Hi

[rasczak]

I just wanted to say Hello, and ask you folks what it is you do a little more in depth. I read the top post and I find this concept fascinating.

If I wanted to participate would I need a dedicated PC or would I be able to run this in the background while I play HL2?


thanks for your input and your posts.


Joe

 

[Slatzman]

we contribute our idle cpu cycles to different projects, if you read the top post you can see how many different projects there are.

As for a dedicated computer, no, these projects all run at low priority and should not interfere with normal computer activity. I am sure that someone will chime in with personal experience with dc projects while gaming.

Welcome aboard, hope you find something you are interested in and start crunchin!!! This is the best DC TeAm in the world!!!

Slatz

 

[Insidious]

Hello jpbelauskas

Probably the best way to get some in depth insight about Distributed Computing is yours for the having in these forums. There are several (a lot acutally) of different projects we support and most are represented well here. Look for links to the individual project efforts within the various project update threads you see in here to explore the details of any that look interesting to you.

I presently participate in Rosetta@Home which is a medical research project developing tools to predict protien structures, aid in the development of new ones, and apply this knowledge to the treatment of disease, such as Malaria, AIDS, and others.

you don't need a dedicated machine to participate in DC. The projects are designed in a way to only actually use your CPU when no other job is (the DC application runs when ever idle cycles would otherwise be running... doing nothing).

I don't even turn mine off when I game.


Best of luck to you. Any project thread you enter is most likely to offer you a warm welcome (we really do mean it) and all the discussion you would like.

-Sid

 

[BlackMountainCow]

Hi jpbelauskas!

As for gaming, I run two instances of Rosetta@Home (a medical project) on my dual core Athlon X2 3800+ AND I can still play Battlefield2 without any problems. So, a dedicated machine isn't necessary at all; a regular work PC will do just fine. Also, you don't need to have it running 24/7. Even a couple of hours a day will help a better cause.

Just ask if you have more questions. That's what we're here for.

 

[Orange Kid]

I don't get it?
Why would you want to use a computer for something else?



Feel free to pick a project that interests you and try it. If it interferes with game play, shut it off while you play and then start it back up when you let your machine do more inane tasks like, surf the net.

 

[GLeeM]

Hello jpbelauskas and welcome to the TeAm DC forum

If you have trouble deciding on a project, you might want to consider hitching a ride with TAS (the TeAms' Rally TeAm) to explore the different projects. We move from project to project each month helping out and learning alot about each one.

Many new people have done this and will either continue changing projects with TAS or stay on a project they find they really like.

Welcome to the TeAm

 

[Insidious]

Originally posted by: GLeeM
Hello jpbelauskas and welcome to the TeAm DC forum

If you have trouble deciding on a project, you might want to consider hitching a ride with TAS (the TeAms' Rally TeAm) to explore the different projects. We move from project to project each month helping out and learning alot about each one.

Many new people have done this and will either continue changing projects with TAS or stay on a project they find they really like.

Welcome to the TeAm

An extremely GOOD SUGGESTION (thanks GleeM)
I found my 'home project' this way

-Sid

 

[networkman]

Welcome to you, jpbelauskas.

I think GleeM's TAS suggestion is a very good idea.

Just be careful - Distributed Computing can get to be addicitive.. that one PC you start with part-time can easily grow to become a dozen machines running projects 24/7. :Q I speak from experience.

 

[Assimilator1]

Welcome to the DC forum Joe & I hope to Team Anandtech too

I used to run SETI@H1 & now run DPAD & S@H2 ,I've long since been in the habit of shutting off a DC project whilst gaming as I found S@H1 would occasional cause very brief pauses ,no big deal to shut off & restart it after gaming.
Possibly I dont need to do this anymore but its a habit now!

SETI = Search for Extra Terristral (spelling?) Intelligence by checking recorded radio data/noise from space.

DPAD = Distributed Particle Accelerator Design (aka Muon1)

 

[Dalephi]

Welcome to the DC Forums Jpbelauskas!

