Who else hit 10 millions and how did you achieve what you have?

[gabi_golan]

Hello dear Folding fellows!
So, recently I've hit my first serious milestone, which is 10, 000, 000 - ten million points! Cool!
I also see in my threat list and in EOC stats some others, who are about to hit the 10 million point.
Maybe a good idea for a Folding enthusiasts/ donors/ addicts/ nerds ( 8-] ) is to tell how did you got into folding and how did you achieve your points, e.g. the equipment you used when you just started, then moved to .. , then set up linux 2p dedicated folder.. etc.

As for me:
Ive started almost exactly a year ago, after i got the folding client in some torrent download, and an instruction for what it is, and what is it good for. I've actually heard about protein disease simulation programs a few years ago, but i didnt get any specific info about the Distributed Computing Software, and i also didnt really searched for it, even tough I liked the idea of it.
I've started on my i7-920 on stock, with some bad cooler, running v6 on one thread. Then ive started setting up 5-6 instances of the v6 client. After a few weeks i wanted to join a team, get a password and start using username instead of anonymus. So I've noticed Overclock.net and Overclockers.com - looked the same to me (lol) and somehow i wanted to join one of these two, and completely by chance I have chosen T32 (maybe because of a shorter team number lol).
Then switched to V7 client, used my ATI HD4870 gc also. Then ive learned that Nvidia GC's outperforms ATI by far, so I've bought the 560 ti card that was PPD/watts and PPD/usd champion (it remains the champion today also). Then because of heat issues ive changed my old dust-clogged CoolerMaster Hyper to Antec h2o 920 LC kit - changed the temps dramatically - from 80's stock to 50's stock, to around 70 @3667 (as far as i can OC).
Then the Linux issue - ive learned here on the forums that linux gives significantly higher ppd even in VM - so ive set up VM in my main rig - indeed improved the ppd.
The last to date and the most significant addition was the i7-2600k machine CPU-Linux-DedicatedFolder, running lubuntu, OC to 4500mhz on Noctua nh-d14 (btw not as good as LC kit) that gains 30-35KPPD - just as a whole i7-920+ 560TI setup.

The usage of passkey, change from 4870 to 560ti, and of course the addition of 2600k caused most-notable ppd increases.
So thats the story of a one year old folder =)

BTW, pics of the Rigs:
i7-920@3667, Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD3R, Gigabyte GTX560Ti factory small OC edition, Antec H2O 920 LC kit, Antec HCP1200 psu (overkill here, was planned for some different PC) 3TB hdd's, Fans arround the GC: Scythe Slip stream 110 cfm + one fan from Hyper cpu-cooler, Lian-Li PC7YCF+25cm fan:

I7-2600k@4500, Gigabyte GA-Z68MA-D2H-B3, built-in basic gpu, Noctua nh-d14 with custom Scythe SlipStream 110cfm fan, Seasonic x660 psu, Corsair Force 60gb ssd, Caseless:

 

[WhitehawkEQ]

Started in 12/06/10 with
Phenom II 1090T x6 @ 3.2GHZ, MB=GA-880GA-UD3H Rev 2.1.
Just this year I added
FX-8150 x8 @ 3.6GHZ, MB=GA-990FXA-UD5
FX-8120 x8 @ 3.4GHZ, MB=Sabertooth 990FX
Phenom II 1090T x6 @ 3.2GHZ, MB=GA-880GA-UD3H Rev 3.1 AM3+
In that order.

 

[Arkaine23]

I started folding in 2002 or 2003 (v3 client). OC3d was the OCforums' 3dmark subteam (back before we had a benching team). Members dropped off and I wound up being the major contributor... well, overdoze had some serious power too. He was kind of a mentor I met here in the forums who got me my first sysadmin job and taught me *nix.

Back then most WU's were double-digit points... maybe the big ones were as much as 300 points. Advmethods was new. Gromacs was new and made a significant production change. Athlon XP's were king. I had anywhere from 15-100 cpu's folding for me... most were dual-CPU Athlon MP servers. OC3d got as high as the #6 contributor to the project worldwide, and was the #2 producer on Team 32 behind Lews. All this was sub-1 million points BTW, and a span of several years at that. Hence the low WU to point ratio, which is still evening out.

Overdoze and I developed several versions of a Knoppix-based linux distribution called Overclockix. Overclockix had a built-in folding service, so you could fold on systems without hard drives, just by booting the CD. It could also be used to netboot a little farm where the server had a hard drive, but all the netbooting clients could be headless and diskless.

Eventually, my jobs changed and I lost access to x86 CPU's to fold on for awhile (can't fold on Sparc/Solaris). I was busy raising a family and stopped buying computer hardware for a few years. OC3d dwindled to a trickle of production.

I came back to the fold around January, with a handful of laptops. Now I have more than 70 C2D's, maybe 20 1st gen i5's (dual core w/ht), a 2500 and a 2.2ghz i7. Most of them are iMacs. Kinda sad how I can fold 2x-3x as much in a month as it took me years to do before.... but, oh well, CPU's have changed. Its always been about the science.

 

[gabi_golan]

Now I have more than 70 C2D's, maybe 20 1st gen i5's (dual core w/ht), a 2500 and a 2.2ghz i7.

Are these your personal machines or they are the ones that you sysadmin at work? (thats a lot of PCs !!)

 

[Adak]

I started folding under another handle, and for the default Anonymous team. Back then wu's averaged 1.4 points! Eventually, I came here and learned about team folding. Of course, I had two AMD folders, when the new high point work units came out - the QMD's - they REQUIRED Intel cpu's, to even get them! Lost a LOT of points from that.

Replaced my two AMD single core folders with C2D's from Intel. By that time, the QMD work units were all gone, of course, but with the new boxes, I was finally starting to push out some sweet points. The multi-core SMP work units made the C2D's sweet folders, when they were part of FAH.

Then I had an argument with a teammate, and left to fold with MaxPC for a year. Left there and came back here, when I understood what had really happened here. The spider monkeys had taken over MaxPC's folding forum, at that time, which wasn't to my liking.

Enjoyed how Zim01 worked with us, when we won our first O/C'ers victory in the Chimp Challenge.

Tried a bit of GPU folding, but it produced too much heat and noise to be a long term folding option. I've been a cpu only folder, ever since.

After three years, the C2D's gave way to two i7's, and a dual cpu server with Intel L5420 cpu's. Although it has 8 natural (not hyperthreaded) cores, the server is a slower folder than either i7, since it can't run faster than standard speed.

Then last year I built up a 4P box, Tanker, in large part because of the info posted here, by Macaholic. Although my cpu choice for it wasn't the best, it is a very strong folder! Really takes advantage of the big advanced work units, and bonus points. That has pushed my folding from sweet to unreal, although Tanker puts out a fair amount of heat. But it's almost absolutely silent, and I do love that, in a strong folder.

Winning the Chimp Challenge this year, with all the team (and other teams) support, was really a fun time!

 

[gabi_golan]

Thanks guys, interesting stories!
BTW, WhiteHawk also hit the 10 million !! Congratulations ! Way to Fold sir !

 

[WhitehawkEQ]

Thanks, I so want to pass you up but just when I'm about to, you pull ahead

Thanks guys, interesting stories!
BTW, WhiteHawk also hit the 10 million !! Congratulations ! Way to Fold sir !

 

[billcox0625]

Congrats on the milestone! WTF

I'll be joining the 10 million club in a few months.

 

[gabi_golan]

Thanks, I so want to pass you up but just when I'm about to, you pull ahead

And this is despite that I've also see some little decrease in my ppd.
Well, the team benefits either way.