Windows SMP client now in public Beta!

[enhanced08]

i just saw this over at FCF. http://forum.folding-community.org/ftopic18531.html

i tried to run it when it was in private beta (im a beta tester) but could not get it to work right, but i have yet to try it since it has been released.

these are some times posted at EOC while running the windows smp client. once i get my overclock stable i'll give it a shot and post my results.

p2651
QX6700 (stock) xp pro x64 2gb ram 10:13 /f rame
T7200 @ 2.0GHz ~22 min/frame 2GB RAM XP Pro
T5500 laptop XP Media 2gig mem 27.5 min frame

p2652
e6400 @3.2 win xp 12 minutes a frame
E6600 @ 3.33GHz ~9:30/frame


p2610
P-D 930 3GHz 27:49 per frame - 778 ppd XP Media
Opty 165 @ 2.8 24:55 880ppd WinXP SP2 2gb Ram
x2 3800 @ 2.6 44:31 492ppd WinXP SP2 512mb Ram
X2-3800 @2.6GHz, 2GB DDR2-800, WinXP SP2 30:01/frame, or 731PPD

[freakitchen]

This looks pretty good enhanced. I've downloaded and installed the client (suggest users read the FAQ, the steps are a little different to the standard console version).

Just got my first WU running the client. Task manager reports FOUR FAH processes, each running at between 20-30% CPU, thus using both cores at around 100%. Lets see what this does to my PPD

FK

[Panama Red]

Hmmm, looks like I may have to do some client changing in the near future. What processor are you running yours on, FK?

[freakitchen]

Running mine on an Athlon X2 4400+ PR, (clocked at stock @ 2.2ghz) with 2GB RAM. Just took approx 30 minutes to complete 1 percent, so obviously 50 hours completion time for the unit. Which appears pretty huge, by the way, the FAQ reports that the SMP requires you to accept the big WUs (+5MB), which I guess you are already, and I set the -avdmethods flag too. Currently each of the four processors are eating 85MB of RAM each - 340MB in total! Wouldn't be so keen on running this if I only had a gig.

FK

[Panama Red]

Thanx, FK. I'm thinking of trying the SMP on my Pentium D 950 and/or my T5500 C2D laptop. The 950 has 2 gigs of ram but the lappy only has 1 gig. You saying the lappy will be crippled with a ram limitation or just extend the wu completion time?

[freakitchen]

As far as I understand, the processor is happy to back off if needed, but the RAM requirements will not. Since you need the big WUs with the SMP at the moment, I don't think that there's any way around this. I assume the laptop isnt a heavy use machine for you, so it should be ok.

[freakitchen]

For everyone's info, here's a link to the forum specifically for the Windows SMP Client (the thread enhanced linked to was locked down after a couple of posts)

http://forum.folding-community.org/f...dows-beta.html

And here's the list of known bugs

http://forum.folding-community.org/ftopic18210.html

Need to pay particular attention to Number 5 (Big WUs), and Number 19. I terminated the client last night with the usual Ctrl+C, and this morning got informed that the termination of the core was improper. From what I understand from (19), it's necessary to physically stop all the FAH processes listed there before ending the client. Not sure what they mean by 'unless you plan to reboot', though.

**********************
Please ignore my terrible advice on the manual termination of the cores, folks. I just found out to my cost that doing so causes the WU to crash and delete.

At any rate, I'm going to have to give up on SMP for the moment. There's only 3 WUs opened up to SMP at the minute - two of which have 4 day deadlines, one of which has 3. This machine is only on during waking hours, and I'm just not going to get the units finished in time. Am sure this will change soon, but in the meantime, I'm going to give the GPU client a go.