What can I do with this PC?
 

Santa came around early this year and brought me a shiny new [URL="http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&objectID=c03306320&jumpid=reg_r1002_usen_c-001_title_r0004"]HP Pavilion HPE h9-1185 Phoenix[/URL] box, and there's some things I'd like to ask here regarding how I might get it to contribute to GIMPS.

The first question is this: This machine has an Intel Z75 chipset as well as a Core i7 3770 CPU. If [URL="http://ark.intel.com/products/65719/Intel-Core-i7-3770-Processor-8M-Cache-up-to-3_90-GHz"]my research[/URL] is [URL="http://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/public/us/en/documents/product-briefs/z75-z77-express-chipset-brief.pdf"]correct[/URL], both of these elements support the Flexible Display Interface (FDI), which means that the system can run both the integrated graphics [B]and[/B] the discrete GPU (AMD Radeon HD 7770) at the same time. So... can I run separate factoring programs (or different instances of the same program) on the onboard GPU and the add-on graphics card?

I have more questions, but I'd like to start with this one.

Rodrigo

[QUOTE=Rodrigo;316985]Santa came around early this year and brought me a shiny new [URL="http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&objectID=c03306320&jumpid=reg_r1002_usen_c-001_title_r0004"]HP Pavilion HPE h9-1185 Phoenix[/URL] box, and there's some things I'd like to ask here regarding how I might get it to contribute to GIMPS.

The first question is this: This machine has an Intel Z75 chipset as well as a Core i7 3770 CPU. If [URL="http://ark.intel.com/products/65719/Intel-Core-i7-3770-Processor-8M-Cache-up-to-3_90-GHz"]my research[/URL] is [URL="http://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/public/us/en/documents/product-briefs/z75-z77-express-chipset-brief.pdf"]correct[/URL], both of these elements support the Flexible Display Interface (FDI), which means that the system can run both the integrated graphics [B]and[/B] the discrete GPU (AMD Radeon HD 7770) at the same time. So... can I run separate factoring programs (or different instances of the same program) on the onboard GPU and the add-on graphics card?

I have more questions, but I'd like to start with this one.

Rodrigo[/QUOTE]

I have a integrated AMD APU and a HD 7770, can run both at same time.. but I am not sure if mfakto supports Ivy Bridge iGPU's yet..

Thanks, that's good to know. Hopefully it's not too big an assumption to make, that one could do the same thing with Ivy Bridge as you're doing with the AMD APU.

Even if it's not (yet) possible to run mfakto on the iGPU, I wonder if one can run, say, CUDALucas on it while the HD7770 is running mfakto.

The next question would be -- if you run mfakt_ on a graphics card, how much does that impact your ability to run programs, surf the Web, watch videos and the like? Ultimately, this new PC would be an everyday computer (otherwise Santa wouldn't have delivered it :smile: ).

Rodrigo

CudaLucas relies on cufft library, provided by nvidia and dedicated to their cards/gpus. To run CL on (AMD/intel/etc) someone has to rewrite that library (which is a hell of work and need knowledge behind what we mortals have). Sooner we would see CL running on AMD than intel, there are already trials to implement FFT on AMD gpus.

To expand on what LaurV said, CUDA applications like mfaktc and CUDALucas can only run on CUDA-enabled graphics cards, which are only sold by nVidia, because they're the ones who made CUDA. mfakto is written to use OpenCL, an open Computing standard for graphics cards. (OpenGL is the corresponding open Graphics standard.) Intel and AMD graphics chips support OpenCL (as does nVidia*), and thus mfakto will run on them. In order to implement "OpenCLLucas" in OpenCL, somebody will have to, like LaurV said, implement an FFT library in OpenCL.

PS I'm pretty sure that the IB iGPUs support OpenCL 1.2; it's worth a shot to try running mfakto on the IB iGPU.

