Folding@Home

[CougTek]

Last time I checked (3 days ago), building two completly separated single-CPU systems cost only about 10-15% more than a single dually (socket-A platform, I mean). That's when you use Athlon MP certified for MP. For the added fexibility and increased performance (any modern socket-A chipset is faster than the AMD760), I would go with two independant computers instead. But that's just me.

 

[Handruin]

Last time I checked (3 days ago), building two completly separated single-CPU systems cost only about 10-15% more than a single dually (socket-A platform, I mean). That's when you use Athlon MP certified for MP. For the added fexibility and increased performance (any modern socket-A chipset is faster than the AMD760), I would go with two independant computers instead. But that's just me.

Good point. For a few extra dollars I can have a 3rd machine, but I don't think I have the space. On the single CPU side, what are the stable options combined with the new AMD core?

 

[CougTek]

On the single CPU side, what are the stable options combined with the new AMD core?

Among the motherboards I consider when I'm building new systems, I know the Asus A7N266 serie (pointless now since the nForce-2 is almost out) and the ols ECS K7S5A (cheapo solution, but enough if you only care about the CPU power) do support Thoroughbred. It seems to be more tricky with VIA's cheapsets. It varies a lot depending on the manufacturers. I would guess that most if not all KT333 motherboards should support Thoroughbred but that it's more complicated with the KT266 and previous VIA chipsets. Since the elder Thoroughbred use a higher voltage, I would guess that the list of motherboards capable of hosting a higher-frequency 0.13µm Athlon is broader than the one listing those that support the 1600+ to 2000+ Thoroughbred.

I have yet to sell a Thoroughbred though. Their cost is still a bit prohibitive here.

 

[Clocker]

You don't need MPs...hell I'm overclocking my 1700+ XPs to 1900+ and they work just fine...

Your case and PS will be fine with a Tyan Tiger MPX if you choose to go that route.

C

 

[Groltz]

The waking call wasn't for you Steve. Your production has been steady for a while. I also want to congratulates Mark. He has improved considerably recently. Maybe he didn't want to let go his 8th place so easily this time, when he saw the shadow of a Mourn in his rear mirror? ;-)

I wasn't trying to be defensive in response to your post Coug....I was just joking. My single computer is just doing the best it can and that's that.

I was playing with MAME last night and found that as long as it is running FAH stops completing cycles. Too bad. If I get the urge to play Battlezone, Cheyenne or Crossbow FAH will just have to take the back seat for a little while.

I also noticed that Mark has picked up the pace. He doesn't have me to worry about, though. Jake is going to blow right by both him and me at the rate he is going.

Sorted by output for week

--Steve

 

[Clocker]

Thoroughbreds work in the Tiger MPX as well.

C

 

[Handruin]

Thoroughbreds work in the Tiger MPX as well.

C

Do you have to modify the chip, such as connecting a bridge...I'm I thinking of the right thing here?

 

[Groltz]

Yesterday while I was daydreaming about being able to afford a second PC, I came across a three-way Athlon duallie motherboard review over at Lost Circuits

Check it out if you're curious.

 

[P5-133XL]

The waking call wasn't for you Steve. Your production has been steady for a while. I also want to congratulates Mark. He has improved considerably recently. Maybe he didn't want to let go his 8th place so easily this time, when he saw the shadow of a Mourn in his rear mirror? ;-)

I also noticed that Mark has picked up the pace. He doesn't have me to worry about, though. Jake is going to blow right by both him and me at the rate he is going.

--Steve

The increase in my production has to do with UD. They did an upgrade recently resulting in a program that couldn't connect to their servers for hours to days at a time. Rather than letting the CPU power go to waste, I simply ran both UD and F@H on those machines so that if a program waits idly then another was being run and if both are run then F@H is getting 50%. I don't anticipate that to continue for long because UD will correct their bugs and then I'll be back to my single processor on F@H. Sorry, but UD came first and I remain committed.

 

[Handruin]

Yesterday while I was daydreaming about being able to afford a second PC, I came across a three-way Athlon duallie motherboard review over at Lost Circuits

Check it out if you're curious.

