Folding@home Team 56895 and Life with PlayStation

[AlaskaDon]

Thanks for all the good info. I think everything is up and running. I just got the 2 clients started, so no progress to report yet.

Here's a rundown of what I did, so please chime in if I missed something that's going to bite me later.

Installed NET Framework 2.0
Installed Afiinity Changer
Downloaded the SMP Client and installed to 2 different directories.
Left 1st client as machine ID = 1
Changed 2nd client to machine ID = 2 using the -config flag
Now running both clients with the -local flag

Task manager shows that I have 8 instances of FAH running, is that correct?

I have not overclocked anything yet. Wanted to make sure everything is working right first.

[reider]

Originally Posted by AlaskaDon

Thanks for all the good info. I think everything is up and running. I just got the 2 clients started, so no progress to report yet.

Here's a rundown of what I did, so please chime in if I missed something that's going to bite me later.

Installed NET Framework 2.0
Installed Afiinity Changer
Downloaded the SMP Client and installed to 2 different directories.
Left 1st client as machine ID = 1
Changed 2nd client to machine ID = 2 using the -config flag
Now running both clients with the -local flag

Task manager shows that I have 8 instances of FAH running, is that correct?

I have not overclocked anything yet. Wanted to make sure everything is working right first.

Great news! Thanks for going through with it. Now you will be one of the top ten (maybe even top five) contributors for the Team.
Sounds that you did everything correct and yes, 8 processes is what it should be. In addition to -local option, I also use -forceasm option... just in case.

[alan2308]

-forceasm is hardwired into the SMP client. But its a good habit to get into if you also run single processor clients.

[reider]

Originally Posted by alan2308

-forceasm is hardwired into the SMP client. But its a good habit to get into if you also run single processor clients.

I've noticed two beta's ago (before I started to use this flag) that if the client (or PC) crashed and then restarted it would disable the SSE optimization. This is not happening to me anymore... but I don't really know if it's because of the -forceasm flag or the new versions of the client. So I use it anyway... just in case.

[alan2308]

Originally Posted by reider

I've noticed two beta's ago (before I started to use this flag) that if the client (or PC) crashed and then restarted it would disable the SSE optimization. This is not happening to me anymore... but I don't really know if it's because of the -forceasm flag or the new versions of the client. So I use it anyway... just in case.

The line saying whether or not SSE optimization is on is purely cosmetic. According to stanford, you're getting SSE either way. Not sure if that was true in previous clients though.

But either way I run a couple single processor clients still so I use it just to be consistent.

[chriharr]

just signed up to the Blu-ray.com team.

BTW does this project chew lots of bandwidth or does it process a lot of calculations in small intervals, how exactly does it work???

[sj001]

Originally Posted by chriharr

just signed up to the Blu-ray.com team.

BTW does this project chew lots of bandwidth or does it process a lot of calculations in small intervals, how exactly does it work???

No it uses little bandwidth, it only uses a bit when it downloads the workunits, and a little when it sends updates at each interval, which you can specify. It chews up CPU resources big time, but obviously you would set this to run when it is not in use.

[AlaskaDon]

Hey guys,

I have a couple more questions. My first 2 SMP units are due to complete in about 4 hours. The new machine is taking almost exactly 16 minutes to complete 1% of the work units. That's not too bad I guess, but what I don't like about it is that it equates to more than 24 hours per work unit.

One question I have is, being that this is a brand new box, should I allow for a burn-in period before trying to overclock the CPU? I have the Zalman cooler installed,and Core Temp says that my core 0 temp is hanging around 51C while folding. The other 3 cores are running about 47C. I'm thinking that I could easily push the CPU up to 3 gHz, but ddn't know if I should do it this soon.

My other question (for phlydude) is, I think we have the same mobo, the P5K-E with Wifi AP, and was wondering what you are using to do your overclocking. Is it the application that comes with the mobo from Asus, or is there something better that I can download someplace? I'm kinda new at the whole overclocking thing

[reider]

Originally Posted by AlaskaDon

Hey guys,

I have a couple more questions. My first 2 SMP units are due to complete in about 4 hours. The new machine is taking almost exactly 16 minutes to complete 1% of the work units. That's not too bad I guess, but what I don't like about it is that it equates to more than 24 hours per work unit.

One question I have is, being that this is a brand new box, should I allow for a burn-in period before trying to overclock the CPU? I have the Zalman cooler installed,and Core Temp says that my core 0 temp is hanging around 51C while folding. The other 3 cores are running about 47C. I'm thinking that I could easily push the CPU up to 3 gHz, but ddn't know if I should do it this soon.

My other question (for phlydude) is, I think we have the same mobo, the P5K-E with Wifi AP, and was wondering what you are using to do your overclocking. Is it the application that comes with the mobo from Asus, or is there something better that I can download someplace? I'm kinda new at the whole overclocking thing

Oh man! 47 @ 100% CPU load. One word - Alaska.
I would give it few work units to work on before OC'ing.

