Hello. I am running BOINC with Rosetta project on my laptop (Intel Pentium M @ 1.50GHz, 504MB RAM, Windows XP Home SP2). I had BOINC version 5.4.11 and it worked just great. A week ago I updated BOINC to version 5.8.8 and I noticed that the usage percentage of my cpu was oscillating continuously between 100% and almost 0%. Obviously, when cpu is not working, Rosetta freezes for a while.
When I shutted down BOINC there was no problem anymore.
I contacted a volunteer helper, with no luck. I have also re-updated BOINC from ver. 5.8.8 to version 5.8.11 but it didn't work. Now I've reinstalled version 5.4.11 with no problem. It works fine. What's the matter with it?

I have never seen this.
But it sounds like the new memory settings in 5.8.8 could do this.

Please post this on Number cruching board instaed more people read
and answer questions there.

Anders n

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I have never seen this.
But it sounds like the new memory settings in 5.8.8 could do this.

Please post this on Number cruching board instaed more people read
and answer questions there.

Anders n

It may also be that you have your preferences set to throttle CPU usage. When you enable that setting BOINC processes or suspends for one second at a time.

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BOINC WIKI

BOINCing since 2002/12/8

Yes, if you set your General Preference to use at most 50% of CPU for example, then it will use 100% CPU for a second, then do nothing for a second, then use 100% for a second... this gives you the 50% usage on average. So, if you want BOINC to use more of your CPU, install the new BOINC version, change your general preference, and update to the project.

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Rosetta Moderator: Mod.Sense

Yes, if you set your General Preference to use at most 50% of CPU for example, then it will use 100% CPU for a second, then do nothing for a second, then use 100% for a second... this gives you the 50% usage on average. So, if you want BOINC to use more of your CPU, install the new BOINC version, change your general preference, and update to the project.

I have a two CPU core machine. Only one CPU is running projects. Advice or pointers to ways to use both CPU cores greatly appreciated.

William

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Go to the "Advanced View", to the Tasks tab, what status is shown for the task that is not running?

I'm guessing perhaps "waiting for memory"? If so, check the % of memory you allow BOINC to use. This is configured in your General Preferences. If you alter the setting, you must then update to the project for the change to take effect.

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Rosetta Moderator: Mod.Sense

Go to the "Advanced View", to the Tasks tab, what status is shown for the task that is not running?

I'm guessing perhaps "waiting for memory"? If so, check the % of memory you allow BOINC to use. This is configured in your General Preferences. If you alter the setting, you must then update to the project for the change to take effect.

Sorry, WJHalverson asked a 2nd question, but should have done so by starting a new thread, not in the middle of someone else's Q&A.

And then, Mod.Sense provided an Answer, but it's not clear which question he was answering.

Most importantly, it's not clear whether Pappanz, who began the thread, got a sufficient answer to his question.

I have tried the "Use At Most XXX Percentage CPU Time" setting. It is a good option. It does work by running Boinc for 100% for a while, and then taking a rest for a while. For instance, if you are using a Laptop computer that gets too hot while running 100% continuously, then you can reduce the heat by oscillating between 100% and 0%, with your chosen "duty factor."

Another concern might be that your computer will slow down during those instantaneous times when BOINC is running at 100%. Theoretically, this should not be a problem since BOINC runs at "Idle Priority," and at the microsecond that any other program wants some CPU power, BOINC will graciously step aside and allow anything else to take as much CPU as it wants. At Idle Priority, BOINC will only use clock cycles that no other program wanted.

An exception might be if there's another program that also runs at Idle Priority. In that case, BOINC and that program will compete. Again, if a normal program comes along, both of those Idle programs will step aside.

Whenever my computer seemed to be slowing down, I have tried Suspending Boinc, but it never helped. Boinc was never the problem. The Idle setting seems to be fine.