*I've asked Bdot about running mfakto on nVidia cards before, but as can be seem somewhere in the mfakto thread, nVidia's OpenCL compilers are buggy, and mfakto won't run; mfaktc would probably be faster anyways.

Thanks @LaurV and @Dubslow.

So, if I understand it, it might be possible to run mfakto on the HD 7770 and (separately) on the Intel iGP. The question then becomes -- given that the add-on graphics card is in place, how to enable the iGP without disabling the add-on card?

Rodrigo

If you are talking about the BIOS settings for video, that usually only applies at boot up, that is, which GPU will show boot progress. I have an onboard GPU, though I've never tried to run mfakto on it. I did, at one point, use it for the display while running mfaktc on an add-on card.

For me, I just did "Enable crossfire support" or something like that in the bios :smile:

So then, how would one assign the onboard GPU to do one thing and the add-on card to do a different thing? Is there a setting in mfakto to accomplish that?

Rodrigo

[QUOTE=Rodrigo;317319]So then, how would one assign the onboard GPU to do one thing and the add-on card to do a different thing? Is there a setting in mfakto to accomplish that?

Rodrigo[/QUOTE]

Yes, the argument -d

for me, it is -d 11 and -d 12,

[QUOTE=kracker;317321]Yes, the argument -d

for me, it is -d 11 and -d 12,[/QUOTE]

Huh, interesting. How does one find out which numbers to input there?

Another issue: If you do run mfakto (or whatever) on both the iGP and the discrete GPU, is there any processing capability left over to run, say, videos or Windows Media Center?

Rodrigo

[QUOTE=Rodrigo;317332]Huh, interesting. How does one find out which numbers to input there?

Another issue: If you do run mfakto (or whatever) on both the iGP and the discrete GPU, is there any processing capability left over to run, say, videos or Windows Media Center?

Rodrigo[/QUOTE]

There should be, especially if you run one less instance of mfakto than is necessary to max the GPU.

[QUOTE=Dubslow;317337]There should be, especially if you run one less instance of mfakto than is necessary to max the GPU.[/QUOTE]
That helps a lot, thanks!

Maybe it's time to start playing with mfakto and see how it works. :smile: Other than Brain's GPU Computing Guide, is there a "one-stop shopping" place to look for info on how to run it, or should I just consult the "Trial division with OpenCL" and "GPU Trial Factoring FAQ" threads?

Rodrigo

[QUOTE=Rodrigo;317352] or should I just consult the "Trial division with CUDA" and "GPU Trial Factoring FAQ" threads?

Rodrigo[/QUOTE]
Yes, but consider perhaps the "Trial division with OpenCL" thread. :smile: Or even better, the README that comes with mfakto.

[QUOTE=Dubslow;317353]Yes, but consider perhaps the "Trial division with OpenCL" thread. :smile: Or even better, the README that comes with mfakto.[/QUOTE]
Shoot, you read my post before I finished fixing it!! :blush:

Much appreciate the info. :tu:

Rodrigo

OK, next question. Do people run mfakt_ on their graphics card 24/7, or do they let it rest every so often? Are there any concerns (or not really) about burning the card out, or shortening its lifespan?

Rodrigo

[QUOTE=Rodrigo;317360]OK, next question. Do people run mfakt_ on their graphics card 24/7, or do they let it rest every so often? Are there any concerns (or not really) about burning the card out, or shortening its lifespan?

Rodrigo[/QUOTE]

Not anymore so than with Prime95. I let it run all the time.

[QUOTE=Rodrigo;317360]OK, next question. Do people run mfakt_ on their graphics card 24/7, or do they let it rest every so often? Are there any concerns (or not really) about burning the card out, or shortening its lifespan?

Rodrigo[/QUOTE]
They [U]WILL[/U] - for sure - generate a lot of heat! (and take a lot of money from your pocket in electricity costs, but this is secondary). If you can efficiently get rid of that heat, you are good. Keeping the GPU at some (approximate) constant temperature will NOT shorten its life time, assuming that temperature is not ridiculously high. Running gtx580 at 45 celsius or at 75 celsius would not make much difference in its life time, assuming the thermal strain is low (i.e. you always keep the temperature around that level). Repeatedly switching between 45 and 75 would be much worse (and shorten the life time of the card faster, due to thermal strain).

