Seti Processes killing Chrome

[minendo]

For the past few weeks Chrome is basically useless when running SETI@home through Boinc. I've tried upgrading Boinc, uninstalling/reinstalling Chrome, etc, but nothing works. Chrome will still run, but typing anything into the address bar is severely delayed. Any thoughts on how to fix this as I don't want to not run SETI?

 

[petrusbroder]

I assume that you are running CPU- and GPU-WU. If so, it is probably the client running on the GPU which delays the working of Chrome.
In the BOINC-menu, select Tools, and there Computing preferences; in the "processor usage tab" un-tick "Use GPU while computer is in use". Save your values (OK) and try to run Chrome, if it works OK, problem solved: The GPU-WU takes much of the GPUs power and the rendering on the screen is severly hampered.
If you do not run GPU-WUs, and you have the problem, try to allocate less resources to BOINC: In the BOINC-settings select Tools, and there Computing preferences; Far down is the processor usage box, fill in e.g. 85% in the CPU-usage time and check if the problem is solved.
Good luck, YMMV.

 

[GLeeM]

I would try the Lunatics optimized apps first, google "seti lunatics" and use the Windows Installer.

Is it just the address text box, or are all text boxes slow (like the search text box on the Google home page)?

Does any other program, besides Chrome, act the same way with a slow keyboard? (the mouse and keyboard have top priority so it doesn't make sense that BOINC apps, at a much lower priority, would not bow out/give way)

Petrus's suggestions are good, but on a quad core i5 you would have to put in '75% of the processors' to free up one core and crunch on only three.

 

[Rattledagger]

Petrus's suggestions are good, but on a quad core i5 you would have to put in '75% of the processors' to free up one core and crunch on only three.

BOINC rounds-down to the nearest integer-core-count, meaning 75% - 99% will all use only 3 cores on a quad-core. To only use 2 cores on a quad-core, specifying 74% will be enough.

 

[GLeeM]

meaning 75% - 99% will all use only 3

Thank you Rattledagger 🙂

All this time I have been typing 87.5, four different keys when all I had to do was hit eight twice!

 

[petrusbroder]

BOINC rounds-down to the nearest integer-core-count, meaning 75% - 99% will all use only 3 cores on a quad-core. To only use 2 cores on a quad-core, specifying 74% will be enough.

Hmmm:
There are two parameters:

• One which sets the number of cores ("On multiprocessor systems, use at most xxx% of the processors") and this number is rounded off as Rattledagger writes (4-core system: anything between 75% and 99.9% is 3 cores, anything between 25.1 and 49.9 is 1 core, etc) and
• One which sets up some kind of time share system ("Use at most xx,xx% CPU-time") which allows me to run the processors at a fraction of 100%.

On my 4-core working computer system I am using all 4 cores ("On multiprocessor system use 100% of the processors") at 90% ("Use at most 90.00% CPU-time"). I have no problems with any lag at all. If I set in certain projects the "CPU-time" to 100% I get some lag ...
Also I see that 4 WUs are processed at the same ime all the time, but it takes them a little bit longer compared to setting the "CPU-time" to 100%.

 

[minendo]

I assume that you are running CPU- and GPU-WU. If so, it is probably the client running on the GPU which delays the working of Chrome.
In the BOINC-menu, select Tools, and there Computing preferences; in the "processor usage tab" un-tick "Use GPU while computer is in use". Save your values (OK) and try to run Chrome, if it works OK, problem solved: The GPU-WU takes much of the GPUs power and the rendering on the screen is severly hampered.
If you do not run GPU-WUs, and you have the problem, try to allocate less resources to BOINC: In the BOINC-settings select Tools, and there Computing preferences; Far down is the processor usage box, fill in e.g. 85% in the CPU-usage time and check if the problem is solved.
Good luck, YMMV.

Not running GPU as I never set it up. It is only in the address bar and only started over the past few weeks.

 

[salvorhardin]

Have you tried using the beta boinc clients? Is it only seti or do you have the same problem with other projects? If it's only seti I would detach and reattach and use the default applications. If you still have the same problems then I would install the optimized applications from the lunatics installer. You can also try starting chrome with all your extensions disabled, an extension might me causing high cpu use and seti and boinc are fighting over it.

 

[GLeeM]

Not running GPU as I never set it up.

BOINC must automatically set up GPU, because 2/3 of your valid WUs are GPU cuda crunched!

http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/hosts_user.php?userid=8321087
click on "Tasks" 🙂

It is only in the address bar and only started over the past few weeks

I think I figured it out: when the address bar is slow, check Task Manager and you will see another program, probably Chrome, using up lots of CPU. The more tabs open the worse it gets. I say it will be Chrome because it only happens in its address bar.

Firefox would occasionally get borked and use one full core and cause havok with my GPU WU crunching, so I recently started trying out Chrome. I have not been happy because it too can use up some CPU even when I am not using it. Looks like I will have to switch back to IE?!? grrr 🙁

 

[Assimilator1]

I never got around to switching away from IE :$, anyway I sporadically get typing lag in IE & other programs when GPU crunching, it's not too bad so I live with it. But I do remember years ago running F@H on my old HD 4830 512 MB & I had severe typing lag with that, so I had to pause GPU crunching when using that machine.
Didn't have that problem with the 1 GB HD 4870.