Folding @ home

[xCxStylex]

I just dled it, installed it, and joined the AT team.

My questions are:

-I recently read a signature in some guys post with a link to full FAQ on it, but I can't find it. Anyone know FAQ what I'm talking about by chance?

-The default "Core Priority" is "lowest possible (recommended)." If I'm sleeping and not using my comp for anything else other than bittorrent, is it safe to bump this setting up?

-Does using your CPU all the time cause your thermal paste to wear out any faster than it would normally? What if I were to bump up the previous setting? The program only takes 50% of my cpu cyles and my temps remain under 50 celsius.

Thank you in advance!

 

[theAnimal]

Originally posted by: xCxStylex
I just dled it, installed it, and joined the AT team.

Welcome aboard!

-I recently read a signature in some guys post with a link to full FAQ on it, but I can't find it. Anyone know FAQ what I'm talking about by chance?

There's an FAQ at the official Folding site.

-The default "Core Priority" is "lowest possible (recommended)." If I'm sleeping and not using my comp for anything else other than bittorrent, is it safe to bump this setting up?

Lowest priority is fine.

-Does using your CPU all the time cause your thermal paste to wear out any faster than it would normally? What if I were to bump up the previous setting?

Possibly, but you'll probably upgrade before the paste needs to be replaced.

The program only takes 50% of my cpu cyles and my temps remain under 50 celsius.

In order to use 100% you can run 2 copies of the CPU client, or change to the SMP client if you don't mind beta software.

 

[Assimilator1]

Welcome to TA

Seems like all questions have been covered , I'll just add that I've been running DC for nearly 10yrs & mostly 24/7, I don't recall ever having to replace thermal paste due to it going off. Although probably the longest I've had a single application of paste on is about 2yrs.

 

[Philippart]

and your gpu will give you a big boost in performance if you add a gpu client too!

 

[Shmee]

welcome! As long as your computer is stable with linx or OCCT, it will have no problem with folding.

A question or 2 of my own: I have noticed that my 2 x86 CPU clients on my 2 quads only make the CPU usage go up to an average of about 30%. Does this mean that I don't have the "right" client and can download a more demanding one that will actually take more CPU power?

My 2 quads are: Q6600 @ 3.6, i7 920 @ 4.2

My 8800 GT and GTX 260 seem to be making the most points though.

 

[Drsignguy]

If the client is properly installed and setup correctly, your Cpu should be at 100% max per WU. So your Quad cores with 1 WU working will have all cores at 100% or if you have 2 WU's working, they should be at 100% producing at least 1400 PPD with that Q6600 and more with that i7. Get Affinity Changer, install it and it will do the rest. It only works with the Cpu.

The questions about the TIM (thermal paste) has been answered correctly or best to their knowledge. As far as I can tell, If you have installed the TIM correctly, you shouldn't worry as long as your Temps are within spec.

If you run a Gpu client, it will produce greater PPD. Nvidia cards, with their latest drivers pretty much run separately from the Cpu. As for ATi, I haven't run one for a while so I don't know if their drivers have the same impact as Nvidia. So, someone will chime in on this one to answer that question, hopefully.

 

[Assimilator1]

Yeah for the standard F@H CPU client you need a client for each core to load the CPU nr 100%.

Or you can use the SMP client (as theAnimal said ) to make use of all cores & get more points too . It can be fiddly to install & use as its Beta, but mostly once it's going it's fine.

Bear in mind if you do load all cores it will slow down the GPU clients a little, I know that impact was reduced alot a while back but I don't know what to.

 

[Shmee]

ah ok, TY. I think I will DL the SMP client once the current WU's are finished. I guess I just got the regular one then

 

[Assimilator1]

Re ATI cards, although I haven't updated anything in a couple of months, IIRC I found I was able to reduce the CPU impact to about 5% & still have something like 90% of GPU output.
That's with a Q6600 @3.35 GHz running DPAD with the F@H GPU client on a HD 4830.

Drsignguy
I take it you're talking about the SMP client? re all cores been used.

 

[GLeeM]

Originally posted by: xCxStylex
-The default "Core Priority" is "lowest possible (recommended)." If I'm sleeping and not using my comp for anything else other than bittorrent, is it safe to bump this setting up?

Originally posted by: Assimilator1
Bear in mind if you do load all cores it will slow down the GPU clients a little, I know that impact was reduced alot a while back but I don't know what to.

Do you see the relationship? This is why that option is in the client. If you are running two apps that might conflict against each other you can "bump" one to a little higher priority so it can get the cycles it needs ahead of the other client.

As far as setting it higher at night - "priority" means which application does the computer respond to first. ()The top priority applications are keyboard and mouse, if computer doesn't respond to you, you kill it!) F@H will run at 100% if it is at lowest or slightly higher.

 

[Drsignguy]

Originally posted by: Assimilator1
Re ATI cards, although I haven't updated anything in a couple of months, IIRC I found I was able to reduce the CPU impact to about 5% & still have something like 90% of GPU output.
That's with a Q6600 @3.35 GHz running DPAD with the F@H GPU client on a HD 4830.

Drsignguy
I take it you're talking about the SMP client? re all cores been used.

Correct

 

[Philippart]

we'll see you in the next daily stats

 

[Shmee]

ty for info. I got the SMP client working for the i7 earlier today. (well, yesterday technically). Before I set it up, FahMon reported around 12000-15000 PPD between 4 clients, the one on my stock 8800 GT, the one on my oced GTX 260 @ 702/1512/1188, and the 2 regular clients for x86, one on the 4.2 GHz i7, with HT off, one on the 3.6 GHz Q6600.

Now, I check FahMon, and with only the 8800 GT, the GTX 260, and the new SMP client on the i7, it reports 18115 PPD! Cool, should get over 20k with the Q6600 SMP set up!

 

[GLeeM]

Originally posted by: Drsignguy
If the client is properly installed and setup correctly, your Cpu should be at 100% max per WU. So your Quad cores with 1 WU working will have all cores at 100% or if you have 2 WU's working, they should be at 100% producing at least 1400 PPD with that Q6600 and more with that i7. Get Affinity Changer, install it and it will do the rest. It only works with the Cpu.

Does Affinity Changer work on i7?
For some reason I thought it would not work