Nvidia GPU folding - viewer necessary?

[drdeutsch]

So I finally set my 8800gtx up folding yesterday. Everything seemed to install fine and it was up and running - downloaded core 11 and said "F@H: Working 0/10000000" or whatever in the tooltray. Great, I figure. I opened the viewer just to see what it looked like and it was starting at 0 and said I had 4 hours to finish the first work unit.

Come back this morning and I notice it's on 1500/100000000 and I figure it must have finished the first WU and started another. Checking the log, though, and it appears it hasn't even finished the first one. Moreover, whenever I open the viewer, the progress starts back at 0.0000% and begins counting. Is this normal?

[15:06:48] Trying to unzip core FahCore_11.exe
[15:06:48] Decompressed FahCore_11.exe (1822720 bytes) successfully
[15:06:53] + Core successfully engaged
[15:06:59]
[15:06:59] + Processing work unit
[15:06:59] Core required: FahCore_11.exe
[15:06:59] Core found.
[15:06:59] Working on queue slot 01 [July 12 15:06:59]
[15:06:59] + Working ...
[15:06:59]
[15:06:59] *------------------------------*
[15:06:59] Folding@Home GPU Core - Beta
[15:06:59] Version 1.06 (Mon Jun 23 10:53:13 PDT 2008)
[15:06:59]
[15:06:59] Compiler :
[15:06:59] Build host: amoeba
[15:06:59] Preparing to commence simulation
[15:06:59] - Looking at optimizations...
[15:06:59] - Created dyn
[15:06:59] - Files status OK
[15:06:59] - Expanded 41215 -> 244433 (decompressed 593.0 percent)
[15:06:59] Called DecompressByteArray: compressed_data_size=41215 data_size=244433, decompressed_data_size=244433 diff=0
[15:06:59] - Digital signature verified
[15:06:59]
[15:06:59] Project: 5008 (Run 1, Clone 80, Gen 4)
[15:06:59]
[15:06:59] Assembly optimizations on if available.
[15:06:59] Entering M.D.
[15:07:09] Working on 576 p5005_supervillin_e1
[15:07:11] Client config found, loading data.
[15:07:11] Starting GUI Server
[15:34:58] Completed 1%
[17:43:51] Completed 2%
[20:59:26] Completed 3%
[21:06:39] + Working...
[22:59:47] Completed 4%
[01:01:13] Completed 5%
[01:55:46] Completed 6%

 

[Xilikon]

The viewer is currently buggy so I suggest you ignore it and not run. It will run fine in the systray.

 

[relic]

The viewer is bugged. Works in Vista, sometimes.

Your system is taking hours to complete a step that should be done in under 2 minutes.
Are you hibernating or using video power saving features?

[15:34:58] Completed 1%
[17:43:51] Completed 2%

2 hours for a 2 minute step

[17:43:51] Completed 2%
[20:59:26] Completed 3%

3 hours for a 2 minute step.

 

[drdeutsch]

I don't use hibernation or power-saving options (all Turn Off options set to "never").

It just passed 7% after having run all night. What can I do to fix this?

 

[drdeutsch]

It just went from 7% to 8% in 22 minutes. Getting better, it seems, but still much too long.

 

[gwarren007]

like this

[02:00:16] Completed 70%
[02:02:06] Completed 71%
[02:03:57] Completed 72%
[02:05:48] Completed 73%
[02:07:38] Completed 74%
[02:09:29] Completed 75%
[02:11:20] Completed 76%
[02:13:10] Completed 77%
[02:15:02] Completed 78%
[02:16:53] Completed 79%
[02:18:43] Completed 80%

8800gts, 320mb

 

[drdeutsch]

Alright, yes, I understand it should be folding much faster.

Now... what am I doing wrong or what should I do in order to fix this?

 

[gwarren007]

Restart the computer, and use fahmon to view the file progress, no need to open the viewer.
3770ppd on that WU.

 

[relic]

www.fahmon.net.
Use it to monitor the client.

Let us know what it says.

 

[drdeutsch]

OK, a bit of background:

EVGA 8800GTX
Stock settings (will overclock once I get this thing working and have time to do testing)
Restarted computer, have F@HMon monitoring.

Core: GPUv2 Gromacs
Project: 5008 (R1, C80, G4)
Credit: 480 points
Downloaded: 12h 35mn ago
Preferred Deadline: 1d 11h 24mn
Final Deadline: 2d 11h 24mn

9% :: Total PPD: 799.07

Benchmark:

Project : 5008
Core : GPUv2 Gromacs
Frames : 100
Credit : 480


-- GPU - 8800 GTX --

Min. Time / Frame : 22mn 10s - 311.82 ppd
Avg. Time / Frame : 22mn 10s - 311.82 ppd
No Cur. Time / Frame
No R3F. Time / Frame
No Eff. Time / Frame

EDIT: I'll add the messages window:

[13/07/08 - 11:30:50] GPU - 8800 GTX has an unknown state (Unable to find a complete frame)
[13/07/08 - 11:30:50] Cannot determine frame number for GPU - 8800 GTX (this isn't a problem)
[13/07/08 - 11:30:50] GPU - 8800 GTX [ETA] | avg=00:22:10 | last=N/A | ref=00:22:10 | left=121030s (guess)
[13/07/08 - 11:31:39] Reloading GPU - 8800 GTX
[13/07/08 - 11:31:39] GPU - 8800 GTX has an unknown state (Unable to find a complete frame)
[13/07/08 - 11:31:39] Cannot determine frame number for GPU - 8800 GTX (this isn't a problem)
[13/07/08 - 11:31:39] GPU - 8800 GTX [ETA] | avg=00:22:10 | last=N/A | ref=00:22:10 | left=121030s (guess)

 

[drdeutsch]

OK, I'm an idiot.

I had both cores of my X2 also folding. One finished a WU, so I stopped it and now the GPU client is running as expected: ~2 minutes/frame.

Should it be using 100% of the 2nd core? (It's not, currently)
Do I need to check "DO not lock cores to specific CPU" or leave it unchecked?

 

[relic]

Vista uses about 5-25% of one core CPU when GPU folding.
I check the box to NOT lock the core. It seems to work better for me.

YMMV.

 

[drdeutsch]

OK, seems to be going great now.

One other thing, though, is that gwarrn007 mentioned 3770 ppd on this workunit, yet I'm only get 1260.55*

I am running my 8800gtx at stock settings currently, but is that a big enough difference to make up 2500ppd?

 

[Tigerbiten]

Which vidio card drivers are you useing ??
177.35 are the ones you want to use .

Luck ........

 

[APOLLO]

Try isolating the GPU process to a single core and see what the difference in PPD is. OC can also grant a substantial boost in performance. Run RivaTuner and adjust only the shader clocks as high as you can go without crashing the client. You should be easily hitting well over 3000 PPD. Report back with the results,

 

[drdeutsch]

Yep, it seems to have settled in now. Getting 2 min/frame and up to 37XX ppd on Project 4591. I'll be overclocking later when I have some time to play with it.

 

[ND40oz]

You may be CPU limited with an X2 and XP, Vista is a much better OS to run the GPU client on at the present time. But it sounds like everythings working correctly now.