Ok, I got the client and dll files, added some work from gputo72, double clicked the mfact executable and it started, a black box flashed on screen for a millisecond, and ... how do I tell if its running?

I put the work in wortodo.add ... it seems that the work got automagically added to worktodo.txt under worker # 1 ... if it is running, will it only do the N/A entries? worker # 1 is already on trial factoring via primenet ...

btw, I have a geforce 8400GS, its on the supported hardware list, not the fastest card in town but wtf, the card does nothing, so why not?

If it was active it would stay longer than a millisecond. Try opening the console and then entering mfaktc.exe in your directory.

Maybe you can read an error message than. It could be that your card is too old. Other users will know more.

Most current version 0.18 does contain the needed dll files.
Look in [URL]http://www.mersenneforum.org/mfaktc/[/URL] for the download files.

Also, as far as I am aware, I do not believe mfatkc has a worktodo.add feature, does it? Try putting the work directly into worktodo.txt; also note that headers such as [Worker #1] are unnecessary and will probably cause an error. (mfaktc at the moment does not directly support multiple-instances-from-one-worktodo-file.) As Brain suggested, try manually running mfatkc from a command line (cmd.exe). That way the console will stay open so you can read the error messages, if any.

ok, using command prompt I see:

Binary compiled for cuda 4.0
cuda runtime version 1244.30
cuda driver version 3290.60

ERROR: cuda runtime version must match cuda toolkit version used during compile!

Any ideas? I took v18 of the app, in case it helps

What's your Nvidia driver version? It needs to be something line >= 285.x or so. For example, I can't upgrade past 270.x on Linux, so I'm stuck with version 17.

Use the v17 of the app and/or upgrade your card driver. I am suing the latest greatest 295.73 Nvidia drivers and they have 4.1.1 cuda drivers.

[QUOTE=garo;290979]Use the v17 of the app and/or upgrade your card driver. I am [I][U]suing[/U][/I] the latest greatest 295.73 Nvidia drivers and they have 4.1.1 cuda drivers.[/QUOTE]

Hope you have a good lawyer.... :razz:

blargh ...

spent hours downloading 295.73, only to have it not install on my box ... attempting xp version of same, os is server 2003 ... hope this doesnt become a clusterfuck ...

v17 of the app gives different erros, something like driver incapable, cannot initialize device ...

grrrrrr

edit

why does this have to be so difficult? ... living in west africa is bad enough, I dont need anymore reasons to drink heavily ...

edit 2

ok, after a driver update it runs ... but it is hogging one core to the max ... is this normal? I thought the idea was to use an otherwise idle gpu ...

[QUOTE=PageFault;290982]... but it is hogging one core to the max ... is this normal?[/QUOTE]

Check the parameter AllowSleep=1 in the mfaktc.ini file.

It might be what you are looking for...

Yes, that is normal. In the PDF it states that mfaktc uses the GPU plus at least one core of the CPU. If you'd like to use the GPU without having to dedicate a core to it, try CUDALucas (though at about 20% GHz Days throughput of mfatkc).

RichD is also correct; because it's a low end GPU, your CPU might be ahead of your GPU, so AllowSleep might reduce the CPU usage.

I have an ATI Radeon HD 5570, I bought it about 2 years ago, and it was pretty awesome at the time, but 2 years is like 50 years in other industries, so if I can't use it(can I?) so what's a good thing to upgrade to?

I don't have to pay for electricity as long as my use isn't grievously large. Last I checked, electricity was 5.5 cents per KwH, but that was years ago. I'd have to ask my dad what grievously large is. Even when I had 3 computers running full steam it barely phased him, but this was just one-core cpus at the time.

I'm looking to spend under $350, and I want value over sheer awesomeness, paying 50% more for a 10% improvement isn't fun to me. Also, unless I can get way more performance for my money I prefer AMD/ATI over NVIDIA. Not sure about other companies, or even if there's a decent competitor to the first 2.

Hmmmm, should I start a new thread with this post?