New member / new to Boinc
I just found WCG and Boinc. After trying the WCF universal client long enough to discover it was only using one CPU I loaded the BOINC client. :)
I'm using Boinc 5.8.16 and using BOINCstats as the manager. Originally I joined the Utah team but discovering that it's pretty inactive I switched to Xtreme Systems. Maybe my meager contribution will help. :D
There isn't much to say yet since I'm just getting started and don't have much experience. However, I have noticed that Xeon processors don't seem to benchmark very well. A Xeon 3.4Ghz processor seems to only get 1674 Whetstone and 2439 Dhrystone per CPU which seems to pretty much stink on ice compared to others I've seen posted. I'm using 5.8.16 since that's the last "recommended" version. I don't want to use development versions since I need the servers to be stable.
I have a Liebert rack in my basement and my office is upstairs. My main PC (QX6700 quad core 4GB Windows XP 64) is currently down due to leaking coolant:mad:.
Intel processors are all hyperthreading so they show up as having twice as many processors for Boinc uses if I run them at 100%.
Currenly I'm only running Boinc at about 50% on the servers due to the heat wave and other work in progress. If boinc profiles let you alter cpu usage by time of day I'd do more at night but what can you do, eh?
The rack systems are:
- HP Proliant DL380 dual 3.4Ghz Xeons, 4GB memory, Windows Server 2003 (32 bit)
- HP Proliant DL380 dual 3.0Ghz Xeons, 4GB memory, Windows Server 2003 (32 bit)
- HP Proliant DL580 quad 2.8Ghz Xeons, 8GB memory, Windows Server 2003 (32 bit)
- HP nx9600 laptop (3ghz Intel, 2GB memory)
- temporary workstation ($430.00 to build): AMD Athlon 2.0Ghz dual core, 2GB memory, 512MB video card. Windows XP professional 32 bit.
- Offline dammit - QX6700 quad core @ 3.2ghz, 4GB memory. Windows XP Professional 64 bit. Dual boot into 32 bit for games. :)
I have some apps that can't support 64 bit still so I'm stuck with 32-bit on the servers for now. Mostly I use the above for VMWare images in Windows software,database work, and web development. Before Boinc they were, alas, idle much of the time.
All servers built courtesy of eBay. The rack was in exchange for work I did but only has 19"x19" shelves and the HP rails won't work. So, basically, it looks like crap. I haven't organized the cables yet.
Anyway, here are my pics!
Here is the rack fully illuminated in lurid detail:
http://www.xmission.com/~billf/images/rack1.jpg
My office looks even more crappy. In the interests of full disclosure I didn't tidy before taking a picture. To the right you see my laptop and cheap temporary workstation I made (newegg.com $430.00 + S&H) because my main pc is down.
http://www.xmission.com/~billf/images/office.jpg
Here is my laptop. I don't use it much so it runs 2 Boinc tasks at 100% when not in use.
http://www.xmission.com/~billf/images/laptop.jpg