Hi,
So adding here a problem, which I hope will become a new feature for next versions of BOINC.

In some of my computers, several GPUs are present. As I have multi-core HT multi-CPU configuration on some systems, so running several GPUs is not an issue.
Of course I do play some game or watcha movie / series. So there are some "Exclusive Applications" listed in BOINC (BOINC -> Options -> Exclusive Applications).

Problem is:
- When I do define that some Exclusive Applications is running, then BOINC stops with all GPU computing. Even though I am using only one GPU for play / watch video(s).
- Same is with option "Snooze GPU", which snoozes all GPU from crunching.
- If do not use any of the option, game play or video(s) might have some lag.

Suggestion to change & implement on future BOINC:
- Add option to configure which GPU is your primary display device, so that Snooze GPU or Exclusive Applications can only stop crunching on your primary display.
- Also, add option to configure in same way for CPU, as we usually do not need to stop 20 or 40 threads, just to have something run. 👍

Any comments? Cons & pros?

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oldies:UDgrid.org & PS3 Life@home


non-profit org. Play4Life in Zagreb, Croatia

All good ideas. The cpu control was talked about in issue#41 back in 2015 https://github.com/BOINC/boinc/issues/41
Still has not been worked on.
So I doubt your ideas will ever be implemented.

Ticket 41 was actually opened in July 2007, 14 years ago - well before the mass adoption of multi-core CPUs, and before GPUs had even been considered as a compute resource. David Anderson closed it with a 'wontfix', but it was reopened and variants of it have been requested many times since.

“The moving finger writes; and, having writ,
moves on: nor all thy piety nor wit
shall lure it back to cancel half a line,
nor all thy tears wash out a word of it."

You guys are missing up the point with issue #41.
Yes, the issue #41 is important, but also BOINC on CPU crunches in "lower CPU priority". So any other process will take over CPU. That is why this is not an issue.
Also, there are many versions of controlling the temperature of CPU not to get overheated. So that is also make sure of.

About this point, when you have several GPUs, then every snooze or using "Exclusive Application" will pause all the GPUs.
Defining to pause only 1, the primary one we use for display, can make the system more responsive to use other GPUs, while showing some nice graphics.
& many of us are using more & more GPUs.

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oldies:UDgrid.org & PS3 Life@home


non-profit org. Play4Life in Zagreb, Croatia

BOINC coding is done by volunteers. It's up to them to decide what to work on.

It's also open source, so anyone can "roll their own" version.