DU Folding@Home TWEAKING Thread

[berni_mccoy]

Ok, I've become addicted to this damn thing, and after getting 5 computers online (two of them dual CPUs), I've found some tweaks that may help you get better results. You don't need to do these, but if you are interested in climbing the ranks quickly and completing as many WUs in as short a time as possible, then go for it.

Just a note: I started this on Friday, Feb 3rd and in just three days I've moved up the ranks pretty quickly. I'm now in 78th place, which is half-way up the ranks, and I've completed 8 WUs.

A note to Freepers: If you're on the Freeper team and reading this, I don't care if you use this information. Yes, I'd like our team to beat yours, but the point of all this is to accomplish medical research to benefit everyone, DUers, Freepers, and all others of various political or non-political affiliation. Good luck to you.

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Tweak #1: Use the console version. It's faster. The type of graphics rendering the GUI version does takes precious cycles away from the calculations. Don't use it. In the Windows GUI version, there is no way to hide the GUI. At least on the Mac, you can hide the GUI so it won't waste cycles. If you must run the GUI version, use the wire-frame or ball-and-stick renderings as they will require the least resources.
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Tweak #2: (Windows Only - does not apply to XP Home) Use Normal or High Process Priority. In the Advanced Settings on the FaH Configuration Window, there is a setting for Core Priority. The choice is either "Lowest possible" or "Slightly higher". Even if you select Slightly Higher, the process runs at a "low priority" in Windows. That's fine if you are using the machine, but if you are leaving the machine idle, you will want to boost that priority to Normal. You can do this in Windows by bringing up Task Manager. Right Click on the Windows Task Bar and Select "Task Manager". When Task Manager comes up, Now Click on the View menu and select the "Select Columns..." menu item. You'll see a dialog with check-boxes. Base Priority is in the right hand side. Make sure it is checked and click "Ok". Now when you view the processes, you should see something like the figure below:



I find it easier to sort the processes by name. The FaH process will start with FahCore_... and its name depends on which version you are running.

What you want to do when you are not going to use the computer for a while is bump the process priority from Low to Normal. WARNING: DO NOT USE ANYTHING HIGHER THAN NORMAL UNLESS YOU ARE AN EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONAL. YOU COULD LOSE DATA AND HAVE TO REBOOT YOUR MACHINE.

To boost the process priority from Normal to High, right-click on the process and Select "Set Priority." A submenu will appear and you should select Normal. It should look something like the figure below:



When you are using the machine, you will want to turn the priority back down to Low. Also, whenever you complete a work unit, you will need to check the priority. Sometimes the priority gets reset to Low on the completion of a work unit, which requires you to 'babysit' the thing. I'm working on a tool to do this for me automatically. If people are interested, you can PM me.
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TWEAK #3: (Windows Only, Hyper-Threaded or Multi-Processor MAchines Only - does not apply to XP Home) This tweak will allow you to fully maximize your multiple CPU machine. Just like setting the priority in Windows, you can tell a process which CPU to run on (and not run on). This is called processor affinity. If you have a multiple-CPU box, run a copy of the console for EACH CPU you have. By default, a program will run equally on all processors. You can assign a CPU for each one. To do this, go to task manager and right click on a FaH process and click "Set Affinity...". You will see a dialog with a list of CPUs with check-boxes. Clear all but one check-box. Use a different CPU for each box.

Like setting process priority, this setting will change sometimes when a work unit is complete, so again, you will need to babysit them. The tool I'm working on to set priority is also one I'm doing for affinity.

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That's all I have for now. There will be more later as I find ways to tweak more cycles out of my idle machines. If you have any good tweaking ideas, please post them here as well.

Happy Folding!

[Canuckistanian]

1. I'm grinding through my second unit right now

Although, I'm going to ask my IT guys if I can intall it at work. We've got several machines sitting idle most of the night, including some dual-processor speed demons.

[niallmac]

3. Erg?

:dunce:

[Canuckistanian]

5. Oh, we're running special programs

These programs take molecules and try to make bigger, even more complicated molecules of protein.

These resultant proteins are the raw materials for making new drugs and other compounds to combat diseases.

Stanford University is running this project. The basic idea is, instead of using a huge, expensive supercomputer to run this program all at once, it's better to break it up into chunks and get volunteers like us (Yay, team DU!) to run it for them. It runs by itself whenever we're away from our computers.
It's a concept called "distributed computing". When were done with our assigned task (called "units"), they're uploaded to the Central Scrutinizer at Stanford and all those white-coated guys get to look at our results. If we're lucky, one of us will discover the next cure for cancer (or Republicanism).

Anyone can run this. It's a free program and it doesn't cause me any problems for my system.

Clear as mud, now?

[niyad]

10. a medical version of the SETI program, basically?

[berni_mccoy]

11. Yep, you got it.

[Canuckistanian]

12. SETI, Yes!

I'm a long-time SETI participant, but decided that this was more relevant and useful.

[corporate_mike]

16. Agreed - Flding@Home is a million times more useful than SETI was

[niallmac]

13. Oh yeah. I almost participated in the E.T. listening

project that distributed the massive task of sorting out all the celestial noise from the 'real message?'
I was overseas at the time and it proved difficult.
Good on ya for your contribution.

[corporate_mike]

18. put those idle machines to good use :)

[rusty_parts2001]

2. I have a headache

Too much computer science for this old noggin

[niyad]

4. as a matter of curiousity, what in the HELL are you talking about?

[Canuckistanian]

6. See my reply above.

[scubadude]

7. Perhaps I don't understand something.

Even set at low if there are no competing services the program sucks up 99% of processing power. The idle process, which would normally take up the slack sits at 0%.I just don't understand how you can get more by setting the priority higher. Perhaps you are referring to boxes that have other things running while the computer is idle?

Scuba

[berni_mccoy]

8. Yes, there are many processes that run on a standard windows pc

including a screen saver... which if it goes off and you aren't running the FaH screen saver, would take away cycles from the program. You could lose considerable computing time just to that.

[corporate_mike]

9. Great thread -- THANKS!!!!!!!!

[lakeguy]

14. i have a question...

it seems that when i close the gui it IS gone. the only thing left is the icon on the tast bar. i also don't see the console in task manager, just the fahcore.exe running at ~99%. am i missing something? still makes sense that running the barebones version would take less from the pc.

[berni_mccoy]

15. That's correct, as long as the GUI isn't visible, it shouldn't waste

resources for calculations... However, I have seen it where this GUI won't close the UI (clicking on the X doesn't make it go away sometimes).

[lakeguy]

17. you're right. i just opened the GUI again and then closed it but

it is still running now according to task manager. i'll switch versions.