GeForce GT 540M

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Staniol
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Nov 19, 2012 1:40 pm

GeForce GT 540M

Post by Staniol »

Hi!

I'm not a hardware specialist so excuse me if I'll make any mistakes. I have a Samsung laptop and I am successfully folding on both CPU and GPU. However I have a few questions concerning my graphics card - NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M.

This is what GPU-Z states:
Image
I don't understand why it shows CUDA as unavailable. The specifications clearly state that CUDA is supported. May it be a GPU-Z bug?

This is what FAHClient.exe --lspci states:

Code: Select all

VendorID:DeviceID:Vendor Name:Description
0x1033:0x0194:NEC Corporation:Renesas Electronics USB 3.0 Host Controller
0x10de:0x0df4:NVIDIA Corporation:GF106 [GeForce GT 555M SDDR3]
0x10ec:0x8168:Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.:Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller
0x14e4:0x4727:Broadcom Corporation:Karta sieciowa Broadcom 802.11n
0x8086:0x0101:Intel Corporation:2nd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) processor family PCI Express Controller - 0101
0x8086:0x0104:Intel Corporation:2nd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) processor family DRAM Controller - 0104
0x8086:0x0116:Intel Corporation:Intel(R) HD Graphics Family
0x8086:0x1c03:Intel Corporation:Intel(R) Mobile Express Chipset SATA AHCI Controller
0x8086:0x1c10:Intel Corporation:Intel(R) 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 1 - 1C10
0x8086:0x1c16:Intel Corporation:Intel(R) 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 4 - 1C16
0x8086:0x1c18:Intel Corporation:Intel(R) 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 5 - 1C18
0x8086:0x1c20:Intel Corporation:Kontroler zgodny ze standardem High Definition Audio
0x8086:0x1c22:Intel Corporation:Intel(R) 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family SMBus Controller - 1C22
0x8086:0x1c26:Intel Corporation:Intel(R) 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller - 1C26
0x8086:0x1c2d:Intel Corporation:Intel(R) 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller - 1C2D
0x8086:0x1c3a:Intel Corporation:Intel(R) Management Engine Interface
0x8086:0x1c49:Intel Corporation:Intel(R) HM65 Express Chipset Family LPC Interface Controller - 1C49
So my graphics card is recognized as 0x10de:0x0df4:NVIDIA Corporation:GF106 [GeForce GT 555M SDDR3].

This is what FAHClient log states:

