Support Cancer Research and the NCSU Wolfpack With Your Computer's Spare Time!

What Is It?
Essentially the http://folding.stanford.edu/ uses your unused CPU cycles to model how proteins fold in the human body. The misfolding of proteins is often involved in well known diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Mad Cow (BSE), CJD, ALS, and Parkinson’s disease. Because this endeavor requires massive amounts of computing power, their project uses spare CPU time on computers that would otherwise sit idle in homes and businesses across the world. Here at North Carolina State University, we have formed this team in order to donate our spare CPU time to help this important endeavor.

The North Carolina State University (http://ncsufolding.com) Folding@Home Team (Team # 59) was one of the first teams to join the Folding@Home project, and was the very first University-based team to join. We are currently ranked in the top 100 in the world and are ramping up production in an effort to make it into the Top 50. We are all dedicated to doing our part to help end some of these terrible diseases, and we would appreciate the company of anyone who would like to help.

All it takes is the installation of a small piece of software and your computer will start completing Work Units for the project and the team. The Folding@Home process runs at the lowest possible priority so you can run it 24X7 without slowing down your computer or interfering with your everyday computing tasks. If you have a Sony PS3 Game Console you can also run Folding@Home (http://folding.stanford.edu/English/FAQ-PS3) on it with great results.

How Can I Help?

Go to http://folding.stanford.edu/English/Download,download and install the software. Our Team Number is 59.

Click here - http://www.ncsufolding.com/?page_id=4 for more detailed installation instructions.

Windows Computers:
We recommend using the "text-only console” client for most windows computers. If you have a dual/quad/etc core processor, be sure to install and run the SMP client to get you and the team far more points than the standard console client (but sometimes it has problems starting as a service, so you might have to restart the client manually or automatically via startup folder when your computer restarts). In general, its best to stay away from the graphical clients. If you have a Pentium 4 with Hyperthreading, its best to turn off Hyperthreading in the BIOS if you know how. Feel free to post in this thread with any questions.

Mac and Linux Computers:
There are both "text-only" consoles and SMP clients for Linux and Macintosh computers too! If you have a dual/quad/etc core processor be sure to run the SMP client as you'll get far more points than the text-only client. But the text-only clients also help out too if you only have single-core processors.

PS3:
PS3s currently provide over 60% of the processing power in the Folding@home network and are capable of producing many points for the team. If you have PS3 system version 1.6 or later, you will see a Folding@Home icon in the Network column of the XMB (PS3 Networking menu). Just click on the icon and that's it. If you don't have 1.6 or later, perform a system upgrade. Make sure to use Team #59!

The more computers and PS3s you run the clients on, the more points your username and the NCSU team earns! Install as many clients as you can and watch your username/team progress at the stats page - http://folding.extremeoverclocking.com/team_summary.php?s=&t=59

Links

Team Links:
NCSU F@H Team Website: http://www.ncsufolding.com
NCSU F@H Team Discussion: http://brentroad.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=118820
NCSU F@H Team Facebook Group: http://ncst.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5012521644

F@H Links:
F@H Project Homepage: http://folding.stanford.edu/
F@H Official Forums: http://forum.folding-community.org
F@H Wikipedia Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folding@home
F@H Wiki Site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folding@home

Stats:
Stats1: http://folding.extremeoverclocking.com/team_summary.php?s=&t=59
Stats2: http://folding.stanford.edu/English/Stats
Monitor your production: http://fahmon.net
Compare your production with other users: http://fahinfo.org

[Edited on February 12, 2008 at 11:58 AM. Reason : Mod edit 2/12/08]

7/29/2003 12:15:31 AM

What is this exaclty? never heard of "folding@home"

7/29/2003 12:18:49 AM

why not seti?

7/29/2003 12:19:29 AM

Kind of like SETI, except you're folding proteins instead of finding aliens.

7/29/2003 12:19:49 AM

but the aliens are out there! I swear to God

7/29/2003 12:20:46 AM

Folding@Home tries to simulate how proteins fold. The misfolding of proteins is often involved in well known diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Mad Cow (BSE), CJD, ALS, and Parkinson's disease. A distributed computing approach is required for such large scale simulations.

7/29/2003 12:26:24 AM

i think finding aliens is more important than curing mankind

7/29/2003 12:33:50 AM

Well dont you know, they are one and the same. When the aliens come they will cure all disease (or kill us all, whichever comes first).

7/29/2003 12:38:00 AM

GG TWW! Keep it up.

7/29/2003 1:06:02 AM

I just joined. YAY!

7/29/2003 1:13:48 AM

^Sweet. We need the help.

7/29/2003 1:18:42 AM

How much does this cost you each month in power and bandwidth, I mean I'd probably start a few computers for this if I were in the dorms, but now having to pay for my own inet and power I worry

7/29/2003 1:24:54 AM

yeah but that idea is basically flawed in it's work. my boss personally knows the guys who set this all up and he says what they are doing is only really marginally effective. b/c they are statically folding them and the environment is not static.

we are doing something related with protein evolutionary groupings

7/29/2003 1:27:34 AM

but hey we are all on the same side so its all good!

7/29/2003 1:31:08 AM

As for the cost of running a machine 24/7, I've seen estimates of about $3-$5/month. I imagine it depends on a lot of factors. As for bandwith, it uses very little. Each work unit is a few hundred kb and depending on the speed of your machine, you may do .1-4 work units a day. I did it on dial-up for about 2 years.

Yeah, I'm not saying the project is perfect, but I think we can still get some usefull information from it and others can expand as they see fit. Good luck.

