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PS3 Folding, anyone?

atszyman

atszyman

macrumors 68020
Sep 16, 2003
2,437
16
The Dallas 'burbs
Dang, the PS3 is a good folding powerhouse... makes it tempting to buy one purely for folding. My production has tanked the last few months and I'm not sure what happened. Used to be going pretty good then all of a sudden it seemed like my numbers dropped by about a third sometime over the summer. I've got all 7 of my processors going currently, I wonder if one got hung up somewhere for awhile... I seem to be coming back slowly.

Of course I don't think my wife would look to kindly on a $600 gaming console that I never play (or only play my PS1/PS2 games on).
 
daveL

daveL

macrumors 68020
Jun 18, 2003
2,425
0
Montana
SilentPanda said:
My PS3 was folding from Thursday through Saturday morning... well... at some point it froze, my PS3 bricked and now I have a new PS3.

I'm kinda scared to start it going again although I hear many people have left theirs on longer. I really want to fold (and the PS3 can fold well!) but I don't want to have to get a new PS3 every few days to do it...
Click to expand...

Consider it a burn in test. If it can fold for a week, it will probably last years.
 
zelmo

zelmo

macrumors 603
Original poster
Jul 3, 2004
5,490
1
Mac since 7.5
daveL said:
Consider it a burn in test. If it can fold for a week, it will probably last years.
Click to expand...

:p Mine has been Folding 24/7 since I dl'd the PS3 update and Folding client last Thursday. So far so good. Probably won't make too much of a visible [to the wife;)] impact on our electric bill this month since we turned off the heat and aren't running AC yet.

In the meantime, my production has gone from 850 [using 11 processors] to 1,600ppd.
 
Cooknn

Cooknn

macrumors 68020
Aug 23, 2003
2,111
0
Fort Myers, FL
Dreadnought said:
It's good for the electric companies! 280 - 380 Watts for 24/7, I would leave it on only if you make your own energy (windmill, solar, nuclear) and plenty of it.
Click to expand...
There's a chart over at IGN breaking down cost per kilowatt hour by state.

The Cost of Folding: Find out how much it'll cost you to cure cancer

I guess I'm being selfish here - but I'm afraid it will kill my PS3. I had a bad experience with an Xbox 360 continually locking up. I've been knocking on wood with my PS3 :eek:
 
4JNA

4JNA

macrumors 68000
Feb 8, 2006
1,505
1
looking for trash files
quick question for you ps3'ers. read the faq at stanford, but couldn't find an answer. can the F@H client be set to start automatically when the unit powers on (remote server room, no monitor/screen) or do you need to manually start the client from the menu?

anyone using any additional cooling (snap on fan thing) or just stock console?

like the idea of folding on this due to simplicity and speed. at current ebay rates, this is also cheaper than a couple of the systems i have running. sell the dual xeon, get more work units done, and save some energy. bonus!
 
SilentPanda

SilentPanda

Moderator emeritus
Oct 8, 2002
9,992
31
The Bamboo Forest
4JNA said:
quick question for you ps3'ers. read the faq at stanford, but couldn't find an answer. can the F@H client be set to start automatically when the unit powers on (remote server room, no monitor/screen) or do you need to manually start the client from the menu?

anyone using any additional cooling (snap on fan thing) or just stock console?

like the idea of folding on this due to simplicity and speed. at current ebay rates, this is also cheaper than a couple of the systems i have running. sell the dual xeon, get more work units done, and save some energy. bonus!
Click to expand...

You can't. I would also like an option for it to power down after it completes a work unit. I'd feel a lot better having it turn off after 6-8 hours instead of having to go home to turn it off myself.
 
Big-TDI-Guy

Big-TDI-Guy

macrumors 68030
Jan 11, 2007
2,606
13
My PS3 has been running for 3 weeks straight now, and I've saved money because of it.

Shut off my heat (it's still VERY cold out), and my room stays around 68 (I usually keep "real heat" at 62) so I'm not buring any gas, and still toasty warm - and helping a good cause, too.

My roomie just set up a mammoth gaming PC, so he's warm too.

But yeah, cranking out WU after WU, and no PS3 problems.
 
zelmo

zelmo

macrumors 603
Original poster
Jul 3, 2004
5,490
1
Mac since 7.5
There is an update for the PS3 Folding client, available if you attempt to launch Folding. If the completion time estimates are as accurate as they have been thus far, a usual 287 pt. WU now takes <6 hours instead of about 8 hours.:)
 
pseudobrit

pseudobrit

macrumors 68040
Jul 23, 2002
3,416
3
Jobs' Spare Liver Jar
4JNA said:
quick question for you ps3'ers. read the faq at stanford, but couldn't find an answer. can the F@H client be set to start automatically when the unit powers on (remote server room, no monitor/screen) or do you need to manually start the client from the menu?
Click to expand...

There's an options menu under the f@h icon where you can set it to auto-start after a few different periods of delay, with the shortest one being 10 minutes. So if you powered it up and did nothing, it would start up in 10 minutes.
 
kuebby

kuebby

macrumors 68000
Jan 18, 2007
1,582
13
MD
Nicolasdec said:
Dose any one leave it on the hole night? I whould but i dont know if its good for the ps3.
Click to expand...

According to one of the Sony execs (I can't remember which one) it's fine to leave it on all night as far as the PS3 itself goes. And if it does somehow break it's definitely under warranty.
 
4JNA

4JNA

macrumors 68000
Feb 8, 2006
1,505
1
looking for trash files
pseudobrit said:
There's an options menu under the f@h icon where you can set it to auto-start...
Click to expand...

exactly what i needed. thanks!

kuebby said:
...it's fine to leave it on all night as far as the PS3 itself goes.
Click to expand...

seems solid here. been folding 24x7 for about a week. the thing just ramps up the fans a spits out work units at a insane rate. amazing!

still think i'll make some usb powered fans just to be safe.
 
T

theheyes

macrumors regular
Mar 8, 2006
218
0
Manchester
Considering the beastly innards of the ps3 in such a confined enclosure I'm surprised its as quiet as it is. Makes a nice little heater on colder days too.

Its fun watching it shred through work units in a few hours but from a purely folding perspective, there are much better machines out there in terms of ppd and efficiency.
 
S

SimonTheSoundMa

macrumors 65816
Aug 6, 2006
1,033
213
Birmingham, UK
Dreadnought said:
How could those PS3 have such high numbers. They only have 3.2 Ghz Cell processor in them. 3.2 is pretty fast, but it is a Cell proc. Did someone forget to divide it through a 1000?!?
Click to expand...
One Cell processor is more powerful than Deep Blue supercomputer which is 10 years old. These are one powerful processor.

It's all good stuff. I just wonder if it would have been better if Acorn computers carried on developing it when they had control over ARM Ltd. Development got stuck in the water for many years when Acorn closed and IBM took over.
 
Teh Don Ditty

Teh Don Ditty

macrumors G4
Jan 15, 2007
11,306
8
Maryland
I procured a PS3 a few days ago and have started folding Team MR. This thing is a beast!!!

O/T: OMG Casino Royale in HD = Amazing.
 
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