Folding@Home

[CougTek]

If Hawkeye will really add 8 freaking 3.8GHz P4 to his lineup, he'll be heading for the top team spot. However, he could end up being a wet firework if he does a ddrueding-special (where are those 20+ folding systems?) ;-).

I'm sorry Doug, I thought you had an X2 3800+, not a 3200+. My memory is getting worse. You'll still easily distance me until I upgrade and due to unfortunate recent events, that won't be soon.

 

[fb]

I've added a X2 3800+, but my P4 1.8 is only folding a few hours each week at the moment.

 

[CougTek]

Don't worry about the P4, the X2 3800+ will more than compensate for it. Thanks for your involvement.

I've just checked and according to EOC stats, I will overtake The Jojo in only 10 years. I'm all smile :mrgrn:

 

[Handruin]

Some how Coug, your P4 2.66 is producing higher results than both my athlon 3200+ and Celeron 2.53 combined (not that the celeron adds much, but it's better than nothing). I don't get it... Both of mine are configured for the advanced methods and run as services. Am I missing something obvious?

 

[P5-133XL]

It's the QMD's and their 100% bonus. they are effectively only given out to Intel processors with 512+MB Ram. If you set you machine up with -advmethods and allow large WU's then Intell processors get QMD's almost continiously. Meanwhile, AMD processors only get 100% bonus units occasionally. Definately set your system to accept large WU's to get those occasional 100% bonus's.

With QMD's I can easily maintain aprox 400-470ppd on a 3.2 P4 Intel machine getting exclusive QMD's while my 2500+ AMD machines are averaging a little over 120.

At the moment Intel machines are king and AMD is definately 2nd class. Note you can get QMD's on non-Intel machines using Linux but they don't support SSE2/3 and thereby they actually do worse.

 

[Handruin]

This is what I'm running on both:

-svcstart -local -forceasm -advmethods

I have to look at the FAH forums more often. It's a shame that they favor Intel for the QMD's. Equally as bad that I am running linux on my only Intel machine.

 

[CougTek]

I rULe! :mrgrn:

You clinched me last week btw. I produced 2250 points while you did over 2500. This week will be another story. I'm gonna trounce you. :diablo:

 

[Handruin]

Hopefully I can get my 3rd machine online soon. :errr:

Must...hold...lead... :mrgrn:

 

[LiamC]

total n00b, what's QMD? Quebéc Mass Destruction? Coug! is not gonna like that!

 

[P5-133XL]

QMD's are a specific type of WU: Specificly p1910, p1911, p1912's

Regarding QMD's and Intel processors: The problem isn't with F@H but with Intel. Specificly an Intel Compiler library and its EULA. The EULA doesn't allow the library to be used on AMD machines and the compiler checks the CPUID of the processor to ensure it (See the AMD lawsuit against Intel). On Linux, the CPUID does not distinguish between AMD or Intel so the library simply disables SSE/2/3 optimizations, but will run on either processor. On Windows, it just won't allow the program to run on non-Intel machines.

Supposedly, F@H has looked into other libraries but can't get the same capabilities/performance and thereby are stuck with the Intel Library.

 

[The JoJo]

Don't worry about the P4, the X2 3800+ will more than compensate for it. Thanks for your involvement.

I've just checked and according to EOC stats, I will overtake The Jojo in only 10 years. I'm all smile :mrgrn:

WHAT! I'm in trouble, shall try to pick up speed

 

[CougTek]

Tea has restarted to help the team! We are saved.


Pradeep,

How many of those 8 P4 3.8GHz have you fired up so far? I saw that you've produced more than 4000 points in a single day recently. That was impressive.

 

[Pradeep]

Only two of them, weekends are best for my production, because when the machines are in use by operators, FAH is turned off (I only run the command line, no service mode).

The problem is that the memory demands of even the normal units really f-up our productivity, even though it doesn't really hog the cpu. So I can't leave it running all the time.

 

[Tea]

Tea has restarted to help the team! We are saved.

Only a modest input this time, Coug. Tannin won't let me go bananas with spare machines all over the place like last year - when the power bill came in he went spare!

So I'm only allowed to use machines that run 24 x 7 anyway and don't do anything else much. That's the showroom unit (Athlon XP 2500, 512MB), Workshop system (Athlon XP 3000, 512MB), and his home desktop (Athlon XP 2500, 512MB). For some reason, only one of the machines seems to be showing up as an active CPU. Do I have to set different CPU numbers on each machine or anything? (I started 2 yeaterday, the other one here at home only an hour or two ago.)