That was a helpful link, thanks!

 

[Clocker]

Thoroughbreds work in the Tiger MPX as well.

C

Do you have to modify the chip, such as connecting a bridge...I'm I thinking of the right thing here?

On the newer XPs, yes. I just use the No.2 pencil trick to connect one of the L5 bridges.

More info here:

http://www.hardwarezone.com/articles/articles.hwz?cid=2&aid=393

Page 2 has some good pix.

ANd here:
http://www.hardwarezone.com/articles/articles.hwz?cid=2&aid=395

C

 

[Clocker]

BTW: Newer Tiger MPX boards have no USB problems. AMD released a revised chipset which Tyan has been using for several months (the -4M version of the motherboard is the new one).

C

 

[Cliptin]

Yesterday while I was daydreaming about being able to afford a second PC, I came across a three-way Athlon duallie motherboard review over at Lost Circuits

Check it out if you're curious.

You had me going there Groltz. I looked around for a review of a three-way Athlon duallie and only found a comparision review of three Athlon duallies.

Pretty sneaky, sis.

 

[Cliptin]

Handruin, I have an Tyan MPX on the way to my house. It should be up in a couple days. I'm putting it in a small case (SC701-A) with a 300W PS since I already had it. It has the minimum amperage on the 12V line recommended by Tyan, 30A. We'll see how it goes.

If I were going to build another one. I would go for a micro-atx board in a micro case. I recently purchased a Soyo SY-K7VEM Pro for the case Buck recommended.

The pluses: small form factor (I could stack six or more of these in the same space as two midtowers), takes sdram (which I already had), with a decent HSF (regulated to it's lowest speed by zalman speed control) I have stably overclocked a 1700+(1466) to 1636. This is smack between 1900+ and 2000+, a 2.5 speed grade overclock. MB, case, ram, proc and fan and you are ready to go. MB + case= ~$140

The minus:the board only officially supports as big as a 1700+ CPU, overclocking must be done with CPUFSB and no CPU voltage control.

 

[Prof.Wizard]

My PC (in Rome) will be off till September...

I'll try to prepare the one in Thessaloniki for crunching. It's really a bear to move, but I'll try... :-?

 

[P5-133XL]

What has happened to Tea's production? She seems to have dropped of the face of the folding world.

 

[CougTek]

What has happened to Tea's production? She seems to have dropped of the face of the folding world.

I saw that Aussie monkey has just restarted to ship result. It added 14 points within the last few hours.

 

[The JoJo]

Hi there everyone!

Sorry for the lack of crunching...
I went to my grandparents summerplace for three days, and had my main system, XP1800@1610, and the 333 shut down. Hopefully I'll get back on track now. At the moment I have no means to increase my production

If I only could sell the 333 MHz and get a new computer as a replacement....

This means that we would really need some more people helping us out on this!

Good work everyone!

 

[Tea]

As Tannin mentioned in another thread, I'm reduced to just two machines now: the XP1800 and the T-bird 1333. Those two machines are 24/7 crunchers but restricted by the stupid no-net lack in the primitive folding client. The 1333 doesn't usually have a monitor switched on and I rely on the folding client to auto-detect the net connection, which half of the time it doesn't do because their servers are made out of baboon turds. Both systems are at home, and I've not been home for several days. I'll be gone for a couple of days again now too, more than likely.

Still I booked cable connections for home and office yesterday, so when that arrives it will help. Quite a lot.

 

[Groltz]

Team Austech outscored us today 221.22 to 207.15

They lag us by only 22.69 in the weekly score.

 

[The JoJo]

Way to go Tea! Go cable go

We still need more power....

And I just put the 3.1 client on one of my computers, and the sucker can't get the fahcore from the server....double

 

[Groltz]

FAH News

7/17/2002 Added console version docs

The console version (originally quite simple in use) has gotten more complicated as we've added features. We've added some info about how to use it at http://folding.stanford.edu/console-userguide.txt

 

[The JoJo]

Seems some of my computers are having some major problems connecting to the servers.... !!!!