Code: Select all

*********************** Log Started 2012-12-04T23:54:46Z ***********************
23:54:46:************************* Folding@home Client *************************
23:54:46:      Website: http://folding.stanford.edu/
23:54:46:    Copyright: (c) 2009-2012 Stanford University
23:54:46:       Author: Joseph Coffland <joseph@cauldrondevelopment.com>
23:54:46:         Args: --lifeline 4432 --command-port=36330
23:54:46:       Config: C:/Users/Staniol/AppData/Roaming/FAHClient/config.xml
23:54:46:******************************** Build ********************************
23:54:46:      Version: 7.2.9
23:54:46:         Date: Oct 3 2012
23:54:46:         Time: 18:05:48
23:54:46:      SVN Rev: 3578
23:54:46:       Branch: fah/trunk/client
23:54:46:     Compiler: Intel(R) C++ MSVC 1500 mode 1200
23:54:46:      Options: /TP /nologo /EHa /Qdiag-disable:4297,4103,1786,279 /Ox -arch:SSE
23:54:46:               /QaxSSE2,SSE3,SSSE3,SSE4.1,SSE4.2 /Qopenmp /Qrestrict /MT /Qmkl
23:54:46:     Platform: win32 XP
23:54:46:         Bits: 32
23:54:46:         Mode: Release
23:54:46:******************************* System ********************************
23:54:46:          CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2630QM CPU @ 2.00GHz
23:54:46:       CPU ID: GenuineIntel Family 6 Model 42 Stepping 7
23:54:46:         CPUs: 8
23:54:46:       Memory: 7.91GiB
23:54:46:  Free Memory: 5.26GiB
23:54:46:      Threads: WINDOWS_THREADS
23:54:46:   On Battery: false
23:54:46:   UTC offset: 1
23:54:46:          PID: 6384
23:54:46:          CWD: C:/Users/Staniol/AppData/Roaming/FAHClient
23:54:46:           OS: Windows 7 Home Premium
23:54:46:      OS Arch: AMD64
23:54:46:         GPUs: 1
23:54:46:        GPU 0: NVIDIA:2 GF106 [GeForce GT 555M SDDR3]
23:54:46:         CUDA: 2.1
23:54:46:  CUDA Driver: 5000
23:54:46:Win32 Service: false
23:54:46:***********************************************************************
23:54:46:<config>
23:54:46:  <!-- Folding Slot Configuration -->
23:54:46:  <gpu v='true'/>
23:54:46:
23:54:46:  <!-- Network -->
23:54:46:  <proxy v=':8080'/>
23:54:46:
23:54:46:  <!-- Slot Control -->
23:54:46:  <pause-on-battery v='true'/>
23:54:46:
23:54:46:  <!-- User Information -->
23:54:46:  <user v='Staniol'/>
23:54:46:
23:54:46:  <!-- Folding Slots -->
23:54:46:  <slot id='0' type='GPU'/>
23:54:46:  <slot id='1' type='SMP'/>
23:54:46:</config>
23:54:46:Trying to access database...
23:54:46:Successfully acquired database lock
23:54:46:Enabled folding slot 00: READY gpu:0:"GF106 [GeForce GT 555M SDDR3]"
23:54:46:Enabled folding slot 01: READY smp:8
23:54:46:WU02:FS01:Starting
23:54:46:WU02:FS01:Running FahCore: "C:\Program Files (x86)\FAHClient/FAHCoreWrapper.exe" C:/Users/Staniol/AppData/Roaming/FAHClient/cores/www.stanford.edu/~pande/Win32/AMD64/Core_a4.fah/FahCore_a4.exe -dir 02 -suffix 01 -version 702 -lifeline 6384 -checkpoint 15 -np 8
23:54:46:WU02:FS01:Started FahCore on PID 5708
23:54:47:WU02:FS01:Core PID:1480
23:54:47:WU02:FS01:FahCore 0xa4 started
23:54:47:WU01:FS00:Starting
23:54:47:WU01:FS00:Running FahCore: "C:\Program Files (x86)\FAHClient/FAHCoreWrapper.exe" C:/Users/Staniol/AppData/Roaming/FAHClient/cores/www.stanford.edu/~pande/Win32/AMD64/NVIDIA/Fermi/Core_15.fah/FahCore_15.exe -dir 01 -suffix 01 -version 702 -lifeline 6384 -checkpoint 15 -gpu 0
23:54:47:WU01:FS00:Started FahCore on PID 6948
23:54:47:WU01:FS00:Core PID:6904
23:54:47:WU01:FS00:FahCore 0x15 started
23:54:47:WU02:FS01:0xa4:
23:54:47:WU02:FS01:0xa4:*------------------------------*
23:54:47:WU02:FS01:0xa4:Folding@Home Gromacs GB Core
23:54:47:WU02:FS01:0xa4:Version 2.27 (Dec. 15, 2010)
23:54:47:WU02:FS01:0xa4:
23:54:47:WU02:FS01:0xa4:Preparing to commence simulation
23:54:47:WU02:FS01:0xa4:- Looking at optimizations...
23:54:47:WU02:FS01:0xa4:- Files status OK
23:54:47:WU02:FS01:0xa4:- Expanded 548210 -> 847884 (decompressed 154.6 percent)
23:54:47:WU02:FS01:0xa4:Called DecompressByteArray: compressed_data_size=548210 data_size=847884, decompressed_data_size=847884 diff=0
23:54:47:WU02:FS01:0xa4:- Digital signature verified
23:54:47:WU02:FS01:0xa4:
23:54:47:WU02:FS01:0xa4:Project: 7647 (Run 161, Clone 0, Gen 69)
23:54:47:WU02:FS01:0xa4:
23:54:47:WU02:FS01:0xa4:Assembly optimizations on if available.
23:54:47:WU02:FS01:0xa4:Entering M.D.
23:54:47:WU01:FS00:0x15:
23:54:47:WU01:FS00:0x15:*------------------------------*
23:54:47:WU01:FS00:0x15:Folding@Home GPU Core
23:54:47:WU01:FS00:0x15:Version                2.25 (Wed May 9 17:03:01 EDT 2012)
23:54:47:WU01:FS00:0x15:Build host             AmoebaRemote
23:54:47:WU01:FS00:0x15:Board Type             NVIDIA/CUDA
23:54:47:WU01:FS00:0x15:Core                   15
23:54:47:WU01:FS00:0x15:
23:54:47:WU01:FS00:0x15:Window's signal control handler registered.
23:54:47:WU01:FS00:0x15:Preparing to commence simulation
23:54:47:WU01:FS00:0x15:- Looking at optimizations...
23:54:47:WU01:FS00:0x15:DeleteFrameFiles: successfully deleted file=01/wudata_01.ckp
23:54:47:WU01:FS00:0x15:- Created dyn
23:54:47:WU01:FS00:0x15:- Files status OK
23:54:47:WU01:FS00:0x15:sizeof(CORE_PACKET_HDR) = 512 file=<>
23:54:47:WU01:FS00:0x15:- Expanded 60253 -> 264278 (decompressed 438.6 percent)
23:54:47:WU01:FS00:0x15:Called DecompressByteArray: compressed_data_size=60253 data_size=264278, decompressed_data_size=264278 diff=0
23:54:47:WU01:FS00:0x15:- Digital signature verified
23:54:47:WU01:FS00:0x15:
23:54:47:WU01:FS00:0x15:Project: 8054 (Run 0, Clone 1272, Gen 74)
23:54:47:WU01:FS00:0x15:
23:54:47:WU01:FS00:0x15:Assembly optimizations on if available.
23:54:47:WU01:FS00:0x15:Entering M.D.
23:54:49:Server connection id=1 on 0.0.0.0:36330 from 127.0.0.1
23:54:49:WU01:FS00:0x15:Tpr hash 01/wudata_01.tpr:  3676125084 1902527468 2826260887 1805513732 2119344616
23:54:49:WU01:FS00:0x15:GPU device id=0
23:54:49:WU01:FS00:0x15:Working on Good ROcking Metal Altar for Chronical Sinners
23:54:49:WU01:FS00:0x15:Client config unavailable.
23:54:49:WU01:FS00:0x15:Starting GUI Server
23:54:53:WU02:FS01:0xa4:Using Gromacs checkpoints
23:54:53:WU02:FS01:0xa4:Mapping NT from 8 to 8 
23:54:55:WU02:FS01:0xa4:Resuming from checkpoint
23:54:55:WU02:FS01:0xa4:Verified 02/wudata_01.log
23:54:55:WU02:FS01:0xa4:Verified 02/wudata_01.trr
23:54:56:WU02:FS01:0xa4:Verified 02/wudata_01.xtc
23:54:56:WU02:FS01:0xa4:Verified 02/wudata_01.edr
23:54:56:WU02:FS01:0xa4:Completed 459010 out of 2500000 steps  (18%)
23:55:56:WU01:FS00:0x15:Setting checkpoint frequency: 500000
23:55:56:WU01:FS00:0x15:Completed         3 out of 50000000 steps (0%).
00:05:40:WU01:FS00:0x15:Completed    500000 out of 50000000 steps (1%).
So as you see, the folding starts and performs ok on both CPU and GPU.

