MFAKTx speed menu (windows)

[swl551]

Using this batch menu you can select how to start your mfaktx instances. The key here is you need to have three .ini files each configured in such a way that GPU utilization goes from low-> med -> high. It is up to you to determine the method of control. For mfaktc 0.20 I just change one value in the .ini files. *GPUSieveSize=x"*

in the mfaktc.slow.ini the value is GPUSieveSize=4

in the mfaktc.med.ini the value is GPUSieveSize=16

in the mfaktc.med.ini the value is GPUSieveSize=128

You can use whatever value(s) you want. The key is having the three ini files in place.

The speed is controlled because the values produce changes in GPU utilization. High being 99% then dropping down from there. Lower GPU utilization means less lag and the ability to keep mfaktc running while watching movies, or even playing some low-end games.


Get the Speed Controller batch file with required supporting utilities from
http://mersenneforum.org/misfit/downloads/other/


Although the provided batch file is setup for mfaktc it can be adapted to mfakto.

This batch file assumes you have renamed the mfaktc executable to mfaktc.exe

[Mini-Geek]

This is an excellent (and simple) utility, thank you! Any chance of this functionality being integrated into MISFIT? It would be great if it could detect whether the computer is idle and switch accordingly.

Even if this is not integrated into MISFIT, if you could add a default startup speed, this would be useful as a script to run on startup (or through MISFIT).

[swl551]

Originally Posted by Mini-Geek

This is an excellent (and simple) utility, thank you! Any chance of this functionality being integrated into MISFIT? It would be great if it could detect whether the computer is idle and switch accordingly.

Even if this is not integrated into MISFIT, if you could add a default startup speed, this would be useful as a script to run on startup (or through MISFIT).

Determining the definition of "computer is idle" is tough. Are we talking CPU, GPU or both. I can determine CPU utilization using some native WMI and/or Process libraries in .NET. Accessing that information from the GPU is likely to be very complicated in .NET. So let's consider that option off the table for now or until I have more technical information on how it might be done.

The speed menu may find its way into MISFIT once I get more feedback. It would be nice if MFAKTC and MFAKTO could have a command-line argument similar to CudaLucas' POLITE option. This would allow you to directly tell the program how to run, and not play with .ini files. Bdot? Oliver? Dubslow? Flashjh? thoughts?

Here is the content to make a startup bat file defaulting to FAST based on what I've built so far.
StartFast.bat has been added to the .zip file on the MISFIT site.

@echo off
rem batch file by SWL551
set TARGET=MFAKTC.INI
set SPEED=MFAKTC.FAST.INI
set MF=MFAKTC.EXE

COPY %SPEED% %TARGET%
rem now start up factoring
START "%SPEED%" %MF%

rem now start up the speed menu
START MFSPEED.BAT

Scott

[TheJudger]

Hi Scott,

I guess I'll stay with the ini file. This way it is easy to add comments, etc.

Oliver

[swl551]

Originally Posted by TheJudger

Hi Scott,

I guess I'll stay with the ini file. This way it is easy to add comments, etc.

Oliver

What are your thoughts on a POLITE feature or some way to force wait-states on the processor? Steal the code from CuluLu?

[swl551]

In conclusion: With no support from MFAKTO/C for a command line option to control speed (see previous postings for clarification) MISFIT will not implement a Speed Control menu. MISFIT has to be easy to use and have simple configurations. A faux speed controller via hacking up .ini files is not supportable within MISFIT.

However, the batch file works, and allows the user to manipulate all the possible variables required to achieve speed control.


Hey, at least we tried!

[chalsall]

Originally Posted by swl551

Hey, at least we tried!

Indeed.

There are times when a developer must decide that something doesn't make sense....

[TheJudger]

Hey, don't give up too early. This is no promise that I'll do but at least I didn't say that I won't do it.
I need to check what polite does first. I didn't spend time on mfaktc in the past days.

Oliver

[Dubslow]

In older versions, "-polite <n>" added an extra cudaMemcpyDeviceToHost of a float every n iterations (which take some small number of milliseconds to complete). In more recent versions since owftheevil got involved, it calls "cudaStreamSynchronize(0)" every n iterations.