7/29/2003 1:41:03 AM

i own ive only been on the team for like 2 weeks and im 11th

7/29/2003 2:08:40 AM

you really dont notice any drop in performance when running the folding at home i have it on 5 of my computers and when ever something wants the bandwidth it instantly gives it to your programs just watch you temps if you oc alot

7/29/2003 2:17:08 AM

for you people that worry about power costs....do u not keep your computers on all day and night? J/W cause i and almost everyone i know that has a computer leaves it on 25/7 and it really doesn't "increase" the power bill

7/29/2003 2:18:41 AM

Yeah, I can't close my d/l sessions.

7/29/2003 2:25:07 AM

Im signed up as NCSUSean

7/29/2003 7:17:52 AM

i haven't run it in a long ass time cause i don't like what it does to my cpu temps

7/29/2003 8:01:11 AM

^^Great to have you onboard!

^Yeah, you have to make sure your system is stable as it will raise your temps. If you want, you can set the CPU usage for Folding@Home to <100% in the advanced options of the console version. I'm not sure about the GUI, I never use it. That could lower your temps.

[Edited on July 29, 2003 at 9:47 AM. Reason : ^^]

7/29/2003 9:46:32 AM

I joined as Evroccck but it didnt ask me for a team number

7/29/2003 11:26:30 AM

I use the console version and it asks when you start it up. As for the GUI version, there should be a settings window where you can configure it. Let me know if you can't find it. I have not used the graphical version in a long time.

7/29/2003 11:41:16 AM

oh, i was usin the screensaver

7/29/2003 11:53:25 AM

i think i got it runnin in the taskbar now...

7/29/2003 11:57:51 AM

Great glad to hear it.

7/29/2003 12:44:22 PM

what's an easy way to hide the console... or put it in the system tray or something?

7/29/2003 1:25:24 PM

http://home.attbi.com/%7Ewxdude1/emsite/index.html


Try EMIII to hide and monitor the console. If you customize it, it can look like the above picture. There is also a program called TrayIt that minimizes any program to the sys tray. You can also get the NC State logo I made on my website along with more info and links to these programs.

Also the moose is on the board!
http://folding.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/userpage?q=Mattakamoose

[Edited on July 29, 2003 at 1:40 PM. Reason : moose]

7/29/2003 1:37:15 PM

lmfao, that's great considering I haven't had it running in months

[Edited on July 29, 2003 at 4:43 PM. Reason : ]

7/29/2003 4:39:57 PM

Yay!

And considering I'm at work or otherwise occupied during most of the day, I should be able to crank a few out.

7/29/2003 5:10:34 PM

i think it sux that the windows client is 30% faster than the linux one but oh well here goes... im on board

7/30/2003 3:42:10 AM

all aboard

7/30/2003 6:31:24 AM

Here are the new members so far that have shown up in the stats:

NCSUSean
EvRoccck
Occamsrezr
gronke

Azaka
Azaka2 -> I don't know who this is, but you can have multiple computers running with the same username if you like

Looking good so far. If you just started and your name is not on the list, it can take awhile to get credit for your first work unit. Fold On!

7/30/2003 8:47:17 PM

I finnaly got it running on my main pc again, its been runiing on my old 1.4 tbird all the time, but i never relaoded ti after i redid the hardrive on my main pc. Well, back into the race.

7/30/2003 9:27:57 PM

i'm running it but it doesnt list me on the team stats thing.

7/30/2003 11:10:04 PM

it takes a while and make sure in configuration that you make your team number 59

7/30/2003 11:35:33 PM

k, that was set right. guess i'll just wait.

7/31/2003 1:29:10 AM

^^^^Great to hear you are back kylekatern! I was wondering what happened.

We have 2 more new members:
chemp
r45t4-m4n

tracer- Are one of these you?

7/31/2003 9:41:25 AM

no....i should be "tracer"

7/31/2003 3:58:24 PM

looks like you turned in your first work unit today this afternoon, but currently it does not have you associated with a team. If you are sure you enter 59 as the team number, then close the program and start it up again. It's possible the team designation did not get associated with your first work unit. Here is your info:
http://folding.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/userpage?name=tracer

7/31/2003 4:37:05 PM

all right, i restarted the program. when i go to configure, it says Team Number: and i have 59 entered. if i go to status and go to team statistics, it opens up the NCSU Wolfpack team...i'm just not on the list.

8/1/2003 1:16:12 AM

all right, good. i'm listed on the team page now. yay.

8/2/2003 4:32:14 PM

The reason there are two me's is becuase I was at my parent's house when I read this thread and decide to start using their computer to run it but I didn't know that you could use 2 computers with one name. I'm just going to leave the two seperated so I know which computer has done what.

8/2/2003 4:48:54 PM

KRUZNBY: I'm chemp....

8/3/2003 1:37:53 AM

Looking good so far! Here are the latest new members:

tracer
Dakota_Hawkins
Dave_Schwartzburg

Currently we are in 179th place and gaining ground on UConn(177), Purdue(174), and UC Davis(173). Fold On!

8/3/2003 10:24:01 AM

I started on the 30th and am still only at 43% of the workunit (on CPU0, haven't checked CPU1)... sigh the old dual celery just don't put out like she used to..

I'll load it up on the main machine here soon

8/3/2003 4:24:42 PM

^Hey you made it on the list, and look who also decided to show up.

richnp1mp
Noen

Now it's getting interesting. We should be passing UConn sometime tonight and at our current pace we will pass Purdue in just over a week.

8/4/2003 9:22:57 PM

I got my Athlon XP 1800+ running it and my Dual Celery 500 running two instances (but linux client is hella slow) I might set it up on some more b0xen..

h0xen...

thingy

8/4/2003 9:47:56 PM

I just signed up last night

8/5/2003 11:17:37 AM