multiple GPU's

tenthwave
tenthwave
Joined: 2 Jan 11
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Topic 195671

Hi All

I added an NVidia GTX 260 to the NVidia Quadro FX 1700
in my 8-core workstation figuring BOINC would see them both. Only the GTX 260 shows up. The workstation is running fine with the monitor on the Quadro and the GTX now runs the CUDA code even when I am working on the machine. How do I go about setting up BOINC to use both video cards for crunching when the machine is idle otherwise?

Thanks

hotze33
hotze33
Joined: 10 Nov 04
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multiple GPU's

Hi,
for me it helped to create the cc_config.xml in the boinc data directory with:


1

with 0 instead of 1, boinc only uses the most powerful gpu on multi gpu systems.

tenthwave
tenthwave
Joined: 2 Jan 11
Posts: 6
Credit: 101335240
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I do not remember where the

I do not remember where the original BOINC installation put the /data directory
and I can't find one on any of the discs

there was no cc_config.xml file in my machine
so I created the cc_config.xml file with the flag set
I tried putting it in the root BOINC directory and forced a read... no effect
I created a /data subdirectory and tried it there... no effect
The return message lists log flags but no option flags... is this the default config stored somewhere else?

where is the default data directory placed on installation?

thanks again

Richard Haselgrove
Richard Haselgrove
Joined: 10 Dec 05
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RE: I do not remember where

Quote:

I do not remember where the original BOINC installation put the /data directory
and I can't find one on any of the discs

there was no cc_config.xml file in my machine
so I created the cc_config.xml file with the flag set
I tried putting it in the root BOINC directory and forced a read... no effect
I created a /data subdirectory and tried it there... no effect
The return message lists log flags but no option flags... is this the default config stored somewhere else?

where is the default data directory placed on installation?

thanks again


Shut down BOINC, and restart it. The actual location for your machine is listed, around the fifth line of the messages on the message tab. Or you could find it in stdoutdae.txt, but to do that, you'd need to find that file ... in the data directory ...

Another solution: the default locations (not necearily right for your machine) are listed in the BOINC FAQs. Note the reference to some of them being hidden folders.

paul milton
paul milton
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its shown on the "messages"

its shown on the "messages" tab in boinc manager on start. example from my machine (windows vista)

2/23/2011 12:32:50 PM Starting BOINC client version 6.10.58 for windows_intelx86
2/23/2011 12:32:50 PM log flags: file_xfer, sched_ops, task
2/23/2011 12:32:56 PM Libraries: libcurl/7.19.7 OpenSSL/0.9.8l zlib/1.2.3
2/23/2011 12:32:57 PM Data directory: C:\ProgramData\BOINC

seeing without seeing is something the blind learn to do, and seeing beyond vision can be a gift.

tenthwave
tenthwave
Joined: 2 Jan 11
Posts: 6
Credit: 101335240
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Got it... Thanks All It took

Got it... Thanks All
It took a few restarts but both cards are running now.

Will our minds atrophy
when we can just appeal to the collective intelligence in the ether
or will this just save them time for greater imagination?

John Sheridan
John Sheridan
Joined: 1 Oct 06
Posts: 6
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I also have 2 cards working

I also have 2 cards working in my pc. One is capable of running 4 wus and the other 2. Is it possible to configure app_info to recognise this or do I just set it to run 4 and let the 2nd card complain about lack of memory?

Metod, S56RKO
Metod, S56RKO
Joined: 11 Feb 05
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RE: Is it possible to

Quote:
Is it possible to configure app_info to recognise this or do I just set it to run 4 and let the 2nd card complain about lack of memory?

It's not possible to configure how much of a resource (GPU in this case) will be used depending on resource itself. Hence you can not configure different amounts for different GPUs.

The way how BOINC science app complains about lack of memory is to crash ... obviously unpredictably (could be that almost finished app will crash instead of newly run one), so you don't want to overcommit at all. Probably the best way would be either:

  • 1. configure to run 2 WUs/GPU and hope that the fast GPU doesn't rest too much
    2. pull out the slow GPU and configure to run 4 WUs/GPU

Which one to go with depends on how slow is the slow one.

Metod ...

Claggy
Claggy
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There is a third

There is a third option,

Do what Vyper does, run two (or more) Boinc clients each using different GPU's,
the different clients can then have different app_info's with different settings,
or can crunch on particular projects only:

Running different Nvidia architectures optimal in same host with seti@home and other BOINC projects.

Claggy

John Sheridan
John Sheridan
Joined: 1 Oct 06
Posts: 6
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Thanks Claggy, that works

Thanks Claggy, that works perfectly.

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