Folding Forum

Well I can only fold on cpus, so not to be confused. As I have 2 computers I would like to set up the one I dont game on to get the most points as possible. If you know a perticular free* build that would up points on one of my riggs I would appreciate it. I havent decided which one im going to sacrifice yet.

Thanks,
Ben D.C. Bruner

A CPU-only machine will have a single section in the config file saying
<slot type="CPU" .... />
<cpus v="-1"/>
...
</slot>

It will use all of your CPU resources except when you're running something else. Foreground activities always take priority and FAH yields CPU resources quickly so your machine remains responsive and resumes using all CPUs immediately when they're not busy with something else. In other words, it's designed well for either a multi-use computer or a dedicated computer.

Because it yields rapidly and resumes rapidly, there's really no reason to dedicate a machine to FAH. The only time some optimization may be required is if you're running some other application that constantly demands CPU resources.

Linux CPU client folds slightly faster than Windows. Not because of a difference in speed of the OS or the client. But the SMP code that Linux uses for folding in Linux is optimized for more speed than than the SMP code in Windows.

Well do you have any idea how much faster? I think I was once quoted 10 percent but i am unsure.

On an older system, that's about right. But a newer chip with more cores, could be 5 to 10 % faster still.

So thats a total of 15 to 20% faster for just the smp on Linux correct 7im? Do you have any recommendations about whats the best Linux version free or not, im going to absolute speed. thanks~

Everyone's preference is different. I use straight Ubuntu or our team's customised folding install for my SMP rigs, for my GPU rig I currently use zorin 9 as it looks and feels a bit like windows. I've tried a couple of versions of ultimate edition and whilst it has literally everything I found performance to be a little slower than Ubuntu itself. The newer versions use kubuntu and I couldn't get on with that at all

Ubuntu 14.x LTS is what I use. Not sure how well FAH works with 16.x yet. As Nathan_P said, the Linux version and flavor doesn't have much affect on speed at the moment. It has at times in the past, but no where close to the current Win Lin difference. Running Linux for CPU folding is the current recommendation for best performance unless you have a personal aversion to it.

And if you are kind of "green" to running Linux, the FAH Linux Install Guide walks you through it step by step, with pictures.

"Post by Green » Sat Apr 16, 2016 8:49 pm
Well do you have any idea how much faster? I think I was once quoted 10 percent but i am unsure."

and then your response:
"Post by 7im » Sat Apr 16, 2016 9:02 pm
On an older system, that's about right. But a newer chip with more cores, could be 5 to 10 % faster still."



So I can deduce here, that a "newer chip with more cores" such as my 4770k will be able to gain up to 20% increase in speed then? Seems like alot.
Peace and Love,
Ben D.C. Bruner

In my experience, those performance improvements apply to a CPU slot and not to a GPU slot, although there are minor differences there, too. If it's strictly FAH performance that you're talking about, get a good GPU. Leave a non-folidng CPU to support each GPU and use the rest of the free CPU resources to give you a small increase to what you get from the GPU. At that point, the difference between 120% of a small increase vs. 100% isn't a big deal.