Just wondering what are the minimum sys/req for BOINC?
I've got a couple of old machines that I could possibly use.

Thanks,

Jim Scott

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I Desire Peace and Justice, Jim Scott (Mod-Ret.)

Just wondering what are the minimum sys/req for BOINC?
I've got a couple of old machines that I could possibly use.

The slowest machine I've got running is an AMD-K6, 450MHz. I think I've read of slower systems operating BOINC.

More important is to check out the minimum requirements for the specific projects running under BOINC. That machine is too slow, or has too little memory (can't remember which problem it was) to run Einstein or Climate Prediction, so it's only got SETI & Protein Predictor.

MJ

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Seti's memory requirement is more than 64MB. Don't think there is a speed requirement although obviously you have to be able to get a work unit done in under 14 days or it will expire and you won't get any credit :)

I have my old 500 MHz P3 (256 MB) doing predictor since they have smaller work units than any of the other projects. It chugs along pretty nicely :)

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A member of The Knights Who Say NI!
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Just to paraphrase what has already been said. The requirements are primarily project dependant. Each project can set up its own set of requirements.

Just wondering what are the minimum sys/req for BOINC?
I've got a couple of old machines that I could possibly use.

Thanks,

Jim Scott

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Prior to upgrading to my current PC, I did initially crunch Seti using BOINC with an old 200mhz P1 with 256 RAM. I forgot how long it took to crunch a WU but I was able to complete the assigned WU's on time. I think it was somewhere around 14-18 hours per WU. I have read in other threads of some people using even slower equipment as well. It does take awhile on the slower computers to crunch so you won't be racing up the credit charts with them but every WU is progress.

In my personal opinion, the important thing to remember with a slower computer is to create a separate preference setup for the slower machines with a low number for the days to connect setting. You can always walk it up from 0.5 or 1 if the computer can handle more WU's without being late instead of getting too many WU's and having some become late.

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To truly explore, one must keep an open mind...

I saw sameplace whare it was 64Megs for Boinc projects like SEIT. I have a 133MH P1 that i can't use for this as it only has 32 Megs of Memory. That one only did a couple seti classic units before at about 70 hours each.
Using a P4 2.5Gig for it now. Will be looking around for a low cost used system between the two to replace the 133.
Also have a 4.77 Mh 8088 (PC XT Clone) that I don't use for anything. If I could get the memory for it, and a DOS verson of SETI that probably would take the whole 4 weeks for one unit.

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Pizza@Home Rays Place Rays place Forums

I saw sameplace whare it was 64Megs for Boinc projects like SEIT.

Physical RAM, or does swapfile/pagefile/virtual memory count too?

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"Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?"

I know ClimatePrediction.net said something bout an 800Mhtz minimum on its web site somewhere, but its the only CPU restriction i've seen on any of the web sites.

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Chained to the dream they got you searching for, the thin line between entertainment and war...
Zack de la Roche

BOINC requires 64 MB of PHYSICAL RAM in order to run. The swap/pagefile/virtual
memory does NOT count. SETI has no minimum CPU requirements, but I can't speak
for the other great projects that use BOINC, as I am not familiar enough with
them.


Happy Crunching...

Regards, Daniel.

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As Toby said in an earlier post, you need greater than 64 megs physical ram (for seti) because the os uses some ram.

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98SE XP2500+ @ 2.1 GHz Boinc v5.8.8

And God said"Let there be light."But then the program crashed because he was trying to access the 'light' property of a NULL universe pointer.

Just wondering what are the minimum sys/req for BOINC?
I've got a couple of old machines that I could possibly use.

Electric power wise, you would be better served to discard those machines, or, to up engine them with a Frys' loss leader ...

Heck, Frys usually has a $300 low end machine on sale each week (Linux based). My point being is that if the machine is too old you will be burning a lot of elecrons for not that much processing power.

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Im currently running :
Seti / Predictor with a celeron 450 / 384 Mo
Seti / LHC with a P3 / 512 mo
Seti / CPDN / LHC / E@H with an athlon 64 3000+ / 512 mo Laptop
Seti / CPDN / E@H with an athlon 64 3000+ / 512 mo

They are only 2 limits :
E@H as short deadlines, so need good performances to achieve in time
CPDN is consumming more disk space and memory than other

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"In a world without walls and fences, who needs windows and gates ?"
for the team

BOINC requires 64 MB of PHYSICAL RAM in order to run. The swap/pagefile/virtual
memory does NOT count. SETI has no minimum CPU requirements, but I can't speak
for the other great projects that use BOINC, as I am not familiar enough with
them.Happy Crunching...Regards, Daniel.

Steve Cressman is correct...you need 64 meg of ram free AFTER the OS loads! So in effect you need 80 meg of ram minimum in the machine to run Boinc. SOME machines cannot stop at 80 meg so your individual ram will vary.

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1. Boinc itself has no particular memory requirement.

2. Boinc gathers information about the host system and sends it to the scheduler in every request. That includes an m_nbytes value indicating the amount of installed RAM. Setiathome requires that value to be 67108864 bytes (64 MB) or higher.

On Windows, the value Boinc uses is from a GlobalMemoryStatus() API call. For my system, the value reported is exactly 620 KB less than actual installed RAM. The difference is probably memory which the BIOS has used to shadow the contents of the ROM on my video card.

Other information in the host_info sent to schedulers indicates the amount of swap space and the amount of disk space available. Some projects may require some minimums for those values.

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                                             Joe

1. Boinc itself has no particular memory requirement.

THAT is true!!!

2. Boinc gathers information about the host system and sends it to the scheduler in every request. That includes an m_nbytes value indicating the amount of installed RAM. Setiathome requires that value to be 67108864 bytes (64 MB) or higher.

THAT is ALSO correct! EACH project has its own memory requirements!

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System Requirements as best I can recall.

S@H - 64 MB RAM reported. True for all projects so far except: BURP, SZTAKI, BOINC Alpha, and possibly CPDN.

BURP - lots of RAM depends on the render set being done. (this is per WU).

SZTAKI and BOINC Alpha - 32 MB RAM reported. BOINC Alpha is by invitation only. Both of these run on a P90 with 64 MB installed RAM.

CPDN - 1GB / active result 300MB / completed result (may be archived). 800MHZ minimum (expect this value to go up with the updomming sulphur app). I don't know the minimum RAM size, none of my computers that meet the other requirements have a small enough amount of RAM to test this.

Einstein > 200 Mhz because of the deadline (a 400 makes it).

BOINC itself - May use some instructions not available on 486 class and earlier machines. Requires internet access of some sort.

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