Need new set-up help...

[jonspd]

Ok I got a I7 920 and x58-extreme along with two 9800gx2's

Trying to figure out what would be best for this set-up.

not gonna try bigadv WU's yet.

So what do I need to run?

4 x gpu2 clients(1 core) and 1 winsmp (4 cores) along with one vmplayer (2 cores) or use 2 vmplayers?




any adv would be great....

 

[Adak]

Ok I got a I7 920 and x58-extreme along with two 9800gx2's

Trying to figure out what would be best for this set-up.

not gonna try bigadv WU's yet.

So what do I need to run?

4 x gpu2 clients(1 core) and 1 winsmp (4 cores) along with one vmplayer (2 cores) or use 2 vmplayers?

any adv would be great....

My suggestion is make it practical. Run all the gpu2 clients you are able to, and then one VMPlayer with NotFreds for your SMP client. I would have another VMPlayer + NotFred's SMP client IF you had the RAM to make it reasonable to do so, AND you didn't use the computer that much.

If you use the computer heavily, then i'd just fold with 1 VMPlayer + NorFred's, and be ready to shut off the gpu client in slot 0 (your PCIE slot closest to your cpu), so it can be more responsive.

Each VMPlayer SMP will need 1024Megs of RAM. You can load it up more, depending on how computationally and graphically intensive your computer activities are. You want that sweet spot balance.

 

[jonspd]

so I should only use vmplayers with which notfreds ? this one, Instead of any winsmp clients?

notfreds does 2 or 4 cores per instance right?

 

[ChasR]

an i7 running a single VM on 8 cores will make about 9,000ppd. About 60% more than it'll make on Win SMP clients.
Notfreds set up is almost automatic, hence Adak's recommendation. I don't have any instances of it running, because it is difficult to control, lacking many Linux features, but I cetainly wouldn't discourage its use. Also, I don't remember if it has the option to run one SMP client per 8 cores, which is what you want to do. An 8 core VM will need about 1600 MB of ram to run regular a2 WUs.

You have to use VMware Player 3.0.0 to run on 8 cores.

 

[Adak]

so I should only use vmplayers with which notfreds ? this one, Instead of any winsmp clients?

notfreds does 2 or 4 cores per instance right?

Be sure you get VMPlayer 3.0. It handles up to 8 or more cores. You'll be folding in linux in your VM, but you will be folding SMP WU's. I believe i got mine at fileHippo's download site.

More productive that the regular WinSMP client, but it requires more memory, also.

After you set up, just go into the set up file for the VM, (I believe it's a .vmx file), and set numvcpu = (2 - 8).

Since you'll be folding gpu clients as well, I'd limit the number to 6 or 7 cores for the VM, so you have 1 core for yourself, and 1 core for the gpu clients (or you split up the 2 cores for the gpu clients, and leave a bit of elbow room for your own computer stuff). Either way.

The file is named "folding.vmx", and this is what the top of it has in it. The line you need to edit is in orange.

#!/usr/bin/vmplayer
.encoding = "windows-1252"

# This is a Workstation 5 or 5.5 config file
# It can be used with Player
config.version = "8"
virtualHW.version = "4"

# Number of virtual CPUs. Your virtual machine will not
# work if this number is higher than the number of your physical CPUs
[B][COLOR="Orange"]numvcpus = "2"[/COLOR][/B]

# Memory
memsize = "1024"

# Selected operating system for your virtual machine
guestOS = "other-64"

# displayName is your own name for the virtual machine
displayName = "Folding@Home"

...

you can edit it with notepad. (This is from a dual cpu so it just shows 2)

 

[jonspd]

do I use this http://reilly.homeip.net/folding/vm.html

for the vm and then change the set numvcpu?

remember I will need some slack so I can run the 4 gpu2 clients.

so just run 1 singe 8 core vm?

 

[Adak]

Yes. Although the VMPlayer has been expanded and is more 'granular" for fine tuning of the cores you want used, NotFred's isn't that well set up. It will run either two or or 4 cores.

