Folding and Laptops

ValveFloatValveFloat SLC, UT
edited August 2006 in Folding@Home
I have been considering setting my laptop up to fold when its connected to my broadband, and a few issues come to mind:

Will it overheat?

Will it wear out faster?

It's an HP dv1000, Intel Centrino M w/512MB of PC2700DR

These seem like silly questions, but maybe not.

Also, the laptop wont be hooked up to the internet connection all the time; if I leave it folding, do I only need to hook it up around the time it finishes a WU (obviously it needs to be connected to download it in the first place), or do I need to do it more often?

Thanks,

Colin

Comments

  • RWBRWB Icrontian
    edited August 2006
    It only needs the internet when it reports the WU
  • FoldingAddictFoldingAddict Montgomery, AL
    edited August 2006
    Whether your particular laptop will overheat is a subjective question. All you can do is try it and see. Though I highly doubt you will have any problems with it.

    I have run folding on 30+ different laptops over the years, HPs, eMachines, Compaqs, Gateways, Dells, Toshibas, Sonys etc etc etc. You name it I've folded with it. I can't attest to how folding effects the life span of a laptop but I suspect it doesn't really hurt it that much. All I can see it doing is wearing out the heat activated fan that cools the CPU a little bit faster. Right now I have only 1 laptop folding 24/7 (a Dell Inspiron Pentium M 2.0GHz) and it has been for about 4 months. So far so good, no problems with locking up or shutting down.

    Yes it only needs to be connected to send/receive work, otherwise it can remain offline to work.

    ~FA
  • Sledgehammer70Sledgehammer70 California Icrontian
    edited August 2006
    If you don't want to strain the CPU 100% you can set it for 70% or even 50% making it so the CPU isn't at full load allowing it to run cooler...
  • ValveFloatValveFloat SLC, UT
    edited August 2006
    How would I go about doing that?
  • FoldingAddictFoldingAddict Montgomery, AL
    edited August 2006
    My way of doing it (potentially not the best way but it works.) Close folding. Go into your folding folder and delete the client.cfg file. Now re-run folding. Enter your username, team number etc. When it asks if you want to change advanced options type yes and hit enter. Where it asks "CPU Usage Requested" type in 50 or 75 or whatever you want. That number reflects what percent of CPU usage the client will use when the laptop is at idle. Finish the config and let folding run. If you did it right, you should see the core using 75% or whatever in task manager.

    ~FA
  • ValveFloatValveFloat SLC, UT
    edited August 2006
    Hmm. Thank you. This would be an easier decision to make if I knew what the core temp on my laptop is.
  • FoldingAddictFoldingAddict Montgomery, AL
    edited August 2006
    I'm not sure if that laptop has any kind of hardware monitoring. But you can always install a monitor to see if it can pick up any sensors. Either that or check the BIOS.

    ~FA
  • mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
    edited August 2006
    My Dell 8600 with P-M 1.ghz folds 24/7 but then the corner with the fan has a permanent place off the side of the the table or else the temps get over 70c. It has constantly run over 60c for well over a year no prob. The cooling is horrible on this laptop and it runs fine. By the time it breaks you will be begging for a new laptop because it wont run the current OS and software very well.

    Oh and it will smoke (depending on the WU) a 2.4ghz Athlon by over 100%. Half the speed, twice the folding power.
  • ValveFloatValveFloat SLC, UT
    edited August 2006
    Ha...I've been thinking about a fan. I installed speedfan and spotted a 64c core temp, so I backed F@H off to 75% until I can come up with a cooling solution.
  • QCHQCH Ancient Guru Chicago Area - USA Icrontian
    edited August 2006
    Many of us have taken our laptops a part and redone the thermal compound on the CPU. I know my temps went WAY down when I did that. FYI... :thumbsup:
  • FoldingAddictFoldingAddict Montgomery, AL
    edited August 2006
    Yep! I did the same on a Toshiba Tecra P4-m 1.7 I had folding about a year ago. It made a huge difference as well. The thermal compound that laptop OEMs use on the CPUs is laughable.

    ~FA
  • ValveFloatValveFloat SLC, UT
    edited August 2006
    @100% for 24 hours made my laptop run at about 64c.

    Want to know how I got it to drop 10c?

    Laptop.jpg
  • FoldingAddictFoldingAddict Montgomery, AL
    edited August 2006
    You could always buy one of these.

    ~FA
  • Sledgehammer70Sledgehammer70 California Icrontian
    edited August 2006
    Oh yeah some of us do get a bit crazy!

    attachment.php?attachmentid=20477&d=1151282508
    attachment.php?attachmentid=20480&d=1151331477
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