Boinc slow firefox and games

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sekaiji
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Message 26947 - Posted: 31 Aug 2009, 22:22:03 UTC

Hello everybody,

I have boinc 6.6.36, and since i have win seven RC 64 bits, i see a really annoying problem with my pc. Firefox (lastest version) and now Farcry 2 (last patch) slow a lot and even freeze sometimes when boinc works. If I stop boinc or just put it in sleep mode , I have no problem at all.

Is this a known problem ?
I run boinc for 4 or 5 years now and never had that kind of problem.

I've got a Core I7 920@3.2 with 6gb of ram

Any idea ?
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ZPM
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Message 26948 - Posted: 31 Aug 2009, 22:33:31 UTC - in response to Message 26947.  
Last modified: 31 Aug 2009, 22:34:56 UTC

what's your cpu settings, 100/100?

it may be a case of not enough ram depending on what projects your using/running, go into task manager and see how much ram is being used.
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sekaiji
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Message 26958 - Posted: 1 Sep 2009, 10:41:13 UTC - in response to Message 26948.  

Hello, i'm running climate predictions, WGC, Hydrogen@home, lhc@home.

But no, i have enough ram, like i said, i have 6gb, and less than 3gb is used when i use boinc. And when i play there's maybe 3.5gb used, so it's not the problem.
For me the problem looks like boinc don't let to other process enough priority.

My hardware is not in fault, i'm pretty sure it's a software problem.

Is other user of win 7 RC 64 bits have the problem ?
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Profile Gundolf Jahn

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Message 26959 - Posted: 1 Sep 2009, 10:57:15 UTC - in response to Message 26958.  

For me the problem looks like boinc don't let to other process enough priority.

You could check that with windows task-manager. The base priority of the science applications should be set to low.

You could set
On multiprocessors, use at most 99 % of the processors
Enforced by version 6.1+
That would leave one core unused by BOINC and thus should improve the computer's response.

Gruß,
Gundolf
Computer sind nicht alles im Leben. (Kleiner Scherz)
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sekaiji
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Message 26960 - Posted: 1 Sep 2009, 11:23:53 UTC - in response to Message 26959.  

Yes, i know for seeing process priority, and all process are on "low"
I don't want to let one core unused, i always let boinc on, and just wanted that my computer not slow when i use it.

So u tell me to use at 99% because it's a known problem on multiprocesor computer ?
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Les Bayliss
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Message 26961 - Posted: 1 Sep 2009, 11:39:13 UTC - in response to Message 26960.  

It's a known problem on your computer.
On my q6600, Win XP 32 bits, BOINC 6.2.18, 3.5G of usable ram, playing games while running 4 climate models is NOT a problem. Nor is using Firefox 3.5.2

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sekaiji
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Message 26962 - Posted: 1 Sep 2009, 11:51:52 UTC - in response to Message 26961.  

I had win xp 32bits and even vista 32bits, with a Q9450 and didn't have the problem with games or firefox or any soft.

But with this configuration, Seven 64 bits + Core I920, I've got a problem.

I don't know if it's because win 7RC or if there's a bug somewhere else but it's a fact, so if someone have the configuration, please report ur experience.

I'm trying now with my computer at 99% and only 7 cores used, I'll come later to tell if it's better or not, but It's a temporary solution, cause I'd like to use my 8 cores.
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Les Bayliss
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Message 26963 - Posted: 1 Sep 2009, 12:08:18 UTC

There's always the solution described in this thread.

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sekaiji
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Message 26966 - Posted: 1 Sep 2009, 13:22:22 UTC - in response to Message 26963.  

Thanks for the tip, but it's not a good solution for me, because i prefer to put at 99% instead of quit boinc, at least 7 cores works when i do that.
Plus i can use your solution with games, but with firefox i just can't, because when my computer is on, it's the most of the time because i surf on internet so if i cut boinc every time i use firefox it's useless to use boinc. Not enough work done so.

The "solution" to put at 99% works, and I don't have anymore freeze or slow when i play to farcry 2 or when i use a lot firefox.

But it's not a final solution, I'd like to use all of my 8 cores all the time.

thanks
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Steve_Gill

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Message 27192 - Posted: 9 Sep 2009, 4:45:03 UTC - in response to Message 26966.  
Last modified: 9 Sep 2009, 4:54:32 UTC

Thanks for the tip, but it's not a good solution for me, because i prefer to put at 99% instead of quit boinc, at least 7 cores works when i do that.
Plus i can use your solution with games, but with firefox i just can't, because when my computer is on, it's the most of the time because i surf on internet so if i cut boinc every time i use firefox it's useless to use boinc. Not enough work done so.

The "solution" to put at 99% works, and I don't have anymore freeze or slow when i play to farcry 2 or when i use a lot firefox.

But it's not a final solution, I'd like to use all of my 8 cores all the time.

thanks


I'm sorry but that's an unreasonable request. You want to game and browse the web and crunch all at the same time with 99% of 8 cores?

Can't work man, use 4 cores for crunching when gaming. 8 cores with Firefox alone -should be ok.

I run 100% of my four cores by 95%. That leaves that 5 % so it won't overheat and crash (or in your case slow you down).

Never game while you're dedicating all cores to BOINC - cardinal gaming sin! When you game you game, when you BOINC - you BOINC.

I want it all too, but you have to be realistic....think it through - throttle back a bit overall - and way back when you're playing Far Cry!

If you're OC'd, especially cool the % to 95 if using all 8 cores...Or optimanlly - use 7 cores @100% and leave one for browsing the web.

