It can be a combination of things. For example, if you have your computer set to connect only every 10 days ("Computer is connected to the Internet about every" on your computing preferences page if you're not using local settings), and you get a WU that is due in a week, it will immediately send you into "high priority" mode, even if you actually have an always-on connection. And you can also get a lot of work downloaded via this setting, as well as the "Maintain enough work for an additional" days setting.

This is what happens when Boinc thinks you're in danger of not finishing some of your tasks before the deadline.

Steely Dan is the only artist that Matt mentioned that I recognize. "Do It Again" and "Reeling in the Years", both from 1973, are the only songs that I remember from him.

You know, next year we'll see quad core CPUs from Intel - probably also AMD. Now, what I'd like to have, is two of those on a dual socket MB... only I don't think Windows can handle that with my current licence for Win XP Pro. So I guess it's either Linux, Windows Vista or a server version of Windows XP.

But it'll be fun to see how such a system will perform with SETI. :)

Having just spent 3G on a new system ($800 on monitor)which will be my primary for a few years, I don't anticipate aquiring that technology for a while. Hard to think of what I can buy for 3G in five years, when I'm ready.

The system I just retired served me for almost 8 years. Was hot shoot when I bought it, $2500 for the tower alone (HP 733 MHz PIII). I'm willing to pay a premium when I do upgrade because I figure whatever I settle on will have to make me happy for a while. I will be envious though, when I see newer stuff available.

You know, next year we'll see quad core CPUs from Intel - probably also AMD. Now, what I'd like to have, is two of those on a dual socket MB... only I don't think Windows can handle that with my current licence for Win XP Pro. So I guess it's either Linux, Windows Vista or a server version of Windows XP.

But it'll be fun to see how such a system will perform with SETI. :)

I'm convinced. I thought they were dual core, and I concluded the appearance of four CPU usage history graphs in Task Manager was supporting 'evidence' ...
Hey, these four beat the heck out of the single I just replaced.
Thanks to all for the good information.

Are you saying you have one dual core cpu or you have 2 dual core cpus?

Neither.
He has a system that has 2 physical CPUs, each supports HyperThreading, so a total of 4 virtual CPUs.

So it looks like Victor has the ability to calculate with eight threads, based on this discussion. Maybe he needs another operating system to utilize eight threads. Doesn't XpHome only handle two, and Pro four? I read somewhere that Windows Server 2003 might handle eight, and I don't see why not Linux. If he gets eight working his times will increase but his total output from his two Xeons should increase perhaps by 25 percent. But I guarantee nothing. All this is based on what I read and remember. Also his processor temperatures may increase at least a couple degrees C due to more work.

1. Does SETI condone these? If so, why don't they issue an optimized application to everyone who joins the project?

Yes, they do. Much of the optimizations are specific to the characteristics of your specifc processor, (How much cache, which instruction set) that they do not currently have the ability (I think) to check in boinc. Also it would be a lot more work on the testing side to have to test and maintain 4 or 5 app versions for each OS.

Well, I looked on the Intel site, and as I'd thought dual-core Xeons do indeed exist. Whether Victor has them or not -- well, your guess is as good as mine.

I'm confused as to whether you have one physical dual-core chip, or 2. If you have two, shouldn't you show 8 processors? Maybe you should enable hyperthreading as well? Or do you not have access to a version of windows that will allow 8 procs?

Using 4 cpu's rather than two will usually show a small increase in processing time but because you are now doing four at once the throughput per day will be higher.