Hi,

I just upgraded from way back at BOINC 5.4.9 to the latest version. That version almost always registered as using 0% CPU in Task Manager, when minimized to the system tray. This version is using 3% of my CPU, just sitting there in the tray!

How can I get that number down to 1% or 0%? And why on earth is it using 3% in the first place?

Thanks!

Hmmm... I'm using the latest alpha client (so there may be differences).

Are you by any chance using the simple view? I see when I switch over to that view and then minimize to the tray, I show 2% CPU usage consistently in TM. I suspect this would be higher for projects that have something going on in the slide show window. I can't test this out right now as I'm not in front of a computer that's running a project with a slide show.

If you use the advanced view and put it on one of the tabs that updates frequently (like tasks) my CPU usage is 1-2% (closer to 1). But if I switch to one of the tabs that doesn't update frequently (like transfers) CPU usage drops to 0-1%.

As I alluded to above, I'm wondering if it doesn't have something to do with the slide show in the simple GUI. Even though it's minimized, it might be using some cycles to render those images. Just a late night guess on my part though.

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Kathryn :o)

I brought this up on the mailing list some time ago as it was quite noticeable on my Duron system that the Simple View even when minimized to the tray used 3 to 4 percent of the cycles where as the Advanced view only needed about 1%. Early on in the testing of the Simple GUI Rom made some changes to kill a few unnecessary processes when in tray but it only had minimal effect on the BM overhead.

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Boinc V 7.4.36
Win7 i5 3.33G 4GB NVidia 470

Hmmm...

Maybe file a Trac ticket on it?

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Kathryn :o)

Tried this with the 5.9.12 in Simple view and fired up Process Explorer and WCG workunit and slide show refreshing every few seconds.

1. In view would take a few cycles.
2. Minimized to the task bar, zero cycles. started at 2:22 minutes and 5 minutes later still on 2:22 minutes.
3. Closed, only showing on sys-tray. Same as point 2.

C2D laptop, WinXP Pro.

Does it have a separate video card, or is it integrated graphics? I'd guess integrated because it's a laptop, but you never know.

Later today, I'll see what PE has to say on both of my laptops. Unfortunately, I don't have a desktop to check it on. And both have onboard graphics.

One is Vista and on is XP Pro. One is a Pentium M dual core (Yohah) and the other is a P4 (I'd have to look to see which one).

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Kathryn :o)

Dare not say: It says NVidia Geforce Go 7400 Turbocharge supporting 256mb/Mo (as in memory used from main ram I suppose)?

Added: Tried on a desktop also with Wxpro and definitely a separate display card and zero cycles when minimized or just on systray.... Vista on laptop.... the graphics is real glitzy and cycle hungry so I read elsewhere.

Hmmm... almost looks like it is a separate card...

http://www.nvidia.co.uk/page/go_7300.html

But one good way to tell is to look at your BOINC startup messages. Mine is pretty clear there's memory subtracted out for video as I know there is one 512 MB stick of RAM in it.

5/27/2007 8:23:35 PM||Memory: 446.98 MB physical, 1.78 GB virtual

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Kathryn :o)

Are you by any chance using the simple view?

Actually, no, I quickly figured out how to get to Advanced view.

This morning, the CPU usage is down to 0-1%. I guess it must have been some startup cost, although I let it run through two 15-minute PrimeGrid WUs last night before writing the first post.

Oh, and my CPU is an old Athlon XP 2200+, so 3% to me may be 1% to you. It has 768MB RAM and integrated graphics; but graphics weren't being used heavily: no screen saver, and only the BOINC icon in the system tray.

Thanks for listening. Hopefully, it's gone for good.

Glad to hear it's ok now.

Mine is a P4 @2.8 with 512 MB RAM (-64 for integrated graphics).

I forgot to check TM on the other computer when I was downstairs.

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Kathryn :o)

This morning, the CPU usage is down to 0-1%. I guess it must have been some startup cost, although I let it run through two 15-minute PrimeGrid WUs last night before writing the first post.

IME when BOINC Manager is in a view that shows continually updated timing data, the Tasks tab especially, it uses a lot more ‘juice’ than when it’s in a mostly static display like the Statistics tab. Could that have anything to do with the changed behaviour?

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Well, the CPU percentage keeps varying. Earlier this afternoon I saw it consistently at 3-4%. When I came in tonight, it was at 1%. Now it's at 2%.

IME when BOINC Manager is in a view that shows continually updated timing data, the Tasks tab especially, it uses a lot more ‘juice’ than when it’s in a mostly static display like the Statistics tab. Could that have anything to do with the changed behaviour?

I thought about that, but no, the percentage didn't change when I opened the window, changed tabs, and closed it again. Note that having the window open, or even minimized, on the Tasks tab brings the CPU to 6% up from 2%, but I was expecting something like that. It went back to at 2% on the Statistics tab.

I suppose the boincmgr.exe process is not essential as long as boinc.exe is running, so I'll try killing it when I don't want to look at stats or tweak things.

I suppose the boincmgr.exe process is not essential as long as boinc.exe is running, so I'll try killing it when I don't want to look at stats or tweak things.

Might be better to install it as a service. Somewhere in the unoffical Wiki there is a work around to get the graphics to show. I've never done it, but there are plenty of people using it successfully.

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Kathryn :o)