Dude, khp. I got this folding cpu thing....

[chickeneater]

yeah, I got the "donate your idle cpu time for something useful" and I was wondering what it was and what your connections are to it. Does it take long? are there lots of computers on this network? Will it hurt if I turn my computer off? I usually have it on so that doesn't matter much. what is the gray, red, blue, and yellow dots mean?

[khp]

Re: Dude, khp. I got this folding cpu thing....

Great I'am very happy to see that, my effort to promote the FAH project has borne some fruit.

Originally posted by chickeneater
I was wondering what it was and what your connections are to it.

I have no connections with the FAH team, other than beeing a simple participant, along with almost 200.000 other people.
Using my signature to promote the FAH project was my own idear, and I haven't discussed it with anyone, on the FAH team.
Durring the past 5 years I have participated I a number of projects like this. And I still participate in both DnetC's RC5-72 and UnitedDevices projects (now called Grid.org).

The reason I only promote the FAH project, is simply that I like it. It's much more scientifically relevant than the RC5-72 project. And it has far less participants than the UnitedDevices projects, which means that I will statistically do more good by supporting the FAH project.

Originally posted by chickeneater

Does it take long?

Do you mean completing the project as a whole or completing individual packets ?. The answer to both is strong YES. I don't think the project will end anytime soon, the researchers keep comming up with new ranges of molecules and tests that they wish to preform.
On an individual packet level, yes some of the current pojects, uses very large packets, which does take very long to complete. Especially the packets in the 600-> range

You can checkout the project summary page to see the relative sizes of each project, how long it takes you to complete a packet, of course depends on the speed of your CPU.

http://folding.stanford.edu/psummary.html

FAFIK the deadlines are calculated, as 2.5 times the time it takes their benckmark PC to complete 1 packet. Their benchmark PC is a 466MHz celeron.

Originally posted by chickeneater

are there lots of computers on this network?

About 87000 active computers according to the project statistics page.
This is still relativly small compared to UnitedDevices. Which has seen more than 2 million client computers. How many of those are still active is hard to say, but I would guess it's more than 200000.

Originally posted by chickeneater

Will it hurt if I turn my computer off?

No. Well ok of course less work will get done. But no, the project won't loose anything when you turn of your computer. Each packet has a deadline associated with it. If you don't complete a packet within this deadline, the project servers will send a copy of the packet to someone else.

Of course this also means that if you only have your computer on for a few hours a day, or use a very slow computer, you might never complete anything within the deadlines. You can see the deadline for each project on the project summary page.

But you should not feel obligated, to keep your computer turned on, just so it can work on FAH. Remember that you are doing this for free, and you will not get anything in return, for your work.

Originally posted by chickeneater

what is the gray, red, blue, and yellow dots mean?

I don't know, I don't use the windows client, I only run FAH on my linux box, on which I only get a console interface, giving me a progress indicator for my current packet

[chickeneater]

Thank you for answering all my questions. The computer that I am running it on is a P3 slot 1 512k cache 449Mhz computer. I think that it is pretty good, and fast. I like it.
I always have my computer on so that doesn't matter too much

I give you a point for using linux

[chickeneater]

if anyone who wants a team to join at the folding project, get this one 12867. It is the www.bandwidthplace.com team number.

I am quite glad that I am the 1000th post on this off topic forum, and I just posted the 1000 without knowing it. now this is 1001.

[khp]

Originally posted by chickeneater
if anyone who wants a team to join at the folding project, get this one 12867.

Sorry, I have never been much of a team player. And Joining a team now, would completly mess up my stats page.

[moviezdude]

Sorry to burst some bubbles...

Don't forget, folks, that having this project replace the idler makes it so your CPU is flatlined at 100% all the time, which can lead to CPU burnouts. Also, running it at 100% increases power. I don't have any objections to the projects, I think they are good causes. But, I just want to warn you of the dangers too. Sorry if I seem evil or anything.

[SKD_Tech]

Um well I have downloaded it and my CPU barely gets over 28% if it even hits that

[moviezdude]

Originally posted by SKD_Tech
Um well I have downloaded it and my CPU barely gets over 28% if it even hits that

Hmm... Something must be wrong. If it takes the place of the idle process and nothing else is going on, the idle should have 100% taken. Look at the overall, perhaps, instead of the Process tab. If it still says 28%, something is wrong.
If the OS takes 50% running, and you have apps that take 22% in addition to the folding proggie, then you're still overall at 100%

[SKD_Tech]

right now having the following programs running
Outlook Express
Kazaa Lite
Windows Messenger
Internet Explorer 6

My CPU usage is 4

Now yes it is using 142mb of ram but only 4 percent of my CPU

(I am using Motherboard Monitor for my CPU Results

[moviezdude]

Originally posted by SKD_Tech
(I am using Motherboard Monitor for my CPU Results

That's it. It's not monitoring the idle process. The folding program just takes the place of the idle process. It probably can't tell the difference. Try the task manager cpu monitor

[SKD_Tech]

it is using 6% of the CPU(Idle)

That is with the Task Monitor and it shows the same with MBM

[moviezdude]

Originally posted by SKD_Tech
it is using 6% of the CPU(Idle)

That is with the Task Monitor and it shows the same with MBM

But what i'm pushing at here is if the other stuff on-system leaves it 6%, it'll take 6%. I can't account for the low use on your system, but it's been that way on mine, my families, and my friends, so srry, and see ya later!

[khp]

Originally posted by SKD_Tech

Outlook Express
Kazaa Lite
Windows Messenger
Internet Explorer 6

You are only listing the applications, you are running. Look in the list of processes, If you are not running a process named FAHcore_*.exe. You are using Folding@home. And no, FAH does not take over the system idle process, I don't think thats even possible.

Don't forget, folks, that having this project replace the idler makes it so your CPU is flatlined at 100% all the time, which can lead to CPU burnouts.

On a properly configured system, the chance of a burning the CPU is probably something like a billion to one. The CPU should not and do not take any damage from running at 100% activity.

There 2 things that can kill a CPU, overheating which is always caused by improper cooling. And overvolting ie. running the CPU at a higher voltage than specified (this mostly applies to overclockers).

[chickeneater]

Skd_tech also has a brand new p4 3.06Ghz processor with hyperthreading...

[SKD_Tech]

Yeah but that is a gaming and DivX player only. It isn't even on the internet.

Any file I want over there I d/l it on this computer then transfer it.. I cannot risk putting what I just built for some teenage hacker to screw it up

I am so into it Everynight I shut down the computer and even disconnect the Network cable (even though I already know it is shut down