PS - check with gaming forums for improved performance in Far Cry. first thing it will say is stop all un-needed processes (8-cores of BOINC would be in that train of thought..). Just as here they'll say Far Cry impedes on crunching.
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Steve_Gill

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Message 27193 - Posted: 9 Sep 2009, 4:53:03 UTC - in response to Message 26961.  

It's a known problem on your computer.
On my q6600, Win XP 32 bits, BOINC 6.2.18, 3.5G of usable ram, playing games while running 4 climate models is NOT a problem. Nor is using Firefox 3.5.2



LOl...see - he's using probably half??

But....you know that guy in the server always causing lag for everyone when you're in the chopper or something??^^^^^^

Of course they never admit it.....
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sekaiji
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Message 27199 - Posted: 9 Sep 2009, 12:01:04 UTC - in response to Message 27193.  

Thx for reply.
So, why is it a unreasonnable request ? I explain.
I thought that boinc put the processes to a "low" level of priority and was only using the free ressources of the computer. It was that with my others pc so why not with this one ?
When i play farcry without boinc, i see that my CPU is only little used, so i'd just like that boinc use the rest of the free ressources.

I just don't understand beacause it was working with my others pcs with quad core (without HT) and dual core.

I just want to understand.
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Profile Gundolf Jahn

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Message 27207 - Posted: 9 Sep 2009, 14:52:13 UTC - in response to Message 27199.  

I thought that boinc put the processes to a "low" level of priority and was only using the free ressources of the computer.

You've already checked that the science applications are running at low priority. That's all BOINC can do. It depends on the operating system to follow the priority settings.

It was that with my others pc so why not with this one ?

Perhaps it's a win7 issue or even a win7 / i7 issue. I can't tell - I have neither one.

Gruß,
Gundolf
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Profile Jord
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Message 27210 - Posted: 9 Sep 2009, 14:58:27 UTC - in response to Message 27207.  

Perhaps it's a win7 issue or even a win7 / i7 issue. I can't tell - I have neither one.

I've only read in passing, don't ask me where as it was quite a while ago, that the i7s don't do the hyperthreading thing well with BOINC. I only seem to recall the advice is to use them with 4 CPUs max, when running BOINC.
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sekaiji
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Message 27234 - Posted: 9 Sep 2009, 23:52:49 UTC - in response to Message 27210.  

Yes, maybe a win 7 issue...

I tried some boinc configuration with the benchmark of Street Fighter 4 with all settings to maximum.
With boinc 8 cores 100% : I've got an average at 25 fps and the game is "slow".
Without boinc : 73 fps
With boinc 7 cores 100% : 70 fps
With boinc 8 cores 99% : 52 fps
With boinc 8 cores 95% : 55 fps
With Boinc 8 cores 90% : 57 fps

We can see that when i don't use boinc or when i use it with 7 cores à 100%, my computer works well.

I'll see later in the final release of win 7, but i'd like to correct the problem before that.
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ZPM
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Message 27235 - Posted: 10 Sep 2009, 0:20:49 UTC - in response to Message 27234.  
Last modified: 10 Sep 2009, 0:31:32 UTC

what graphics card do you have.
specs please. this maybe more of a hardware issue than a boinc related. Some cards can barely keep up with newer games.

I've only read in passing, don't ask me where as it was quite a while ago, that the i7s don't do the hyperthreading thing well with BOINC. I only seem to recall the advice is to use them with 4 CPUs max, when running BOINC.


reason, the l2 cache is so freaking low, 256 kb per physical core... 1 mb L2 cache would slow me down.... info per newegg:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202

this then HT- 8 cores divides that to 128 KB per core.

honestly, i'm waiting for their 32 NM hex-core processor next year.
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sekaiji
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Message 27236 - Posted: 10 Sep 2009, 1:27:20 UTC - in response to Message 27235.  

Hi
I've got a radeon HD4850 so it's not an old graphic card and i'm able to play to recent game in very good quality, i mean max details, like this game : strret fighter 4, according to the result of the benchmark ^^

Specs :
Radeon HD4850
Bus : PCI Express 16x 2.0
RAM : 512 Mo GDDR3
Memory bus : 256 bits
GPU : 635Mhz
RAM : 1986Mhz

Lastest catalyst driver 9.8.

Maybe that : "this then HT- 8 cores divides that to 128 KB per core" is a possible explanation to my problem, because is i use 7 cores, the computer works well.


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ZPM
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Message 27237 - Posted: 10 Sep 2009, 1:53:12 UTC - in response to Message 27236.  

Hi
I've got a radeon HD4850 so it's not an old graphic card and i'm able to play to recent game in very good quality, i mean max details, like this game : strret fighter 4, according to the result of the benchmark ^^

Specs :
Radeon HD4850
Bus : PCI Express 16x 2.0
RAM : 512 Mo GDDR3
Memory bus : 256 bits
GPU : 635Mhz
RAM : 1986Mhz

Lastest catalyst driver 9.8.

Maybe that : "this then HT- 8 cores divides that to 128 KB per core" is a possible explanation to my problem, because is i use 7 cores, the computer works well.





the memory bus is low for that card imo compared to nvidia cards.

it could be the core thing, did you do a benchmark with boinc off?
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Message 27239 - Posted: 10 Sep 2009, 5:22:37 UTC - in response to Message 27237.  

the memory bus is low for that card imo compared to nvidia cards.

Um... not sure what Nvidia cards you compare it to, but most of your Nvidia cards have a bus width of 64/128/192bits. Only the GTX260 and above have higher than 256bit bus speeds.

At 1,000 GFLOPS the 4850 isn't bad, while if sekaiji wants to use it on a project, it at least does double precision out of the box on all 800 stream processors.

For a direct comparison to spend your weekend on:
Nvidia GF8x00 and above versus ATI R600 and above. Have fun. :-)
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