[SuperFlyG4]

How do I speed up my computer?

I just joined the MacNN Seti Team. I see the fastest user comes in around 7hours average. My 533 G4 is doing a WU in 12 hours. Is the top person really running a Mac with v3.03, or some sort of network deal. I was under the impression I had the fastest Mac being shipped (dual 533). My numbers also don't look right next to my 450AMD doing units in about 24hours.

Also, OSX will allow programs like SETI to take advantage of dual processors, right?

[Scotttheking]

They aren not using Macs, most likely.
And your mac isn't the fastest shipping, that is the 733MHz. <-- finally shipping!!!

The mac is faster then a K6-2, which is probably what you have, right?

No, OSX will not let seti run on both processors, although graphics will be on one, processing on the other.
Not all of us use all macs for SETI.

As I have stated before, most of my units are made on Macs with the 2.04 client, which was far faster than the 3.03 version. That´s why my average still is below 8 hours. (Not for very much longer, though).
Just to try to maintain the average I have now thrown out SETI clients from all the G3:s I had running. Nothing slower than G4 400 runs for me now. This of course impacted on the number of WUs returned/day, but I hope to get a couple of 733:s extra soon. Then perhaps production will increase again.
I hope the 733 will do an average unit in about 7-8 hours.

[Bockie]

Daniel...Why? Why? Why!?! It's the WUs that count, not the averages! Even on my Hell Computer at work, I run the 3.03 screensaver AND the 3.03 DOS CLI in the background. They run even when I am doing graphical editing, presentation production, and web development. The times are terribly slow, but they add to my overall productivity!

<Flame Bait>So if you dislike version 3.03 on the older macs, why not put another distributed computing client like Folding@Home on the G3s? You could be the Team MacNN Folding@Home founder. </Flame Bait>

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"Life cannot be contained...Life finds a way."
-Ian Malcom, Jurassic Park (movie version)

[brock76]

Scotttheking, you're right about the 733Mhz, and you're wrong somewhat. In RC5, a client that runs completely in the processor, no L2 or memory allocation. The 533Mhz MP is the fastest machine. The client is Altivec enhansed and is MP aware. And i know that this has nothing to do with speed, but the 533 MP is also $1000 cheaper. But I do agree, it is sheer brute clock rate that wins the race in S@h

brock

[Bockie]

Brock,

What programs are you running? I have read the Overclockers-Network's rhetoric regarding other distributed computing programs (S@H, F@H, RC5...) and am beginning to question if Team MacNN should have alternate teams. Though right now, I am fully supportive of SETI@Home!

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"Life cannot be contained...Life finds a way."
-Ian Malcom, Jurassic Park (movie version)

[Scotttheking]

Hey Daniel,

If you are feeling generous, put the clients back on your G3s and use the email address sjaffa@mac.com.

I'd appreciate it, and my times might stay under 40 hrs (all my fast machines deserted)

[DocWest]

Hey Daniel, you didn't get to be No. 1 in our team because of low averages, you got there from the amount of WU's you have contributed.

Such a waste to see all that computing power that you have deserted.

Everyone's times will get slower and slower as they put out newer clients, so I wouldn't worry about your average too much.

sigh.
all that unused power.
I hope you reconsider and go to Full Crunching Power.

Ooops! I got the feeling that some of you think it was wrong to stop my G3 SETI processing. Let me explain.
There weren´t so many G3:s running for me anyway. I got twice as many G4:s running, and since the G3:s average was about twice as long as for the G4:s I really only stopped 20% of my computer power. Sure, I and the team loose a couple of units, but I can easily compensate by adding a few extra G4:s when they start arriving.
Scotttheking: Considering the discussions about "gift" units when the hacked client was revealed I don´t think anyone should accept other users units. But you gave me an idea. Perhaps I should rather create a separate account for them. On the team, of course.

[OoklaTheMok]

yes, good idea

[Scotttheking]

Ok, but then make a different account.
It would help the team a bit.
But speed like that isn't bad.
I've got a machine that takes 120 hrs per unit, another that does 60 hrs per unit, a 50 hrs per unit, another 50 hrs per unit, and my good old G3, doing 16-21 hrs per unit.
So don't complain about so little speed increase.

[DocWest]

Originally posted by Daniel Hazard:
but I can easily compensate by adding a few extra G4:s when they start arriving.

Yeah well, some people are just born lucky!

I have now created a second account and put a couple of G3:s on it. We´ll see what they can do in a few weeks time. At least they will add a few units to the team.

[Bockie]

Hooray! Let's go team!

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"Life cannot be contained...Life finds a way."
-Ian Malcom, Jurassic Park (movie version)