New to folding, help please

F

Frostex

2[H]4U
Joined
Apr 29, 2008
Messages
2,143
I'm new to folding and everyone has done a great job of making it about as unlcear as it can be, the [H] folding website is a maze of FAQ, dead links and missing crucial information.

So far I've downloaded [email protected] and I'm running that as team 33 for [H]

It's only using 50% of core 2 and about 20% of the other cores, it this really running at max capacity? Is this right?

I've also started a download for "unicluster_express_3_2_0_0-rh5-x86_64.bin.tar" which is whats recommended in the thread on this forum for ati cards. I have 2x 4870 in crossfire, will this work on both cards?

Can I run both at once?

Is there anything else I need to know?
 
If your rig is what is in the sig here is what you want to do (if you want max production and points)

Run (for starters) one of the SMP clients (can be found on Stanfords page here

While you are there get the GPU2 client and download that. This is the new client that will run on your vid card.

What all this is: The SMP is made to take advantage of multi core systems (what you have is a single thread program, hence low total CPU use) The GPU will use the video card and some of the CPU to produce even more points.

please if anything is unclear, post.

(we will probably need some one other than me to get both vid cards running).

 
digital_exhaust said:
Your link is broken.... it thinks it's an email address.....

Click to expand...

I didn't create it as a link i merely typed the exe name :/

Anyhow I'm running the 6.12 beta8 one now which seems to be making a lot more use of my CPU, 50-60% of each core and seems to keep my primary GPU at 100% workload according to ATI's CCC.

But it's not using my 2nd GPU

It claims between 620 iter/sec and about 900 at the moment, is that right?
 
Frostex said:
I didn't create it as a link i merely typed the exe name :/

Anyhow I'm running the 6.12 beta8 one now which seems to be making a lot more use of my CPU, 50-60% of each core and seems to keep my primary GPU at 100% workload according to ATI's CCC.

But it's not using my 2nd GPU

It claims between 620 iter/sec and about 900 at the moment, is that right?
Click to expand...

BiG welcome to the team, Frostex!

ATi core uses alot more CPU power to feed the GPU than it's nVidia counterpart (for now). Running two ATi cores will load up your CPU pretty good, but with a Q9450 @ 3.6, there should be enough cycles left for some SMP action, but let's get both cores running first.

First off I think you need to disable Crossfire and run each card by itself. You'd best bet is to follow the multi-GPU folding thread/guide. You need to run two GPU2 clients, with separate config for each.
 
Look in the "GPU Folding Guide" sticky.
First couple of guides in there are for nVidia cards.
The ATI guide is a couple of posts further in.
But its only realy the vid card drivers that are different between the two clients.

Luck ........... :D
 
It says here how to do it, took a while to find...

http://folding.stanford.edu/English/FAQ-ATI2

I can't copy the start menu shortcut and leave the target editable, so i have to create my own shortcut from the program files directory, when I do that and add the switch I get a name as "core is not" and team as "running now." and its running at like 1-60 iter/sec

So this is obviously broken, can anyone explain how to do this in a little more detail please...
 
Bleh well i've read their FAQ and how to actually create shortcuts with all the vista bullshit, and the first one works fine, but the 2nd one doesn't work, just sits on the test protine.

Anyhow getting a little tired of this now :/
 
Frostex said:
It says here how to do it, took a while to find...

http://folding.stanford.edu/English/FAQ-ATI2

I can't copy the start menu shortcut and leave the target editable, so i have to create my own shortcut from the program files directory, when I do that and add the switch I get a name as "core is not" and team as "running now." and its running at like 1-60 iter/sec

So this is obviously broken, can anyone explain how to do this in a little more detail please...
Click to expand...

Well, that guide says;

Code: 
What about multi-gpu support? 

No, not yet. We hope to have multi-gpu support in the future, for both multiple cards, and for cards with multiple GPUs. If your system as multiple GPU cards, the client will run on Device 0 by default.

So what exactly did you do, or read? There are good descriptions on www.foldingforum.org f.ex.
 
tedkj said:
Well, that guide says;

Code: 
What about multi-gpu support? 

No, not yet. We hope to have multi-gpu support in the future, for both multiple cards, and for cards with multiple GPUs. If your system as multiple GPU cards, the client will run on Device 0 by default.

So what exactly did you do, or read? There are good descriptions on www.foldingforum.org f.ex.
Click to expand...

That bit of the guide is out of date.

The best way to set up multi GPU clients is to .............
First set up Windoze so that cross-fire is off.
Then make sure each card has a monitor output, either real or dummy.
Now span Windoze across both monitors. You can span across a dummy output but you'll just see nothing.

Download and install the correct drivers for folding.
Download and install .net framework 2.0

Read my guide on setting up the nVidia clients in Here.
The ATI uses the same client as the nVidia so the setup is the same.