Hopefully you will find what project you want and join the best DC TeAm anywhere. We are here to help if you have anymore questions.

Dale

 

[Insidious]

Originally posted by: networkman
Just be careful - Distributed Computing can get to be addicitive.. that one PC you start with part-time can easily grow to become a dozen machines running projects 24/7. :Q I speak from experience.

It's not that bad.... I only have 4 :roll:

Have fun!

 

[networkman]

Maybe so, but if you click the GRRO link in my sig, you'll see what I have - and it's actually more than a dozen, with a couple more on the way. :Q

The voices keep telling me that I don't have a problem.. that I can stop any time I want.

 

[RaySun2Be]

Welcome to the DC forum, jpbelauskas Take a look around, I certainly hope you find a project(s) you like and decide to join Team Anandtech!

Great bunch of teammates, I must say!

Originally posted by: networkman
Maybe so, but if you click the GRRO link in my sig, you'll see what I have - and it's actually more than a dozen, with a couple more on the way. :Q

The voices keep telling me that I don't have a problem.. that I can stop any time I want.

LOL!

and it's actually more than a dozen, with a couple more on the way

I was going to say, a dozen?

/me thinks someone is underestimating, lol.

 

[BespinReactorShaft]

Welcome jpbelauskas. :beer:

I've got more or less the same rig as you do, except for a P4 HT CPU.

In theory DC should not affect whatever else is currently running. In practice though, I've always found it to be slightly impacting on gaming performance. Mind you that's mainly on heavy stuff like Quake 4 and FEAR. Older titles like HL2 should do fine. In any case it's no biggie to just suspend/shutdown the DC app before gaming and turn it back on again afterwards.

Hoping you'll join the TeAm, explore a little (and hopefully end up in Rosetta@Home ).

 

[rise]

bespin, do you have problems, or slight performance hit, running rosetta? and is that on a single core or dualie?

just curious as i know i can run 2x any boinc project while playing any game, including bf2, cod2, civ4, aoe3 and q4. i have 2 x2's though.

i'm hoping to get an early release of oblivion from the developers so i can test it

 

[BespinReactorShaft]

Originally posted by: rise4310
bespin, do you have problems, or slight performance hit, running rosetta? and is that on a single core or dualie?

just curious as i know i can run 2x any boinc project while playing any game, including bf2, cod2, civ4, aoe3 and q4. i have 2 x2's though.

i'm hoping to get an early release of oblivion from the developers so i can test it

I'm also running 2x rosetta on my P4 3GHz HT. Actually, I'm not 100% sure on Q4, but I think it's more of a memory consumption issue so I guess the performance hit (just occasional choppiness -- swap file activity? I have 1GB RAM) is more obvious in resource hogs like FEAR.

 

[rise]

ahh, i forgot that. i have 2x 1gigs. that maybe it.

 

[Insidious]

Originally posted by: BespinReactorShaft

Originally posted by: rise4310
bespin, do you have problems, or slight performance hit, running rosetta? and is that on a single core or dualie?

just curious as i know i can run 2x any boinc project while playing any game, including bf2, cod2, civ4, aoe3 and q4. i have 2 x2's though.

i'm hoping to get an early release of oblivion from the developers so i can test it

I'm also running 2x rosetta on my P4 3GHz HT. Actually, I'm not 100% sure on Q4, but I think it's more of a memory consumption issue so I guess the performance hit (just occasional choppiness -- swap file activity? I have 1GB RAM) is more obvious in resource hogs like FEAR.

F.E.A.R is the game that pushed me into putting 2G in my son's computer. (Just a little in HL2 also) I couldn't call it choppy, but it was like there was this tiny video... 'glitch' once or twice a minute.

I checked 'performance' in the taskman and found that I was peaking above 1GB. We haven't seen anything since. (2@Roseys running all the time)

I never associated it with DC, it easily could have been though. But of course the 'more hardware' mentality I hold took care of it.

'tis the addiction of which we speak :evil: