Team folding competition - how to count cores and use quad cores and GPUs - Overclock.net

**Taeric** · 08-08-07

Core counts

For the sake of the team competition, the following will be used for determining how many cores each member and team has:

Console client = 1 per console
Graphical client = 1 per client
GPU2 client = 2 per GPU with a 2000 ppd cap Updated 6/18/08 (see rules for quads below; they apply to GPU2 as well)
PS3 client = 1 per PS3
SMP client = 1 per CPU core utilized

Quad cores

With the limit of 3 cores per member (8 per team), folding on all four cores of a quad directly for a folding team is not permitted. The idea behind the competition is to give members who are not able to compete for the top folding prizes a way to be competitive. SMP folding on a highly overclocked quad would rank a member among the top folders on the site, and that would be unbalancing to the team competition.

Ways to fold on quads within the framework of the team competition -

Windows consoles. Run as many Windows clients as you have core available for your team. This is quick and easy to set up, but is the slowest in terms of production.
Linux SMP through VMWare. VMware can only recognize two cores at a time, so it's possible to run two instances of VMWare, one under your personal folding name for the team competition and one under Team_<your team name> for "extra" points.
Native Linux SMP. You can assign cores to Linux programs through the taskset command. With that, you can accomplish the same as in the VMWare item, above, while reaping the benefits of the fastest folding client currently available.
Windows SMP. It is possible to change the CPU affinity for the Windows SMP client through the Task Manager to fold on fewer than four cores. I have not tested this, but if anyone has or is willing to try it, I will update this.
Windows or Linux SMP on all four cores. Team folders who desire to fold on all four cores under their primary folding name may fold on all four cores provided that 1) they declare this both in a PM to me and in the first post of their team's thread and 2) they fold on that quad core system and no other computers under their primary folding name, which will show as 1 CPU on Stanford's folding stats page. Members who choose this option will be capped at 2,000 points per day on their quad. This number was determined by studying six months of folding results and is on par with some of the very best dual core performances on record based on full month results. This option will count 2 cores against the team's core count. New 6/6/08.

A reminder

By no means should anyone stop folding on a computer or on cores just to be a member of the team folding competition. Simply change the folding name for "extra" cores to match your team's generic folding team, which is most often Team_<your team name>.

verbatim81973 · 08-08-07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taeric

Core counts

With the limit of 3 cores per member (8 per team), folding on all four cores of a quad for a folding team is not permitted. The idea behind the competition is to give members who are not able to compete for the top folding prizes a way to be competitive. SMP folding on a highly overclocked quad would rank a member among the top folders on the site, and that would be unbalancing to the team competition.

That is a relief.

I was just wondering this morning how I was gonna keep from being blown out of the water by them quads.

AKAeric · 08-08-07

lol yeah, quads are number crunching machines. The real secret to folding though, is to do native linux SMP. my E6400@3.0GHz went from 16-18mins in Windows SMP to 7-9mins in Ubuntu 64bit SMP.

Skullzaflare · 08-09-07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taeric

Windows SMP. It may be possible to change the CPU affinity for the Windows SMP client through the Task Manager to fold on fewer than four cores. I have not tested this, but if anyone has or is willing to try it, I will update this.

that is how i run it, i go in the core affinity and set all fah to cores 3&4, under task manager 1&2 are 0-1% used, 3&4 are 100%
it works but is a pain as you have to do it each time you restart the application. i will eventually find a way where it automatically starts under only 3&4

Muhahahaha · 10-03-07

I don't see how putting your extra cores under the team name instead of your own name makes a difference? The team still gets the same amount of points. All it does is make that person lose points from their personal score.

**Taeric** · 10-03-07

Team scores are computed from personal scores. The "team" name is just a place to stash extra cores. If a folder decides they want to use all the cores they have under they're own name, that's perfectly fine. They just can't participate in our internal team competition.

Muhahahaha · 10-04-07

Ok, I see how it works. Thanks.

**Taeric** · 06-18-08

Note that due to the insane scores being produced by the GPU2 client, that client will count as 2 cores towards the core limits and be capped at 2k ppd. Anyone who wishes to use that client in the team competition needs to PM me.

If the scores get reined back in by Stanford, we will revisit this issue and adjust it as necessary.

**mega_option101** · 08-01-08

Bump

marsey99 · 08-01-08

i know its now very late in the game but wouldn't it make more sense to have the 4 people setting their 8 cores to fold for the "team name" so they could then keep their other points in their own name?

just a thought.

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Team folding competition - how to count cores and use quad cores and GPUs

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