Team 45's Folding@Home FAQ

(Updated version of Allan's original FAQ)

Q: What is this Folding@home anyway?

A: Folding@home is a distributed computing project that uses our computers to unravel the mysteries of the protein folding procedures. We are helping scientists at Stanford University to understand why and how proteins 'fold', so it will be easier for them to find cures for diseases like Alzheimers, Parkinsons, BSE, CJD, certain types of cancer, the influenza virus, Osteogenesis Imperfecta, etc.

Q: This sounds interesting, can I help?

A: YES! You sure can, and it is free too! All you need to do is download a small application, and let it run in the background on your computer. It will only make use of the unused clock cycles, so you will never notice that it is running. Once in a while it will connect to the internet to get new info (a new work unit) to process. The folding of a work unit (WU) takes several hours, depending on your computer.

Q: Minimum system requirements?

A: Minimum system requirements are currently a ~ 200MHz pentium MMX computer folding 24/7. The faster the computer, the more work you can return. If your computer does not live up to the minimum requirements, it will not be able to complete the work units within the deadline. If this is the case, we suggest you look into other DC projects instead that don't have a work returning deadline.

Q: Can Sony Playstation 3 consoles fold for Team 45?

A: Yes! The PS3 makes for a very powerful folding@home computer. Find out more by reading Stanford's PS3 FAQ.

Q: Can GPUs run a Folding@home client?

A: Sure, but at present only ATI GPUs are supported.  Further information on this in the ATI FAQ.  

Q: Which version should I choose?

A: If you are on a Windows machine, you can choose from the console client or the graphical client. The console version is faster for folding, but does not show fancy graphics. There is a Win NT (screensaver only) version, some Mac versions as well as two Linux console versions available.

Q: Won't Folding@home slow up my computer?

A: Folding@home is set to only engage the unused clock cycles in your CPU, so if the CPU is doing something else, Folding@home steps back. This means that your performance drops by running Folding@home are absolutely minimal to none. If the computer isn't being used for anything else, Folding@home will take over.

Q: Folding@home and overclocking?

A: Most of us on team 45 are overclockers with highly overclocked computers. The more MHz, the faster a work unit is processed. However, it is vital to the scientific aspect that your overclocked computer is completely stable. Folding@home will stress your CPU, and a highly unstable computer may crash. We suggest you run various stabiliy testers (like the Prime95 torture test) before using an overclocked computer for Folding@home.

Q: Will Folding@home fry my CPU?

A: No, but Folding@home stresses the CPU quite a lot. It is important that you have sufficiently cooled your computer. This is something standard users should not have to worry about. With that being said, computers today are MADE for work. There is no proof suggesting that Folding@home has ever caused a CPU to fry, nor is there any evidence claiming that it will shorten the life of your CPU.

Q: Does my computer have to be online all the time to fold?

A: No, your computer only needs a connection to the internet when returning and retrieving a work unit. How often depends very much on your computer, but a couple of times a day for about 2 minutes isn't unlikely. You can fold even if you are using a modem - just set it up to auto dial and auto disconnect and Folding@home will take care of the rest.

Q: Can I add more than one computer to the same user account?

A: Yes, no problem. You can install the Folding@home program on as many computers as you like. Just make sure to use the exact same username (case sensitive) and team number on all of them.

Q: I would like some additional info, where should I go?

A: You are always free to ask any questions in this forum topic. The official Folding@home site is also worth a look.

Q: Great, I've downloaded and installed the application, now what?

A: Now you are ready to join our team and fold! Run the application, and you will be questioned with username, team number etc. Username is up to you, and as team number just enter number 45 and you will automatically join our team, AOA Forums.

Q: What is a work unit?

A: A work unit is a small work packet that the client will download and work on.It consists of an amount of "frames" (typically ranging from 100 to 400 frames) and when all frames have been folded, the client will return the results to the server and fetch a new work unit.

Q: What is the difference between work units and points/credit?

A: There are many different kinds of work units, some take much longer time to process than others. Because of this each unit is assigned to a certain value of points, so you will recieve more credit for a "big" work unit than you will for a smaller work unit.

Q: What is this about deadlines for returning work units?

A: All units are based on the results of previously returned units, so it is important to get the results back to Stanford as soon as possible. For this very reason, you need to return the work packets within the given deadline for them to be of any use. If you fail to do so, your work is a waste. Further information on deadlines can be found here.

Q: What determines the speed of my folding client?

A: A rule of thumb is that Folding@home is all about raw CPU speed. RAM speed does not seem to have much impact on folding times, so a fast CPU is just about all that counts.

Q: I want to fold FAST. Which CPU should I buy?

A: Dual or multi-core CPUs a great for folding. They allow you to have more than one instance of the f@h client running. In the case of a dual-core, you could potentially double your output, compared to a single core CPU.

Q: Are there any advanced flags I can use when running Folding?

A: Yes, there are a few. You may want to add "-advmethods" (without quotation marks) to your Folding@home short cut to gain access to non-released units. These units have been through beta testing and just need the final touch up before being released to the public. We suggest you do indeed add this flag, as you are likely to encounter newer units and thus recieve more credit. Another flag, the "-forceasm" flag, is added like the "-advmethods" flag is. It will force the CPU to use highly optimized instructions for Folding@home, which may significantly speed up your folding@home.

Further Information

Take a look at the "What is Folding at Home?" video, this can be found here.  

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