Now set a single GPU client up.
Config it and get it to run.
Once its running correctly, stop it and download FahCore_11.exe v1.07
Now replace the FahCore_11.exe v1.06 with the FahCore_11.exe v1.07 in the data folder.
Check it runs with the new core.
Make a new shortcut to start it, check it works.
Now add the -gpu 1 switch to the new shortcut and check that you are now folding on your second card.
If that works then make a copy of your client folder and data folder.
Rename them as needed.
Make a new shortcut that points at the new client and data folders and add the -gpu 0 switch.
Now in one of the data folders, delete the work folder and queue.dat file.
Now use notepad to open the client.cfg file.
You need to change the MachineID from 2 to 3.
If another client is useing MachineID 3 then the first unused you are not useing.
Now starting both clients from the shortcuts sould work.

Luck ................ :D
 
tedkj said:
Well, that guide says;

Code: 
What about multi-gpu support? 

No, not yet. We hope to have multi-gpu support in the future, for both multiple cards, and for cards with multiple GPUs. If your system as multiple GPU cards, the client will run on Device 0 by default.

So what exactly did you do, or read? There are good descriptions on www.foldingforum.org f.ex.
Click to expand...

Huh? No theres an ATI FAQ there that explains how to do it, it just doesnt work.

Tigerbiten said:
That bit of the guide is out of date.

The best way to set up multi GPU clients is to .............
First set up Windoze so that cross-fire is off.
Then make sure each card has a monitor output, either real or dummy.
Now span Windoze across both monitors. You can span across a dummy output but you'll just see nothing.

Download and install the correct drivers for folding.
Download and install .net framework 2.0

Read my guide on setting up the nVidia clients in Here.
The ATI uses the same client as the nVidia so the setup is the same.

Now set a single GPU client up.
Config it and get it to run.
Once its running correctly, stop it and download FahCore_11.exe v1.07
Now replace the FahCore_11.exe v1.06 with the FahCore_11.exe v1.07 in the data folder.
Check it runs with the new core.
Make a new shortcut to start it, check it works.
Now add the -gpu 1 switch to the new shortcut and check that you are now folding on your second card.
If that works then make a copy of your client folder and data folder.
Rename them as needed.
Make a new shortcut that points at the new client and data folders and add the -gpu 0 switch.
Now in one of the data folders, delete the work folder and queue.dat file.
Now use notepad to open the client.cfg file.
You need to change the MachineID from 2 to 3.
If another client is useing MachineID 3 then the first unused you are not useing.
Now starting both clients from the shortcuts sould work.

Luck ................ :D
Click to expand...

Ugh, well I didnt know about running it on a different monitor, spanning with a dummy monitor, what a load of rubbish, I may give it a go but the very fact that you have to disable xfire is pretty much a deal breaker, im not going to start/stop xfire every day what a PITA.

I will just leave 1 GPU folding for now and may try and get it going at all the PC's at work overnight or something like that.



P.S how do you tag on your stats at the end of each post, are you guys just pasting it in? Shame it doesnt work in the sig.
 
Frostex said:
Ugh, well I didnt know about running it on a different monitor, spanning with a dummy monitor, what a load of rubbish, I may give it a go but the very fact that you have to disable xfire is pretty much a deal breaker, im not going to start/stop xfire every day what a PITA.
Click to expand...

Dont blame Stanford for this. Its a Windoze thing.

Windoze wont let you see the vid card without some type of output from the card.
Hence needing a second/dummy output.
With XP, you only need to hook it up once and Windoze will remember the settings over a reboot.
With Vista, you need it hooked up every reboot.
ATI & nVidia could make drivers which could work with only a single monitor.
But them they wouldn't be WHQL certified.

As for crossfire-sli.
Which it engaged, Windoze only sees one vid card.
So there is no way you can direct the output of the second card.

Luck ........... :D
 
Frostex said:
P.S how do you tag on your stats at the end of each post, are you guys just pasting it in? Shame it doesnt work in the sig.
Click to expand...
Most everyone (as far as I know) uses the bookmarklet. Just drag it to your bookmarks and click it when you're done typing and want to post your reply.

 
clickanddrag.jpg


;)

 
Well games can use crossfire why can't another app? Do we just need to get in touch with ATI or Nvidia and ask them to make an application detection for this app specifically?

Thanks for the bookmark thing, I did see that earlier but wasnt sure exactly what it was.

Well screw MultiGPU its been made too complex, someone needs to increase usability of it to make it appealing to use, I game on my home machine and dont really want to arse about with settings between gaming and folding.

Anywhoodle...good news is I'm going to try and get the service version of folding@home installed on all the PC's at work, I'm the systems administrator for a international publishing business and have a good few offices dotted about the place which I can get a fair bit of folding out of im sure :)
 
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