WCG projects and ram

[kamaleigh]

I just tested it out on one of the boxes I have WCG on that only has 128MB of ram...no matter what I did, it would not run the FightAIDS@home project....the system requirement for it is 250MB of ram, and I guess they mean it...

The minimum ram requirement for WCG's proteome project is 120, and that computer has no problem running it. It's an excuse to upgrade the ram on that monstrosity of a computer i guess. :D

[Nflight]

Sure your computer will run the program, but have you noticed the speed at which it accesses everything else? Slow is the response as the machine takes longer to procure its abilities to deliver your requests.
RAM installed in mass quantity helps eleviate stress on the CPU, its like building muscle mass on your body to do a particluar job, the better in shape you are the better your job capabilities are. So the more RAM upto a point of 2 gig is right on target. Get physical with your machine understand it needs to bulk up to handle the increased work load. Some sqraney RUNT is not going to be able to push out the packets of info like the guy who has muscles bulging!
Tweaking your system to do the maximum amount of work is my forte', among other things!

[vaughan]

Nflight has a good point.

RAM is THE most cost effective performance boost you can give your computers. Splurge on some more RAM on the old computer and see how it runs.

[kamaleigh]

--Sure your computer will run the program

Actually, no that computer will not run FightAIDS...it gives the message "Agent Paused" and never downloads workunits. As indicated here: http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/viewCause.do under the heading "minimum requirements" if the machine you're trying to run it on doesnt meet the minimum physical requirements, then it will not download work units. So, if you're wanting to run WCG on a machine with less than 256MB of ram, then you're stuck with proteome. I currently have FightAIDS running on seven machines and the only one it has problems with is the one with skimpy ram. So, no matter how much virtual memory you have enabled, if you dont meet the minimum physical requirements, it won't even attempt to crunch a packet.

It's also kind of sad that this project doesnt take advantage of either dual proc or dual core setups without having two independant installs on the same box....hopefully a later release will be smart enough to be able to crunch two packets at once the way Find-a-Drug was able to. :-/