PPD?

custompcmax

What kind of PPD should I expect with a Intel i7 920 and an ATI 4870 running? Right now after using FAHmon since this morning (about 10 hours), my PPD has been around 1500-1800. That is running the CPU and the GPU clients at the same time.

I don't really know for sure, but it seems low.

EDIT: Now it is up around 2100. 200~ for the CPU and 2100~ for the GPU. Shouldn't my CPU be up around 3-5k?

_k

I want to say around 10k but that is kind of a guess, if you are using the SMP2 client which you are not. So many people end up with just the single core client that could be using the SMP or SMP2 client and being getting a lot better numbers.

If you used the quick and dirty thread to get started then you skipped over some information. I just went back and edited the first post talking about loading the CPU client to try and make it as clear as I could that if you have a processor with more than one core use the SMP2 client.

In short uninstall the CPU client you have now, get a passkey, download and install this one(make sure to look up the install guide before you get started), make sure there is a single process under folding using 95-100% CPU.

custompcmax

Thanks! I did what you said, got the new client running. Does it take a while for your PPD figures in FAHmon to update? Or is that some sort of average?

Thanks!!!

_k

There is a preference to change from using a ppd calculation from average to the previous 3 frames, use the previous 3 frames setting. Also we promote HFM.NET for tracking ppd primarily because it was the first calculator that had the time factor bonus calculation for SMP2 WUs plus the information it provides overall we consider to be better.

If you didn't glean it from something you were reading it takes turning in 10 SMP WUs with your passkey attached before you get the time bonus for SMP2 WUs. So if the client runs it would take most of the weekend where you will get a slow increase in ppd from the CPU then after you hit the number 10 mark WUs turned in will be worth about 2-5k a piece.

custompcmax

Thanks! I feel like I am starting to get this

custompcmax

Ok, now I have another question... How do you adjust things once that client is started? Like pausing work, CPU usage, etc... I see the config file, but I am assuming you have to restart the client each time you adjust that.

_k

You can manually edit the config file if you understand the headers for the settings or know what to change the variable too. Or, you can create a shortcut launch for the SMP client and change the properties Target line to include the -configonly flag and this will launch the client into a configuration and after you run through it close the client.

EX: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Folding@Home Windows SMP Client V1.01\Folding@home-Win32-x86.exe" -configonly

the SMP client is console only so it can not be paused. You shouldn't have to change CPU usage because the client uses only idle cycles....though gaming I always turn mine off because it does make a difference in most games.

Did you get your environmental variables set so that GPU2 client has a low CPU usage?

custompcmax

Thanks for the info.

I think I am not using GPU2... only GPU (Is there a difference?). Anyways, I think I am going to uninstall everything and start over, I feel like I have set it up wrong.

I will let you know if I have questions.

_k

There is only GPU2 and GPU3, GPU has been discontinued.

_k

I think the SMP2 is not set-up right still because you have 11 WUs turned in starting at 8-30-2010 and they are all for 251 points.

custompcmax

Yeah, something is goofy... I just haven't had time to monkey with it. Is there a typical noob mistake when setting up that I may have done? Some setting I may need to alter?

Tushon

http://folding.stanford.edu/English/WinSMPGuide

That has everything you need for setting up the SMP client properly. The noob mistake you may be making is not adding the -smp client in the additional config switches (the second to last option when configuring if I remember correctly off the top of my head).

What I would end up typing in would be the following (only type the stuff after the ':', before it is just the reference of what you are typing into)
Username: your username
Team: 93
Passkey: your passkey
*enter*
*enter*
size of WU(this is required for SMP): big
change advanced: yes
*enter*
*enter*
*enter*
*enter*
*enter*
*enter*
set -advmethods flag: yes
*enter*
*enter*
install as service (your call, i run mine almost 100% of the time): yes
*enter*
additional client parameters: -smp -verbosity 9
*enter*

_k

Do the configonly and do that^, it covers everything pretty darn well.

EDIT: your processor should be at 100% load from one thread.

custompcmax

Ok, I deleted the config files so when I restarted I was able to enter all that info. We shall see what happens now.

Thanks!

custompcmax

Ok, I just closed my SMP client, edited the config file and then reloaded. After I reloaded the SMP, I opened my config file and it is almost empty.

Instead of having all my settings, user ID and passkey... all it has now is

[settings]
machineid=1

[http]
active=no


Where did the other settings go? Do I have to reset this each time I restart the app?

