Hi

[Confusednewbie1552]

Hi, I have a few questions about Folding@Home, which I might download:

1: Do I need to unblock any ports on my router for it to work?
2: Does the graphical client use more of your CPU than the Text-Only version?
3: Is the Text-Only version faster than the Graphical client, therefore making the text-only version being able to do more work faster?
4: Is it possible for me to set it so Folding@Home can use all the CPU power it needs for getting more work done faster, while there is nothing going on on my comp (say at night when I am sleeping?) and then only use the CPU power that's not being used while I am doing intensive work (ex. playing a game)?
5: What should I do to prepare my computer for this?

Sorry if any of theese questions have been answered before, I did a quick search (although a very hastily done one ) and found nothing. Any thanks in advance!

 

[ssvegeta1010]

Although I dont use F@H, I use other DC projects, and your router may need some ports unblocked.

 

[Rattledagger]

1; Folding@home uses standard http-port 80, but also port 8080 on some of their servers, so you must possibly open 8080.
2; probably yes, but if it's a significant difference, don't know.
3; Yes, since on dual you can only run one graphical client, but you can run 2 cli and therefore crunch more. If you don't have dual/HT, see #2...
4; The default is Folding@home runs at "idle" priority, this means anything else that needs cpu-power will get cpu-power. You can configure Folding@home to run at higher priority or only use NN% of cpu, but this shouldn't be neccessary in games atleast, and only on really really badly programmed programs should it be neccessary to limit cpu-usage.

5; Download, install, configure for team #198 and run... See #1 to possibly open port.
Allowing large downloads and much memory-usage if got the connection & memory for this, since can ocassionally give wu with bonus-points. Note, it's possible huge memory-usage-wu will slow down other processes.

Don't know if have any effect on Folding@home, but generally disabling virus-scanning on DC-project-directory and any sub-directory can be an idea...

 

[ProviaFan]

1: Do I need to unblock any ports on my router for it to work?
No. You need outgoing 80 and 8080, but on home routers that should be fine by default. No incoming ports need to be opened.

2: Does the graphical client use more of your CPU than the Text-Only version?
Very slightly, unless you keep it open a lot, in which case the answer is "a bit more than very slightly"

3: Is the Text-Only version faster than the Graphical client, therefore making the text-only version being able to do more work faster?
Again, as long as you keep the graphical client minimized, there is not a big difference.

4: Is it possible for me to set it so Folding@Home can use all the CPU power it needs for getting more work done faster, while there is nothing going on on my comp (say at night when I am sleeping?) and then only use the CPU power that's not being used while I am doing intensive work (ex. playing a game)?
That's the way things are by default; it will use all of the idle power available, but will yield completely whenever anything else with a higher-than-idle priority needs to access the CPU.

5: What should I do to prepare my computer for this?
Make sure you're free from viruses and spyware (surprisingly, MS Antispyware is one of the best for this). Then, you can follow MDE's excellent guide to get set up and running.

 

[Insidious]

I can't do any better than the excellent answers above, but thought I'd stop by and offer you an early 'Welcome to Folding@Home'

happy folding

-Sid

 

[MDE]

Originally posted by: Insidious
I can't do any better than the excellent answers above, but thought I'd stop by and offer you an early 'Welcome to Folding@Home'

happy folding

-Sid

Same here, although my guide was mentioned in the advice above .
Welcome to the TeAm!

 

[GLeeM]

Welcome to the TeAm, Confusednewbie1552 If you have any other questions, just ask.

I will add that you might want to clean out any dust from the heatsink/fan, a computer running a DC project at full load gets warmer that one at idle or playing a game for a few hours.

Also to the answers to #2 I will clarify that the GUI uses the same amount of CPU, it's just that the GUI, if displayed, uses some cycles so it takes those away from finishing the WU faster.

 

[GLeeM]

@Confusednewbie1552

I made a reply to the thread in your sig. Let me know (in a PM) if it helps.

 

[Confusednewbie1552]

Hey, thanks for the welcomes! I'll be sure to read that guide. Currently I'm running Folding@Home and it seems to be working! So far I'm working on the p1804_Collagend_PPG`0_AMBER core and I have completed 150/500 frames. The WU end right now will be 10:36 on Monday June 27 2005. Currently I will not be running this 24/7. I may when I move this loud, growling beast out of my room =). Anyway in the meantime I have 2 more questions:

1: What does WU mean?
2: How much will it cost me to leave my rig on 24/7 on my electricity bil for a month? I live in California and my rig is in the first post at the bottom in the link in my signature.

Anyway a heads up that there's a new guy in the team =D!

 

[ProviaFan]

WU = Work Unit. In F@H, WUs come in different complexities, so units of "score" are used to even things out (more credit for longer WUs, less credit for shorter ones). I'll leave the power usage math to someone else at this hour of the night, though.

 

[Confusednewbie1552]

Just out of curiosity:
How many frames is a short WU? Medium? Large?

 

[ProviaFan]

The frames don't really matter in determining how much time a WU will take to process. I've seen many sizes of 100 frame WUs, and have had some 400 frame WUs that finished faster than other 100 frame WUs. It all depends on the complexity of the calculations within.

 

[GLeeM]

As far as how much it will cost: I think I remember someone saying that it costs a few dollars more per month to run a DC program 24/7 versus leaving your computer on 24/7 and not running a DC program.

Turning monitors and other hardware off when not using them can help lower the cost.

Once in a while we see someone that runs 10 or 20 computers complain about the cost of electricity

In the summer heat, air conditioning costs can add up too. Some people run fewer computers in the summer. In the winter, when you have to pay for heat, computers become cheaper to run.

 

[Confusednewbie1552]

Hehe, my CPU is warm now =D 45 Celcius (113 F) according to Asus Probe. Motherboard is 51 Celcius (123 F) according to Asus Probe. I forgot what they usually are in celcius, but I believe the CPU is usually 91 F and the Motherboard is usally 94 F. =) I'm glad my CPU is getting a workout, it's been an overdue burn in ;-)

 

[Confusednewbie1552]

Woot first WU done! 500 frames! p1804_Collagen_PPG10_AMBER Core

 

[Insidious]

:thumbsup:

 

[osage]

Originally posted by: GLeeM
As far as how much it will cost: I think I remember someone saying that it costs a few dollars more per month to run a DC program 24/7 versus leaving your computer on 24/7 and not running a DC program.

Turning monitors and other hardware off when not using them can help lower the cost.

Once in a while we see someone that runs 10 or 20 computers complain about the cost of electricity

In the summer heat, air conditioning costs can add up too. Some people run fewer computers in the summer. In the winter, when you have to pay for heat, computers become cheaper to run.

Yes, it's true 20 crunchers in the basement makes a rather nice heater.


welcome aboard Confusednewbie1552