Could this be causing the SMP woes under Vista?!

[Lancelot]

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=519946

[benbaked]

Whoa that's nuts, it slows down the processor while folding. What does your cpu usage show under the task manager? If it's 50% then I could see the processor throttling down to 1 GHz. Perhaps you could try folding SMP under Linux/VMware and that might keep the processor speed at 2 GHz?

Good luck Lancelot.

[Lancelot]

If you look closely you'll see the CPU meter at 100% load, it always shows the combined load on a dual-core system. If I only run one client it goes to 50%, with two it's 100% load. And you can see there are two clients running (bigpackets). I'm beginning to think it might be a temperature issue where the hardware throttles down regardless of CPU load?!

[dfonda]

So Vista overides the settings in your BIOS?

[Mark620]

It would appear that microsoft has decided that 100% CPU load is a problem for the CPU's and needs to be resolved by slowing it down...

[LandShark]

so Dell's BIOS doesn't do much for the speedstep huh? what's the cpu temp under folding?? may be it's a bit too hot to Vista's liking and that's why it keep throttling it down?

try to invest on a laptop cooler (Antec is a good one!) and see if it solve the problem?!

[ChasR]

I'm running the SMP client on a T7200 Dell Inspiron running Vista without seeing any speed step slowdown. p2608, 22:12/Frame, 898 ppd, 449 ppd/GHz.

[dicecca112]

I'm running the SMP client on a T7200 Dell Inspiron running Vista without seeing any speed step slowdown. p2608, 22:12/Frame, 898 ppd, 449 ppd/GHz.

Yup me two for over a week no problem. If has to do with your battery profile. It only runs 100% non-speedsteped if you set it to high performance. When I had balanced it would drop the speed. Its because Folding is set to fold wiht Idle clocks. Computer goes idle or at least the OS thinks that, and drops the clock. F@H isn't smart enough to override that.

[EmAn]

also it may be because you have your lappy unplugged as *most* of the new to newer laptops throttle down to conserve battery life...

also what are your power profiles set at?

[Lancelot]

also it may be because you have your lappy unplugged as *most* of the new to newer laptops throttle down to conserve battery life...

also what are your power profiles set at?

The laptop is always plugged in when Folding. I don't have a 'battery performance' option in BIOS. All the other info a few of you are asking is in my original post...so READ!

[dicecca112]

he didn't mean the bios he meant in windows.

[Lancelot]

There is no specific 'high performance' setting solely for the battery under advanced options in Vista's powermanagement. I restored an image of XP and the same thing is happening even with SpeedstepXP running (Max. performance when plugged in) It must be a hardware temperature thing. XP does run the laptop less hot though, it's really noticeable. If it throttles it drops to 1600Mhz and rarely 1300Mhz where Vista goes all the way down to 1000Mhz often.

Have you guys running Vista stripped down to 'windows classic' GUI? Cuz I'm running all the Aero eye-candy btw...

[Lancelot]

It WAS hardware throttling; problem solved...*cough*

CPU heatpipe;
http://members.home.nl/lancelot/heatpipe.jpg

CPU fan;
http://members.home.nl/lancelot/cpufan.jpg

Go7900GS heatpipe;
http://members.home.nl/lancelot/videofan.jpg

Folding along nice and quietly again! This laptop is from October 2006...seems I have to clean it up every 6 months or so to be safe!

[thideras]

That is ALOT of dust! Do you guys have a factory there or what?:eh?:

To quote Adam (from Mythbusters):

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g121/thideras/theresyourproblem.jpg

:bday:

[LandShark]

bingo! told you it's heating issue! :D

[pscout]

Thats looks like some mighty fine paper dust :eek:

Glad to hear problem resolved :)

[Lancelot]

In dunno what it was but it resembled the inside of a vacuum-cleaner bag! I do take this laptop with me everywhere. Anyways I've taken everything apart and replaced stock wax pads (it took acetone to get their residue off) with Arctic Silver 5 and it's a major difference. The laptop was getting very hot and now after folding overnight it's casing feels cool and the fans are spinning silently at low speed only. I don't understand why these OEM's don't add $5,- to the total cost and use AS5 as stock TIM, especially in a heat-crammed laptop...

Here's a pic of the cleaned up cooling system assembled back into the casing;

http://members.home.nl/lancelot/inside.jpg