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Steve

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Message 22055 - Posted: 24 Dec 2008, 3:37:46 UTC

On further assessment I think my problems may be showing a partial fry of my XFX 9800GT card :( . Like one or more of its cores blew up... It quit running any tasks successfully and I am seeing a sort of pixellation problem on other graphics now. Any recommended diagnostics to test the card? SETI@Home CUDA may have been more than it could handle.
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Nicolas

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Message 22064 - Posted: 24 Dec 2008, 14:21:00 UTC - in response to Message 22055.  

Graphics cards produce so much more heat than CPU that I wonder if they give better performance per watt than CPUs, or it's all just marketing...

(if they're 10x faster and use 11x the electricity and heat 11x more, what's the point?)
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ProfileJord
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Message 22069 - Posted: 25 Dec 2008, 0:08:43 UTC

Did you overclock the GPU?
Which drivers was this with?
On what operating system?
Is the card passively or actively cooled? (heat sink only or does it have a fan?)
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Steve

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Message 22076 - Posted: 25 Dec 2008, 18:40:17 UTC - in response to Message 22069.  

The exact card is the XFX GeForce 9800 GT. The GPU is not overclocked. The 9800 GT's driver is: 6.14.11.7824 dated 10/7/08. I'm running MS XP Pro SP3 32-bit. The graphics card is actively cooled. Yesterday and today the card seems to be running CUDA tasks OK but yesterday it was not kicking in on some tasks; e.g. no processing complete shown and clock counting up instead of down. I aborted those tasks manually.
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Sergio

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Message 22110 - Posted: 28 Dec 2008, 1:36:09 UTC

Hello

I'm having a similar problem. Lost of pixels appearing on screen. I have a nvidia 8600 gt latest drivers (178.24). XP sp3, intel dual core 2,4 GHz, 2 gb ram.
You can see a sample here, after a little shake of the window:
http://oblah.mine.nu/images/pixeis.jpg

Thanks,
Sérgio
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ProfileJord
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Message 22111 - Posted: 28 Dec 2008, 1:45:51 UTC - in response to Message 22110.  
Last modified: 28 Dec 2008, 1:49:02 UTC

Does it go away when you reboot the system?

I forwarded that picture link to the developers, so please keep it online for now.
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Sergio

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Message 22113 - Posted: 28 Dec 2008, 3:11:46 UTC - in response to Message 22111.  


After a reboot it seems to go away. It only uses the gpu processor? The main processor is idle(?).
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edgark

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Message 22156 - Posted: 29 Dec 2008, 9:54:54 UTC - in response to Message 22113.  

Hello,
I have similar experiences with Boinc 6.4.5, NVidia 8800GT/driver 180.48 and Vista/32 - not that worse, but similar pixelation everywhere.
It is always the result of a Seti calculation error - a reboot returns the system back to normal. Logoff/logon does not help.

The calculation error is often provoked by a return from hibernate status.
The computer does not recognize, that the CPU is idle, but the GPU is busy and decides to hibernate.

So far no other problems with the HW at my system.

Regards, Edgar
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Fred - efmer.com
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Message 22164 - Posted: 29 Dec 2008, 18:06:36 UTC - in response to Message 22055.  

Any recommended diagnostics to test the card? SETI@Home CUDA may have been more than it could handle.

Tools to monitor your card search for "NVIDIA System Tools with ESA Support" keep a watch at your temp.
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Fred - efmer.com
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Message 22166 - Posted: 29 Dec 2008, 20:02:29 UTC - in response to Message 22064.  

Graphics cards produce so much more heat than CPU that I wonder if they give better performance per watt than CPUs, or it's all just marketing...

(if they're 10x faster and use 11x the electricity and heat 11x more, what's the point?)

I was wondering that myself. Looking at my system A E6850 will consume 130W (full), a Geforce 8800GTX 300W (full). And the 8800GTX is at least as fast as both cores (20% faster). But if it's already there it (8800GTX) consumes 160W anyway doing nothing. So for 150W extra you get 2x the computing power. It will not be entirely correct because there are a lot of other things using power on your computer (memory, etc). So it's not a green solution it takes more energy. But I doubt it will be more than 2 computer systems. And it is tempting to get a computer twice as fast (Seti when it works properly without the bugs). And I'm not sure they use the full power of the GTX.
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Sergio

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Message 22276 - Posted: 3 Jan 2009, 19:10:04 UTC

Hello

Going back to 6.2.19 :(

Besides the pixelization problem, CUDA is taking all my GPU power. Sluggish desktop graphics, mouse lag, etc.

Is there a way to disable CUDA?

Thanks,
Sérgio
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ProfileJord
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Message 22279 - Posted: 3 Jan 2009, 22:45:41 UTC - in response to Message 22276.  

Is there a way to disable CUDA?

In Seti? Yes.

In Your Account, go to Seti@Home Preferences, edit them.
Now scroll all the way down and set the check mark on "Use Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) if available".
Update preferences with the button at the bottom of the page.

The next time BOINC contacts Seti it'll get these preferences in immediately and no longer send you CUDA tasks.

You do not need to go back to 6.2.19 for that.
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YukonTrooper

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Message 22376 - Posted: 11 Jan 2009, 9:54:33 UTC - in response to Message 22279.  

How do I disable CUDA on a per computer basis?
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ProfileJord
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Message 22377 - Posted: 11 Jan 2009, 12:40:45 UTC - in response to Message 22376.  

Use the venues (default, home, work, school etc.) or get BOINC 6.5.0 (or later) and use the option in cc_config.xml .. See this FAQ.
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Sergio

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Message 22378 - Posted: 11 Jan 2009, 13:10:16 UTC - in response to Message 22279.  

Is there a way to disable CUDA?

In Seti? Yes.

In Your Account, go to Seti@Home Preferences, edit them.
Now scroll all the way down and set the check mark on "Use Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) if available".
Update preferences with the button at the bottom of the page.

The next time BOINC contacts Seti it'll get these preferences in immediately and no longer send you CUDA tasks.

You do not need to go back to 6.2.19 for that.


Thanks. Sorry for the late acknowledgment.
Working fine now.

Bye,
Sérgio
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Odd-Rod

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Message 22388 - Posted: 12 Jan 2009, 13:49:42 UTC - in response to Message 22377.  

Use the venues (default, home, work, school etc.) or get BOINC 6.5.0 (or later) and use the option in cc_config.xml .. See this FAQ.


Just wondering if this is a typo in the FAQ?

<np_gpus>1</no_gpus>

I'm guessing the first 'np_gpus' should actually be 'no_gpus' like the second one? (I'm not using 6.5, nor do I have a GPU yet, so I can't test it.)

Thanks and regards
Rod
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ProfileJord
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Message 22390 - Posted: 12 Jan 2009, 14:36:00 UTC - in response to Message 22388.  

Yes, thanks for proof reading for me. Changed now. :-)
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Message boards : Questions and problems : Graphics Card Fry?

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