I am thoroughly confused.

This is about the CPU not the GPU. The GPU regularly clocks 99%.
Once again my task manager (yesterday) started displaying 62% utilization. But when I started poking around in the process details tab the Seti programs were all reporting 25% or so. Which if you add it up should be "100%". But the cpu utilization still shows 62% and the cpu frequency still shows considerably less that 4Ghz.

I have just downloaded/installed a "Open Hardware Monitor". It claims the cpus are loaded to 100%. But confirms the cpu clock speed at being 2,200 Mhz when normal clock max is 4,200 Mhz.

Now the Amd Catalyst manager offered me a driver update to the mobility version of the same driver version. I have also taken out the driver delay registry patch.

A few minutes ago I had another "video driver crash". So I rolled back the driver update. But didn't re-start Bonic.

Suddenly the CPU on task manager pegged to 100%. But the GPU monitor was showing nothing.

So I re-start Bonic/Seti and sure enough, the cpu goes back down to 62% and the GPU resumes running 99%.

Its like the GPU is throttling the CPU?

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Tom

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A proud member of the OFA (Old Farts Association).

On wed (July 30th) for my birthday present I backgraded my A-10 6700 from Windows 8.1 to Windows 7. I have an image recovery flash drive that I expect to perform a "refresh" with to move back up to 8/8.1 after I finish this investigation.

The two most immediate results were the Video Driver crash/restart issue went completely away.

And the odd cpu/gpu behavior recreated under Windows 7. So this is clearly an A-10 6700 and application software programming issue not an OS issue.

After some fairly extensive testing I can offer a setup that mostly lets the GPU run all the time AND more than half the time the CPU's frequency is running above half-speed.
----------------------
<app_config>
<app>
<name>astropulse_v6</name>
<gpu_versions>
<gpu_usage>0.50</gpu_usage>
<cpu_usage>0.005</cpu_usage>
</gpu_versions>
</app>
<app>
<name>setiathome_v7</name>
<gpu_versions>
<gpu_usage>0.50</gpu_usage>
<cpu_usage>0.005</cpu_usage>
</gpu_versions>
</app>
</app_config>
------------------------------------
I know it doesn't make a lot of sense but the more cpu you add to support the GPU the more likely that the CPU's will all run at about half speed.

For instance, if you set the cpu upto 0.49 the cpu frequency stay rock solid at have the possible cpu frequency speed.

Please note, in all of this, the "cpu load" is always claiming 100% for each core.

So there is some kind of coupling in the A-10 hardware between the gpu and the cpu that doesn't appear to be there if the gpu is a discrete card. This may not be limited to the A-10. I think I was reading something about an Intel HD 4000 or something here that was "slowing things down" in another thread.

Anyway in a couple of weeks I will move back to Win 8.1 and see if I can solve the driver crash issue more reliably than I have so far.

I would dearly love to get a "fix" for how the A-10 is slowing down on the cpu when the GPU is fully funded but that is a developer issue. I will see if I can find the volunteer tester link.

HTH someone else who runs across this issue.

Tom

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A proud member of the OFA (Old Farts Association).

 
CPU frequency depends on what you set in BIOS

It is normal for CPU to lower the frequency if it is not fully loaded and you have Enabled SpeedStep (Intel) or Cool'n'Quiet / PowerNow! (AMD)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpeedStep
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cool'n'Quiet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerNow!

Disable these in BIOS and you will have a CPU running at constant frequency all the time.
 

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- ALF - "Find out what you don't do well ..... then don't do it!" :)
 

Its an HP version of the BIOs. It doesn't allow access to any of that. The installed bios is 2 steps beyond the one(s) I can download from the HP website. And my understanding is my copy of the Win8 recovery disk is bios-locked so I am reluctant to try to flash upgrade from the motherboard manufacturer.

:(

It was still a good price even if it doesn't give me any bio's choices.

For what is worth the latest results show that 1.0 cpu to 1.0 gpu lets the cpus run at above the half speed rate most of the time. So that is probably where I am going to land for win8 production.

Thanks for raising the issue.

Tom

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A proud member of the OFA (Old Farts Association).

See if in Windows Power Management (I'm not sure of the exact name of this on Windows 7/8)
there is a way to select Max Performance and/or select range (low/high) of MHz the CPU can be regulated

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/9090/learning-windows-7-manage-power-settings/

I think CPU range (low/high) of MHz can be set on this screen:




It seems to be worded as "Minimum / Maximum processor state":
http://superuser.com/questions/323738/what-is-minimum-and-maximum-processor-state-in-windows-7-power-management
http://superuser.com/questions/565347/how-does-windows-limit-the-cpu-power-options-battery-saving
http://www.thewindowsclub.com/configure-power-plan-windows-8

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- ALF - "Find out what you don't do well ..... then don't do it!" :)