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PS3's Folding@home Computing Power 'Approaching Historical Proportions'

biz.gamedaily.com — "Behold the power of the PS3!" says Sony. In just one month, PS3 owners participating in the Folding@home project have enabled computing power to double, helping medical researchers accelerate their simulations. Sony is providing an update for PS3 owners to download tomorrow as well.

Who dugg this? Made popular Apr 26, 2007

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  • Zoids, on 10/12/2007, -8/+71Have you looked at how many teraflops are coming from the PS3s using F@H?

    Currently, Windows PCs are producing 180 teraflops from 188971 active CPUs. Google says that is 0.000952527107 teraflops per active CPU.
    Compared to the PS3, which is producing 388 teraflops from 29647 active CPUS. Google makes that 0.0130873276 teraflops per CPU.

    So yeah, a lot can be attributed to Sony.
  • PATSCRU, on 10/12/2007, -3/+40i'm not a sony fan, but you can't argue with these results...they've basically streamlined the act of volunteering. It's like an "excercise your abs while you watch tv" machine, but one that might save the world.
  • acurism, on 10/12/2007, -13/+42@ lukychmz and canadiangeese

    The spin here is unbelievable. Just give Sony a damn break!

    Is Microsoft giving you a cookie or something for every negative Sony post you make?
  • ddast, on 10/12/2007, -4/+33Look at the F@H PS3 faq:
    http://folding.stanford.edu/FAQ-PS3.html

    The PS3 is good at a very small subset of the folding calculations - it's very good at the ones it can do, but can't compete with the flexibility of a "normal" CPU. As a result, while the FLOPS output is higher, PS3 boxes don't get as many F@H points as Windows boxes.

    Also (from the faq): "We stress that one should not divide "current TFLOPS" by "active CPU" to estimate the performance of that CPU running without interruption."
  • WhereAmI, on 10/12/2007, -2/+29See
    http://fah-web.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/main.py?qtype=osstats

    The official website with the official tables.

    You can't be more wrong, lukychmz.
  • WhereAmI, on 10/12/2007, -3/+27Yes.
  • stou, on 10/12/2007, -10/+34@Zoids: "So yeah, a lot can be attributed to Sony."

    I'd say IBM.
  • betterth, on 10/12/2007, -3/+20"Currently, Windows PCs are producing 180 teraflops from 188971 active CPUs. Google says that is 0.000952527107 teraflops per active CPU.
    Compared to the PS3, which is producing 388 teraflops from 29647 active CPUS. Google makes that 0.0130873276 teraflops per CPU."

    Currently the vary flexible Windows PC's are doing the lionshare of calculations while the Folding@Home team scrambles to find a form of highly specialized calculations to send to the PS3 so it can churn through them ultra fast.

    Here's a comparison. The Windows PC is like a Subaru WRX STi. A very agile and quick vehicle very capable both at daily driving and at many, many forms of racing. It can just do almost everything people would want from cars.

    Then, let's say, the Saleen S7R, a purpose-built F1-inspired race car. Is it faster than the STi comparatively? Hell yes! Can you daily drive it, auto-x, rally it, etc etc? Hell no! It's good at one thing only. Zoom zoom down a race track!

    Same concept applies here. Yes the PS3 is doing amazing amounts of work, but on very specialized low percentage amount of the work. I guarentee the Folding@Home team would trade the entire PS3 TFLOPS rating for an equal amount of the PC TFLOPS and a multi-purpose processor.
  • jacksons98, on 10/12/2007, -31/+48Wrong - The Games are great. We currently have the best fighting and racing games available, along with the largest back library. Many of which are classics and can be found for less than $19 now. We just get Blu-ray (the movies look great) and Folding (nice way to give back) as a nice bonus.
  • maffiou, on 10/12/2007, -1/+16Which planet do you live on ? 32.4 days per month ?
    I could do with a few extra days per month myself, can you give me directions to your world ?
  • GawtMilk, on 10/12/2007, -6/+20I think what you're missing is that Blu-Ray and Folding are the most REPORTED things about the PS3. My friend with PS3's all play for an hour or two a day, they have fun with it...however, it doesn't make very good news (contrary to Wii user's belief) when articles about weekly game launches and such come out. It's great that there are more games coming out, however Folding@Home is something that could potentially cure a myriad of ailments. Think about it...what's more interesting, a new Virtual Console game, or streamlined code that makes fighting alzheimers more efficient?
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9The PS3 can start folding automatically when it's idle. That explains everything. Most of us that can afford one have jobs, therefore we don't sit in front of the TV gaming all day every day like some WoW nerds do in their parent's basement.