What I did was run 3 instances of NotFred's on one VMPlayer, and set each one to use 2 cores. That left me 1 core for programming, and 1 core for the GPU, on the i7.

If you want to do something really intensive, then just stop 1 instance of NotFreds,and the gpu in slot 0, for heavy gaming.

YMMV.

 

[ChasR]

The best senario, science wise, is to run 1 SMP instance in a VM with 8 cores. Since version 2.10 of FahCore_a2, dual cores have been crippled, losing 25% of their production. THere is an environment variable to get 15% back, but installing that in notfreds so that it persists on reboot, is a bit of a PITA. And even when you get it installed, one 4 core VM will outperfom 2 x 2 core VMs by a wide margin. In any event, an 8 core VM is the ticket for high production and is best for the science. nVidia GPUs use so few cpu cycles it is a waste to devote a core to them.
What OS are you using? How much ram do you have? You're going to find it difficult to get the 4 gpus going in Vista or Win 7.

 

[jonspd]

win 7 64

for installation using 2x1gb gonna switch it to 2x2gb before starting clients 24/7 just priming/testing now really.

3x2gb is something I'm looking for ATM tho.

 

[ChasR]

You're going to have to have 6GB minimum to ever fold -bigadv WUs. 25,000 ppd, 16,000 more than regular a2 WUs make the investmet worthwhile in terms of ppd/$ and ppd/watt.
Someone with more multigpu experience will have to help you get 4 gpus set up in Win 7. The most I'm running on Win 7 is two and both have monitors. I'd think the 9800x2s will be easier because they don't have HDMI ports, so dummies should work.

 

[jonspd]

should have a problem with setting up the gpu2 clients

yea I guess gonna have to make the plunge and get a 6gb set...

thanks for all the help will post back if I have problems...

 

[jonspd]

ok why is the vmware.exe only using 50% in task manager?

it said in the vm smp instance per 8 cpu's

setting up instance 1

 

[ChasR]

Post your .vmx file

 

[jonspd]

got it. thank you chasr

was a 4 instead or 8

 

[jonspd]

ok I can produce 9500 ppd of this quad in a single 8 core vm

I can still get about 7500 ppd using 7 cores and 3 gpu2 clients


but as soon as I start the 4th the sustems restarts.... Tried to lower clocks on the cpu still same thing also tried to change the 7 cores to just 1 4 core vm still same thing the 4 gpu2 client will run about 1-2 mins then reboot no matter the variety 3 seems to be my max...

 

[Adak]

How's your free RAM while it's folding with these clients?

At 2GB's, you must be running low. Every graphics card also will need some system RAM.

 

[ChasR]

I think Adak is right.

One other possibility is the power supply being overtaxed. I don't think you mentioned what was powering your rig.

 

[jonspd]

ok so gonna try the 4gb set and see what happens!!!

thing is I can run the regular 4xgpu2 clients no problem even with 1 winsmp or 2xwinsmp but with vm player even on 4 cores only as soon as I add the 4th gpu client withing about 1-3 mins it system restarts..


RAM was at 76+ percent used with 1vm and 3gpu2 clients.


1010 everest psu

( I also thought it was the ram but it runs one 8 core vm and 3 gpu2 clients fine.) What am I thinking what does win7 64 us in ram anyways I know more then 2 gb.

edit.
I also had no problem at 3.8ghz with 1 vm 8core and 3 gpu2 so to try and get the 4th I reduced the clock speed to 3.42
I just don't see the 4gb helping with this problem plus didn't want to make the swap!

 

[Adak]

Your task manager in Win 7 will show you. VMPlayer should be set for 1GB, however.

I don't know about the high end cards, but the lower end graphics cards require an amount of system RAM equal to the graphics RAM, as a buffer.

Edit: 1 GB for VMPlayer with 4 cpu's.

I'm not sure what you need for VMPlayer with 8 cpu's.

 

[jonspd]

yea vm set to 1gb

with 1 winsmp (3400 ppd on a 2653) and 4xgpu2 clients I get aboout 50% ram useage. out of 2gb

with 1 vm (4core) and 3 gpu2 clients it's more the 75 % closer to 80.