He won't let me use his laptop (Pentium M 1.6, 768MB) because he needs all the RAM he can get, and because the no-run on batteries mode doesn't help all that much when it spends a lot of time running of an in-car inverter and thinks it is plugged into the mains when it isn't. (I think he's just a grumpy bugger, and lazy too.)

We don't own any serious hardware these days. No A64s at all. Sigh. So it's just 3 Athlon XPs. But they will probably all run 24 x 7 till further notice.

(That means until Tea gets bored. Which is, on average, about 5 minutes.)

(Shutup Tannin. This is my post.)

(Sorry.)

But, Coug, you'll be pleased to know that it was your famous spamming post that got me restarted. Plus us being only one place outside the top 100. Number 101 is one not enough!

 

[P5-133XL]

Only two of them, weekends are best for my production, because when the machines are in use by operators, FAH is turned off (I only run the command line, no service mode).

The problem is that the memory demands of even the normal units really f-up our productivity, even though it doesn't really hog the cpu. So I can't leave it running all the time.

I find it hard to believe that small WU's are causing problems in that the normal memory usage of a small WU is less than 15MB. Now, I can see it with large WU's that typically run at 120-375MB.

 

[P5-133XL]

For some reason, only one of the machines seems to be showing up as an active CPU. Do I have to set different CPU numbers on each machine or anything?

You only have to specifiy machine numbers if there is more than one instance of F@H running on a specific machine.

An active CPU will be missing untill it returns its first WU. Please be paitient. If there are actual issues, then simply check the FAHLOG.TXT file to see what is actually occuring: Maybe it can't connect to the servers or something similar that is causing it to spin it wheels pointlessly.

 

[P5-133XL]

Only two of them, weekends are best for my production, because when the machines are in use by operators, FAH is turned off (I only run the command line, no service mode).

The problem is that the memory demands of even the normal units really f-up our productivity, even though it doesn't really hog the cpu. So I can't leave it running all the time.

If weekends are your only choice, may I suggest that you use Fire Daemon and then run the F@H as a service (running QMD's) but on a schedule. This has the benefit that you don't have to manually start and stop the folding. However, I really don't see how the 5MB-15MB of ram that normal WU's use as normally f'ing-up productivity. More likely, in my mind, the operators seeing the program on the task bar are using it as an excuse. Whatever you decide, our team can certainly use the extra horse-power of the 8 new boxes.

 

[P5-133XL]

I see, in our stats, that Tea has restarted F@H after a very long absence.

Gilbo, also has newly started folding: The more the merrier!

 

[CougTek]

I still don't know who miksmi and Andy are.

There are a few members of our F@h team who work in the shadow but still deserve congratulations for their constant support. Mr. Bostrom and Zx both don't post very often in the forum, but they give an important contribution to our team (both are in front of me, Argh!).

Erik too. Glad to have you with us.

Those folks need a mention every now and then. We don't want to lose them.

 

[CougTek]

BTW, miksmi passed the 10,000 points milestone two days ago.

:beer:

 

[CougTek]

I have a hamster memory. Miksmi is a member of our forum. It's just that he doesn't post very often. I thought he was a sock puppet or just a friend of some other forum member.

Sorry.

 

[Santilli]

Kind of curious: On the Athlon 3000+ 5.03 F@H runs the processor at 100%, all the time according to task manager. On the 2.8 dual machine, it takes one, complete, virtual processor, for about 25% of the machine.

Niether seems to be affected much, if at all, by having it run int the background.

I'm a bit concerned about the Athlon, but, it's only gone up to 94 degrees F, from 90, as a max temp, in the last 4 hours. It does have a swifttech heat sink, and the fan is on, which didn't happen at all, prior.

Can you hurt a machine, by running it at 100% processor, for extended periods of time? This machine is usually left on all the time...

gs

 

[Handruin]

I think you'll be fine running it at 100%. My classic athlon 1.2GHz ran F@H for years at 100%. What ended up killing it was bad caps on the damn MB. I also ran FAH for years on my athlon 2200+ with no problems that I can associate with it. I've now been running FAH on the 3200+ since it was first powered on and I plan on doing so for as long as possible. I'm at 91 degrees F after running for days at 100% load. That is a very low temp IMHO, even your 94F is low.

