some questions

[JackFlash]

Hi,

I'm a new member in the Folding@home family, and a Portugal@folding team member.
I just started folding yesterday.

First I would like to congratulate the creators for this amazing idea and all beneficts it brings.

Second, I'm having some problems, maybe they are not problems, maybe they are just normal issues form FAH Client, but I would like if someone could explain me this issues and advise me in what to do.

This is my system:
CPU: Phenom II X6 1605T - 6 cores (3.0 GHz)
Board: Asus M5A99X Evo
GPU: Radeon HD6450 1GB DDR3 (OC)
RAM: 2 x 2GB DDR3 1600 MHz 1.5V
OS: Windows 7 64bit
Internet: Cable at 12 Mb/s

1. When installing FAH Client I chose GPU & SMP, but I have a entry level ATI GPU.
I'm not sure but it seems FAH is using more GPU than the 6 cores.
Is it OK like this, or should I change to a FAH SMP configuration?

2. Yesterday when I started using FAH I had a PPD of ~ 11.000 and remained like this for several hours.
I switch off the computer, and today I had a Opencl.dll error, which I fixed by updating the Catalyst version, and installing FAH Client again, but maintaining the initial configuration.
When FAH started again I had new projects running and the PPD decreased to around 6.000.
Then, after rebooting the PC because, of one software installation I did, the FAH PPD decreased even more, and now it remains at ~1.500, even when I'm not running anything in the computer.
Why is the PPD different for the same projects?

3. Every time I reboot the progress percentage decreases.
For example, one time I had the progress of one WU at > 9%, but after rebooting it went back to 6%.
Whats happening?

Thank you very much, in advance, for your help.

Regards.

[patonb]

Welcome.
1st. Unfortunately, amd/ati gpu's aren't the greatest for folding, but they do work. I'd say though its not worth the power expenditure to run it with your x6. So i'd just run the smp.
Note running any gpu, and amd/ati are the worse, use up cpu power, making the cpu client run slower.

PPD should be steady, it stands for Points Per Day. Now heres the next thing. .... The smp (multi core) prohject gets extra points for being fast, more time left over, the more point you'll get. So when you first start, it calculates say 3000 points for finishing in 6 hrs, having 3 days before its due. Now if you shut down for the night, then start running again, it'll still take 6 hours to finish, but now you only have 2 days till its due, giving less bonus time points. So it takes that into account for PPD.

Thi is a good reason to look at the time per frame, as long as its consistant, all is good.

3. You lost % as it only saves every 15mins basically, so it last save at 6%, then when you had shut down it was t 9% but 15mins hadn't past yet. So on restart, it reads the log and started at the last check point. You will lose maybed 15 to 20mins of work time, so no biggy.

If you haven't, you need to get a passdkey, to get the above said time bonus, akss QRB.

[iceman1992]

Welcome to F@H

1. When installing FAH Client I chose GPU & SMP, but I have a entry level ATI GPU.
I'm not sure but it seems FAH is using more GPU than the 6 cores.
Is it OK like this, or should I change to a FAH SMP configuration?

You can try one config and the other, and see which works better

2. Yesterday when I started using FAH I had a PPD of ~ 11.000 and remained like this for several hours.
I switch off the computer, and today I had a Opencl.dll error, which I fixed by updating the Catalyst version, and installing FAH Client again, but maintaining the initial configuration.
When FAH started again I had new projects running and the PPD decreased to around 6.000.
Then, after rebooting the PC because, of one software installation I did, the FAH PPD decreased even more, and now it remains at ~1.500, even when I'm not running anything in the computer.
Why is the PPD different for the same projects?

Please look in task manager and see the CPU usage of the SMP and GPU fahcores. The AMD GPU probably uses up a full core. And that causes a problem if your SMP slot is set to smp:6.
Your problem may be similar to this one viewtopic.php?f=75&t=21740
That problem was solved by reducing the smp core allocation by 1 core.
Quoted and edited from that thread : "Whenever SMP is expecting N cores and only N-1 cores are available, progress is GREATLY retarded."

