Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Questions from new Folder

zelmo

zelmo

macrumors 603
Original poster
Yes, I read the FAQ, but I have other questions...

I have an iMac G4 800 that is always on, and have set it up for folding using the GUI, since I'm not too comfy using Terminal. How much slower is the GUI than using Terminal? Are there any settings (Mac or F@H) I can alter to maximize productivity?

I may also set up my 1.33 PowerBook G4 to fold, but have a few questions:

• If I'm in the middle of folding, shut down the lappy and then boot it up again later, what happens to the WU the PB was working on? Does it resume the process where it left off?

• I tote my PB back and forth to work, so I usually shut it down and pack it away before bedtime. When I let it fold overnight, what steps should I take to preserve the life of my PB? Particularly the display and the fan.

Basically, any tips you have for a new Folder, particularly one using a laptop that gets moved about frequently, are most welcome.
 
I've found that the GUI version is just as fast as the terminal, as long as the hide the GUI.

If you install F@H on your PB, you can set the amount of time between each WU checkpoint. Just go to the preferences, and set it to 3 minutes. This means that every three minutes, it will save the WU progress. When you shut down, F@H will start up at the nearest save point.

Preserving the life of your PB will take a little work. The screen is an easy one, though. Just go to the system preferences and set the screen to go off after a few minutes of unactivity. As far as the fan goes, though, it will be on as long as F@H is running. I went and bought a laptop cool pad powered by USB. THe fan cycles on and off every ten minutes or so. It was $20, and it helps greatly with fan usage.
 
To add to the tips already given, I would suggest quitting the GUI folding application so that you don't lose any work. Shutting it down by shutting down the whole system (a force quit) will lose any work past the checkpoint and could certainly harm other applications' work as well.
 
trainguy77 said:
Are you always logged in to the G4 800? If not you should not use the GUI.
Click to expand...

If i allow my kids to use their login, does that bother f@h on my account? I use the GUI but hide it.
 
stubeeef said:
If i allow my kids to use their login, does that bother f@h on my account? I use the GUI but hide it.
Click to expand...
It should still run as long as you're logged on - regardless of whether Fast User Switching is used to change to their account.
 
Running my PB folding overnight, sitting on a wooden lapdesk with a DVD case propping up the back edge for airflow, my processor bottomside temp was consistently hitting 147°F.
I bought a Vantec Lapcool 2 USB pad with dual variable speed fans, have had it running for maybe 10 minutes, and the temp has dropped under 136°F already. I'll feel much better about folding overnite now.

The Lapcool 2 is not quite whisper quiet, but is also not so loud as to piss me off. Runs off of the USB port on the computer, but also comes with an AC adapter, which also will power the built-in 4 port USB 2.0 hub.
 
powermac666 said:
Running my PB folding overnight, sitting on a wooden lapdesk with a DVD case propping up the back edge for airflow, my processor bottomside temp was consistently hitting 147°F.
I bought a Vantec Lapcool 2 USB pad with dual variable speed fans, have had it running for maybe 10 minutes, and the temp has dropped under 136°F already. I'll feel much better about folding overnite now.

The Lapcool 2 is not quite whisper quiet, but is also not so loud as to piss me off. Runs off of the USB port on the computer, but also comes with an AC adapter, which also will power the built-in 4 port USB 2.0 hub.
Click to expand...

where/how can I get my processor temp? My 12" sits on an iCurve, gets good air, but the bottom is very hot right now crunching an 874.
 
Update on the Lapcool 2:
The temp on my PB was a downright chilly 125.6°F this morning, after folding all night on top of that sucker. Heck, even the palmrests were cool to the touch.
 
Just loaded F@H on dell x300. It is working on a WU called Amber? Can't find an associated pt value.

edit: never mind, it popped up later as p1802..then found it. 😱
 
Good to hear that you have another machine! I think you will be a top folder for the MR team!

Announcement: Guys, I'm back in the top 40! 😀
 
Dreadnought said:
Good to hear that you have another machine! I think you will be a top folder for the MR team!

Announcement: Guys, I'm back in the top 40! 😀
Click to expand...


Ya just a quick million or 10 pts while everyone else stops, and I'll be in the top 20,000 of MR! I just hope to break into top 500!

edit: What better, folding for points AND watching a winblows laptop melt! It is the best of everything! 😛
 
Here is the problem......

I have an eMac folding in the kids playroom, the are all in school all day, so why not! I have the kids on a simplified finder (10.3.8). I stay logged in, but when on the kids login-it goes to sleep even though I turned computer sleep off! And no folding happens, which sux right now because I am on a 4 day trip and can't reset from here. Well could if I knew how, never done it.

Anywho, any fix for folding while another is logged in?
 
I don't know for sure, but if you set the importance of F@H a bit higher, then I believe that F@H keeps on going even when another folder is logged in. Don't know that for sure!

Or you could install it at an administrator level, instead of a user level. Then it always folds, nomatter who is logged in!
 
Say guys, how do you know what the point value of your current WU is going to be? My first WU was worth 241, but I didn't have a clue until it was posted on the site.
 
What effect/affect does the preferences>Number of polygons per atom:

have? is there an optimum setting?

Using 5.02 on a 12" 1.33 w/768ram
an eMac 1.25 512 ram
coming soon dual 450 1.25gRam

thanks
 
stubeeef said:
What effect/affect does the preferences>Number of polygons per atom:

have? is there an optimum setting?

Using 5.02 on a 12" 1.33 w/768ram
an eMac 1.25 512 ram
coming soon dual 450 1.25gRam

thanks
Click to expand...

The number of polygons per atom is used for the graphical client. It just makes the picture of the molecule look prettier...
 
The GUI is also taking a bit of processor power away from folding, especially if you set the number of polygons to high. When you have a slow computer (g3 400) you will notice it substantially. My opinion is to get the console version or the script (single or dual) of mc68k.
 
should probably put this in hardware, but since the sole reason for the thing is to fold. Looking for an airport card 802.11b. I moved to a new house this last summer and everything is now wireless, using expresses all over the place for music, bonus room, mainlevel, and will get another probably later for the basement. Anywho, will any card work for my old dual 450 and the expresses? will a .11b card slow down my entire system? is there money or glory in folding? What is space expanding in? Are there male or female quarks?
 
stubeeef said:
should probably put this in hardware, but since the sole reason for the thing is to fold. Looking for an airport card 802.11b. I moved to a new house this last summer and everything is now wireless, using expresses all over the place for music, bonus room, mainlevel, and will get another probably later for the basement. Anywho, will any card work for my old dual 450 and the expresses? will a .11b card slow down my entire system? is there money or glory in folding? What is space expanding in? Are there male or female quarks?
Click to expand...

Belkin makes a PCI card that is compatible with AirPort, if you can't find the exact card. I'm not sure of the name of it because MacFormat magazine simply referred to it as Belkin G Wireless Card. It's the one that supports 125g, their 120 Mbps speed but it won't work in a Macintosh system that quickly. Other cards may or may not work but this one supposedly has the same chipset (Broadcom) that the Apple cards do lately.

Glory is all in the numbers. There is no money but my satisfaction is that someone in the future may not have to deal with someone like my father who can't remember what he just did 5 minutes ago.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back