My question is - should the GPU.txt file be updated with a proper name of a graphics card? If the vendor code was badly recognized till now, should it be further investigated about using a different core? What do you think?
bruce
Posts: 20824
Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2007 10:13 pm
Location: So. Cal.

Re: GeForce GT 540M

Post by bruce »

Each type of hardware has an internally encoded identifying number which identifies what its capabilities are. According to GPU-Z, that number is 10DE-0DF4. FAH uses that code to determine which capabilities to use. It doesn't matter whether the person selling the hardware identifies it as a GT 540M or as a GT 555M SDDR3.

According to NVidia, the 555M appears to be a class of GPUs which can be customized by the manufacturer to a specific clock speeds and a specific number of cores and with a specific memory interface. Functionally, the FAH software does not really care which one you have. http://www.geforce.com/hardware/noteboo ... ifications.

We can probably get GPUs.txt updated to say "GT 540M" instead of "GT 555M SDDR3" but it is a name change that will not change the capabilities of the hardware or how the software interfaces with it. It looks to me like the 540M is just a single customized type of GPU within the range of capabilities spanned by the 555M family.
JimboPalmer
Posts: 2522
Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2009 4:12 am
Location: Greenwood MS USA

Re: GeForce GT 540M

Post by JimboPalmer »

The GF108 is about 1/2 as powerful as the GF106
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7im
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Re: GeForce GT 540M

Post by 7im »

Both 106 and 108 are classified as gF cards and thus use the same fahcore. They both fold the same way, one is just faster.

The various OEMs use and re-use similar chips with minor description changes. As long as the class (fermi) is the same, the description in GPUs.txt will not be updated unless obviously wrong.
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