3. Every time I reboot the progress percentage decreases.
For example, one time I had the progress of one WU at > 9%, but after rebooting it went back to 6%.
Whats happening?

How often do you reboot? If you reboot within 15 minutes the client may not have written a newer checkpoint before you reboot it (the default is every 15 minutes)

[JackFlash]

Hi,

Thank you very much, to both of you, for your explanations.

Regarding the PPD it is still changing a lot.
Right now it's arround 4.000 - 5.000 but some hours ago it reached 12.000.
Can the internet connection influence PPD?
I'm asking because my connection, in the last few weaks, is failing quite frequently.

About the percentage decrease I'm fully enlightened.

Now I will try your suggestions, but I have some doubts.

patonb,
in order to use only SMP, that is not to use the GPU, what do I need to do?
I dont wan't to do something wrong.
Should I just remove GPU from de Folding Slots, or pausing will do the same?

iceman1992,
in task manager what I have is this:

- FahCore_A4.exe ~ 83% CPU usage - SMP
- FahCore_16.exe ~ 17% CPU usage - GPU
are these the expected values? how can I see if GPU is using 1 core?

Regards.

[patonb]

Okay, I'm not sure on v7 on how to et things up, sorry.

No, internet connection doesnt matter. I forgot to tell you, ppd is usually calculated by the last 3 % intervals, so if you are using the computer too, it'll slow down for that time.

Seeing your active cores, that will be another reason you ewill fluctuate, but again i do not know how to setup v7, sorry.

[Zagen30]

Now I will try your suggestions, but I have some doubts.

patonb,
in order to use only SMP, that is not to use the GPU, what do I need to do?
I dont wan't to do something wrong.
Should I just remove GPU from de Folding Slots, or pausing will do the same?

Pausing it will stop it temporarily, but if you want to stop folding on your GPU completely you need to remove the slot. Whenever the client restarts, it starts every slot again even if they were paused before shutdown.

iceman1992,
in task manager what I have is this:

- FahCore_A4.exe ~ 83% CPU usage - SMP
- FahCore_16.exe ~ 17% CPU usage - GPU
are these the expected values? how can I see if GPU is using 1 core?

Regards.

FahCore_a4 is what the SMP slot is running, while FahCore_16 is what the GPU is running. Task manager reports CPU usage assuming that all of your cores combined equate to 100% usage. If the GPU were using an entire core, it would be 1/6 = 17% of the total CPU power, which is what you're seeing, and that's expected.

[JackFlash]

Okay, I'm not sure on v7 on how to et things up, sorry.
No, internet connection doesnt matter. I forgot to tell you, ppd is usually calculated by the last 3 % intervals, so if you are using the computer too, it'll slow down for that time.
Seeing your active cores, that will be another reason you ewill fluctuate, but again i do not know how to setup v7, sorry.

No problem!!

I've already paused the GPU slot to see what appened, and the SMP slot got a boost.
Also PPD increased and, in the past few hours, it's maintaining around ~ 6.000-7.000.
I'm having TDP around 1min40s to 2min30s.
FahCore_A4.exe now is using 96-99% of CPU.

You were right, my AMD/ATI GPU was slowing down the CPU client.

I will make some more tests to see what happens.

Pausing it will stop it temporarily, but if you want to stop folding on your GPU completely you need to remove the slot. Whenever the client restarts, it starts every slot again even if they were paused before shutdown.

FahCore_a4 is what the SMP slot is running, while FahCore_16 is what the GPU is running. Task manager reports CPU usage assuming that all of your cores combined equate to 100% usage. If the GPU were using an entire core, it would be 1/6 = 17% of the total CPU power, which is what you're seeing, and that's expected.

Thanks a lot for the informations.
I will remove de GPU slot.
About the cores, the 1/6 makes totally sense, I didn't make the association with the 17%.

I will also try to change SMP to smp:5 and reactivate de GPU slot to see if it's a good combination, or if I should remain with SMP only (smp:6).