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petri33
petri33
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Topic 221865

How to make the curent NVIDIA (and maybe the AMD) GPUs to use less CPU?

That is a question that needs and answer.

 

So, how to?

mikey
mikey
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petri33 wrote:How to make the

petri33 wrote:

How to make the curent NVIDIA (and maybe the AMD) GPUs to use less CPU?

That is a question that needs and answer.

 So, how to?

Easiest way to get the most answers is to ask this in the Crunchers Corner thread

petri33
petri33
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Hi, thanks. I wanted to try

Hi,

thanks. I wanted to try with friendly people first. So the question is still open.

 

 

Richie
Richie
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By getting more cpu cores.

By getting more cpu cores. Then the proportional usage of the whole CPU chip will be lower per task.

mikey
mikey
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petri33 wrote:Hi, thanks. I

petri33 wrote:

Hi,

thanks. I wanted to try with friendly people first. So the question is still open.  

An app_config.xml file will help some but it's not something that can be forced as it's programmed by the Project.

I received this from an Admin at another Project one time in a discussion about this: "You do know it's impossible for app_config to "control" the amount of CPU time that a GPU app uses, right? BOINC has absolutely no control over this. That is not the purpose of avg_ncpus in a GPU app_version block. The app will use whatever it needs to use."

The real knowledgeable people, ie Gary, post in Crunchers Corner much more than in here.

Gary Roberts
Gary Roberts
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mikey wrote:petri33

mikey wrote:
petri33 wrote:

Hi,

thanks. I wanted to try with friendly people first. So the question is still open.  

An app_config.xml file will help some but it's not something that can be forced as it's programmed by the Project.

I received this from an Admin at another Project one time in a discussion about this: "You do know it's impossible for app_config to "control" the amount of CPU time that a GPU app uses, right? BOINC has absolutely no control over this. That is not the purpose of avg_ncpus in a GPU app_version block. The app will use whatever it needs to use."

The real knowledgeable people, ie Gary, post in Crunchers Corner much more than in here.

Mikey,

Even though he said "friendly people" (plural) he's really only talking about me.  Unfortunately, he doesn't take kindly to being told that he's wasting his time expecting to get a definitive answer from lesser mortals like us.

Telling him that app_config.xml will help is actually wrong.  You were given the correct advice from that "Admin at another Project".  You should think of that file as an 'accounting mechanism' (so that the client can know what resources are 'spare' and what are potentially 'already in use') and not as something that can have a direct influence on what a particular app will actually use.  It is not "programmed by the project" - apart from there being default values if no app_config.xml file is in play.

The file overrides the defaults and allows the user to give instructions to the client on resources that might be needed to run particular apps.  The app will still try to use what it needs anyway, so if you get it wrong, you will just cause the client run the various apps in a sub-optimal way.

@PETRI33 - If, in the process of trying to give you advice, you have formed the opinion that I have hostility toward you, then I offer sincere apologies, as there was no intention on my part to for it to come across that way.  I just call things as I see them.

Despite your series of posts last month, and again now, there has not been any official response or any indication that there is a repository of the current code you seek that can be accessed.  Last month, I didn't write a simple response with a one line answer saying, "Send an email to ....", because I have no clue about you or what may or may not have happened at Seti.  I have not taken any interest in what happens there since 2005.  Consequently, I tried to explain what a better approach would be.  I told you where to go in a round-about way simply because publishing an email address directly in an open forum is a guaranteed way to get that address spammed.

Far from being 'unfriendly', I would be highly delighted to see you succeed with improving the efficiency of the GW GPU app.  I hope you have now sent an email.

Cheers,
Gary.

mikey
mikey
Joined: 22 Jan 05
Posts: 12644
Credit: 1839035786
RAC: 5045

Gary Roberts wrote:mikey

Gary Roberts wrote:
mikey wrote:
petri33 wrote:

Hi,

thanks. I wanted to try with friendly people first. So the question is still open.  