_k

[settings]
username=_k_
team=93
passkey=a4a9869b82a5237d410XXX1eadf265c2
asknet=no
machineid=1
bigpackets=big
local=258

[http]
active=no
host=localhost
port=8080
usereg=no

[core]
priority=0
cpuusage=100
disableassembly=no
checkpoint=3
ignoredeadlines=no
nocpulock=0
addr=

[power]
battery=no

[clienttype]
memory=4094
type=0

^that is what mine is. I use the -smp & -advmethods flag on a shortcut. Why did you delete the file instead of use the -configonly flag on a shortcut?

Tushon

custompcmax wrote:

Ok, I just closed my SMP client, edited the config file and then reloaded. After I reloaded the SMP, I opened my config file and it is almost empty.

Instead of having all my settings, user ID and passkey... all it has now is

[settings]
machineid=1

[http]
active=no


Where did the other settings go? Do I have to reset this each time I restart the app?

Did you edit the config file directly or did you use a shortcut/cmd prompt with -configonly? I would prefer that you not edit directly, because the prompts make it so easy to do correctly anyways.

custompcmax

_k_ wrote:

[settings]
username=_k_
team=93
passkey=a4a9869b82a5237d410XXX1eadf265c2
asknet=no
machineid=1
bigpackets=big
local=258

[http]
active=no
host=localhost
port=8080
usereg=no

[core]
priority=0
cpuusage=100
disableassembly=no
checkpoint=3
ignoredeadlines=no
nocpulock=0
addr=

[power]
battery=no

[clienttype]
memory=4094
type=0

^that is what mine is. I use the -smp & -advmethods flag on a shortcut. Why did you delete the file instead of use the -configonly flag on a shortcut?

I guess I just figured to start over fresh to have it generate a new clean config. But, going forward I will use the configonly command.

So far, my PPD on my CPU is up from about 250 to 850. I assume as the day goes on, the average will continue to rise.

custompcmax

And for reference, here is my current config

[settings]
username=CustomPCMAX
team=93
passkey=85a7e56e6b741decde2c85b494dd27ac
asknet=no
machineid=4
bigpackets=big
extra_parms=-smp -verbosity 9
local=1

[http]
active=no
host=localhost
port=8080
usereg=no

[clienttype]
type=3

[core]
addr=

Tushon

That looks better. Just let that run for a while and see what happens.

_k

so is your processor at 100% load?

custompcmax

I have it running now, it will be running hopefully for the next 24 hours so we can get a good look at it. It wasn't running overnight, the PC was turned off by my wife (without my knowledge).

Strangely, though, my CPU never runs at 100% load.

Tushon

Then it probably isn't setup correctly.

custompcmax

Grrr... I am having the hardest time with this, I don't know why.

How about this... before I take anymore time of you folks up on this, let me (when I actually have some free time) read through all of the documentation regarding these clients. I also want to just uninstall everything and reinstall fresh.

Once I do all that and if I still have issues, I will let you know.

Tushon

If you delete everything and follow the directions I posted (or read just the SMP guide that I linked to then follow the directions I posted) you will be correct.

You could also attach your old logs before deleting everything to see if there was errors or something like that.

Tushon

Also, assuming you have HT enabled (which you should) ... you should be using -smp 8 instead of just -smp to force it to make 8 threads. it increases production.

custompcmax

Ok, update... I haven't had time to make any changes at all. But, when I started my PC today, it started the client as a services (which I selected) and it is running my core at 100%. For some reason, I don't know why, when I started my PC yesterday, it didn't start the service.

So, now it appears to be running, we shall see how it does the next few hours (and day).

Crap, that does get my CPU hot, though... running up around 65c (usually idle around 35-40c). And that is with the Corsair h50 hydro cooler.

Tushon

Meh, thats well within safe specs anyways. I wouldn't get worried till 90 or so

_k

It is still not working correctly.

_k

[settings]
username=CustomPCMAX
team=93
passkey=85a7e56e6b741decde2c85b494dd27ac
asknet=no
machineid=1
bigpackets=big
extra_parms=-smp -verbosity 9 -advmethods
local=258

[http]
active=no
host=localhost
port=8080
usereg=no

[core]
priority=0
cpuusage=100
disableassembly=no
checkpoint=3
ignoredeadlines=no
nocpulock=0
addr=

[power]
battery=no

[clienttype]
type=0




Try using that for the contents of your config file, but make sure all of the clients are closed and the services with f@h are stopped and removed FIRST.

Tushon

If he (she?) followed what I had typed originally, that is exactly what he would end up with, though I still think he should use -smp 8 based on what I saw on the forums I was googling through.