Many of them are sitting idle waiting for a connection to send/receive units! And they have been at it since yesterday... Took a quick peek at the folding forum yesterday, and it looks like I'm not the only one having trouble connecting to the 116 server...damm...

Clocker seems to have turbo charged his machines, way to go!

Is the 3.1 client working ok for you people? Anyone using it?

 

[Pradeep]

3.1 working OK for me Fushigi. Tho I have had a couple of times where connecting to send/receive has taken a couple of tries. I should be adding a P4 1.6GHz today.

 

[Pradeep]

Ooops! Sorry JoJo

 

[CougTek]

I should be adding a P4 1.6GHz today.

If it's a Northwood 1.6A, it's almost criminal to let it run at 1.6GHz and not at 2.13GHz or more. OTOH, if it's the older 0.18µm version, then it's ok.

I wonder how much the advantage of the Athlon is over the Pentium 4? For RC5, it's absolutely ridiculous (more than a 2x factor for the same frequency), but for F@h, I don't know. Maybe a very highly clocked P4 can match an average Athlon XP for F@h?

 

[Buck]

As a temporary measure, I just fired up an Athlon XP system. I put in a 1800+ but overclocked the FSB to 140Mhz, so now the BIOS reports it as a 2000+. I don't know how long this will last.

 

[Pradeep]

I should be adding a P4 1.6GHz today.

If it's a Northwood 1.6A, it's almost criminal to let it run at 1.6GHz and not at 2.13GHz or more. OTOH, if it's the older 0.18µm version, then it's ok.

Sadly it is a P4-M in a Dell laptop, so 2 GHz+ is out of reach. But the UXGA screen and GF4 440 32MB is what I'm looking forward to.

 

[The JoJo]

Still having major problems...

No problem Pradeep .

 

[Groltz]

 

[The JoJo]

uhhhh:

Loaded queue successfully.
+ Attempting to get work packet
- Connecting to assignment server
- Could not send request to AS #2

a lot of this...

The crunching ones are ok, but when I added the 3.1 client to some computers they get this. Even after putting 3.01 in them...

 

[Handruin]

Wow...look at the contrast between the number of users in each group. :mrgrn:

I'll try to get my next machine together soon! We can kep ahead. (I think this is turning into an addiction.)

 

[Handruin]

uhhhh:

Loaded queue successfully.
+ Attempting to get work packet
- Connecting to assignment server
- Could not send request to AS #2

a lot of this...

The crunching ones are ok, but when I added the 3.1 client to some computers they get this. Even after putting 3.01 in them...

 

[Handruin]

That was very strange... I know I was quoting Groltz, and I even wrote a message! Very odd.

 

[Handruin]

I must be on something...now I see my quote from groltz.

 

[Groltz]

To not bog down the thread with an overload of images, I will remove old tables when I post new ones.

 

[Clocker]

When you guys moved up to the 3.1 client, did you delete your client and queue dat files? I'm not sure if it makes a difference but I let the new program create it's own dat files (i.e. deleted old dat files and reset up client) to make sure they worked properly. I've had minimal problems although, occasionally, there is a slight delay in either sending or receiving work.


C

 

[Groltz]

When you guys moved up to the 3.1 client, did you delete your client and queue dat files?
C

Yes... No problems.

 

[Cliptin]

When you guys moved up to the 3.1 client, did you delete your client and queue dat files? I'm not sure if it makes a difference but I let the new program create it's own dat files (i.e. deleted old dat files and reset up client) to make sure they worked properly. I've had minimal problems although, occasionally, there is a slight delay in either sending or receiving work.


C

On a couple of computers, I ran 3.1 mid-protein which converted to data and then I went back to 2.19 for a while and then returned to 3.1. When the protein was finished, 3.1 had trouble turning it in but I just fired up 2.19 and I turned it in and then got a new one. Thereafter, I ran 3.1 with no problems. All other machines were upgraded mid-protein with no problems.

 

[The JoJo]

I've tried to switch the client mid-protein, and also after deleting all files/subfolders. As for the mid-protein switching, it hasn't generated any problems so far for me.

The problem with 3 computers is that they can't connect to the servers when only port 80 is available. So right now I'm running at about half capacity...