[dtsang]

Hello...

I'm just getting started with SETI BOINC on my lowly G4 and want to squeeze every ounce of performance possible out of it. I've got the 4.27 G4 BOINC client but am wondering whether I should download and use the AltiVec BOINC clients on this page .

thanks

[mikkyo]

From that page youll see
note: SETI workers are not currently
included because they need rebuilding

You can try the altivec workers if you want but there may be issues.

[dtsang]

yeah, I know; what kind of issues? (Do we know?)

Originally Posted by mikkyo

From that page youll see
note: SETI workers are not currently
included because they need rebuilding

You can try the altivec workers if you want but there may be issues.

Originally Posted by dtsang

yeah, I know; what kind of issues? (Do we know?)

Their working ok so far for me.
Dropped my average WU time from 37000 sec to 30000 sec on 1.25 GHz powerbook.

[mikkyo]

There were issues with optimized boinc_4.19 clients, maybe they are gone with the 4.27 clients.
Which client are you running?

Originally Posted by mikkyo

There were issues with optimized boinc_4.19 clients, maybe they are gone with the 4.27 clients.
Which client are you running?

I'm using 4.30 got from http://www.djbradanderson.com/global...50_altivec.zip

But it appears to be based on 4.19 as thats what it reports for "core client version".

The WU's its completing are being accepted, but I'm no longer sure its speeding things up that much. My WU times are varying mostly between 30000 and 37000 secs. Which is more or less the same as before, now that I look closer.

But it seems like more of the WU's are at the 30000 end of the spectrum than before, but its hard to judge.

Originally Posted by robertc99

I'm using 4.30 got from http://www.djbradanderson.com/global...50_altivec.zip

But it appears to be based on 4.19 as thats what it reports for "core client version".
.

And just in case its relevent, I'm using the standard boinc program, its just the altivec seti@home worker I installed. I didnt see the point of using an optimised boinc since the boinc program doesnt do any real work...

[beadman]

Dropped my average WU time from 37000 sec to 30000 sec on 1.25 GHz powerbook.[/QUOTE]

Robert: That 30Ksec is awfully long for a PowerBook. My 1.0GHz PowerBook, 1GB RAM, averages around 26Ksec per w/u. I just bought an iBook, 1.33GHz and 768MB RAM, and it averages around 22Ksec per w/u. I was a lot slower when I first started SETI/BOINC on it - I think around 35Ksec or so, I think. Go to your Systems Preferences/Energy Saver, click on the OPTIONS tab, and look at the pull-down in the middle of the page. The default on my iBook was "Reduced". When I changed it to "Highest", it speeded things up a LOT. The processor and memory got a lot hotter quickly, also. Search Google for "Temperature Monitor" or an equivalent, and it will let you keep an eye on the internal temps. My iBook runs the fan for a half hour or so, then shuts the fan off or a half hour or so, and then repeats, when the ambient temp is around 72-75 degrees. When it's around 65-68 degrees (F) the fan doesn't run at all. On my PowerBook, the fan pretty much runs constantly.

Oh, BTW, I have both machines sitting up off the desk on a couple of wood sticks so the air can circulate under them for better cooling. Someone else mentioned at one time he used a wire baking rack to elevate his laptop - whatever works for you - the elevating definitely lets the laptop run 5 to 10 degrees cooler.

beadman

[dtsang]

Hmm, my Power Mac G4 (466 MHz) finishes units in about 40,000 seconds (~11 hours) using the optimized AltiVec client. This is comparable with SETI Classic, so it looks like the AltiVec speedup is insignificant.

>That 30Ksec is awfully long for a PowerBook. My 1.0GHz PowerBook, 1GB RAM, >averages around 26Ksec per w/u. . Go to your Systems Preferences/Energy >Saver, click on the OPTIONS tab, and look at the pull-down in the middle of the >page. The default on my iBook was "Reduced". When I changed it to "Highest", >it speeded things up a LOT. The processor and memory got a lot hotter quickly, >also. Search Google for "Temperature Monitor" or an equivalent, and it will let >you keep an eye on the internal temps.

I had the processor speed set to "automatic" which I assumed would go to max if there was a CPU hog like Seti@home running.

But your right putting it to highest has pushed the temp up about 5 degrees C and made the fan run constantly.

I'll need to wait a few days to see what its done to my WU time.

[Todd Madson]

Those files show up as 4 kilobyte zip files. Are they actually the executable that needs
to be renamed because I cannot expand them....

[chboss]

Hi there

I just tried to access the link with the Altivec client.
I could not get access.

Did anybody else test these clients?
Benchmark results with the reference work unit?

Cheers

The altivec optimized client link is dead http://www.djbradanderson.com/global...50_altivec.zip

Can some one please mirror it for me.