Folding Forum

Hi all!
I'm new to folding.

Here's the problem:
CPU is folding fine. When I tried to get the GPU to help out, I couldn't get it to.

What I did:
I added a GPU slot in the client control panel, keeping all settings standard, after having CUDA drivers installed.
In the client control panel, the card is listed as ready, but not as running. (Download seems stuck at 0%).
In the system info tab, the GTX670 is recognised, but it says "NOT DETECTED" next to "CUDA", which seems the source of the problem.
Any ideas as to how I could fix this? I know that for certain adobe programs, I have to manually add the GPU to the list of supported chips. How can I do the same thing for folding?

System background:
This is a Hackintosh running OSX10.8.4
MOBO: P8Z77V-Lx
CPU: i5 3570k @4,4Ghz (1,05v)
GPU: GTX 670FTW (EVGA)
Drivers are native OSX drivers + Nvidia's CUDA drivers.

Thanks for any help: I'd like to use this workhorse for the good cause ASAP.

Mod Edit: Merged Post Contents - PantherX

Welcome to the F@H Forum Dino_Martino,

Please note that OSX isn't supported for GPU Folding. GPU Folding is supported on the following platforms:
Windows 32-bit/64-bit -> AMD and Nvidia
Linux 64-bit -> Nvidia only. AMD might be in the future.

Darn, I didn't realise. Thanks for the fast reply!
I guess I should've been able to find that out on my own, sorry.
I'll try running it using parallels 9.

If you do manage to get the GPU folding by using virtualization, please do post back.

Obviously not. Parallels creates it's own virtual graphics adapter. Nvidia drivers refuse to instal and F@H doesn't recognise a GPU. What a shame

Dino_Martino wrote:Obviously not. Parallels creates it's own virtual graphics adapter. Nvidia drivers refuse to instal and F@H doesn't recognise a GPU. What a shame

Then don't use parallels. Invert the visualization, running FAH in the native OS with a real adapter and virtualize MacOS.

bruce wrote:

Dino_Martino wrote:Obviously not. Parallels creates it's own virtual graphics adapter. Nvidia drivers refuse to instal and F@H doesn't recognise a GPU. What a shame

Then don't use parallels. Invert the visualization, running FAH in the native OS with a real adapter and virtualize MacOS.

OSX is my main OS. Virtualizing it just isn't an option. It's just not the same as running it natively.

The latest FahCore for GPUs uses OpenCL and currently, OSX doesn't have the required level of support to run the FahCore. Given your requirements, you may want to consider folding on your CPU instead.

PantherX wrote:The latest FahCore for GPUs uses OpenCL and currently, OSX doesn't have the required level of support to run the FahCore. Given your requirements, you may want to consider folding on your CPU instead.

That's exactly what I'm doing. But engaging the GPU would double my performance. If there is no way to do it with OSX as native OS, I'm stuck with CPU only.

AFAIK, there aren't any plans for GPU Folding on OSX. However, if and when OSX supports the required OpenCL implementation, it might be added.

PantherX wrote:AFAIK, there aren't any plans for GPU Folding on OSX. However, if and when OSX supports the required OpenCL implementation, it might be added.

I'd say that slightly differently. GPU folding has been tested on OSX and didn't work. If and when the OSX drivers provide robust support for the necessary OpenCL calls, it will be added. My point here is that the Developers at Stanford would really like to provide for GPU folding but they can't do it until Apple and/or the developers of the necessary GPU drivers provide the necessary infrastructure.

In many respects, Linux is half way in the same boat. NVidia drivers on Linux provide the necessary features and ATI does not (yet), so NVida GPU folding work on Linux and we're anxiously waiting for reliable GPU drivers from AMD (ATI). FAH uses advanced computational features which may or may not be present in drivers that are primarily tested against their ability to display graphics on a screen.

Stanford cannot make any predictions about how or when a GPU manufacturer will support OpenCL on a specific operating system.

bruce wrote:In many respects, Linux is half way in the same boat. NVidia drivers on Linux provide the necessary features and ATI does not (yet), so NVida GPU folding work on Linux and we're anxiously waiting for reliable GPU drivers from AMD (ATI). FAH uses advanced computational features which may or may not be present in drivers that are primarily tested against their ability to display graphics on a screen.

Rumor has it that the Linux ATI situation may be improved with the newer drivers/kernel in Ubuntu 13.10, which would trickle down to the other distributions that inherit Ubuntu's package base. We will see.