[Lucy Diamond]

I leave my Mac running overnight at work anyway, so that's when I do mine.

I let FAH run during work one day and it didn't slow me down too badly even with Photshop, Illustrator, Firefox and Suitcase running.

[reider]

Originally Posted by Lucy Diamond

I leave my Mac running overnight at work anyway, so that's when I do mine.

I let FAH run during work one day and it didn't slow me down too badly even with Photshop, Illustrator, Firefox and Suitcase running.

FAH is using only the free (idle) CPU power. Whenever you start loading your PC with other applications - the FAH client slows down. The opposite is true as well. I am using Maxwell 3D, and sometimes it grabs as much as 90% of my CPU power. The FAH client then "downsizes" itself to use only the 10% that were left idle. It's like this - install, run, and forget you even have it.

[AlaskaDon]

Originally Posted by reider

Oh man! 47 @ 100% CPU load. One word - Alaska.
I would give it few work units to work on before OC'ing.

Hehe, this thing is installed in my basement. Ambient temp in that room is only low to mid-60's F year round. That is probablly helping out some. I'll let it fold for a week or so and then think about OC'ing it. What is considered to be too hot on the Q6600 anyway?

Edit: Those 2 SMP work units hit, and I jumped up 5 places in the team rankings. Wow - Just Wow

[reider]

Originally Posted by AlaskaDon

Hehe, this thing is installed in my basement. Ambient temp in that room is only low to mid-60's F year round. That is probablly helping out some. I'll let it fold for a week or so and then think about OC'ing it. What is considered to be too hot on the Q6600 anyway?

Edit: Those 2 SMP work units hit, and I jumped up 5 places in the team rankings. Wow - Just Wow

If you have the new G0 stepping CPU then max temperature is 71C (if measured at the middle point of the CPU's integrated heat spreader surface). Programs like CoreTemp are showing the junction temperatures of actual cores Tj. Maximum Tj is 100C for G0 version. Keeping these CPU's at low to mid 60's is totally safe. With your ambient, I doubt you will ever reach 60C even with very large OC.
Older (B3 stepping) Q6600 requires more caution; its max. temperatures are 62C and 85C respectively.

[AlaskaDon]

Bah!

#&%@ Windows Update. I forgot to turn it back off after getting the fresh installation up to date. Guess I don't have to tell you what it dd to me...

I was expecting to see my 2 work units at about 60% complete only to find that it wasn't even folding. Live and learn

[alan2308]

Originally Posted by AlaskaDon

Bah!

#&%@ Windows Update. I forgot to turn it back off after getting the fresh installation up to date. Guess I don't have to tell you what it dd to me...

I was expecting to see my 2 work units at about 60% complete only to find that it wasn't even folding. Live and learn

Yea, that'll get you. We've also found that with Vista, installing SP1 has turned automatic updates back on on a couple boxes.

[phlydude]

Originally Posted by AlaskaDon

Hey guys,

I have a couple more questions. My first 2 SMP units are due to complete in about 4 hours. The new machine is taking almost exactly 16 minutes to complete 1% of the work units. That's not too bad I guess, but what I don't like about it is that it equates to more than 24 hours per work unit.

One question I have is, being that this is a brand new box, should I allow for a burn-in period before trying to overclock the CPU? I have the Zalman cooler installed,and Core Temp says that my core 0 temp is hanging around 51C while folding. The other 3 cores are running about 47C. I'm thinking that I could easily push the CPU up to 3 gHz, but ddn't know if I should do it this soon.

My other question (for phlydude) is, I think we have the same mobo, the P5K-E with Wifi AP, and was wondering what you are using to do your overclocking. Is it the application that comes with the mobo from Asus, or is there something better that I can download someplace? I'm kinda new at the whole overclocking thing

No, I'm doing it all in BIOS.

Wait a little bit before trying to OC it...in the meantime, let me try to take some pics with the bios screens to show you what I am changing to OC the processor

Your 1% on ea. SMP @ 16 minutes sounds about right (mine was 17 minutes with other things running). OC'ing will get it back down close to 10 min (which is where 1 single SMP will run without affinity changing)

[sj001]

Wow, since I've got this running the SMP clients on the dual quad-core Xeon system, and the single Xeon server, along with my PS3 nightly, I've shot from around 300 to about 209 in under a week! Yeehaw!!!

[tommyboy81]

Originally Posted by sj001

Wow, since I've got this running the SMP clients on the dual quad-core Xeon system, and the single Xeon server, along with my PS3 nightly, I've shot from around 300 to about 209 in under a week! Yeehaw!!!

I'm around 227 and creeping up on Shin-Ra. Watch out Shin-Ra I coming to get you.

[sj001]

Originally Posted by tommyboy81

I'm around 227 and creeping up on Shin-Ra. Watch out Shin-Ra I coming to get you.

Heh, passed Shin-Ra the other day... I'm hoping to rock into the top 100 in the next few weeks!

[LatinCan]

what exactly does this do??