Simple core/memory auto-tuner script

[FaT]

I didn't feel like spending ages fiddling with my GPU core and memory clock settings to find the sweet spot for Scrypt based mining, so I created a simple python script to do it for me!
The script uses the cgminer API, so you will have to enable that.

Thought I may as well share it: https://github.com/Uvedale/CGMinerTuner

The README on the git page gives all the available command line options and usage. This is a basic overview:

You specify your core clock and memory clock search ranges, and it will try combinations within those ranges, recording the achieved kh as it goes along.
Once it is done, it will give you a report on the best combinations.

There are a bunch of options you can add such as:
- max allowable temperature
- desired core:mem ratio range (to constrain search time)
- memory clock increment step
- core clock increment step
- time to wait between increment steps (longer is obviously better for more accurate results, but will impact the search time considerably)
- how many top results to show at the end

Other than possibly increasing your hash rate, it can also be used to find lower clocks that give you the same/similar hash rate.

This hasn't been thoroughly tested, so use at your own risk.
I'm sure the code can be improved considerably; I'll gladly accept pull requests!

If you find this helpful, please consider donating (especially if it increased your mining speed )

BTC: 1CM1zDcfUpg81fCJxacq2nNsZCE3G96FLH
LTC: Lej4FBr9k3HM49GJix922xyJCm1whqHmfU
FTC: 72KjWoZKM3C8S8xaujTNwcFjFbq48XNfpg

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[503guy]

Pretty cool.  I'll give it a shot and report back.

[MrWizard]

I looked at the code and it looks safe.

Running it now.

In the readme.md file the example says to use -h 192.168.0.4, but it should be -i 192.168.0.4 (or your appropriate ip address).

I'm running two cgminers and can only tune one at a time without changing the default API address of the second cgminer.  I don't know how to do that yet.

[FaT]

In the readme.md file the example says to use -h 192.168.0.4, but it should be -i 192.168.0.4 (or your appropriate ip address).

Thanks - fixed.

I'm running two cgminers and can only tune one at a time without changing the default API address of the second cgminer.  I don't know how to do that yet.

Not sure I follow. If you have two cgminer programs running, one would have to have its API listening on a different port (using --api-port).
If you wanted to tune both of them at the same time, you would just launch two instances of the tuner, specifying the custom API port of the 2nd cgminer instance in the parameters of the second tuner instance.

[MrWizard]

Not sure I follow. If you have two cgminer programs running, one would have to have its API listening on a different port (using --api-port).
If you wanted to tune both of them at the same time, you would just launch two instances of the tuner, specifying the custom API port of the 2nd cgminer instance in the parameters of the second tuner instance.

That's right.  I need to add something like: --api-port 4029  to the second cgminer, and then specify that port to the 2nd tuner.

[503guy]

I'm running two cgminers and can only tune one at a time without changing the default API address of the second cgminer.  I don't know how to do that yet.

Just curious, why are you running two instances of cgminer on the same machine?  Different pools?

[MrWizard]

I'm running two cgminers and can only tune one at a time without changing the default API address of the second cgminer.  I don't know how to do that yet.

Just curious, why are you running two instances of cgminer on the same machine?  Different pools?

Different cards.  Needing to set different Intensity, thread-concurrency, work size, etc.
And since i'm mining also on my main video card, I sometimes have to stop that miner if I have to do other gpu intensive tasks.

[MrWizard]

I'm sending you a donation.  Not because This tool helped me speed up mining.  I got zero increase in mining.  I guess my cards are near optimally tuned.  But because I was able to optimize in another way.  Also,  I now have example code on how to talk to cgminer via APIs.  That could be useful to me some day.

[glendall]

Going to give this a go tonight, looks great, thanks...

[FaT]

I'm sending you a donation.  Not because This tool helped me speed up mining.  I got zero increase in mining.  I guess my cards are near optimally tuned.  But because I was able to optimize in another way.  Also,  I now have example code on how to talk to cgminer via APIs.  That could be useful to me some day.

Thanks!

[erpbridge]

Its throwing an error when I try to run against my miner machine remotely... same when I try to run against it locally.

C:\temp\virtual currencies\CGMinerTuner-master>python CGMinerTuner.py -i 192.168.1.111 -d 0 -c 800-1100 -m 1100-1500 -r 0.5-0.7 -t 82 --showtop 10
  File "CGMinerTuner.py", line 154
    except Exception, e:
                    ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

[FaT]

Its throwing an error when I try to run against my miner machine remotely... same when I try to run against it locally.

C:\temp\virtual currencies\CGMinerTuner-master>python CGMinerTuner.py -i 192.168.1.111 -d 0 -c 800-1100 -m 1100-1500 -r 0.5-0.7 -t 82 --showtop 10
  File "CGMinerTuner.py", line 154
    except Exception, e:
                    ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

Are you using a Mac? You probably need to update your python installation (I used 2.7, but 3 should work too).
Download link: http://www.python.org/download/releases/2.7.4/

[FaT]

I'm blind. Didn't see your obviously Windows command prompt.
What is the output of 'python --version'?

[erpbridge]

Python 3.3.1 ... The most current from Python's site over the weekend.

[Boxman90]

Same error here.. gonna install 2.7 now

Also i'm using 64 bit -- should i take 32bit?

[FaT]

Found the problem, its simple to fix. Will push the changes soon.

[turtle83]

Python 3.3.1 ... The most current from Python's site over the weekend.

the script worked fine on linux with 2.7.x

You may want to try 2.7 ...
There are big incompatible changes between 2.x and 3.x , and most people still develop for 2.x unless they explicitly state that they require(or support) 3.

[FaT]

The latest version should be compatible with Python 3.x now.

[nst6563]

I just tried this and keep running into "failed to set new gpu core clock".
Any ideas or is my card (4870x2) not compatible?

Win7 x64
Cgminer 3.0
Python 3 (will try 2.7 tomorrow)
amd/ati driver 13.1

thanks

[FaT]

I just tried this and keep running into "failed to set new gpu core clock".
Any ideas or is my card (4870x2) not compatible?

Win7 x64
Cgminer 3.0
Python 3 (will try 2.7 tomorrow)
amd/ati driver 13.1

thanks

Can you change your GPU clocks using cgminer directly? If you try, ignore any "success" messages cgminer gives you after a clock change and verify that the new clocks are being used yourself (it should display them). This python just uses cgminers clock changing functionality, so if it doesn't work in cgminer, this script won't work.

Make sure you are giving the tuner sensible clock ranges for your card too.