An app_config.xml file will help some but it's not something that can be forced as it's programmed by the Project.

I received this from an Admin at another Project one time in a discussion about this: "You do know it's impossible for app_config to "control" the amount of CPU time that a GPU app uses, right? BOINC has absolutely no control over this. That is not the purpose of avg_ncpus in a GPU app_version block. The app will use whatever it needs to use."

The real knowledgeable people, ie Gary, post in Crunchers Corner much more than in here.

Mikey,

Even though he said "friendly people" (plural) he's really only talking about me.  Unfortunately, he doesn't take kindly to being told that he's wasting his time expecting to get a definitive answer from lesser mortals like us.

Telling him that app_config.xml will help is actually wrong.  You were given the correct advice from that "Admin at another Project".  You should think of that file as an 'accounting mechanism' (so that the client can know what resources are 'spare' and what are potentially 'already in use') and not as something that can have a direct influence on what a particular app will actually use.  It is not "programmed by the project" - apart from there being default values if no app_config.xml file is in play.

The file overrides the defaults and allows the user to give instructions to the client on resources that might be needed to run particular apps.  The app will still try to use what it needs anyway, so if you get it wrong, you will just cause the client run the various apps in a sub-optimal way.

Yup I was specifically thinking of you as you know FAR more than anyone else here that I know!!

And yes I knew that what you are saying is true but I had no clue how or why the file does what it does just that it lets me run multiple workunits at once with it.

petri33
petri33
Joined: 4 Mar 20
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Hi Gary, I regard you as one

Hi Gary,

I regard you as one of the friendliest and most helpful ones. I apologize if you got the opposite impression.

 

--

petri

 

 

Gary Roberts
Gary Roberts
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petri33 wrote:... I apologize

petri33 wrote:
... I apologize if you got the opposite impression.

Does that mean that 'Pistols at dawn' are not needed now? ;-) :-).

Seriously, good luck with finding what you need.  Please keep us informed.  I'm sure lots of people would be very grateful if it was possible to find a way to transfer those parts of the calculation that are currently only done on a CPU, over to the GPU, thereby reducing the CPU involvement.  That would be something quite apart from, and perhaps more productive than just optimising the bit that is currently done on the GPU.

Cheers,
Gary.

petri33
petri33
Joined: 4 Mar 20
Posts: 123
Credit: 3927855819
RAC: 6539405

Gary Roberts wrote:petri33

Gary Roberts wrote:
petri33 wrote:
... I apologize if you got the opposite impression.

Does that mean that 'Pistols at dawn' are not needed now? ;-) :-).

Seriously, good luck with finding what you need.  Please keep us informed.  I'm sure lots of people would be very grateful if it was possible to find a way to transfer those parts of the calculation that are currently only done on a CPU, over to the GPU, thereby reducing the CPU involvement.  That would be something quite apart from, and perhaps more productive than just optimising the bit that is currently done on the GPU.

 

Yes, no duel at the dawn.

I took advice from your instructions and I'm negotiating with the people who are in charge of the code that has not been released to public (yet). There is a need for optimization and I may get a license to try and help. If it happens so lucky that I get an access to the code and can try to do my magic, I'll not be able to deliver an executable or release any code directly to public use but I'll submit my findings to those responsible for the released code and executable files.

 

--

petri

Gary Roberts
Gary Roberts
Moderator
Joined: 9 Feb 05
Posts: 5872
Credit: 117056500504
RAC: 36548764

petri33 wrote:... There is a

petri33 wrote:
... There is a need for optimization and I may get a license to try and help. If it happens so lucky that I get an access to the code and can try to do my magic, I'll not be able to deliver an executable or release any code directly to public use but I'll submit my findings to those responsible for the released code and executable files.

That's really good to hear.  I'm sure there will be lots of volunteers cheering you on.

The best of luck to you!

Cheers,
Gary.

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