Your 2.8 Dual might actually be running at 100% on a single physical CPU, but because of hyper-threading and dual CPU, it looks like a 25% load (windows reports 4 CPU's in task manager, right?). If so, then you can setup two FAH instances to crunch twice as much from the same machine. Don't let the percentage fool you on a multi-cpu environment. You're still using a possible 100% of any one given CPU, but the load might be dispersed between resources.

 

[Tannin]

Can you hurt a machine, by running it at 100% processor, for extended periods of time?

Yup. You will reduce the expected working life of your CPU. If you are going to keep on folding, you had better plan on replacing that chip - as it will probably fail completely due to the excessive electron bleed. Could happen as soon as 2032. By that time, given inflation and the expense of having to find a collector who is willing to part with a rare working specimen of the hard-to-get Athlon XP 3200, figure on paying around US$15,000, or in inflation-adjusted purchasing-power equivalent terms, around the same as a bottle of cheap scotch.

 

[CougTek]

Greg,

Is your 2.8GHz dual a Pentium D 820 or a dual Xeon? Oh wait, since it's you it has to be expensive, so it's probably a dual Xeon ;-)

With two Xeon 2.8GHz correctly setted up, you should be out-producing me by a 2X factor. But I don't even see you in the stats of the team.

Something Wong?

 

[Pradeep]

I find it hard to believe that small WU's are causing problems in that the normal memory usage of a small WU is less than 15MB. Now, I can see it with large WU's that typically run at 120-375MB.

It's not the 15MB of memory I'm worried about. It seems to me that FAH is a memory intensive program (i.e. lots of memroy bandwidth is used). That doesn't play well with our image processing software (which is also memory bandwidth intensive). I've seen the slowdown of batch jobs myself.

 

[The JoJo]

Yeah Greg, don't you have dual Xeons, meaning you could run 4 instances of FAH on that powermachine?

My 3.2 P4 is running 2 instances of FAH. It's on 24/7 due to the fact it's quite silent. My 3.2 A64 is only on about half the time. And my fileserver with a 3.0 P4 (don't ask, it was for FAH ) just got sold to make some more room here.
Aside from that my T40 at work is crunching almost all the time.

I need more computers .

 

[P5-133XL]

I find it hard to believe that small WU's are causing problems in that the normal memory usage of a small WU is less than 15MB. Now, I can see it with large WU's that typically run at 120-375MB.

It's not the 15MB of memory I'm worried about. It seems to me that FAH is a memory intensive program (i.e. lots of memroy bandwidth is used). That doesn't play well with our image processing software (which is also memory bandwidth intensive). I've seen the slowdown of batch jobs myself.

OK, I can see that as a possibility. Weekends it is.

 

[Santilli]

OK: The Athlon is on all the time, since my SO never turns it off, and, it's silent. Despite all my efforts, the Dual Xeon makes enough noise to keep me from sleeping(pretty sure it's the fan on the SCA box: suggestions on making this silent would be great, changing fans, recommended fan, and how to do it would help).

I've tried installing two times 5.03, and it won't run both at the same time. Says I can only run one at a time.

How do you set it up to run two threads at the same time?

thanks

GS

 

[The JoJo]

You need to put the client in 2 different directories, and make sure the machine id on those two are different. And if you have 4 clients, you need to have them in 4 different directories, and make sure their machine ID's are 1,2,3 and 4.

Nexus fans are recommended quite highly at silentpcreview.com, and I would recommend them too. What size is that fan in the SCA?

 

[CougTek]

You must install the console client in two different directories. Open the command prompt and go to one of the two directories where you copied the FAH504-Console.exe file.

Type FAH504-console.exe -config

Username : Santilli
Team number : 10047
Launch automatically.... : YES
Ask before... : No
Use Internet Explorer settings : No (I always answer no)
Use Proxy : No (unless you have one)
Allow receipt of [...] greater than 5MB... : YES
Change advanced options : yes
Core Priority : idle
CPU usage : 100
Disable highly optimized... : no
Pause if battery... : No
Interval, in minutes,... : 15 (leave it as it is)
Memory, in MB : (click enter)
Request work units without deadline : No
Set -advmethods flag... : Yes
Ignore deadlines... : No
Machine ID : 1


Then open another command prompt and go to the other directory and do exactly the same thing, EXCEPT FOR THE LAST QUESTION (MACHINE ID), WHERE YOU ANSWER 2.

