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pimentoLoaf

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Dec 30, 2001
1,988
21
The SimCity Deli
If you're using the graphical client, download it, quit the current process, drag the program icon to wherever the other one is and replace it with the new one, and drag the F@H icon to the dock.

DO NOT ERASE THE CURRENT DATA FILE !!!

The new version will continue crunching the current packet with the new code.

(Dunno if this'll work with the other two clients... :confused: )
 

MrMacMan

macrumors 604
Jul 4, 2001
7,002
11
1 Block away from NYC.
Is there real speed in this one?
I crunched my first unit and it took 18 Hours, AWCH.
:eek:
I thought my new iMac must be defunk or something, is there ANY way to speed it up, anything? :(
 

Falleron

macrumors 68000
Nov 22, 2001
1,609
0
UK
Originally posted by MrMacman
Is there real speed in this one?
I crunched my first unit and it took 18 Hours, AWCH.
:eek:
I thought my new iMac must be defunk or something, is there ANY way to speed it up, anything? :(
Not much apart from using the Command line v's the screensaver. You do know that depending on the unit you get it can take a long time to do a unit. For example, some of the larger units take about 4 days of on and off processing on my 1Ghz G4.
 

bousozoku

Moderator emeritus
Jun 25, 2002
15,881
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Lard
I've had anywhere from 6 hours to 6 days on my G3/400. Thankfully, the dual G4/800 takes a little less time, but not half.
 

Over Achiever

macrumors 68000
On the PC side (i'm using the PC version), the new features of 3.24 that I like is the fact that I can mouse over the system tray icon and get the status on my folding. Also from the right-click menu, I can access the status -> log file right away to see how fast 1% is taking on my computer. Also it does seem faster...by how much I can't say.
 

MrMacMan

macrumors 604
Jul 4, 2001
7,002
11
1 Block away from NYC.
What is the best one of the clients, should I download the Screen saver (I'm also running SETI now on most of the day)?
I have the graphical client running but I can re-start if I need to. Not even at 1% for the new unit.
And if the terminal one is really faster, I suppose I could d/l that one and run it, which is faster and all, I want to help you guys out.:D
 

pimentoLoaf

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Dec 30, 2001
1,988
21
The SimCity Deli
Folding data packets are time-limited: Stanford scientists need the crunched data within a very short time, as they are always preparing scientific papers on both the calculation methods and the protein analysis. F@H units aren't reassigned if you don't send yours back, while S@H's are; in either case, you will get credit for letting your machine crunch something.

And there are allegations that S@H is wrought with cheating. It isn't supposed to be about your stats, but the science behind everything; if you can do more faster, the scientists can advance us faster.

Forget SETI for now. They're retooling, anyway, for new scans out of Australia, with new software that does more. Folding is about medicine, and from that research we can all benefit.
 

MrMacMan

macrumors 604
Jul 4, 2001
7,002
11
1 Block away from NYC.
So after I send this unit in to seti I will not for a while, anyway...

Since I am now focused on Folding, which is the better client, where to run and how (if the terminal client is the one, I'm not termnial exp) ?
After SETI is done should I (while not using computer)
A) Don't use screen-saver and run the faster graphical client or terminal
b) use Screen-saver it is not much slower or use screen-saver it is faster
And while using the computer for nothing really important which one to use?

Thanks.
 

bousozoku

Moderator emeritus
Jun 25, 2002
15,881
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Lard
I downloaded the new command line client and found that it does present more information but it doesn't download a new core so any performance increase will be negliable as it only needs cycles to output text to display when it's changing (uploading results/downloading new work unit) unlike the graphical and screen saver clients which take a more cycles.

Btw, you can keep folding in the background, even when playing games. You should notice almost no degradation from the command line client while the others should provide minimal impact. In fact, I play any game but the UT beta while folding. I will not use beta software while folding on the rare chance that the data will be contaminated.
 

pimentoLoaf

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Dec 30, 2001
1,988
21
The SimCity Deli
Eyeballin' the thing again... don't think the graphical is running faster at all. I can limit the resolution of the spheres in Alpha Trace (my preferred state, though I haven't the foggiest what it is).

Can't run it whilst playing Links 2002 Championship Edition without having the golfer animations go all jerky. And I keep it off with Carrara Studio, but then that is so math intensive, it's not realistic to have anything else going in the background.
 

bousozoku

Moderator emeritus
Jun 25, 2002
15,881
2,089
Lard
I'm surprised that Links CE runs at all on any Macintosh. It seems to have issues galore.

