How to get more than two NV GPUs recognized by BOINC in Win7 64-bit?

[VirtualLarry]

Can't quite figure this out. Installed Win7 HP 64-bit. Installed NV 286.xx driver. Then installed BOINC client.

Attached to PrimeGrid, figured it would use all four GPUs I have in this box. But it only started two GPU tasks, on "device 0" and "device 1". And two more CPU-only tasks. (Dual-core AMD CPU.)

Anyone know how to configure BOINC and PrimeGrid to utilize four 9600GSO GPUs?

Do I need to extend my Windows desktop to these other GPUs, like I used to have to in Folding@Home on XP?

When I went to the Screen Resolution properties, it shows my primary display (DVI-to-VGA), and then it shows four additional non-connected displays.

Under XP, it showed my primary display, and three other displays that I had to extend my desktop onto.

Why is Win7 showing FIVE displays total. I don't get that.

Edit: I close BOINC, extended my desktop to VGA, so that I had 8 displays showing. I then re-started BOINC. Still only two GPU tasks.

I tried editing the client_config.xml file, with cuda_devs to 4 instead of 2, but it just re-writes it when I start the client back to 2.

I found this, and it references a cc_config.xml file, which is not present in the newest BOINC client that I installed. Unless, I have to create that file.

http://boincfaq.mundayweb.com/index.php?language=1&view=471

<cc_config>
    <options>
        <use_all_gpus>1</use_all_gpus>
    </options>
</cc_config>

I also tried reverting back a few drivers, from 286.xx to 280.26. Still no dice. All four 9600GSOs are showing up under the Computer's Properties, under Devices and Printers, under Control Panel.

 

[sangyup81]

are you familiar with use_all_gpus under cc_config.xml?

 

[VirtualLarry]

are you familiar with use_all_gpus under cc_config.xml?

Do I create the cc_config.xml file? I don't see it listed as part of the BOINC install. Should that go under ProgramData\BOINC?

Edit: Wow, that did it. All I did was save that code snipped that I quoted, as a file called "cc_config.xml", and copied it under the appropriate directory, and fired up BOINC.

Makes me wonder why they only auto-detect up to two GPUs. Seems like a hassle.

Thanks for your help!

 

[blckgrffn]

Hey, I wanted to point out that there are some $40 GT 240's available on the b-stock page of EVGA's store... in case you were still interested in lowering your power footprint.

4x GTS 450 would be even more impressive

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814162062

 

[Ken g6]

GT430s > GT240s. If you have spare PCIe x1 slots, you can get this and this to fill them.

 

[somethingsketchy]

Do I create the cc_config.xml file? I don't see it listed as part of the BOINC install. Should that go under ProgramData\BOINC?

Edit: Wow, that did it. All I did was save that code snipped that I quoted, as a file called "cc_config.xml", and copied it under the appropriate directory, and fired up BOINC.

Makes me wonder why they only auto-detect up to two GPUs. Seems like a hassle.

Thanks for your help!

The programmers of BOINC, probably didn't account for people with more than two GPUs, let alone four GPUs on the same rig running at once. In the grand scheme of things, it would be uncommon to have a lot of people with 4GPU rigs. I know I haven't meant any nerds (in real life ) that ran more than two GPUs at once.

 

[Sunny129]

The programmers of BOINC, probably didn't account for people with more than two GPUs, let alone four GPUs on the same rig running at once. In the grand scheme of things, it would be uncommon to have a lot of people with 4GPU rigs. I know I haven't meant any nerds (in real life ) that ran more than two GPUs at once.

well i can't say for sure if any of them are truly nerds , but i'm pretty sure there are a few TeAm AnandTech crunchers here on the boards that crunch w/ 3 and 4 GPUs in some of their rigs.

i'll tell you what, i have an MSI 790FX-GD70 sitting in a box here that i would love to put to use if i had the money for some decent GPU crunchers. its got 4 PCIe x16 slots, so i can run 4 GPUs at x8 if i had the GPUs to do it...or i could be more conservative and crunch on only 3 of them so the fourth could be a dedicated display card/video card so as to eliminate any and all GUI lag one might get from crunching on a multicore CPU and multiple GPUs all in the same rig.

 

[Alyx]

GT430s > GT240s. If you have spare PCIe x1 slots, you can get this and this to fill them.

Crazy!!

 

[blckgrffn]

Crazy!!

Wouldn't case modification be required to use that, though? I mean, the video cards would be in there the wrong way, right?

 

[Evadman]

Wouldn't case modification be required to use that, though? I mean, the video cards would be in there the wrong way, right?

 

[Sunny129]

LOL ^

 

[petrusbroder]

LoL 2:nd ^^

 

[Rudy Toody]

LoL ∞

 

[blckgrffn]

Hah... Yeah, I thought so

I'd be interested in a couple 9600GT's if you were looking to actually go through with an upgrade...

 

[VirtualLarry]

Having this problem again with BOINC 7.0.28. Only it only detects one GPU, not two. But I have four. Will try this solution again.

Edit: Adding the cc_config.xml file fixed it again.

 

[Sunny129]

yeah, the <use_all_gpus> statement always seems to be a life saver (when i remember to use it lol). glad everything is working again...

 

[Ken g6]

Wouldn't case modification be required to use that, though? I mean, the video cards would be in there the wrong way, right?

I hadn't noticed this. Glad I didn't get any. What I meant to link to was this.