Then you'll have two instances of the client running in background as services, every time you boot the computer. No command prompt window, no small icon next to your clock, nothing. If you want to know what happens to your clients, just create a shortcut to each client's FAHlog.txt file.

Clear?


P.S. Even though you could run 4 instances of the client on your dual HT-ready system, I think 2 is better for Stanford since they need the results as quickly as possible and if you run 4 clients at a time, each client will process its units at ~70% of the speed that it could go with only two instances. Enable HT, but run two instances, not four.

 

[The JoJo]

I just removed my Nexus 350W PW from the case, and put it on top of my case. MB and CPU temps increased a bit, probably due to less efficient airflow in the case(leakage due to the hole left by the PS), but the PS is much more silent, as it's getting only air of ambient temperature through it. I'm hoping to make the computer a bit more silent this way, as it's seems the PS was the major component making noise.

Wondering if a Seasonic 430W or 500W would be more silent in the case than this one, considering I'm running 2xFAH on this P4 3.2 24/7?

J

 

[Santilli]

The 400 is VERY quiet. Near Silent.
The 600 is a bit noiser, but not much.

Don't know about the other two.

gs

CT: Running the console installer doesn't give a step to change directories.

 

[CougTek]

:frusty: You stubborn old piece of...


Ok, we try again.

First Step :

• On your desktop, right-click on "My Computer" and click on "Explore". This is the Window Explorer, ok. Left-click on the "+" sign next to the drive on which your Windows operating system is installed (generally, that's your C: ). That will expand the menu listing all the directories contained directly on your C:. Repeat the "right-click on the +" next to the directory called "Documents and Settings". Then, left-click on the directory itself (not the + sign next to it) you named for your profile (probably Greg). On the right section of the Window Explorer window (the other side of the middle separation with a vertical slidder), where all the files and directories contained within the directory of your own profile are, right-click anywhere but on a file or folder and select "New" and then "Folder". Type "FAH1". Right-click again (remember, not on a file or a directory) and select again "New" and then "Folder". Type "FAH2".

Good Greg, eat a cookie.


Second Step :

• Open your favorite Net browser (that's NOT Internet Explorer!). In the address bar, type :
  
  http://www.stanford.edu/group/pandegroup/release/FAH504-Console.exe
  
  A window will pop-up and prompt you to give a location where to save the file. Save it to C:\Documents And Settings\[your profile name]\FAH1. Close your favorite Non-IE Net browser.
  
  Open the Window Explorer (see "First Step" if you don't remember how) and select the C:\Documents And Settings\[your profile name]\FAH1 directory. Only one file named FAH504-Console.exe should be in it. Right-click on it and select "copy". Then, on the left side of the Window Explorer window, right-click on the folder named FAH2 that you created in the "First Step" of this tutorial and select "paste".

Good Greg. You must be tired now. Go take a coffee. When you feel ready, come back.


Third Step

• Left-click the "Start" colorful button at the bottom left side of your screen. A menu will pop-up. Assuming you don't use WinXP's bastardized menu, move you cursor (if this tutorial isn't clear enough, I'll be the one called the "curse-er" :cursin vertically up to the folder named "Programs", then up to "Accessories" and finally, click on "Command Prompt". A dark spooky window will appear. Don't be affraid, it won't hurt you. On your keyboard (the rectangular device with many caracters shuffled in irrational ways that's lying on your desk), type "cd FAH1" and then click on the large key named "Enter". Then, type FAH504-console.exe -config
  
  Username : Santilli
  Team number : 10047
  Launch automatically.... : YES
  Ask before... : No
  Use Internet Explorer settings : No (I always answer no)
  Use Proxy : No (unless you have one)
  Allow receipt of [...] greater than 5MB... : YES
  Change advanced options : yes
  Core Priority : idle
  CPU usage : 100
  Disable highly optimized... : no
  Pause if battery... : No
  Interval, in minutes,... : 15 (leave it as it is)
  Memory, in MB : (click enter)
  Request work units without deadline : No
  Set -advmethods flag... : Yes
  Ignore deadlines... : No
  Machine ID : 1

Congratulations Greg! You have ONE client up and running. Wonderful! Now take a small break and go to the bathroom since your coffee must be pretty low by now. Come back after, we're almost finished.


