Back from a short break

[T4rd]

Well, after 2 months of troubleshooting (not straight, been busy with work and earning some certs), I finally figured out that my sound card was making my main rig BSOD; my sound card , lol. After replacing the CPU, PSU and mobo too, hah. So I'll be putting up another i7 920 and mobo (and possibly my 285s) FS soon . But this has kept my 30k PPD rig down for too long now. I want a pimp hat from Kendrak in the next few weeks, hah.

Anyways, I've noticed that the Linux -bigadv clients aren't any good anymore since the A2s on them are gone, right? So knowing this, are there no more 50k bonuses with the windows based -bigadv? Do I just need to follow Zero's guide here to get set up for the new -bigadv?

Thanks in advance for the help. I'm sure this info is plastered across the first few pages of threads but I don't have the patience to look through it all . But that's what you guys are here for, right?

 

[APOLLO]

Welcome back!!

Anyways, I've noticed that the Linux -bigadv clients aren't any good anymore since the A2s on them are gone, right?

Yes, all Linux -bigadv WUs are no longer available. A3 -bigadv will eventually come back to Linux but there's no ETA on this that I've heard.

So knowing this, are there no more 50k bonuses with the windows based -bigadv?

Yes, but you need to use the -bigadv flag in your shortcut and configure your SMP client to accept big packets. That's the only way to get them now. The upside is Windows SMP has become easier than ever to set up, no more MPICH.

 

[T4rd]

Yes, all Linux -bigadv WUs are no longer available. A3 -bigadv will eventually come back to Linux but there's no ETA on this that I've heard.

Yes, but you need to use the -bigadv flag in your shortcut and configure your SMP client to accept big packets . That's the only way to get them now.

Cool, thanks a lot, Apollo. Can I expect around the same 10-11k PPD from the Windows client as I got from the Linux A2s? I'll be running my i7 @ 3.8 GHz.

 

[musky]

Also, I think you can skip the drop-in binary step. The regular SMP download already has it now.

Welcome back!

 

[musky]

Cool, thanks a lot, Apollo. Can I expect around the same 10-11k PPD from the Windows client as I got from the Linux A2s? I'll be running my i7 @ 3.8 GHz.

I get a little over 30K ppd on a 3.8GHz I7 with bigadv and the right work unit (P2685).

 

[T4rd]

I get a little over 30K ppd on a 3.8GHz I7 with bigadv and the right work unit (P2685).

Ahh, sweet, thanks . But what does FahMon (or whatever you use) read the PPD as? I think I actually got around 25-30k PPD with the Linux A2s including the bonus. FahMon usually clocked me in around 10.5-11k PPD though.

 

[APOLLO]

Ahh, sweet, thanks . But what does FahMon (or whatever you use) read the PPD as? I think I actually got around 25-30k PPD with the Linux A2s including the bonus.

The new Windows -bigadv WUs fluctuate in PPD quite a bit. The P2684 will get you a lot less than the old Linux A2 WUs did, being very close to standard A3 WUs. The P2685 is much better and at least as good as the old A2s were. The average over time is still less than the old Linux units.

 

[musky]

HFM.net calculated the bonus for you. The A3 P2685 units get another 3K ppd over what the A2 bigadv units used to get under native Linux. The other A3 bigadv unit out there (P2684) only get about 20K ppd including the bonus.

 

[T4rd]

Hmm.. got it set up now and can't seem to pull a WU.

[03:05:42] - Attempt #4  to get work failed, and no other work to do.
Waiting before retry.
[03:06:31] + Attempting to get work packet
[03:06:31] - Connecting to assignment server
[03:06:31] - Successful: assigned to (171.67.108.22).
[03:06:31] + News From Folding@Home: Welcome to Folding@Home
[03:06:31] Loaded queue successfully.
[03:07:14] - Attempt #5  to get work failed, and no other work to do.
Waiting before retry.

I have network connectivity, obviously. There's no issues with the servers right now, are there? I put the "-smp -bigadv" flag in the target path.

Also, how can I make this client default to have a CPU priority of "idle", or does it do that automatically?

 

[Kendrak]

Hmm.. got it set up now and can't seem to pull a WU.

[03:05:42] - Attempt #4  to get work failed, and no other work to do.
Waiting before retry.
[03:06:31] + Attempting to get work packet
[03:06:31] - Connecting to assignment server
[03:06:31] - Successful: assigned to (171.67.108.22).
[03:06:31] + News From Folding@Home: Welcome to Folding@Home
[03:06:31] Loaded queue successfully.
[03:07:14] - Attempt #5  to get work failed, and no other work to do.
Waiting before retry.

I have network connectivity, obviously. There's no issues with the servers right now, are there? I put the "-smp -bigadv" flag in the target path.

Also, how can I make this client default to have a CPU priority of "idle", or does it do that automatically?

You set it up to get big WU?

 

[APOLLO]

There's no issues with the servers right now, are there? I put the "-smp -bigadv" flag in the target path.

It can take some time, you might need to wait a bit. I noticed on several occasions that my clients can wait half an hour or even longer before they get anything. This happens only with -bigadv.

