Should I upgrade/update my software?

Moderators: Site Moderators, FAHC Science Team

Post Reply
exeter_acres
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Feb 21, 2024 11:04 am

Should I upgrade/update my software?

Post by exeter_acres »

Did a search... currently running F@H v7.6.21 on a couple boxes... they are happily crunching along....
Just noticed there is a new version 8.3.18 on the Start Folding page.....
Should I update? Will it change anything?
Or am I fine just plugging along with my current version?
Thanky
calxalot
Site Moderator
Posts: 1778
Joined: Sat Dec 08, 2007 1:33 am
Location: San Francisco, CA
Contact:

Re: Should I upgrade/update my software?

Post by calxalot »

You are fine as you are.

Upgrade if you are on Apple silicon.

You might glance at the guide.
https://foldingathome.org/v8-3-client-guide/
toTOW
Site Moderator
Posts: 6525
Joined: Sun Dec 02, 2007 10:38 am
Location: Bordeaux, France
Contact:

Re: Should I upgrade/update my software?

Post by toTOW »

If you are happy with the version you're running, there's no need to update.
Image

Folding@Home beta tester since 2002. Folding Forum moderator since July 2008.
exeter_acres
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Feb 21, 2024 11:04 am

Re: Should I upgrade/update my software?

Post by exeter_acres »

Cool beans...thanky
exeter_acres
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Feb 21, 2024 11:04 am

Re: Should I upgrade/update my software?

Post by exeter_acres »

Digging this up..... still have a couple PC's running the older version.... any performance issues or reason I should update those to the latest version?
muziqaz
Posts: 2341
Joined: Sun Dec 16, 2007 6:22 pm
Hardware configuration: 9950x, 9950x3d, 7950x3d, 5950x, 5800x3d
7900xtx, RX9070, Radeon 7, 5700xt, 6900xt, RX550, Intel B580
Location: London
Contact:

Re: Should I upgrade/update my software?

Post by muziqaz »

exeter_acres wrote: Tue Jan 06, 2026 11:32 pm Digging this up..... still have a couple PC's running the older version.... any performance issues or reason I should update those to the latest version?
Other than major bugs fixes, if it ain't broken, don't fix it
FAH Omega tester
Image
Joe_H
Site Admin
Posts: 8303
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2009 4:41 pm
Hardware configuration: Mac Studio M1 Max 32 GB smp6
Mac Hack i7-7700K 48 GB smp4
Location: W. MA

Re: Should I upgrade/update my software?

Post by Joe_H »

The v7 ciient uses the same folding cores as the v8 client, so no real performance difference. However there have been no updates to the v7 code and will not be since the last one about 5 years ago. So eventually there will be some new projects or folding cores that the v7 client will not be able to handle. But in the meantime it mostly works, and where it fails such as for retrieving stats it doesn't affect folding.

Reasons to update would include if you wanted to monitor and control all your systems from one or more machines. v8 has its own way of handling that which is incompatible with the v7 client.
Image
appepi
Posts: 145
Joined: Wed Mar 18, 2020 2:55 pm
Hardware configuration: HP Z600 (5) HP Z800 (3) HP Z440 (3) HP Z4G4 (3) ASUS Turbo GTX 1060, 1070, 1080, RTX 2060 (3) Dell GTX 1080 NVIDIA P1000 (2) K1200
Location: Sydney Australia

Re: Should I upgrade/update my software?

Post by appepi »

eventually there will be some new projects or folding cores that the v7 client will not be able to handle
I will likely be staying with the 7.6.21 version +LARS browser extension on most of my devices because version 8.4.9 doesn't easily let me control their operating times to avoid the more expensive "time of use" electricity tariffs. Therefore I hope that when cores arrive that don't work on 7.6.21 the assignment servers won't offer them when requested by a 7.6.21 client. Is this the plan?
Image
muziqaz
Posts: 2341
Joined: Sun Dec 16, 2007 6:22 pm
Hardware configuration: 9950x, 9950x3d, 7950x3d, 5950x, 5800x3d
7900xtx, RX9070, Radeon 7, 5700xt, 6900xt, RX550, Intel B580
Location: London
Contact:

Re: Should I upgrade/update my software?

Post by muziqaz »

appepi wrote: Thu Jan 08, 2026 5:45 am
eventually there will be some new projects or folding cores that the v7 client will not be able to handle
I will likely be staying with the 7.6.21 version +LARS browser extension on most of my devices because version 8.4.9 doesn't easily let me control their operating times to avoid the more expensive "time of use" electricity tariffs. Therefore I hope that when cores arrive that don't work on 7.6.21 the assignment servers won't offer them when requested by a 7.6.21 client. Is this the plan?
No, we plan to let the servers be hammered by V7 users trying to download something which is not working on that version :D
FAH Omega tester
Image
Joe_H
Site Admin
Posts: 8303
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2009 4:41 pm
Hardware configuration: Mac Studio M1 Max 32 GB smp6
Mac Hack i7-7700K 48 GB smp4
Location: W. MA

Re: Should I upgrade/update my software?

Post by Joe_H »

They can require a minimum client version on assignments, so I would assume they will do that if a new core or project comes along that will not work with the v7 client. But eventually older projects and cores will either be completed or stop being used. No idea how long that will take, possibly years.
Image
appepi
Posts: 145
Joined: Wed Mar 18, 2020 2:55 pm
Hardware configuration: HP Z600 (5) HP Z800 (3) HP Z440 (3) HP Z4G4 (3) ASUS Turbo GTX 1060, 1070, 1080, RTX 2060 (3) Dell GTX 1080 NVIDIA P1000 (2) K1200
Location: Sydney Australia

Re: Should I upgrade/update my software?

Post by appepi »

we plan to let the servers be hammered by V7 users trying to download something which is not working on that version :D
You mean like the ECB and Bazball 2.0? :roll:
Image
muziqaz
Posts: 2341
Joined: Sun Dec 16, 2007 6:22 pm
Hardware configuration: 9950x, 9950x3d, 7950x3d, 5950x, 5800x3d
7900xtx, RX9070, Radeon 7, 5700xt, 6900xt, RX550, Intel B580
Location: London
Contact:

Re: Should I upgrade/update my software?

Post by muziqaz »

appepi wrote: Thu Jan 08, 2026 1:49 pm
we plan to let the servers be hammered by V7 users trying to download something which is not working on that version :D
You mean like the ECB and Bazball 2.0? :roll:
Nah, better :D
FAH Omega tester
Image
Post Reply