Folding Power slider - Medium versus Full

[andyxc13]

Hi I'm a novice folder and I'm trying to figure out how to reduce the resources my CPU (Ryzen 7 3700X) is using on these work units. There seems to be no discernable difference between the Medium setting and Full setting. On Medium, my CPU usage (as measured by Afterburner) is fluctuating between 95% and 100% and CPU power (W) between 128 and 132. The resulting CPU temps are between 81 and 85 C (with all fans at 100%). I built my own computer and just installed a new AIO, so I don't think thermal paste could be at issue but either way, the CPU usage should be much lower than 95%-100%... right? Shouldn't "Medium" result in three-quarter speed CPU folding? I have no other programs open other than Chrome and Afterburner.

Please let me know if any additional info is needed (or if I need to move my post to a different sub-forum!). Thanks!

EDIT: I should add that changing the slider to Light does seem to work as intended. CPU usage drops to 50-52%; CPU power (W) drops to 99-102j; and CPU temps fairly steady at 74-75 C. However, I'd like to fold simultaneously with my RTX 3070 so if I can figure out how to get the Medium setting to actually be about three-quarters speed, that'd be fantastic. Setting the slider back to Medium from Light returns the resources to where they are outlined in my first paragraph.

[JimboPalmer]

Welcome to Folding@Home!

Let just say that Light, Medium, Full was designed when few few threads were in CPUs

Light Use 1/2 of the threads available (1 in a dual core)

Medium use all but one of the threads available

Full use all of the threads available

Since you have a AMD 3700x you have 16 threads available, so 15 vs 16 is not that noticeable

In the advanced Control you have much finer ability to set threads:

Start Advanced Control (I click on the Molecule Icon in the task bar but there is a way in the start menu as well)

Click configure, then select Slots.
In the slot window, there will be cpu Highlight it and choose edit.

By default this is -1 meaning let the software decide, but you can choose between 1 and 16 threads.

Then save and exit.

[andyxc13]

This is fantastic, thank you!

I do have a follow-up question. When a user sets the threads manually, does that override the Folding Power slider or does the slider then modify the manual thread setting? Let's say I set the threads to 8. Does it stay at 8 regardless of the slider setting? Or does it only do 8 at Full, and then at Medium it does 7? Based on your wording above ("threads available"), I'm guessing it modifies the 8 because I've made 8 threads "available," is that correct?

[Joe_H]

The explicit thread setting overrides the slider. The slider only controls the CPU thread usage when the setting is at the default value of '-1'.

The number of available threads the client uses is however many are supplied by the processor minus one thread for each usable GPU.

[andyxc13]

Okay, so for a Ryzen 7 3700X with one usable GPU, there are 16-1 = 15 available threads. Full would use all 15; Medium would use 14; Light would use 8 (and turn off GPU folding). However, I've manually set the threads to 8. So, when my CPU is folding, it will use 8 no matter where the slider is (Light, Medium or Full). Although the slider won't control CPU thread usage, it does still control GPU usage; so, setting it to Light will result in 8 CPU threads being used and turn off GPU folding.

Is all this correct?

[Joe_H]

Yes, that should be correct. The last time I fully tested this was a couple versions back, but the controls have not been modified much since then.

In addition to the GPU going inactive by default on the Light setting, if you have a laptop, or a desktop properly connected to an UPS, on the Light setting folding is always stopped when the system is detected as running on the battery. This can not be overridden.

[andyxc13]

Great, thanks for your help!