Also, how can I make this client default to have a CPU priority of "idle", or does it do that automatically?

It's set to idle by default but to make sure you can always reconfigure the client by using the -configonly flag and it should be in the advanced options.

 

[T4rd]

You set it up to get big WU?

Nope, missed that and just fixed it right before reading your post .

[03:15:51] + 2703360 bytes downloaded
[03:15:51] + 2711113 bytes downloaded
[03:15:51] Verifying core Core_a3.fah...
[03:15:51] Signature is VALID
[03:15:51]
[03:15:51] Trying to unzip core FahCore_a3.exe
[03:15:52] Decompressed FahCore_a3.exe (9325056 bytes) successfully
[03:15:57] + Core successfully engaged
[03:16:02]
[03:16:02] + Processing work unit
[03:16:02] Core required: FahCore_a3.exe
[03:16:02] Core found.
[03:16:02] Working on queue slot 01 [August 6 03:16:02 UTC]
[03:16:02] + Working ...
[03:19:11]
[03:19:11] *------------------------------*
[03:19:11] Folding@Home Gromacs SMP Core
[03:19:11] Version 2.22 (Mar 12, 2010)
[03:19:11]
[03:19:11] Preparing to commence simulation
[03:19:11] - Ensuring status. Please wait.
[03:19:21] - Looking at optimizations...
[03:19:21] - Working with standard loops on this execution.
[03:19:21] - Previous termination of core was improper.
[03:19:21] - Files status OK
[03:19:27] - Expanded 24678743 -> 30550665 (decompressed 123.7 percent)
[03:19:27] Called DecompressByteArray: compressed_data_size=24678743 data_size=3
0550665, decompressed_data_size=30550665 diff=0
[03:19:27] - Digital signature verified
[03:19:27]
[03:19:27] Project: 2685 (Run 0, Clone 9, Gen 15)
[03:19:27]
[03:19:27] Entering M.D.
[03:19:37] Completed 0 out of 250000 steps  (0%)

Thanks guys!

Now, are these clients really finicky on how you close them out? I mean, if I don't do a CTRL-C to close it out, will I possibly lose a WU?

 

[Kendrak]

Fold on!

Your pimp hat is on order.....

 

[T4rd]

Fold on!

Your pimp hat is on order.....

Aww yeah!!

Now I just need to re-establish my OC with this new mobo. Hopefully it takes about the exact same settings as my old one (they're the exact same model) so I don't have to tinker with it much.

 

[amdgamer]

Welcome back! I think you are really going to love the new bigadv because it is so much more stable than Linxus A2 and A3 bigadv ever was. It is rock solid stable. While the 2684's are a big disappointment in terms of points, the new 2685's are really looking good as they generate about the same amount as A2 bigadv was doing.

At this time, there appear to be a shortage of bigadv so don't be worried if you machine starts drawing regular A3 work units for a while as it will draw bigadv again once they are available.

 

[T4rd]

Welcome back! I think you are really going to love the new bigadv because it is so much more stable than Linxus A2 and A3 bigadv ever was. It is rock solid stable. While the 2684's are a big disappointment in terms of points, the new 2685's are really looking good as they generate about the same amount as A2 bigadv was doing.

At this time, there appear to be a shortage of bigadv so don't be worried if you machine starts drawing regular A3 work units for a while as it will draw bigadv again once they are available.

Thanks! Yeah, I already love how much easier it was to set up.. not that the Linux client was hard, but it involved a lot more steps and software (like the VMware). But is this client more forgiving on crashes and sudden shutdowns? I hated losing 90%+ completed WUs with the Linux client due to enabling/disabling SLI or forgetting to pause it before shutdown, hah. Also, it's nice to see that it's not taking all 6 GBs of my RAM, only about 1 GB right now, per Task Manager.

Just to verify too, that project 2685 in my above code is a -bigadv WU though, right?

 

[amdgamer]

Thanks! Yeah, I already love how much easier it was to set up.. not that the Linux client was hard, but it involved a lot more steps and software (like the VMware). But is this client more forgiving on crashes and sudden shutdowns? I hated losing 90%+ completed WUs with the Linux client due to enabling/disabling SLI or forgetting to pause it before shutdown, hah. Also, it's nice to see that it's not taking all 6 GBs of my RAM, only about 1 GB right now, per Task Manager.

Just to verify too, that project 2685 in my above code is a -bigadv WU though, right?

Yeah man, that is one of those 2685's that we all love so much! The fact that bigadv uses so much less ram is also nice for those who use their folding rigs to also do other stuff. My understanding is that the client is very forgiving for sudden crashes and shutdowns, but I cannot verify it as I havn't had any power outages ever since bigadv moved to windows. I know that even A2 bigadv in Linux was horribly unforgiving with respect to that.

BTW, I don't know what overclocks you are running, but you will want to make sure to run an overclock of at least 3.4ghz. This is because those 2684's are very slow and require a minimum TPF of 55 - 57 minutes to be able to finish within the 4 day deadline. My folding1 rig@3.46ghz barely finishes on time at 3.7 days.

