Slow performance Desktop app on Core M processor!

[ProDigit]

I'm having some particular problem trying to get the client to work on my Asus Zenbook, using an Intel Core M-5Y10, 2 cores 4 threads.
On the browser, I average at 4500PPD, with some optimization, it does 5k.
But in the desktop client, I only get 186PPD.
I've tried changing the thread count, but without any good result. The CPU says it's at 50% , regardless of thread count.
Is this normal behavior for a first WU?

When I go back to the NaCl on Chrome, I get 4,5-5k PPD again.

[foldy]

Yes I see the same for the first work unit on a new CPU slot. The second WU gets full CPU usage if you set the desktop client slider to full performance.

[bruce]

I think what's happening here is that cpus is set to 1 when the WU is downloaded.

No matter what setting you have for cpus when a WU is downloaded, increasing the count of cpus will not be effective on that WU. It becomes effective when the NEXT WU is downloaded.

Bug report submitted https://github.com/FoldingAtHome/fah-issues/issues/1261

[ProDigit]

Is there nothing that can be done about that super slow first WU?
I mean, 186 PPD, 15 days ETA, it's just ridiculous. Online web client goes much faster (4k PPD, and WU runs as quickly as 30 minutes).

Ok, now it went up to 1500PPD, and 4 days ETA.

Still slower than the Native Client.

[bruce]

Still slower than the Native Client.

Different projects inevitably run at different speeds on different platforms. While the installed FAHClient tends to be more productive than the Native Client overall and has more choices that you can control, that's not a guarantee that everything will be more productive.

I would investigate various versions of the drivers for the Core M, but overall productivity is a function of many different factors.

The CPU says it's at 50%

Without a copy of significant portions of FAHClient's log, we can't really diagose how you have it set up. Have you configured a GPU? What specific model of Core M are we talking about? What other tasks are consuming that other 50% of your CPU resources?

[ProDigit]

The laptop has integrated graphics (APU). I presume it doesn't find a graphics card for folding.

To round up my 3 day test results:

HP Stream 11 with Intel Celeron N3060, running Xubuntu:
Desktop Client: Avg: 1800PPD
NaCl: avg: 2200PPD (a 22% improvement)
NaCl running Windows: 2000PPD (an 11% improvement)


Asus Zenbook with Intel Core M-5Y10 running Windows:
Desktop Client: Peaks around 4500PPD, lows of ~1800PPD.
NaCL: 4500-4700PPD, with peaks of ~5200PPD, (a 250-260% improvement)

On these low powered machines, the Native Client in Google Chrome browser runs a lot more efficient than the Desktop Client without browser.

From this info, I would recommend to use the NaCl on all low powered devices, with internal (on chip) graphics (usually Intel) ; and use the Desktop version ONLY if you have a 1,6Ghz dual core system or greater, with 24/7 internet access as bare minimum (just not to lose the WU run, over not being able to upload the results on time).
In fact, folding with the client is best reserved for systems with dual core 2Ghz processors, or more.
Running a 1,6Ghz 2 core, may have some tasks take about as long as the upload of WU results are allowed, before they're scrapped.

The other reason to use the client, is if you regularly are working offline, and can allow the Desktop client to work in the background, without having to wait for new work units.

But the desktop client might work better for people folding on graphics cards, and faster than 2Ghz quad core CPUs, or 3Ghz Dual core CPUs (perhaps), I haven't tested those yet.

[bruce]

The laptop has integrated graphics (APU). I presume it doesn't find a graphics card for folding.

True. Your Celeron provides an Intel HD Graphics 400 which is not supported by FAH. (You need either a recent nVidia GPU or ATI/AMD GPU.)
The Intel iGPU is adequate for driving the screen but it can't handle stream processing.

FAH does fold on generic CPUs using whatever resources are available to it. The Celeron N3060 provides 2 CPU cores at 1.6 GHz which is pretty slow compared to other CPUs -- but you can contribute to FAH using them. (They'll also produce quite a bit of heat compared to more modern CPUs and for laptops, they're generally designed to run at a reduced clock rate to avoid overheatin and to avoid running the battery down quickly.)

[ProDigit]

Bruce, the opposite is quite true.
The Celeron N3060 has a base speed of 1,6Ghz, but the HP Stream 11 has such good cooling, that the CPU is running nearly constantly at turbo speeds of 2,48Ghz, with the 2 cores.
The laptop only gets hand warm.
It's built on 14nm design, which is probably the reason overheating is no problem.
In fact, if I keep the laptop folding in a bookbag, without cooling, it'll happily churn along at 1,6-2.0Ghz, and still not overheat.
These tiny cores can handle high heat (100C), but almost any kind of passive cooling is enough to bring them to 60C under full load.

[bruce]

I think you're confusing the process called FAHCore_a* which uses the CPU to fold and the process called FAHCore_2* which uses the GPU to fold. Your Celeron has two CPU threads which can fold and it has a HD Graphics 400 integrated GPU that can rasterize images. Unfortunately the Intel iGPU is not supported by FAH but that doesn't change its ability to fold with the CPU cores which use no more than 4 to 6W.

When a CPU is redesigned for a laptop, it's clock rate is reduced to limit heat it can produce.