BOINC@AUSTRALIA FORUM

Active BOINC projects => TN-GRID => Topic started by: Dingo on December 24, 2016, 12:28:52 PM

Title: Optimized Application for 64 bit operating Systems
Post by: Dingo on December 24, 2016, 12:28:52 PM
See the TN-GRID forum post HERE (http://gene.disi.unitn.it/test/forum_thread.php?id=135&postid=670)


https://bitbucket.org/sirzooro/pc-boinc/downloads. In order to install them, please stop BOINC, extract files to <BOINC_Data_Dir>\projects\gene.disi.unitn.it_test\ and start BOINC again.

Windows Users

1. Stop BOINC then
2. download the correct SSE/AVX file for your PC then
3. unzip to "C:\ProgramData\BOINC\projects\gene.disi.unitn.it_test" and then
4.  restart BOINC.

Linux Users  This is on Debian Jessie, some other Linux versions put the BOINC files in a different location.  Use "find / -name gene.disi.unitn.it_test " to find the correct location to extract the files to.

1.   Stop BOINC -->/etc/init.d/boinc stop  some might have to use /etc/init.d/boinc-client stop
2.   Download the correct file from https://bitbucket.org/sirzooro/pc-boinc/downloads/ -->  wget "https://bitbucket.org/sirzooro/pc-boinc/downloads/TN-Grid.linux-x86-64-avx.tgz"
3.   Unzip the file to the project folder ---> tar zxvf TN-Grid.linux-x86-64-avx.tgz -C /usr/bin/projects/gene.disi.unitn.it_test
4.   Start BOINC --> /etc/init.d/boinc start
5.   Delete the downloaded file --> rm /root/TN-Grid.linux-x86-64-avx.tgz

There are only two files that are unzipped which are app_info.xml and pc.

Title: Re: Optimized Application for 64 bit operating Systems
Post by: kashi on December 26, 2016, 01:29:43 PM
Tested all 3 optimized versions on my Sandy Bridge. SSE2 version was faster than AVX version, not by much but it was consistent. FMA version errored immediately. I checked and FMA isn't supported on Intel CPUs prior to Haswell and Broadwell.

Will crunch some on this box, Skylake one don't take too kindly to Boincus interruptus due to 4 Gekkos mining.

Thanks for the heads up and instructions. :thumbsup:

Title: Re: Optimized Application for 64 bit operating Systems
Post by: Dingo on December 26, 2016, 03:56:00 PM
I am running both Windows and Linux and find that the Optimised apps finish a wu much faster.  Windows (Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4771 CPU @ 3.50GHz [Family 6 Model 60 Stepping 3]) is running on Optimised at about 2200 to 2300 ms and getting about 97 credits per hour.  The standard app was running at 4800 to 50000 and getting 29.5 credits per hour.  The Debian Jessie Linux (Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E3-1245 V2 @ 3.40GHz [Family 6 Model 58 Stepping 9]) optimised runs at about 2400-2600 and gets 85.5 credits per hour and the standard finished in 4800-5000 and got about 45.5 credits per hour.  So running almost twice as fast.
Title: Re: Optimized Application for 64 bit operating Systems
Post by: kashi on December 26, 2016, 06:43:31 PM
Interesting stats. Optimized apps are certainly an excellent improvement.

What versions are you running on the separate computers? SSE2, AVX or FMA on i7-4771?  And SSE2 or AVX on the E3-1245 V2?

Assume SSE2, but just thought I'd ask, to be sure, to be sure.

Had forgotten this project was biology type. Thought CreditNew and previous poor credit sucked so left it alone after doing an initial 100K. Only 614 contributors means it's easier to move up the rankings than most other projects if you decide to give it a go.

Plus there's badges now.  :coolgleam:

I've switched 20 cores to TN-Grid but left 8 cores on SRBase slowly working on completing a silver badge collection, haha.
Title: Re: Optimized Application for 64 bit operating Systems
Post by: JugNut on December 27, 2016, 03:37:03 AM
Yep Good find Dingo.  :thumbsup:
It's still not a huge payer but it's a lots better than it was originally. Not a bad project either.

For some reason my Gekko's really hate TN-Grid.  They started behaving poorly as soon as I started getting stuck into them.  The miners have gone from 12GH+ down to 7-8 GH and are loosing contact more frequently now too.  There must be something in common between CPU app's that send the miners buggy? A resource, something? But for the life of me I can't figure out what it is.

@kashi: Yea your right for Intel CPU's SSE2 are the way to go.  There's usually a bigger difference between SSE2 & AVX,  maybe someone else may give optimising a crack as they did at DENIS.  FMA is usually fastest for later model AMD CPU's, haswell or later.
Title: Re: Optimized Application for 64 bit operating Systems
Post by: Dingo on December 27, 2016, 07:07:42 AM
All my CPU's are AVX which made it easy for installation.  I just copied the Computer CPU details into google and asked for the specs to see what they were "Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E3-1241 v3 @ 3.50GHz [Family 6 Model 60 Stepping 3]".
Title: Re: Optimized Application for 64 bit operating Systems
Post by: kashi on December 27, 2016, 10:32:52 AM
Thanks for letting us know you're using AVX on all your computers Dingo. Yeh my Sandy Bridge CPUs can run TN-Grid optimized AVX version, but I found it's slightly slower than SSE2. Seems your E3-1245 V2 Ivy Bridge does better than Sandy Bridge with optimized AVX version.

I was too curious and relented and installed on Skylake. Running the FMA version on 3 cores, with another 3 cores on POGS and getting quite speedy crunching, about 20 minutes per task.

Runs hot like Asteroids AVX. If we get a cooler day here I will increase total BOINC cores from 6 to 7 and try running it on 4 or 5 cores and see how much it slows down. Seems quite sensitive to contention on dual box, I've reduced from 20 cores to 18 which speeds things up a little and helps cool down the second CPU which runs hotter being right behind the first CPU.

Really need a new case for that computer, had to disconnect tiny front fans because they're too noisy, so run with side off. Have reintroduced using a 30cm floor fan blowing in the side for these hot days. Haven't used that since intensive GPU crunching days when I was running 3 ATI Cypress cores in the one box.

May try the AVX and SSE2 versions on Skylake later today.

Aha JugNut, one of my Gekkos had lost connection this morning. Never thought of these disconnections being linked to what CPU projects are being run. Always thought it was a power issue, as could never get 5 sticks to work reliably on this hub. So only run 4 and the 5th one burnt up by being run plugged into the monitor without a fan. Strange thing it used to always be the 3rd one of the 4 that disconnected until last week when I increased the little voltage pot a tiny bit. That cured it and it has been stable ever since but now the 2nd one has started being the one that loses connection.

Must say that Firefox is crashing every hour or more often on Skylake box since I installed TN-Grid. Very weird.