Benchmarks.

[clocker]

I'm sure that many of us will be getting new goodies for our systems soon (like bigdawg...) and the need to test/benchmark will arise.
Over the past few months that I have spent literally hours running various tests to establish the stability/performance of my rig.
One of the more common strategies involves stressing the CPU to bed in your thermal paste and check your temps under load.
This is a good thing and provides useful information.

Recently I became aware of a way to run these simulations and do a public service simultaneously.
It's called "distibuted computing" and there are many projects which use it.
Basically, we all have such powerful PCs that most of the time they are only idling, their real potential untapped.
If you join a distributed computing project your spare CPU cycles get used to perform work on huge and complex problems that require mega CPU cycletime, not typically available to research groups.
Once you join, the program will contact homebase and recieve a bit of computation to perform. Then, as you surf the web or e-mail Mom or do your homework, it works in the backround till it's done, sends in the results and asks for more.
During this time your CPU usage is 100%.
You can turn it off/on at will, it is NOT spyware/adware, it WILL NOT take over your machine...you are donating computer time to a worthy cause and actually running your hotrod PC through it's paces at the same time.
It's a win-win situation.
I have been working for Stanford University on the Protein Folding Project (http://www.stanford.edu/group/pandegroup/folding/) for almost two weeks now.
I have the program set to open with Windows, so I've essentially been running at full tilt for all that time. If you want to know how your cooling setup is performing this is a excellent way to find out.
At the same time you are doing your bit to help out medical research.
Kinda like giving blood without the crappy orange juice.

I urge you to check it out.

Happy Holidays.

[3rd gen noob]

i had a look at doing this with seti a while back, but i don't like the idea of sitting stressing my cpu at 100% constantly...what's the increase in the chip malfunctioning?
is it worth the increase in stress when you're doing a comparitively small amount of work (even if there's a large number of people doing a small amount of work)?

[clocker]

That is a decision only you can make.
My understanding ( from talking to several people who have doing this for months) is that there are no adverse effects...your CPU is designed to run at it's full potential.
Even if you decided not to run the program full-time, just using it instead of say, Burn-in Test, to check out your temps, you would still be doing some good instead of just generating heat to no purpose at all.

[Spicker]

hey this is really cool and guess wut i found out....my hdd is more hotter than my CPU! :( :(

currently with the folding program running..

CPU:42
HDD: 45

and it seems tht my cpu temp is rising and going back and forth between 42 and 43

it will most likely end up at 45 degrees.

the temps are slowly increasing

but my hdd is hotter

wut should i do?
is this bad? :blink:

[clocker]

45c is hardly a fatal temp...what is your case ambient?
If you have concerns there are a number of HDD cooling solutions available.
Abu's seems to be the most effective, but most stores are out of the Magical HDD Cooler cause of Christmas....

[Spicker]

Originally posted by clocker@22 December 2003 - 17:22
45c is hardly a fatal temp...what is your case ambient?
If you have concerns there are a number of HDD cooling solutions available.
Abu's seems to be the most effective, but most stores are out of the Magical HDD Cooler cause of Christmas....
yea i noe 45 is not really alot but i think i might buy a hdd cooler boxing day

and i live in canada and theres a computer store every kilometer :lol:

in my case all i have is a case fan exhausting all the air out on the side
and a dual fan PSU and stock cooling for the P4 and the mainboard right now is 31 degrees

HDD now at 47 degrees :unsure:

[clocker]

My HDD never budges temp-wise, folding or no.
But I've gone to pretty extreme lengths to cool it down...

[Spicker]

Originally posted by clocker@22 December 2003 - 17:35
My HDD never budges temp-wise, folding or no.
But I've gone to pretty extreme lengths to cool it down...
yea lol u went a bit too extreme <_<

[Spicker]

oh and u can lower the cpu usage from the program ;)

[bigdawgfoxx]

I dont really understand what that does lol...but I have been using SisSoftSandra 2003 PRO to do benchmarks. I ran all the benchmarks on my current old pos and i will be comparing them to my new computer :D I will use the burn in test and stuff on it also.

[clocker]

All the burnin test does is run your CPU ( and whatever modules you choose...RAM,HDD,etc.) at full whack for a specified amount of time.
It is very useful as it also will tell you if you are getting any errors.
After you&#39;ve established that everything is working errorfree, all that&#39;s left is to control the heat.
That&#39;s where Folding can come in.
It will run you at 100% for as long as you wish and do some good for others at the same time.
I&#39;m not on a crusade here.
If you have reservations, then don&#39;t do it.
I just figured that as long as I was going to run at 100% anyway why not do some charity work at the same time?

Edit: BTW, I wouldn&#39;t have recommended this if I hadn&#39;t checked it out first..I&#39;ve suffered no ill effects whatsoever and it&#39;s been helpful in working with my fan set up. In other forums that I frequent, they use Folding temps to compare cooling solutions rather than BurnIn Test or Sandra or whathaveyou.

