F@H

[XJustMeX21]

I have a question i'm hoping someone out there can answer. First of all my specs are:

q6600 @3ghz
4gb ram
Vista 64

If you need more than that just ask.

Now on to my question, This is fairly simple its a new build but so far completly stable and it will run f@h almost all day except an hour or two for gaming. Right now i am running 4 copies in four different folders with machine id's set 1-4 and its running great. My question is should i be running the smp version of F@H with the affinity changer or should i just leave it as is?

Thanks in advance.

 

[biodoc]

If you run 2x SMP with the affinity changer, you'd probably get about 3,500+ PPD depending the WU's you'd be crunching.

Bottom line...you'd get much more point production but you'd have to babysit it a bit more.

Cheers!!

 

[XJustMeX21]

So if i undestand you the SMP doesn't run four threads one to each core? I would still have to run two copies to use all cores?

 

[biodoc]

Yes, 1x SMP would use all 4 cores but not 100% effectively. Perhaps that would be the best way for you to start.

Others, including myself have found that 2x SMP effectively give more PPD but only if you run a program called affinity changer which optimizes process scheduling for FAH SMP.

1x SMP on your system would generate about 2700 PPD (4 fahcore_A1 distributed to 4 processor cores.

2x SMP on your system would not generate any more PPD (Windows does a lousy job of process scheduling of the 8 fahcore_A1 over 4 processors). The affinity changer assigns pairs of A1 cores to specific processors.

Linux is far more efficient at this sort of thing.

I have a 3.2 GHz Q6600 running 64-bit ubuntu linux

1x SMP generates about 3300 ppd but if I run 2x SMP I produce 4400 PPD.

The PPD estimates are based on the 2653 WU which is 1700 points (SMP WUs have a 50% bonus).

This is all a bit confusing and I'm certainly not a expert but this is what I and others are seeing.

 

[XJustMeX21]

Alright thanks again for helping.

So far this is what i have done. Installed 2 copies of SMP in different folders set them up as machine 1 and 2 and downloaded and installed the affinity changer. Am I missing anything?

 

[biodoc]

No, should be all set.

good luck!

 

[XJustMeX21]

Awesome. Thanks

 

[Insidious]

Hi XJustMeX21

I'm running windowsXP so I don't have direct experience, but I think I've read about several people avoiding a lot of difficulties if when they install the SMP clients, they point to directories they have made that are NOT under the program files folder of Windows Vista. (something to do with code execution protection built into the os.)

If you have installed your folding in directories under 'program files' I recommend you close the SMP clients (I usually just re-boot to do this), then uninstall (add-remove programs) the original clients AFTER you have made copies of the directories to save the work you have done so far.

now re-install the SMP clients to the new folders you created for them. next, copy the contents of the back-ups you made (say yes to overwrites) to the folders the SMP setup created.

now run the install.bat for each one just like before. re-boot and you will have moved your installations without loosing (hopefully) the partially completed work units you have.

-Sid

Happy New Year! :wine:

 

[XJustMeX21]

Thanks for the help but i got lucky on this one and had installed them in created folders that are simply C:\FAH1 and C:\FAH2 So hopefully i'll be in the clear.

Happy New Year

 

[XJustMeX21]

Had another question and figured i'd use the same thread. I started F@H going on my g/f's rig as well its currently a 3700+ at 2.8ghz. I was going to put a 4400+ in there and hopefully get it to about 2.6ghz atleast. (water cooled). Do the x2's do well in F@H? and any problem running SMP on a clocked 4400+?

 

[Insidious]

I've been running the SMP client on X2@2.4GHz ~980 PPD, X2@2.5GHz ~1020 PPD, Opty@2.6GHz ~1150 PPD)

They don't match the C2D PCs but they do pretty well.

-Sid

 

[XJustMeX21]

Thanks for a free upgrade its worth it.

 

[Gravity]

I tried running 2 smp clients on my q 6600 running xp with the affinity changer. I got dissimilar, slow progress on both instances. It was running so slow that I shut them both down and restarted just one, which lost all the work and then started from the beginning again.

So, I'll just build a few more quad boxes and then install some more FAH smp clients.

Will the affinity changer help with just one instance of smp?

Thanks,

Gravity

 

[Insidious]

I don't think the affinity changer does anything for a single SMP on a quad.

Wierd behavior on the first try... I don't know what to suggest for that.

-Sid

 

[GLeeM]

Originally posted by: Gravity
I tried running 2 smp clients on my q 6600 running xp with the affinity changer. I got dissimilar, slow progress on both instances. It was running so slow that I shut them both down and restarted just one, which lost all the work and then started from the beginning again.

I can't think what would have caused this.

I read at the F@H forum that someone had set MachineIDs to be different and when he double checked them they were both the same!
Did you have different MachineIDs for each instance? And the -local flag set?

 

[Markfw]

One thing with the SMP client. On some of my XP boxes, when I shut the client down, it kills all the 4 threads that support it, on others, not. After shutting down a client, check. If they are still running, then log off (no restart needed) and restart the clients. If not, you may see 12 or 16 or more running, and this can corrupt the WU.

I now have the affinity changed on the 2 quads that are not ubuntu, and it works great on both.

 

[Gravity]

Originally posted by: GLeeM

Originally posted by: Gravity
I tried running 2 smp clients on my q 6600 running xp with the affinity changer. I got dissimilar, slow progress on both instances. It was running so slow that I shut them both down and restarted just one, which lost all the work and then started from the beginning again.

I can't think what would have caused this.

I read at the F@H forum that someone had set MachineIDs to be different and when he double checked them they were both the same!
Did you have different MachineIDs for each instance? And the -local flag set?

no -local flag. where do I set that in the config?

Different Machine Id's I'm sure of.

 

[GLeeM]

Originally posted by: Gravity
no -local flag. where do I set that in the config?

Different Machine Id's I'm sure of.

Supposedly, if you have never installed a GUI type client on the computer you don't need the -local flag.

It cannot be set in config. I add it to the startup shortcut.

Right click the shortcut and select Properties.
At the end of what is in the Target textbox add a space, a dash and "local" without the quotes. It should look something like this:

C:\fah5\FAH.exe -local -verbosity 9 -forceasm

The -forceasm flag is not needed on the SMP client.