I got a newer computer. In the past, I had no usable GPU and I think I may have one now.

9/2/2015 9:41:35 PM | | CAL: ATI GPU 0: ATI Radeon HD 4350/4550 (R710) (CAL version 1.4.1385, 512MB, 480MB available, 192 GFLOPS peak)

Is that enough info? Or do you need more lines?

Also, I've noticed that when I log out, BOINC ends. I guess that specifying that BOINC can be administered from all (both) users isn't sufficient and I need to install it as a service. Is this true?

Thanks.

Ross

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To start with your last question, when you install BOINC as a service, you cannot use the GPU. That's to do with the drivers running in a different account than the user is in, a Windows thing and therefore not possible to fix by BOINC.

The option in the installer is to allow all users on the computer to control BOINC (through BOINC Manager), not to administer BOINC.

Lastly, although the GPU is detected by BOINC, your driver is too old for use at Seti. The minimum required driver is 11.12, but since that one is impossible to find, best go for 12.1. You can find the download links at the bottom of our driver cheat sheet. I think that the maximum driver you can install is 12.8, anything above may not have OpenCL support included anymore for HD4xx0 cards.

And that's what you need to be able to run work here at Seti, an OpenCL driver.
So make sure to install a better driver, and make sure that in the project preferences Use ATI GPU is checked. Then wait and see if work will flow.

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Thanks for the info.

Done and done.

I had a bit of a fright when, during the installation, my screen resolution was dramatically lowered (to VGA standard?), but it came back a little later.

So now I presume that the GPU will only run when the screen is locked. What would happen if I let the GPU be used when I were logged in and running tasks?

I'm getting two tasks for the GPU.

As this is currently really my only PC, I'll have to remember to Lock not Log Out, so SETI can continue to run. I'll be setting up a Linux replacement for my dying Ubuntu 12.04 in a couple of months. Probably a current Mint Linux.

I'll revisit my increased computing options then.

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So now I presume that the GPU will only run when the screen is locked.

You mean to run only when the computer is idle? I don't think that when the screen's locked --because aren't you logged off then?-- that BOINC does any science.

What would happen if I let the GPU be used when I were logged in and running tasks?

Best run work only when the computer is idle, as in no one touching the keyboard or mouse for x minutes, it running alone but not with the screen locked/keyboard&mouse locked etc.

When you set the GPU to do work while the computer is in use, you will see slow downs in screen drawing, a stuttering mouse, slow reactions of the keyboard. Especially on a low level GPU as yours, with only 512MB of memory. Some of these tasks even slow higher level GPUs down that they experience slow-downs and stuttering when run when the computer's in use.

But that said, according to your task list you have no work for the GPU.
Is BOINC asking for work for the ATI GPU?

If not, make sure you set the "Use ATI GPU" option in the project preferences. For this you need to edit the preferences and when the option is checked, save with the "update preferences" button at the bottom of the page.

You also need to edit the correct preferences, in the venue/location that your BOINC is set in. Default, home, work, school. Make sure that your computer's location and the venue in which you make the project preferences are the same.

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I know that when I actually log off, BOINC terminates and restarts the Event Log when I log back in, either with my privileged or non-privileged account. When I lock the screen, I'm not logged out and when I unlock the screen, the Event Log shows that it has continued working.

I see messages like:

9/4/2015 10:04:44 AM | | Resuming GPU computation
9/4/2015 10:21:23 AM | | Suspending GPU computation - computer is in use

although there does not, as you say, appear to be any GPU work in my queue. These time correspond to the locked screen state. Also, I have checked the box which says to ask for some GPU tasks.

Maybe I'm remembering when I was running a Linux box, but is BOINC under Windows unable to do science when I'm logged out? That's the implication I'm getting from you. Were I to install BOINC as a service, apparently I could, but that would preclude using the GPU. Right?

Thanks.

Ross

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Maybe I'm remembering when I was running a Linux box, but is BOINC under Windows unable to do science when I'm logged out?

When BOINC is installed as a user installation, but no user is logged in, it will not do any science. Which is quite normal, because no programs installed by the users will run when they aren't logged in.

So only when BOINC is installed as a service (daemon), will it also run when no one is logged in. It'll then run continuously in the background. A side effect of this is that no GPUs can be used, because their drivers run in a session that's different than the one the service runs in. So the hardware cannot find all the correct and necessary components and thus things like OpenCL and CUDA cannot be used. This is a security measure installed by Microsoft/Windows, so it's not something that BOINC can go fix.

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Thanks.

I am now receiving and working on GPU WUs. I have finished (at least) one and have six more. I don't think I can tell which completed ones are GPU oriented, so all I know is that one is complete and not yet reported.

As I am now locking the screen when I'm not using the computer SETI is able to use the GPU. I'll continue to do that.

Ross

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Yes, but you have to wonder if it's worth it.

I mean, your CPU runs Multibeam tasks in 5,000 - 18,000 seconds.
Your GPU ran its first task in almost 40,000 seconds. You can run 4 to 8 tasks on the CPU in that time.

I also see from the stderr.txt output that the GPU has low memory trouble, it reporting to have 128MB free (Max memory allocation: 134217728)

Normally a GPU runs rings around a CPU, because all of the compute units in the GPU process the task at the same time. Your GPU appears to have just 2 compute units. Not really much, when compared to newer models having 20 and more CUs.

If you have a bit of money, try to upgrade your GPU.

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