carnageX
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Post by carnageX on Jul 18, 2008 2:37:59 GMT -5
Anybody here Fold? If you don't know wth I'm talking about, visit this link to learn more: folding.stanford.edu/Basically you're helping to find cures for diseases by helping create a supercomputer (PC's, Macs, and PS3's are all in this). It uses your computer (or PS3's) processing power to help around the world to fold proteins. I highly suggest you join the program. All you have to do is download either the SMP (CPU-powered) client or the normal graphical client (if you have an ATI card it doesnt matter which one you download, but if you have a nVidia card you have to get the GPU-Beta release, as its the only one that supports nVidia at the moment). I'm running both the SMP and GPU-Beta client on my desktop. I have it running for a team that I'm already on (team Tech-Forums).
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Post by Dustin ™ on Jul 18, 2008 3:03:30 GMT -5
Whoa this is awesome. I am liking the thought and process of it all. I added myself to your teams statistics. Assumed you wouldn't mind. :-P
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Gamoc
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Post by Gamoc on Jul 18, 2008 8:24:35 GMT -5
I'll do this when I get home in a few weeks. I can't really do this on my Dad's computer, so I'll do it on my computer!
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Post by Dustin ™ on Jul 18, 2008 10:44:08 GMT -5
I'll do this when I get home in a few weeks. I can't really do this on my Dad's computer, so I'll do it on my computer! Eh just download the text version and install it as a windows startup service. :-P He'll never know. hehe.
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carnageX
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Post by carnageX on Jul 18, 2008 11:45:27 GMT -5
Whoa this is awesome. I am liking the thought and process of it all. I added myself to your teams statistics. Assumed you wouldn't mind. :-P Lol nope, I don't mind =P.
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~CrAzY~™
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Post by ~CrAzY~™ on Jul 18, 2008 18:08:43 GMT -5
I may sound idiotic or paranoid here, but I have a question about the safety behind this:
Exactly how possible would it be for somebody to hack into this supercomputer network and use it to destroy computers hooked up to it or possibly spread a super virus? Is the possibility there, but people think it won't happen because they use an anti-virus program?
I love the idea of it, using all the computers in the world to solve the medical problems of the world... But one of the first things that came to mind is zombie-computer.
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carnageX
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Post by carnageX on Jul 18, 2008 18:33:47 GMT -5
No, you're not networked to the other computers, so that won't happen. Its just using your processing power, not accessing your files. The most it does, is download the project files from the Stanford website, the client then begins to run the files that it downloaded, and then transmits the data back to Standford's servers.
The 'zombie' computer you're thinking of is called a Botnet. Botnet computers become infected, and churn out mail, without the user even knowing it (hence the term 'zombie' computer).
Edit: Just read one of the FAQs on the website, and it confirmed what I said before:
What about security issues? We have worked very hard to maintain the best security possible with modern computer science methodology. Our software will upload and download data only from our data server here at Stanford. The data server doesn't download any executable code to your computer. Actually, our software is considerably safer than the browser you're using to read this!
How is this possible? We take extensive measures to check all of the data entering your computer and the results we send back to Stanford with 2048 bit digital signatures. If the signatures don't match (on either the input out the output) the client will throw away the data and start again. This ensures, using the best software security measures developed to date (digital signatures and PKI in version 3.0), that we are keeping the tightest possible security. Finally, the client/screen saver are available for download only from this web site, so that we can guarantee the integrity of the software. We do not support Folding@home software obtained elsewhere and prohibit others to distribute the software.
So unless you can crack a 2048-bit security code (if you can, you deserve my personal information lol), the computer the client is running on is safe.
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carnageX
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Post by carnageX on Oct 18, 2008 21:05:54 GMT -5
So is anybody here folding? lol
I've recently got 2 more of my computers around my house running the client: my spare HP computer (I put my old 8800GTS 320mb in it, and put the GPU2 client on it), and my laptop (running SMP client). I have the SMP client and the GPU2 client both running on my main gaming rig.
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~CrAzY~™
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Post by ~CrAzY~™ on Oct 27, 2008 23:47:55 GMT -5
I'm not folding yet, but I likely will sometime.. Although I'm using a laptop that I plan to use in college now... And I want it to last as long as possible. Will this program cause any wear and tear on the processors?
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carnageX
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Post by carnageX on Oct 28, 2008 0:48:59 GMT -5
If your laptop has good cooling...nothing more than normal really. It'll put it at 100% load, but I can still do everything I normally do (except game) while running it. Considering I have it OC'd too...I already shortened the lifespan .
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~CrAzY~™
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Post by ~CrAzY~™ on Oct 28, 2008 1:45:43 GMT -5
100% all the time instead of idle... I don't like the way that sounds actually lol. This baby has to last me, and while programs can be deleted and hard-drives can be wiped, a worn-out/burnt-out CPU has to be replaced...
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carnageX
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Post by carnageX on Oct 29, 2008 0:12:05 GMT -5
If you keep it cool, you won't have to worry.
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~CrAzY~™
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Post by ~CrAzY~™ on Oct 29, 2008 22:37:55 GMT -5
Wait... how the heck would I keep it cool? It's a laptop... I can't just add cheap cooling parts.. Unless this program has an option to limit how high the cpu will go... does it?
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carnageX
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Post by carnageX on Oct 30, 2008 7:49:55 GMT -5
Use a cooling pad . The SMP client doesn't (for multi-core CPU's), not sure if the normal CPU client does or not though...been a while since I've used that one.
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~CrAzY~™
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Post by ~CrAzY~™ on Oct 30, 2008 20:57:54 GMT -5
I have multi-core, and I don't have a cooling pad.. I don't even have a case yet lmao.
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