Still, I've run Quake III Arena, Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, or Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force XP alongside folding without a problem, but maybe there's something with the Quake III engine that makes it work better for me.
 

pimentoLoaf

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Dec 30, 2001
1,988
21
The SimCity Deli
BTW, I heard there's gonna be a Tropico 2 out by summer. If it's anything like the original, you won't be able to run F@H with it, either.
 

bousozoku

Moderator emeritus
Jun 25, 2002
15,881
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Yeah, client on, lots of memory, fast drive. :)

Don't put the machine to sleep. Besides, you might not get it to wake up anyway. :(
 

MrMacMan

macrumors 604
Jul 4, 2001
7,002
11
1 Block away from NYC.
Originally posted by bousozoku
Yeah, client on, lots of memory, fast drive. :)

Don't put the machine to sleep. Besides, you might not get it to wake up anyway. :(

Not getting it to wake up? wtf.
So no Screen saver for me. Ech I suppose its been on for 7 hours and 5% done, eek.
How much memory and processor does it take up, like I wanna run WCIII any real decrease i don't think, I'll check now.
 

pimentoLoaf

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Dec 30, 2001
1,988
21
The SimCity Deli
I never use the screensaver version. Even when I have the time-to-activate set way down, the slightest movement of the mouse or a stray gnat landing on the J key will wake it from zombie mode and turn off the screensaver.

Best to leave the program running in the background except when playing games or math-intensive things. (Especially on 500mhz and lower systems.)
 

bousozoku

Moderator emeritus
Jun 25, 2002
15,881
2,089
Lard
Originally posted by MrMacman


Not getting it to wake up? wtf.
So no Screen saver for me. Ech I suppose its been on for 7 hours and 5% done, eek.
How much memory and processor does it take up, like I wanna run WCIII any real decrease i don't think, I'll check now.

It will take up whatever is left over as far as processor resources. The default is to run at the least nice (UNIX process priority) setting. On each of the two processes I have running, the core is taking 0.30 percent of memory.

I wasn't saying that the machine wouldn't wake up from using the screen saver version. I was just saying that you shouldn't put Mac OS X to sleep because folding will not likely work and Apple still has problems with wake from sleep.
 

MrMacMan

macrumors 604
Jul 4, 2001
7,002
11
1 Block away from NYC.
Hm... It seems that I have, what is this 2 folding apps running?

FahCire_65.exe (.exe , wtf? ) That seems to be running *alot* of my processor as seen in Process Viewer, but I guess that is only because I have nothing else running (I hope, cause that would bite if it took 75+ % just processor just to run it. But only .50 % memory
I also have

Folding@home running using about 5% CPU and 1.4% memory.

I suppose it is just because I'm not running anything of real processor power. But anyway during the day I think I'm gonna gun the screen saver anyway instead of not keeping my comp on at all.

The worst part about my current unit is time, eek, keep it on for *hours* get so little accomplished, but in the end I hope it will help people. :)
 

bousozoku

Moderator emeritus
Jun 25, 2002
15,881
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When it's one of the few things running, I see 75 to 95 percent normally. Nothing finishes really quickly but some are much shorter than others.

I'm sure they have a makefile that outputs fah_core65.exe no matter what system. Truthfully, on UNIX and Linux, you can call just about anything anything. :D
 

Over Achiever

macrumors 68000
Originally posted by MrMacman
Hm... It seems that I have, what is this 2 folding apps running?

The fah_core65.exe, thats the one that is actually doing the calculations. The winFAH.exe is the graphical user. If you show the molecule a lot, then the percent CPU will increase accordingly. Since I leave FAH minimized in the system tray, its shows 0% CPU for me. :D

btw, the low ram you're seeing from the fah_core65.exe is deceptive...most of the program is stored in virtual memory. ;)
 

pimentoLoaf

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Dec 30, 2001
1,988
21
The SimCity Deli
Alas, my PC laptop is on it's last legs. Two years ago the right-side hinge popped open, and last week the left side went. Today, the fan's whine is louder than I remember it; I did a bit of vacuuming 'round the port, though it didn't seem to help.

And it's been crashing even more randomly this past month.

With Apple's new dual-pM's (& gorgeous 20" display), I won't blow $1000 on a replacement -- like the Dell Inspiron 2650 w/1.8ghz mobile p4 that I seriously considered when the Dell catalog arrived noontime.

I'll still send an occasional packet from it, but I can't keep it running full time anymore. Slowly (but surely) my 500mhz iBook will provide.
 

howard

macrumors 68020
Nov 18, 2002
2,017
4
have you seen some of the new work units?...some 70pointers and 50 pointers...sheesh!! a 50 day deadline!!!!
 
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