Answers to: Reasons for not using F@H.

[kikimarie]

Yeah, my machine averages about 18h a day, whether it's on mains or not. Of course battery life is shorter, but the fans don't worry me (just the people trying to sleep next to me )

Bummer about the noise. I can't hear the fan on my laptop or on my chill-pad. I run my machine pretty much 24/7 - plugged in so as not to deplete the battery. I still think info on the possibility of overheating a laptop--and the solution--should be gotten out there whenever possible. I'm pretty sure the Wiki mentions the potential for this problem.

If it's OK to mention brand names, I am really pleased with my Vantec LapCool. I got it for around $25 bucks online. It weighs almost nothing and is about 1/2 inch thick and fits in my carry case easily. It plugs into one of the ports so doesn't use any more power. And it is "whisper quiet" as advertised. So, there's my little plug for Vantec, but considering it's been running for a year non-stop, I'm impressed when I consider the price.

[polycarbonate1]

Yep. definitely. We need to get it out. I'd rather have a noisy computer than a hot one. I've burnt myself on the headphones jack a couple of times. Having AC 24/7 isn't real good for your battery though is it? I wouldn't imagine a cooling pad is useful if you want it on your lap. How about something like, "Collaborative computing: fold for fun, but don't kill your core - temperature troubles with the science at Stanford."

[sneakers55]

However it is not a need for all laptops - I have a friend whose Sony VAIO laptop runs F@H (while sat on a desk) whenever it is connected to the mains - the laptop never overheats despite F@H using the full 100% of both processors (it's a 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo) available to it. It's about 8 months old and averages 11 hours of F@H a day, with no problems (except fan noise) so far.

I've been running for about three months now on a Lenovo T61. The fan blows quite warm air, but I haven't had any problems with it as to shutdown (except one time I was folding on battery power and it hibernated).

[alancabler]

My old PIII 1GHz laptop has been folding 24/7 for years. It sits elevated on a (50 cent @ thrift shop) baker's cooling rack, and the numerous times when it has been exposed to 100F+ temps, the "% CPU usage" has been reduced to keep it cool.
The laptop has been out of warranty for years, so I took it apart, thoroughly cleaned it, and replaced Dell's goofy thermal tape with AS-5, which immediately dropped temps so much that the fan has seldom been heard since.

The battery was always removed whenever it wasn't needed, and the machine "folds" on AC power. Charged batteries can be kept in the fridge in a sealed container, if the battery isn't used much. Periodically warm them up (always do this before using cold batts), and re- charge them before putting them back into storage.

How about something like, "Collaborative computing: fold for fun, but don't kill your core - temperature troubles with the science at Stanford."

The "science at Stanford" doesn't do anything to harm a machine which is correctly designed, adequately cooled and regularly maintained by the owner.
One does need to have and use a bit of common sense when running any machine flat-out at 100% capacity, 24/7, wouldn't you agree?

[polycarbonate1]

For sure. I was not indicating that machines that fold will overheat any more than others though

[MstrBlstr]

If it's OK to mention brand names, I am really pleased with my Vantec LapCool.

It is OK, as long as you are not promoting a sell of the product for personal gain. IE... your website, or e-bay auction.

Which version do you have? I took a look, and version 4 seems to be best, AFAICT.

Version 5 seems to have gone backwards, due to the fact that they reversed the fans direction. At least according to the review that I read.

[kikimarie]

Which version do you have? I took a look, and version 4 seems to be best, AFAICT.

Version 5 seems to have gone backwards, due to the fact that they reversed the fans direction. At least according to the review that I read.

Actually I have a 3 that I got on closeout. When I was researching them there was some talk about whether it was better to blow air onto the computer for cooling, or to draw hot air away. I guess Vantec decided on the latter with the model 5.

Anyway, as someone who can sorely afford to replace even my low end laptop, I don't want to take ANY chances of a shortened life. I appreciate the added safety of a cooling device. BTW: Some people have talked about knowing the temperature their computers are running at. Is this info easily attained?

[MstrBlstr]

There are several programs around that do so, if your motherboard has the sensors for it. I can't think of them off the top of my head though. Let me think on it a bit.

[MstrBlstr]

SpeedFan is the one that immediately comes to mind.

[alancabler]

Howdy Karin,

Which version do you have? I took a look, and version 4 seems to be best, AFAICT.

Version 5 seems to have gone backwards, due to the fact that they reversed the fans direction. At least according to the review that I read.

Actually I have a 3 that I got on closeout. When I was researching them there was some talk about whether it was better to blow air onto the computer for cooling, or to draw hot air away. I guess Vantec decided on the latter with the model 5.

