boinc and 64 bit

[polluxmr2]

not to sound like a n00b or anything but....

do i need to be running a 64 bit OS for boinc to use the full power of my cpu (phenom )?

or does it not matter?

im only asking because i just got my phenom and its the first 64 bit cpu i have ever had.

[drezha]

Yeah you need a 64 bit OS and the 64 bit BOINC client.

[CarcinogenX]

Is Ubuntu a good solution?
It is 64bit and fits my financial profile as of late. I would just need to find a free way to repartition my hard drives for a dual boot system.
Or should I wait for a copy of 64bit XP to fall off the back of a truck?

[drezha]

Ubuntu 64 is a great choice. I've been using it since pretty much since I got a 64 bit CPU and they started 64 bit Ubuntu.

It may require little extra tweaks to run as a desktop if you need it as that (like Opera has to be downloaded and run as 32 bit) but should work straight away for BOINC.

Oh, you will need to issue the command in the command line (just open a terminal window from the Gnome menu)
sudo apt-get install ia32-libs

This installs 32 bit compability libraries which is what you need for projects which aren't completely 64 bit.

[NeoGen]

Or should I wait for a copy of 64bit XP to fall off the back of a truck?

Right..........

[polluxmr2]

well, i have 64 bit versions of xp, vista and 2k3 enterprise server so finding an OS isn't a problem for me. is there any real difference though? i was reading on another forum that going from 32 to 64 bit doesn't make that much of a difference for crunching.

[PoorBoy]

well, i have 64 bit versions of xp, vista and 2k3 enterprise server so finding an OS isn't a problem for me. is there any real difference though? i was reading on another forum that going from 32 to 64 bit doesn't make that much of a difference for crunching.

Using a 64 Bit version OS & 64 Bit BOINC Client only makes a difference if the Project sends out a true 64 Bit Application, if it sends just a 32 Bit application to your 64 Bit OS & Client then it makes no difference at all. Then if the 64 Bit Application the Project has is a Lunix 1 & your running 64 Bit Windows it still won't make any difference for you unless you switch your OS to Linux & just the opposite if the Application is a Windows 1 the Project has & your running a 64 Bit Linux OS ...

Also some Projects won't send you anything if your running a 64 Bit OS & using a 64 Bit BOINC Client, you'll still need to use a 32 Bit BOINC Client to get work from those Projects.

[CarcinogenX]

Using a 64 Bit version OS & 64 Bit BOINC Client only makes a difference if the Project sends out a true 64 Bit Application, if it sends just a 32 Bit application to your 64 Bit OS & Client then it makes no difference at all. Then if the 64 Bit Application the Project has is a Lunix 1 & your running 64 Bit Windows it still won't make any difference for you unless you switch your OS to Linux & just the opposite if the Application is a Windows 1 the Project has & your running a 64 Bit Linux OS ...

Also some Projects won't send you anything if your running a 64 Bit OS & using a 64 Bit BOINC Client, you'll still need to use a 32 Bit BOINC Client to get work from those Projects.

Sounds annoying. Think I will just make like The Beatles and let it be.

[drezha]

But some 64 bit apps can outperform others.

ABC@home performs work twice as fast when using the 64 bit client and the 64 bit application ;)

There's a list on BOINC stats about which ones send out 64 bit apps and which send out 32 bit apps and which ones ignore you completely.