Fourth (AND LAST, DAMNIT!) Step :

• Left-click the "Start" colorful button at the bottom left side of your screen. Move you cursor vertically up to the folder named "Programs", then up to "Accessories" and finally, click on "Command Prompt". On your keyboard , type "cd FAH2" and then click on the large key named "Enter". Then, type FAH504-console.exe -config
  
  Username : Santilli
  Team number : 10047
  Launch automatically.... : YES
  Ask before... : No
  Use Internet Explorer settings : No (I always answer no)
  Use Proxy : No (unless you have one)
  Allow receipt of [...] greater than 5MB... : YES
  Change advanced options : yes
  Core Priority : idle
  CPU usage : 100
  Disable highly optimized... : no
  Pause if battery... : No
  Interval, in minutes,... : 15 (leave it as it is)
  Memory, in MB : (click enter)
  Request work units without deadline : No
  Set -advmethods flag... : Yes
  Ignore deadlines... : No
  Machine ID : 2

Greg, you now have two outstanding instances of the FAH client working together in perfect harmony! And if you don't, I have an outstanding depression working in my brain.


P.S. I hope you have a sense of humor.

 

[i]

:rofl:

 

[Santilli]

:frusty: You stubborn old piece of...


Ok, we try again.

First Step :

• On your desktop, right-click on "My Computer" and click on "Explore". This is the Window Explorer, ok. Left-click on the "+" sign next to the drive on which your Windows operating system is installed (generally, that's your C: ). That will expand the menu listing all the directories contained directly on your C:. Repeat the "right-click on the +" next to the directory called "Documents and Settings". Then, left-click on the directory itself (not the + sign next to it) you named for your profile (probably Greg). On the right section of the Window Explorer window (the other side of the middle separation with a vertical slidder), where all the files and directories contained within the directory of your own profile are, right-click anywhere but on a file or folder and select "New" and then "Folder". Type "FAH1". Right-click again (remember, not on a file or a directory) and select again "New" and then "Folder". Type "FAH2".

Good Greg, eat a cookie.


Second Step :

• Open your favorite Net browser (that's NOT Internet Explorer!). In the address bar, type :
  
  http://www.stanford.edu/group/pandegroup/release/FAH504-Console.exe
  
  A window will pop-up and prompt you to give a location where to save the file. Save it to C:\Documents And Settings\[your profile name]\FAH1. Close your favorite Non-IE Net browser.
  
  Open the Window Explorer (see "First Step" if you don't remember how) and select the C:\Documents And Settings\[your profile name]\FAH1 directory. Only one file named FAH504-Console.exe should be in it. Right-click on it and select "copy". Then, on the left side of the Window Explorer window, right-click on the folder named FAH2 that you created in the "First Step" of this tutorial and select "paste".

Good Greg. You must be tired now. Go take a coffee. When you feel ready, come back.


Third Step

• Left-click the "Start" colorful button at the bottom left side of your screen. A menu will pop-up. Assuming you don't use WinXP's bastardized menu, move you cursor (if this tutorial isn't clear enough, I'll be the one called the "curse-er" :cursin vertically up to the folder named "Programs", then up to "Accessories" and finally, click on "Command Prompt". A dark spooky window will appear. Don't be affraid, it won't hurt you. On your keyboard (the rectangular device with many caracters shuffled in irrational ways that's lying on your desk), type "cd FAH1" and then click on the large key named "Enter". Then, type FAH504-console.exe -config
  
  Username : Santilli
  Team number : 10047
  Launch automatically.... : YES
  Ask before... : No
  Use Internet Explorer settings : No (I always answer no)
  Use Proxy : No (unless you have one)
  Allow receipt of [...] greater than 5MB... : YES
  Change advanced options : yes
  Core Priority : idle
  CPU usage : 100
  Disable highly optimized... : no
  Pause if battery... : No
  Interval, in minutes,... : 15 (leave it as it is)
  Memory, in MB : (click enter)
  Request work units without deadline : No
  Set -advmethods flag... : Yes
  Ignore deadlines... : No
  Machine ID : 1

Congratulations Greg! You have ONE client up and running. Wonderful! Now take a small break and go to the bathroom since your coffee must be pretty low by now. Come back after, we're almost finished.


