GPU Folding help - multi gpu

lay-z-boy · 16 Oct 2008 at 00:42

Hi all, good to be back. Now I'm at uni I'll take advantage of the included energy bills.

However, I've got a problem with getting these gpu's going. The two 8800gtx's in my server are running fine on the p5k-d in xp but when it comes to vista I'm borderline giving up.

On my desktop I've spent many hours trying to get the client to run on more than one gpu but I can't do it. I've taken the second 4870x2 out for now to focus on getting it to run on the first one.

What is the best way to go about this?

Console/systray?

I'm currently using the tray client, 2 folders in the \appdata with shortcuts leading to each one as per the official faq but I cannot get the second core on the 4870x2 to kick in. It keeps giving fatal core errors or claiming there is no gpu there, giving a dialogue box and then quitting.
Both connections on the card are plugged in and actively displaying the desktop and I'm using the flags -verbosity 9 -advmethods -gpu 0 -forcegpu ati_r700 on the first and -verbosity 9 -advmethods -gpu 1 -forcegpu ati_r700 on the second client with separate machine id's. Am I missing something here? :confused:

Same goes for my laptop, I can get the first core to work fine but the second core gives a machine_unstable error and gets a new wu. I've looked into this and most of the search results are to do with overclocking apps or unstable clocks, the machine is stock.

Sli is switched off, second screen is plugged in and as I have already said, not a single installed overclocking application is on the machine, the thing is at stock.

Using the flags -verbosity 9 -advmethods -gpu 0 -forcegpu nvidia_g80 on the first and -verbosity 9 -advmethods -gpu 1 -forcegpu nvidia_g80 on the second with different machine Id's.

Both run windows vista x64 ult and both are driving me to despair

Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

Snapshot · 16 Oct 2008 at 03:55

I'm getting the same problem with just two 8600GTSs, also on a stock system. I'm just using -verbosity 9 -local -gpu 0 or 1 as the shortcut flags. I'm beginning to wonder whether it's the PSU.

I'd also like to know just why I'm wide awake at this time of day....

shadowscotland · 16 Oct 2008 at 10:45

Snapshot said:
I'd also like to know just why I'm wide awake at this time of day....

Did you ever find out the answer?
Mrs snapshot not at home I take it, that usually the number one reason for a husband to be up at 3am and on the PC.
Closely followed but work and children that are ill (well that my top three anyway

)

Senture · 16 Oct 2008 at 12:50

I'll see if I can find a post I previously made, but for the lappy take a read of this, it may have an answer to your other question.

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17911644&highlight=m1730

EDIT: Here's the simple multi-gpu guide I posted a while ago http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?p=12545309#post12545309

ChrissyT88 · 16 Oct 2008 at 14:30

Have you made sure you have disabled crossfire on the 4870x2? I am using the GX2 on vista64 (albeit the home premium version), and in order to fold on both cards you need to make sure you diable SLI (or in your case crossfire) before it will recognise two separate cards. With it enabled, you can only fold on one core (with SLI - not sure with crossfire). On vista you also need to 'trick' the card into thinking that there are two physical screens connected (this is NOT the case on xp). Currently i have the card outputting to both the dvi and VGA connnectors on my (single) monitor. Two separate monitors are fine to use, as is a VGA 'dummy' load (someone else posted abotu this - if not, there is a really good example on XS). Once you have two 'screens' connected to the card, you need to extend the desktop. I forget how to do this, but im sure google will yield some answers.

lay-z-boy · 16 Oct 2008 at 17:12

Senture said:
I'll see if I can find a post I previously made, but for the lappy take a read of this, it may have an answer to your other question.

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17911644&highlight=m1730

EDIT: Here's the simple multi-gpu guide I posted a while ago http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?p=12545309#post12545309

So the only way to get two gpu clients on the 1730 is to use xp?

Damm, I don't have a legit copy of xp64.

ChrissyT88 said:
Have you made sure you have disabled crossfire on the 4870x2? I am using the GX2 on vista64 (albeit the home premium version), and in order to fold on both cards you need to make sure you diable SLI (or in your case crossfire) before it will recognise two separate cards. With it enabled, you can only fold on one core (with SLI - not sure with crossfire). On vista you also need to 'trick' the card into thinking that there are two physical screens connected (this is NOT the case on xp). Currently i have the card outputting to both the dvi and VGA connnectors on my (single) monitor. Two separate monitors are fine to use, as is a VGA 'dummy' load (someone else posted abotu this - if not, there is a really good example on XS). Once you have two 'screens' connected to the card, you need to extend the desktop. I forget how to do this, but im sure google will yield some answers.

I can only disable/enable crossfire when I plug in the second 4870x2. I currently have one 4870x2 plugged into my 2407 on both the dvi and vga inputs with the expanded screen option on. Still can't get it to work.

ChrissyT88 · 16 Oct 2008 at 17:27

In that case im afraid i cannot offer any more advice. The GX2 lets you run the card as two separate cards in a non-sli format (like running two 8800GTs), but in SLI mode, you cannot run clients on both cores. Unless there is a way to run a single 4870X2 as two separate cards (a la GX2), you may not be able to get the card to fold on both cores. Have you checked over at foldingforum.org? Someone there may have tried and found a way to get it working, or at least give some more informed advice..

Senture · 16 Oct 2008 at 17:57

lay-z-boy said:
So the only way to get two gpu clients on the 1730 is to use xp?

Damm, I don't have a legit copy of xp64.

Yep I'm afraid. I did everything possible to get the 2nd GPU to work but it refused. Used the same technique on XP and it worked frist time. That technique is the one in the 2nd link I posted.

If you have a lisence key for XP 32 bit, it is valid for 64 bit aswell.

Snapshot · 16 Oct 2008 at 19:51

shadowscotland said:
Did you ever find out the answer?
Mrs snapshot not at home I take it, that usually the number one reason for a husband to be up at 3am and on the PC.
Closely followed but work and children that are ill (well that my top three anyway )

No. Mrs S was in her corner of the pit, snoring away; we've no kids to worry about and work's not a problem at the moment. I went back to bed at about 04:30 then slept to 07:15 so not too bad overall.
I've now got to go to a local pub and stick nine bullets in an innocent piece of cardboard.....

lay-z-boy · 16 Oct 2008 at 21:51

ChrissyT88 said:
In that case im afraid i cannot offer any more advice. The GX2 lets you run the card as two separate cards in a non-sli format (like running two 8800GTs), but in SLI mode, you cannot run clients on both cores. Unless there is a way to run a single 4870X2 as two separate cards (a la GX2), you may not be able to get the card to fold on both cores. Have you checked over at foldingforum.org? Someone there may have tried and found a way to get it working, or at least give some more informed advice..

As I feared, I think I can only get 1 client working on each card then in vista.

Senture said:
Yep I'm afraid. I did everything possible to get the 2nd GPU to work but it refused. Used the same technique on XP and it worked frist time. That technique is the one in the 2nd link I posted.

If you have a lisence key for XP 32 bit, it is valid for 64 bit aswell.

Seems like I'll be installing xp alongside vista then on both machines.

Thanks for the help guys.