Message: GPU has insufficient memory
8 Nov 2010 3:00:09 UTC
Topic 195438
(moderation:
Since August, my computer has been doing OK just using the CPU, but got an NVIDIA GPU driver update and just got this message from Einstein: "GPU has insufficient memory (need 450 GB)". Do I just change the disk from 100 GB to 450 GB on my account preference page?
Evelyn
Message: GPU has insufficient memory
)
No, those two have nothing to do with each other.
A GPU is a graphics processing unit, it's the processor on your videocard, the thing that puts images on your monitor. This processor can be used for doing calculations these days as well, yet not on all projects as some projects require special needs.
Einstein is such a project, here you require to have at least 450 megabytes of RAM on the videocard. You cannot add to that by increasing it in the computer's BIOS or by increasing disk space, you can only add to that by physically changing the videocard.
I say you can't add to that by changing things in the computer's BIOS, since yours looks to be an on-board video-chip (chip embedded in the motherboard, not a physical card that's added through an expansion slot on the motherboard).
In all, you cannot use your Nvidia GPU here at Einstein to do the Arecibo calculations. So it's better, for the moment, until you ever upgrade, to disable this message at Einstein:
Go to the Einstein project preferences, edit them, set Use NVIDIA GPU to No, set Use GPU to Yes, save the changes to the web site with the "Update preferences" button at the bottom of the page.
At the next contact your BOINC has with the Einstein server, these preferences will be used and the message shouldn't come back up here...