Fourth (AND LAST, DAMNIT!) Step :

• Left-click the "Start" colorful button at the bottom left side of your screen. Move you cursor vertically up to the folder named "Programs", then up to "Accessories" and finally, click on "Command Prompt". On your keyboard , type "cd FAH2" and then click on the large key named "Enter". Then, type FAH504-console.exe -config
  
  Username : Santilli
  Team number : 10047
  Launch automatically.... : YES
  Ask before... : No
  Use Internet Explorer settings : No (I always answer no)
  Use Proxy : No (unless you have one)
  Allow receipt of [...] greater than 5MB... : YES
  Change advanced options : yes
  Core Priority : idle
  CPU usage : 100
  Disable highly optimized... : no
  Pause if battery... : No
  Interval, in minutes,... : 15 (leave it as it is)
  Memory, in MB : (click enter)
  Request work units without deadline : No
  Set -advmethods flag... : Yes
  Ignore deadlines... : No
  Machine ID : 2

Greg, you now have two outstanding instances of the FAH client working together in perfect harmony! And if you don't, I have an outstanding depression working in my brain.


P.S. I hope you have a sense of humor.

My cat decided to sit on my mouse pad, and play with me. This is an unusual occurence, and rates WAY above installing Folding@Home again.

Stanford boys are rich, I'm not sure why they can't pay their own damn electricity bill....

Besides, bastards wouldn't let me into their damn law school, despite the fact that my uncle, and his father, are both alumni...

Only reason my grumpy old ass is doing this is it seems to be important
to you folks...

:evil: :lol: :wink: :mrgrn:


GS

 

[CougTek]

My cat decided to sit on my mouse pad, and play with me. This is an unusual occurence, and rates WAY above installing Folding@Home again.

You won't have to. Whatever you did, it seems that it worked at least to some extend. Your name has appear in the stats. Je te félicite.

Only reason my grumpy old ass is doing this is it seems to be important to you folks...

You're damn right that it's important to us. I wouldn't have lost an hour of my life to compose my previous post here if it wasn't.

:evil:

Oh c'mon. If you set it up correctly, by this time next year, you'll be in front of me in the team stats and you'll have your revenge. Be nice, or no more cookie ;-)

F@h isn't just a competition between geeks. It's about understanding small organisms that cause diseases. With the upcoming avian flu flea, the proliferation of cancer-waves phones and AIDS unstoppable progression on mankind, it might be helpful.

 

[Santilli]

I'm unconvinced.
I know the perverts that live in the Palo Alto area, and, for all you know, they are working on some sort of new porn with my computer cycles. I remember some famous actress that was flunked from a Stanford
acting class, because she took off to make a movie with Robert deNiro.
Sorry, Stanford is NOT my idea of a wonderful school... :evil:

Well, yes, they do have one of the better sports surgeons in the area, and, yes, my cousin does own a very nice house in the area, only thanks to my uncle dieing from cancer...



By the way, I turn it off when using the computer. It's REALLY noticeable in the dual machine, when it's running. It makes it feel like the Athlon in the other room, that's running F@H 24/7 since my SO doesn't turn it off.
In otherwords, it makes my dual processor machine feel like a single processor machine.

The Xeon is running one program, which, according to you guys, and I suspect you are right, is taking one of the two real processors on this machine, and, that takes a bit of serious snap from this machine...

GS

 

[Santilli]

BUILD A SILENT MACHINE FOR FOLDING

Hi
Give me some specs for a silent machine for folding @ home max preformance. has to work 24/7, but let us sleep in the same room.

Then give a medium cost, and low end cost for the same.

Thanks

gS

 

[CougTek]

Since the F@h client is apparently a lot faster on Intel processors, the Pentium 4 seems like the way to go, unfortunately.

• Processor : Intel Pentium D 820 (2.8GHz dual-core)
  Motherboard : Asus P5LD2-VM
  Memory : Corsair DDR2-667 1GB kit (2 x 512MB)
  Graphics : Integrated
  Sound : Onboard
  Enclosure : Aspire X-QPack w/420W PSU
  Hard drive : Samsung SP2014N 200GB ATA133
  Optical drive : LG GDR-8163BK 16X DVD-ROM
  ___________________________________________
  Total : 642.98$ shipped (but without taxes)

It wouldn't be dead silent, but its noise level sould be quite low. And it's quite small too. There's no fan on the mainboard, no fan for the graphics (it's integrated on the board), the hard drive is one of the most silent you can have and nothing prevents you from removing the DVD-ROM once the operating system is installed. I chose an ATA133 hard drive because you'll need the ATA cable for the DVD-ROM anyway. If you remove the optical drive after the installation, then a SATA version might be better. There's been a positive review about the Aspire Q-XPack enclosure at Anandtech. Unfortunately, I haven't found the model without side windows, but there's one and it cost 5$-10$ less.