[bigdawgfoxx]

good idea ;)

[Duffman]

well i am getting a new hd and dvd burner and i will benchmark but i only havve a 1.8 amd xp, i want to upgrade but without buying a new mobo, so maybe another day

[Virtualbody1234]

I have done this sort of CPU power lending before and it&#39;s a good way to &#39;burnin&#39; a system.


i had a look at doing this with seti a while back, but i don&#39;t like the idea of sitting stressing my cpu at 100% constantly...what&#39;s the increase in the chip malfunctioning?
is it worth the increase in stress when you&#39;re doing a comparitively small amount of work (even if there&#39;s a large number of people doing a small amount of work)?

Wouldn&#39;t you think that stressing a CPU when it&#39;s brand new is a good thing? Any flaws will show up right away and you can return it. Try returning a CPU after 6 months use. They&#39;ll laugh at you even if still under warranty. You will be told that it worked for 6 months and if it failed now then you must have done something wrong with it.

[Spicker]

hmm i was thinking maybe we could have our OWN team

wouldn&#39;t tht be cool?

OC forums hav a team and i think it wud be a good idea if kLf had a team :D
so whos in?

(remember its all for a good cause)

EDIT:

the teams are a great way to compete against other teams i think it will be fun

if u do wana help tell what the team name should be?
KLF?
k-lite?

if lots of ppl do wana help out i will make a guide and everything and how the client works and the usernames and everything ;)

[_John_Lennon_]

Hey, I know about this too, now a couple things.

1. Doing ANYTHING stresses the life of your processor, but this F@H (Folding @ Home) uses spare CPU cycles, so you dont notice it while your playing BF 1942, or while im playing Halo. But if say you leave your computer for a bit, it will notice the free processor, and pick up the slack.

2. It really doesnt hurt your computer like I said above, I konw people that have this running on no less than 20 machines and have been doing for awhile.

3. Yes, I said 20 MACHINES. People take this very seriously, as over at AMDMB.com.

4. I have been folding for over a year now for the AMDMB.com team, and I think were maybe 5th or 6th world wide. I know from our forums that we have several people like I said with the 20+ Computers running 24/7 just to fold for cancer. (yes the electric bill gets raised a few ticks) I know that also we have taken donation on 4 complete machines, and then given them to people to they can be Folding for the team in the privacy of their own homes. I think were currently taking donations for the 5th one.

5. You guys should all get into this, haha Bigdawg, being about my age I know your parents have asked you around the house at times (whats your computer doing on right now, when your not even infront of it.) Well, atleast now you could say Fighting Cancer Mom&#33; Heh, no but serious guys, every computer can help, even if its just a few work units a month. And we all have Spare CPU Cycles to spare because none of us are maxing out our PC all day. Half the time I have my PC on im just tinkering with some and I have WMP on and Folding @ Home.

6. Now everyone go download the folding at home command Client, and choose team 734&#33; (AMDMB.com team number ) :D

[Spicker]

Originally posted by _John_Lennon_@24 December 2003 - 19:27
Hey, I know about this too, now a couple things.

1. Doing ANYTHING stresses the life of your processor, but this F@H (Folding @ Home) uses spare CPU cycles, so you dont notice it while your playing BF 1942, or while im playing Halo. But if say you leave your computer for a bit, it will notice the free processor, and pick up the slack.

2. It really doesnt hurt your computer like I said above, I konw people that have this running on no less than 20 machines and have been doing for awhile.

3. Yes, I said 20 MACHINES. People take this very seriously, as over at AMDMB.com.

4. I have been folding for over a year now for the AMDMB.com team, and I think were maybe 5th or 6th world wide. I know from our forums that we have several people like I said with the 20+ Computers running 24/7 just to fold for cancer. (yes the electric bill gets raised a few ticks) I know that also we have taken donation on 4 complete machines, and then given them to people to they can be Folding for the team in the privacy of their own homes. I think were currently taking donations for the 5th one.

5. You guys should all get into this, haha Bigdawg, being about my age I know your parents have asked you around the house at times (whats your computer doing on right now, when your not even infront of it.) Well, atleast now you could say Fighting Cancer Mom&#33; Heh, no but serious guys, every computer can help, even if its just a few work units a month. And we all have Spare CPU Cycles to spare because none of us are maxing out our PC all day. Half the time I have my PC on im just tinkering with some and I have WMP on and Folding @ Home.

6. Now everyone go download the folding at home command Client, and choose team 734&#33; (AMDMB.com team number ) :D
HEY&#33;&#33;

i wanted a k-lite team :(
so no one wants the k-lite team? :( :ph34r:

[Livy]

http://klboard.ath.cx/index.php?showtopic=89648 :D

[clocker]

Big BUMP&#33;

C&#39;mon folks.
I know there are a lot of CPU cycles just going to waste around here.

I also know that there a lot of you who have no idea of what your system temps are because you never stress your chip enough to find out.

Kill two birds with one stone and join the team.

Don&#39;t let the Gipper down.