Anyway, as someone who can sorely afford to replace even my low end laptop, I don't want to take ANY chances of a shortened life. I appreciate the added safety of a cooling device. BTW: Some people have talked about knowing the temperature their computers are running at. Is this info easily attained?

For more info about lifespan of laptop batteries, see this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=2060#p18324

[Flathead74]

Hi Karin, you might give Notebook Hardware Control a look.
It can monitor temperatures, and on some laptops it can also control fan speeds.
I is easy to use. also.

[Mike Ferguson]

You can't say:

1 computer makes a difference because thousands of people CHOOSING to make a difference CAN make a difference (in regards to FAH), then,

1 computer doesn't make a difference because it's just one computer (in regards to CO2).

I think FAH is a bit wasteful. Just the amount of hardware that is going to be in a landfill in 10 years is staggering. But then again, I think DVDs are wasteful and I don't buy them. I made the mistake of buying VHS, and all my friends are replacing their VHS movies with the same DVD movies, and then they'll be replaced with Blue-Ray DVD. Of course, we all buy bigger, newer, more wasteful cars. So while it's a big frigging lie to say that FAH isn't impacting the environment, there are monsterously larger wasteful things out there. Like people idling their vehicles, the loss of the world's forests, chinese factories chugging out crap people buy that they don't need.

If the world were a fat man's plate, I'm sure FAH would be a pea on a plate full of steak and gravy. Eating the pea really is nothing, but it sure ain't helpin'!

[John Naylor]

You can't say:

1 computer makes a difference because thousands of people CHOOSING to make a difference CAN make a difference (in regards to FAH), then,

1 computer doesn't make a difference because it's just one computer (in regards to CO2).

In my OP it says "...will not have a significant impact on either the environment or your electricity bill." That's different to saying that it will have no impact, because, as you say, that would be a pack of lies. But just like the increase in power provided by one extra machine may have a negligible impact on the overall power of the project, so the extra hydrocarbon emissions from that one machine will also have a negligible impact. But as you say, both are cumulative and ever more additional machines will cause our Co2 impact to spiral.

I think FAH is a bit wasteful. Just the amount of hardware that is going to be in a landfill in 10 years is staggering. But then again, I think DVDs are wasteful and I don't buy them. I made the mistake of buying VHS, and all my friends are replacing their VHS movies with the same DVD movies, and then they'll be replaced with Blue-Ray DVD.

I can't speak for outside the EU but within the EU we now have the WEEE directive which states that all electrical equipment must be returned to the vendor, and said vendor is legally required to pay to have the equipment disassembled and recycled where possible. So the new computers and PS3s which contribute to this project will, in the EU at least, be going nowhere near landfills.

[7im]

I appreciate that most people express concern for the environment.

But I am getting tired of people picking on computers as being wasteful when there are things 100s to 1000s times more wasteful or harmful to the environment.

We all know how bad cars pollute, but most people don't keep their tires properly inflated nor do they keep their cars tuned up, both of which waste more energy and thus pollute more than gas guzzling SUVs. And yet, Hummers get vandalized. Come on, get some perspective. Educate yourself on the really big pollution makers.

For instance, we all know how much cars pollute. That's a given. And some people are trying to help, which is good. They drive hybrids, they telecommute, they car pool, etc.

But did you know that Big Mac you wolfed down at lunch helps to support an industry that hurts our environment even more than all the cars and trucks combined?* And yet people pick on cars and computers, and they should really be picking on Carl's Jr. Let's fix the big problems first, and make the small changes along the way. A little knowledge goes a long way.

*http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?N ... r1=warming

Cattle-rearing generates more global warming greenhouse gases, as measured in CO2 equivalent, than transportation...

Cattle-rearing is also a major source of land and water degradation, according to the FAO report...

[alancabler]

So while it's a big frigging lie to say that FAH isn't impacting the environment..

This is a forum supporting advanced scientific research. With that in mind...

"PROVE IT!"

That's the first thing you'll hear on your first job as an engineer or a scientist, after you've made an unsupported assertion.
The "proof" which you then offer your more experienced peers will be picked apart until you separate the reality from the mere "viewpoint".

What constitutes proof? All facts, figures, data- supported with links, etc. The quest for proof becomes the quest for truth.
Assertions by this or that politician or advocacy group are not applicable as elements of proof unless documented with hard data.

The generators used to run F@h equipment undeniably produce CO2, but how much of a problem is that amount of CO2?

The floor is yours.

Facts are not truth. Facts are mere facets of the clear diamond of truth. -Alan