In my limited experience, the only possible issue is that BOINC can be set to keep your microprocessor running at 100%, which might cause a heat problem. Computers that are more modern than mine (...) have the capability to monitor and display the temperature inside the microprocessor chip. 80 degrees C is considered OK for electronics, but I think it's too hot for continuous operation. (I.e., if your microprocessor is running at 80 degrees, you might want to tell BOINC to use less CPU Percent power.) There's plenty on the subject of CPU temperature if you google.

Heat monitoring software, one CPU heat sink is better than another, water cooling, or just throttling back on your BOINC settings, etc etc.

If the CPU spends some time at 0%, then having it pop up to 100% for a short while is not a problem, heatwise, if that's a concern. In my case, my old microprocessor runs 100%, continuously. It does not run fast enough to generate much heat. I don't know if that's a good thing...

-N-

My computer seems to have some tasks that run at idle priority, but only when they get to be the main task at idle priority. Any chance we could get BOINC to occasionally schedule a short time when it stops trying to run any task?
15 minutes looks like a good estimate for the default of what the default time this should last. It could then go back to a few hours of running normally. This would be likely to let me tell BOINC it could start using 100% of the idle time between these pauses.

I'm not clear on your objective. Sounds like a good issue for a new thread.

BOINC does have a snooze function. Just right click the icon. It suspends all activity for... I think it is 30 minutes. Then resumes with your normal preferences.

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Rosetta Moderator: Mod.Sense

[quote]Go to the "Advanced View", to the Tasks tab, what status is shown

If the CPU spends some time at 0%, then having it pop up to 100% for a short while is not a problem, heatwise, if that's a concern. In my case, my old microprocessor runs 100%, continuously. It does not run fast enough to generate much heat. I don't know if that's a good thing...

-N-

So I did not understand and google is not helping too - how to set processor running at 100% constantly? In preferences I have stated to use 100% but BOINC does not, it fluctuates from 100% to zerro for a second, then again back to 100 for 5 sec.

I have version 6.2.12

There are two ways to set your CPU preference. One if from the website under computing preferences. The other is from the client, under the advanced view and preferences and then the processor usage tab.

The processor usage tab overrides the settings from the website. The website is for all hosts of that user account and venue, and the processor tab is just for that specific machine.

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Rosetta Moderator: Mod.Sense

There are two ways to set your CPU preference. One if from the website under computing preferences. The other is from the client, under the advanced view and preferences and then the processor usage tab.

The processor usage tab overrides the settings from the website. The website is for all hosts of that user account and venue, and the processor tab is just for that specific machine.

in the processor usage tab Im able to set when it do work.

the only relevant tab is: "On multiprocessor systems use "100%" of processors."
so it's not implemented or not here.

in the processor usage tab Im able to set when it do work.

the only relevant tab is: "On multiprocessor systems use "100%" of processors."
so it's not implemented or not here.

Hello Alan Po,

From my own experience I know the preferences window not always completely opens and no scrollbar shows up.
Use your mouse pointer to increase the size of the window and most likely the “Use at most xx % of CPU time” will show up.

Have a nice day,
Path7.

Yes, there are two settings. One related to how many CPUs to allow BOINC to use. The other releates to a percentage of CPU time to use.

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Rosetta Moderator: Mod.Sense

Yes, there are two settings. One related to how many CPUs to allow BOINC to use. The other releates to a percentage of CPU time to use.

yes, help too shows setting:
"Use at most X% of CPU time It you specify 50%, BOINC will compute only every other second. This reduces the heat output and energy usage of your CPU chip. "

but in preferences this setting is absent. remember I have version 6.2.12 from ubuntu repository, so I think there is only some ancient version available.
Let's hope ubuntu community will update it in future.

OK, but just from the website configuration (click the "[ Participants ]" link near the top of this message board page), you can define the number of CPUs to utilize, rather then a percentage of the number of CPUs. You can also set the % of CPU time BOINC should use.

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Rosetta Moderator: Mod.Sense