slot seems to overcome this issue.

[Foliant]

assign work to a single thread which cannot be easily completed by the timeout so some of my CPU's work gets wasted

My average completion time on one core is half a day, sometimes 0,75.

Current WU 17414 (0, 802, 347) is at 33% with ETA of 6,5 hours.

[bruce]

GOOD!

My CPUs are old/slow/SSE. Yours are obviously better. As long as it beats the Timeout the work should not be duplicated by someone else. In that case, you can use either 1 or 2 depending on power/heat considerations. Foreground processing should still preempt background FAH processing.

[MeeLee]

Don't trust Windows Task Manager to monitor GPU load ... use a tool like GPUZ instead.

Your current CPU will be fast enough to feed a newer GPU like a GTX 1660.

Make that a 2080Ti or a 3070. It runs at almost 4Ghz, which may be good enough to feed a 3090 even!

[JimboPalmer]

Without knowing how much power the Power Supply can provide and how many 6 and 8 pin connectors are available, I do not feel good promising more than a GTX 1650 will work. If Pete_in_Syr knows those facts, we could recommend a more powerful card

[aetch]

The first release of the haswell CPUs (i7-4770k, i5-4670) wasn't that good. They couldn't clock as high as advertised, not because they produced too much heat but because they had thermal compound under the lid and couldn't get rid of the heat quick enough.
The haswell refresh (4590,4690/4790) was improved. Gone was the thermal paste and in went the solder which gave better thermals and higher clock rates.
I found my i7-4770K clocked down to about 3.7GHz (it may have went lower, I can't remember) when it was hit by the AVX2 workload. I don't run it because I have much better performing hardware that use about the same amount of power.

My recommendation is that what ever you choose to run, power limit the graphics to about 60-70% and disable the turbo/boost on the cpu. This will make the heat generation much lower, easier to dispel and your system(s) quieter. Running the system full tilt will give you small gains in performance but bigger increases in heat generated and a much lighter wallet.

[Pete_In_Syr]

Thanks all for the responses! I'm all set.

My question was just originally concerning what I saw as 100% CPU and only 23% GPU. Using CPU-Z, I see the 650 Ti is working it's little heart out. @MeeLee allayed my doubt that the added GPU (a refurbed CTX 1660) wouldn't be kept sufficiently busy.

I'm not trying to create a rig just to garner points. It's just a PC I brought out of retirement to do my own little bit in fighting COVID.

@aetch, It had served me well as my primary work PC. Never used it for gaming or anything video, so I guess I never really pushed any of the clocking or thermal limits much.

The minor investment in the used card is what I can afford financially. And I don't plan on doing any rejiggering to get beyond what simply plugging in and letting it rip. The chips will fall where they may.

@JimboPalmer, The PC has a 850W power supply from which I can give the GTX 1660 its own power feed, so all should be good there.