As Dub' said, my cards are continuously running too. Usually I need to switch from "aggressive" mode to "polite" mode when I play high definition videos or work in autocad/solid works, otherwise the screen is jumpy. And this for the main card only (the one connected to the monitors).

Thanks @LaurV and @Dubslow, this is good news. The machine is liquid-cooled, so we'll soon find out how effective that cooling system is.

I see in the UEFI menu, under "Advanced," that there is an option to enable the Integrated Video (default value is Disabled). If I flip this to Enable, would it ipso facto disable the add-on graphics card? I'm assuming that doing this would not disable it, but it can't hurt to ask...

Rodrigo

[QUOTE=Rodrigo;317371]I see in the UEFI menu, under "Advanced," that there is an option to enable the Integrated Video (default value is Disabled). If I flip this to Enable, would it ipso facto disable the add-on graphics card? I'm assuming that doing this would not disable it, but it can't hurt to ask...

Rodrigo[/QUOTE]

No. I do not think that it will disable the add-on card. This is only an On/Off for the onboard GPU.

[QUOTE=kladner;317373]No. I do not think that it will disable the add-on card. This is only an On/Off for the onboard GPU.[/QUOTE]
Fabulous! This is sounding better and better.

I'll print out the README in the morning and proceed from there.

Thanks for your help.

Rodrigo

You do, of course, have to load drivers for the various GPUs, *if available.*
If they are all the same make, then this will probably not be an issue.

*I have no knowledge of Intel iGPUs.

OK, this driver stuff is confusing.

System Information says that the "Driver Version" for the HD 7700 is 9.2.0.0. But the AMD Catalyst Control Center says that the "Catalyst Version" is 12.10 whereas the "Driver Packaging Version" is 9.002[etcetera].

How to sort this out? Both the README and Brain's "cheat sheet" say that the "Catalyst driver" should be at least 11.4, but I don't see a listing with that exact label, only other listings each with a [I]different[/I] piece of Brain's label ("[B]Driver[/B] Version" and "[B]Catalyst[/B] Version").

Rodrigo

how my GPU-Z looks on this computer.

Oh, and also, 9.2.0.0 is fine, that number is the actual 3D driver number, 12.10 is the "package" version number.

[QUOTE=kracker;317433]how my GPU-Z looks on this computer.[/QUOTE]
Here's how that shows up on my computer. Looks like the driver version is lower, but the BIOS version is higher.

[QUOTE=Rodrigo;317451]Here's how that shows up on my computer. Looks like the driver version is lower, but the BIOS version is higher.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, driver version is lower because you have the "stable" 12.10, I have the beta 12.11.

Comparing BIOS version numbers from different computers are as different as comparing two PC's and.... *scratch head* "What the hell? these two are both PC's, why does this one have a different cpu?":smile:

Unless you have the same MB, same brand/model as you...

EDIT: Meh. I just realized it was GPU bios, not system bios. Still, it will be different I believe.

[QUOTE=kracker;317455]Yeah, driver version is lower because you have the "stable" 12.10, I have the beta 12.11.
[/QUOTE]
So, to recap -- when the mfakto README (and Brain's "cheat sheet") talks about the "Catalyst driver" that needs to be at least 11.4, that's where I'm at 12.10 and you're at 12.11, right?

Rodrigo

[QUOTE=Rodrigo;317459]So, to recap -- when the mfakto README (and Brain's "cheat sheet") talks about the "Catalyst driver" that needs to be at least 11.4, that's where I'm at 12.10 and you're at 12.11, right?

Rodrigo[/QUOTE]

Yep, it should be fine.

Very good, thanks!

Rodrigo