CPU is too slow for normal trial factoring

[Uncwilly]

Originally Posted by Aapje

I could not find a link to that thresholds page anywhere in PrimeNet. Perhaps that link should be placed on the Computer Properties and Account-Level Work Type Preference pages, so people know what happens when they select 'do what makes sense'.

There is a link on the main page. See the attached.

[Aapje]

Ok, I missed it. Thanks.

[starrynte]

For some reason, one of my computers is getting TF-LMH...it's 2.2 GHz dual core (only 1 worker on 1 CPU only) and is set to 3 hours a day, so pentium 4 equivalent should be 275 MHz which is enough to get TF normal...Unless pentium 4 equivalents are calculated differently for dual cores?

[Aapje]

I believe that the Mhz calculation is based on the CPU type. For instance, a 486 1 Mhz is not equal to a Pentium 4 1 Mhz. So your speed could very well not be equivalent to Pentium 4 200 Mhz. I would suggest just setting the preferences to 4 hours, which should do the trick. Ultimately, the speed calculation is just a tool to help you size the assignments to the computer, but you are the boss. If you don't mind the assignments taking a bit longer, you can make it do what you want. For instance, some people are doing multi-year assignments on hardware that is more than 10 years old.

I don't think that dual cores are taken into account for the speed calculation at all, since normally, every core you give to Prime95 gets it own task. So for the purposes of calculating the speed, a dual core is equivalent to 2 seperate computers with one core each.

[mdettweiler]

Originally Posted by Aapje

I believe that the Mhz calculation is based on the CPU type. For instance, a 486 1 Mhz is not equal to a Pentium 4 1 Mhz. So your speed could very well not be equivalent to Pentium 4 200 Mhz. I would suggest just setting the preferences to 4 hours, which should do the trick. Ultimately, the speed calculation is just a tool to help you size the assignments to the computer, but you are the boss. If you don't mind the assignments taking a bit longer, you can make it do what you want. For instance, some people are doing multi-year assignments on hardware that is more than 10 years old.

I don't think that dual cores are taken into account for the speed calculation at all, since normally, every core you give to Prime95 gets it own task. So for the purposes of calculating the speed, a dual core is equivalent to 2 seperate computers with one core each.

Why bother with the whole hassle of setting it to a certain number of hours today? What I do is just go to the web page and set my computer to the specific work type I want it to do at the time--no need to play trial and error with the "what works best" worktype.

[starrynte]

Originally Posted by mdettweiler

Why bother with the whole hassle of setting it to a certain number of hours today? What I do is just go to the web page and set my computer to the specific work type I want it to do at the time--no need to play trial and error with the "what works best" worktype.

Yes, but I wanted it to do TF NORMAL, yet if i set it to trial factoring (not LMH) the server still gives me TF-LMH.
(similar to petrw1's pentium 3 which got many LMH assignments each of which finished in a few mins)

[Aapje]

Originally Posted by starrynte

Yes, but I wanted it to do TF NORMAL, yet if i set it to trial factoring (not LMH) the server still gives me TF-LMH.
(similar to petrw1's pentium 3 which got many LMH assignments each of which finished in a few mins)

Exactly. Since you can already select TF-LMH, choosing TF should probably not automatically downgrade you to TF-LMH or there should be another option: non-LMH TF. Currently there is a lack of (precise) control.

[mdettweiler]

Originally Posted by starrynte

Yes, but I wanted it to do TF NORMAL, yet if i set it to trial factoring (not LMH) the server still gives me TF-LMH.
(similar to petrw1's pentium 3 which got many LMH assignments each of which finished in a few mins)

Oh, I see...I wasn't aware that the "too slow for normal trial factoring" guidelines still applied when you specifically select normal TF.

[cheesehead]

Originally Posted by mdettweiler

Oh, I see...I wasn't aware that the "too slow for normal trial factoring" guidelines still applied when you specifically select normal TF.

That "Assignment Thresholds" page now has, under "Thresholds for trial factoring assignments":

Minimum Pentium 4 equivalent speed to get non-LMH assignments       50 MHz

Down from 200MHz a couple of weeks ago.

Try it again?

[axn]

Originally Posted by starrynte

Yes, but I wanted it to do TF NORMAL, yet if i set it to trial factoring (not LMH) the server still gives me TF-LMH.
(similar to petrw1's pentium 3 which got many LMH assignments each of which finished in a few mins)

Originally Posted by Aapje

Exactly. Since you can already select TF-LMH, choosing TF should probably not automatically downgrade you to TF-LMH or there should be another option: non-LMH TF. Currently there is a lack of (precise) control.

Are you just changing the preference at the client and not at the server. Go to My Account > CPUs. Click on the specific machine name. There you'll see what the _server_ thinks is your preference. If you set it correctly there, it should give you the proper assignment.

[starrynte]

Originally Posted by axn

If you set it correctly there, it should give you the proper assignment.

Yes, it is set to TF - trial factoring (not tf-lmh)
UPDATE: just now it got a normal TF assignment, so problem solved :D