Using pocblm to mine causes 10-100% CPU usage

[maxcorrads]

Installed Ubuntu 11.04, now i've got 20% CPU usage.

EDIT:
For those who want to try, I followed this guide:
http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=7514.0

[allinvain]

Installed Ubuntu 11.04, now i've got 20% CPU usage.

Thought so, so this is a windows issue with the OpelCL SDK using the CPU spinstates...in linux you can apparently disable this, but not in windows.

[Carandiru]

I've just updated my ScreenSaver that is a front-end tested with poclbm to automatically set the affinity to just one processor in hopes of lower cpu usage and lower power consumption.

[allinvain]

I've just updated my ScreenSaver that is a front-end tested with poclbm to automatically set the affinity to just one processor in hopes of lower cpu usage and lower power consumption.

Excellent! That is very much appreciated.

[earthmeLon]

poclbm causes 100% usage of both my cores on my AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 6400+.
poclbm sees my GPU as

• GeForce 8800 GTX

Ubuntu 10.10 x64
GeForce 8800 GTX (128 CUDA cores,768 MB Memory, 384-bit Memory Interface) on PCIExpress x16
NVIDIA Driver Version: 270.41.19

[dishwara]

The CPU usage problem by pocblm is actually not a problem.
Its due to feature added to catalyst driver after version 10.

If you use version 10 series catalyst driver, then you will see, it uses 1-2% cpu only. & you can further reduce it using granola software.
What it does actually is, it doesn't uses CPU for any graphics work.
The catalyst driver restrict the graphics processing only to GPU.

This has been changed in version 11 series or HD 6000 card series.
In this, catalyst driver allows CPU also can process graphics.

Why this is added & what is the benefit you may ask.
They have added CPU to process graphics to give back up in case GPU usage goes OVER 100%.
I have seen many times, that with version 10, pocblm crashes, if i open some graphics related program.
With Windows 7 & Aero enabled, it can be seen very clearly.
Since Aero uses graphics which is also processed only by GPU, any additional graphics processing, crashes pocblm , so that GPU will be free to process graphics.

You have now 6 options to try.
1.Run with version 10 series catalyst driver + granola + affinity, this gives the LEAST amount of CPU usage.
2.Run with version 10 series catalyst driver + affinity.
3.Run with version 10 series catalyst driver.
4.Run with version 11.5 or latest catalyst driver + granola + affinity.
5.Run with version 11.5 or latest catalyst driver + affinity.
6.Run with version 11.5 or latest catalyst driver, this uses the MOST CPU usage.

I am now using 4 option & i see less CPU usage & temperature as all poclbm or phoenix is set to only one core using affinity.

[mattpker]

Thanks for the info dishwara. I will try option 4 when I get home and update with the info.

[Allenssmart]

13% on each instance of poclbm, running a 5970 which is 2 5870s so 26% cpu usage.

[turinpt]

This really sucks. With 11 series CCC I get 100% CPU usage. With 10 series, guiminer doesn't recognize any OpenCL devices

[thundertoe]

just fired up a new rig.. win 7 guiminer sempron 140... 100% cpu usage any way to slow this down? 11 drivers

trying granola... will report back

[minerX]

2.7 amd dual core.

4x 5850 = 100% CPU (2.4, 11.5 ccc, windows 7 64 bit)

Same system on Ubuntu (11.04 ubun , 2.1 SDK)  10-15% CPU usage.

[thundertoe]

tried granola and with miser setting it just slowed my hash down... yah cpu was down too but hash went down same %

[dishwara]

tried granola and with miser setting it just slowed my hash down... yah cpu was down too but hash went down same %

That means i am right. you using CPU to mine with version 11 catalyst drivers, besides GPU.
Use affinity & set all miners to one core, then you will see increase in performance.

[mattpker]

The only thing I have found to help is setting the affinity. Until the drivers are fixed this is the only option or running Linux. I am using Phoenix Rising now because it allows you to set the affinity on start up to a random core.

[thundertoe]

set to one core... im running a single core sempron ....

[Tukotih]

AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ running on Ubuntu 10.04 amd64. I'm running the CPU miner only on one core, because I end up with 100% CPU usage on the other core if I run pocblm 

Out of curiosity I just booted Windows Vista Home 64 on the same maschine and installed pocblm. The CPU usage is between 0 and 3% Furthermore Windows outperforms Linux by the factor 10  (3.5 vs. 33 Mhash/s)

I don't like that 

If Windows outperforms Linux (especially if by a factor of 10!) you are doing it wrong!
My first guess was that you are CPU-mining, but that wouldn't make sense with 0-3% usage...
Have you installed the latest GPU & OpenCL-drivers? How high load has the card? Is there a significant increase in temperature?

[thundertoe]

if i have time tomorrow ill make the new rig dual boot with vista64 and see how that goes... 100% cpu with sempron isnt horrible.. like 45 watts? power is cheap here but its annoying for me to see  that bar at 100% on the cpu meter.

[fcmatt]

set to one core... im running a single core sempron ....

for all the sempron 140 users.. you know, that cheapo 35-45 dollar proc.. it can be unlocked to be
a dual core chip. if your motherboard has ACC or some type of core unlock feature you can make it a dual
core.. plus it over clocks pretty well too from what i have read.

if that helps you feel free to send a tip :-)  1P4Z4eu7TxGq8qvSpzfKgWyyXCWn7ZbB9o

[thundertoe]

Thanks for the unlock tip. I tired it out and.. no luck. Mobo supports unlocking but maybe the hidden core is bad. As for overclocking.. the way the usage pegs at 100% makes me think that no matter how fast the chip its going to peg. Still nobody has an answer on how to fix.

This post suggest it may be a driver issue

 http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=14074.0

I am only having problem on 2 card rig with windows 7. The single card rig is vista 64. I hate to have to the miners offline for awhile but i guess ill try and install vista dual boot for a test.

Anyone has ideas for a fix or found other threads that can help?

[allinvain]

It's definitely a driver issue. The only REAL fix would come from AMD. Let us all bug AMD about it. Seriously people write to AMD and stop whining and complaining about "how come there is no fix..." or whatever..