 

[T4rd]

Yeah man, that is one of those 2685's that we all love so much! The fact that bigadv uses so much less ram is also nice for those who use their folding rigs to also do other stuff. My understanding is that the client is very forgiving for sudden crashes and shutdowns, but I cannot verify it as I havn't had any power outages ever since bigadv moved to windows. I know that even A2 bigadv in Linux was horribly unforgiving with respect to that.

BTW, I don't know what overclocks you are running, but you will want to make sure to run an overclock of at least 3.4ghz. This is because those 2684's are very slow and require a minimum TPF of 55 - 57 minutes to be able to finish within the 4 day deadline. My folding1 rig@3.46ghz barely finishes on time at 3.7 days.

Yeah, I ran the Linux -bigadv WUs at 3.8 GHz with a TFP of around 35-40 mins from what I remember, so I'm going to do the same for this client right now. I'm folding nekkid right now too, hah, so it's running a tad cooler than it did inside my case, so I might bump it up to 4 GHz or so after it runs stable for a few days. I'm looking for a HAF 932 case or something to put it in eventually. This is my primary/gaming PC and I need the table space where my components are sitting. I have a Thermaltake Armor+ MX mid tower, but it's too small to work in when I need to switch cards or something (which is becoming often now, seems like I kill a card ever couple months, ask Dookey ).

 

[amdgamer]

Yeah, I ran the Linux -bigadv WUs at 3.8 GHz with a TFP of around 35-40 mins from what I remember, so I'm going to do the same for this client right now. I'm folding nekkid right now too, hah, so it's running a tad cooler than it did inside my case, so I might bump it up to 4 GHz or so after it runs stable for a few days. I'm looking for a HAF 932 case or something to put it in eventually. This is my primary/gaming PC and I need the table space where my components are sitting. I have a Thermaltake Armor+ MX mid tower, but it's too small to work in when I need to switch cards or something (which is becoming often now, seems like I kill a card ever couple months, ask Dookey ).

Yeah man, give your computer it's dignity back and put it in a case. No folding rig should ever run naked as that is just wrong.

You probably could up the overclocks just a bit more, but of course it will result in more power consumption if you have to up the voltage more. I love my HAF932 in my gaming rig, but this thing is one heavy beast and it hard to move around due to the size. I do like that bigass fan on the side panel though.

 

[T4rd]

Yeah man, give your computer it's dignity back and put. it in a case. No folding rig should ever run naked as that is just wrong.

You probably could up the overclocks just a bit more, but of course it will result in more power consumption if you have to up the voltage more. I love my HAF932 in my gaming rig, but this thing is one heavy beast and it hard to move around due to the size. I do like that bigass fan on the side panel though.

Haha, I think Kendrak and some others would disagree on the folding naked. I know most [H]ardcore (keyword) folders prefer to fold naked .

I could care less about power consumption, I'm Active Army and live on a military installation where housing and all utilities are free . I doubt that HAF is much heavier than my Armor+. It's got a 230mm fan on the side too, but it's not over both of my cards like I'd like it because my bottom card gets zero airflow and is almost sitting on the bottom of the case making it hard for the fan to intake air. So it runs about 5°-10°C hotter than my top card . Do you think the premium for the HAF 942 would be worth it over the 932? If I can't find one FS in the forums or something in the next week or so, I'm gonna have to buy one new..

 

[amdgamer]

Haha, I think Kendrak and some others would disagree on the folding naked. I know most [H]ardcore (keyword) folders prefer to fold naked .

I could care less about power consumption, I'm Active Army and live on a military installation where housing and all utilities are free . I doubt that HAF is much heavier than my Armor+. It's got a 230mm fan on the side too, but it's not over both of my cards like I'd like it because my bottom card gets zero airflow and is almost sitting on the bottom of the case making it hard for the fan to intake air. So it runs about 5°-10°C hotter than my top card . Do you think the premium for the HAF 942 would be worth it over the 932? If I can't find one FS in the forums or something in the next week or so, I'm gonna have to buy one new..

I didn't know there was a HAF942, so I can't offer you any advice on it. Do you mean the HAF X gaming case? I have heard of it but have no experience with it either.

I believe the HAF932 is currently on sale at Micro Center for $129 or $139 right now as it normally sells for $154. I would have preferred to buy that for folding2, but had to get the 922 due to not having enough space.

 

[T4rd]

Hmm, overnight I have a TFP of ~38 mins, but FahMon says I'm only getting like 3,435 PPD. I just noticed the WU is only worth 8955 points though. The old A2s were 25k points, x2 for the bonus. So how does the bonus work for these WUs if they're only worth 8955 points? Is the bonus only 17,910 or is it still 50k?

 

[musky]

The unit is worth 8955. The bonus should be worth 60K - 65K depending on your speed. FahMon will not figure the bonus in, so you are going to see really bad ppd numbers from it. When you turn the work unit in, you should see that it is worth somewhere around 70K points. You are fine.

 

[amdgamer]

Yup, you are fine so long as you have not yet dipped below the 80% required success rate for A3 work units. My Bloomfield@3.46ghz has a TPF of 39 minutes and averages 23-25k ppd on 2685's.