[FAD] CDSPro screen saver and slow pc

[win2kuser]

Hi all, just thought I would pass this info on...

I have three pc's running Think - a 2.6 XP (monster cruncher ), a 750 Athlon and a 800 P3 (the slow one).

I couldn't understand why the P3 was so slow (in the time it had taken to run 2 jobs, the other 2 pc's had run 28!)

Whilst looking through task manager, I noticed that the CPU usage was 99%, I then realised that Think was only on 1% but CDSPro was using 98%.

The screen saver I use is the Phychedelic sound responsive screen saver from synthesoft which works with CD Spectrum Pro (nice to look at if you have a long fat one!)

A quick look through the settings and I noticed that the screen saver was automatically running CDSPro when it started and was using all cpu time looking for a CD to play!

The moral of this story is that even if your pc is sat idle, the little task bar icons could be using more cpu time than you think.

How you find out what it using what if you don't use Win2K or XP I don't know, but worth bearing in mind.

Neadless to say that the P3 is now crunching rather well (still slower than the 750 Athlon, but then thats Intel for you).

Oh, and I am also trying to convince a couple of friends to start running Think, but they are the type of people that switch the computer on, do what they have to and then shut it off again

I have also just 'aquired' a QDI dual P2 333 mobo with cpu's, so as soon as I get a case, I might be after some help getting it going as I don't think it is Win2K compatible and win9x doesn't support 2 cpus (as far as I know). Any info on this would be great.

Very good point, win2kuser.

Any screensaver should be disabled when running a DC project that uses CPU idle cycles. Remember that idle cycles are those CPU cycles NOT being used. A graphics intensive screen saver uses LOTS of CPU cycles, as you have discovered.

Even the basic FaD screen saver uses idle cycle which THINK could be crunching with. I tend to turn all of the screen savers off, or use the blank screen saver in windoze. If using no screensaver, to make sure that screen burn-in doesn't occur, I use the power management features of windoze to set it to turn off the monitor after a preselected time. Or not use a monitor at all, like most of my cows.

You should be able to run win2k on a P2-333; mondo has win2k on a dual P233 I think, so it should be fine, as long as it has enough RAM. Win9x is not SMP capable, so for a PC which doesn't support win2K (like my quad PPro200) use winNT4. Linux will be an option as well, soon.

Hope this helps

Cheers
Mick

[win2kuser]

Thanks Mick, turning off the monitors sounds like a good idea - the wife is getting a bit concerned about the electricity bill.

I like the sound of Linux as I have had it running before on an old dually and it worked a treat. The ONLY problem I had was getting it talking on my network as this would be the only way of uploading jobs via proxy as I only have a WinModem.

Any idea how long til the Linux version is available?

In the mean while I shall have to see if I can get hold of NT4 as the board looks like it was designed for it or probably NT4 Server as it has 10/100 net, ultra wide SCSI, raid etc.

Still, it will probably be a month or two before its up as I am still skint from Christmas (don't you just love it!).

Thanks again.

I would hope the linux beta client is out before a month is up. And you shouldn't have any problems networking it in linux if THINK provides his better networking in THINK 1.21a (which linux beta will be part of). Mondobyte knows more about what's planned, but it sounds like it should be better than what we currently have officially.

I have NT4server on my quad PPro, and it runs rock solid.

Try some on-line corporate auction houses; that's where I got my copy.

Cheers
Mick

[Kc2iLq]

Originally posted by win2kuser
The screen saver I use is the Phychedelic sound responsive screen saver from synthesoft which works with CD Spectrum Pro (nice to look at if you have a long fat one!)

Isn't that a great screensaver! I have it on my lappy (my only non-FaD machine) and while it does hog resources, it's a real amazing picture to watch. And yes, it is quite nice to look at if you have a long fat one (tobacco of course).

-Kc2iLq

[win2kuser]

Thanks for the info Guys - I am looking forward to getting it up and running. Should crunch quite nicely I think.

4 crunching has got to be better than 3 no matter how slow.
I just wish I can get a couple more people cruching for TechIMO.

So, are we going to beat Russia soon or what!?

[win2kuser]

I don't know what your worried about Mondo - your top of the table

Congrats by the way...