    Now weekends, that's another story. :)
  • Gledster, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8At first this seemed like marketing spin to me but the figures are around to back it up. Now that Folding at Home is so easy to use more people will use it. Hopefully 360 and Wii versiona will be released at some point so all console fans can jump in and help.

    Well done Sony for this one.
  • slickriven, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8@cancelor - Using some more reasonable math: 196 watts * 22 hours/day (assume gaming the other 2) * 30 days/month * 0.0000968 $/watt (just assumed you're correct) = $12.46. The way I see it, if you can afford the system @ $600 then you can afford the electricity bills. Also according to hardware report posted by Johnyd the average idle power consumption of the PS3 is 177 watts which when applied to the above equation = $11.31. So if you can't spare the extra $1.15 per month to help a Great cause then you're a complete tool.
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -7/+15"I still wouldn't trade my Wii for two PS3s. Wii is powerful enough to run PS3 games, just give some time for the developers"

    Okay.. why are you telling us this? Did you think this post was telling you to buy a PS3 because it has folding@home?

    Wii is NOT powerful enough to run PS3 games. You get what you pay for. Give some time to PS3 developers and they'll be able to create games with even better graphics.

    OMG I can't stand how dumb you are.

    EDIT: I see you edited your post. Good thing I quoted you.
  • mykos, on 10/12/2007, -4/+10I'm not a PS3 fan as a gaming system (well, until they get some good games for it!), but those numbers for F@H are amazing.
  • athosghost, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6future time line:

    2008 Sony changes name to Cyberdine
    2009 Folding at home becomes self-aware and launches first strike capabilities.
  • cr1t, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6At that speed I calculate they will have a cure for cancer by tomorow lunch time!
  • baldr, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7For PS3 owners: Is the 1.1 update being distributed now? (The article was published yesterday, and says it will be released today)
    Are there any notable improvements besides the ones mentioned at the end of the article? Is the boost in folding calculation speed noticeable?
  • yournamehere, on 10/12/2007, -4/+8so PS3 really stands for: Protein Sorter cubed?
  • StillGaming, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6I sincerely hope that when the PS3 drops to a more mainstream price that everyone is encouraged to run this program. Friends don't let friends not run Folding@home.. or something!
  • Aidanjalali, on 10/12/2007, -8/+12Does the amount of PS3s running F@H instead of playing games not make anyone else curious?
  • PacoDG, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6But can it play games?


    Cause I think that would qualify it as part of the Gaming News section... all these folding@home articles. They could be put to better use in one of the higher up Tech sections. As well as make more sense, cause the PS3 is a mighty computing machine, not a game system.. right
  • SniperGX1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+42010 the governator destroys skynet
  • strangewill, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3"LOL PS3 AND SONY SUXX0RZ LIEK IT IS SO WEAK lolozlolozlz...."

    It's nice to have actual statistics on the raw computing power of the PS3, makes me really want to get one once they have games that fully use that. :D
  • EmmSee, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Team leaders don't get anything... what do you think this is? Some internet scam? YEAH! STANFORD GIVES ME $100 FOR EVERY USER I GET FOLDING!!!!

    I'm not the team leader anyway... I just joined like 3 weeks ago.
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4COOL! I updated my PS3 and there's folding@home now

    I never knew they had this. It seemed like there's always updates every time I play so I just gave up and skipped all those updates.
  • dacheetah, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3@johnyd:
    > Here's some testing results you might find fascinating. Certainly makes me appreciate my Wii all the more:
    > http://www.hardcoreware.net/reviews/review-356-2.htm
    > Edit: this is page 2 of the power consumption review... just fyi

    I didn't actually notice that it was page two, until I went back to check what specs the PC had... With power consuption like that it was obvious it was an Intel. (From the research I've done an Intel Chip like that will use almost twice what the equiv AMD chips will, and that makes up for well over half of the PCs total power consumtion.)
  • DivineMonkey, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4How about people just turn off their computers....that'll do humanity more good...

    *Turning off now, before i get flamed*

    :-)
  • GawtMilk, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3We refers to Playstation 3 owners.

    Before you get all preachy about how its just a console, remember -- "Wii are family".
  • testdrivemedia, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2This is nice and all, but what about the games?
  • spidoman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2That's ironic, I get cancer over lunch time. (I stand in front of a microwave rubbing myself with tabacco.)
  • floejoe, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3No, you only get internet prestige (Like bashing Sony and standing up for Microsoft, it's hip now), but not really much more. I joined the DL.TV team, 57391, they are ranked in low 200's right now.
  • EmmSee, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2On the website they have the answers. Read the papers and articles related to research that's been done so far.
  • EmmSee, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5If you don't have a PS3, download the app for your OS. Either way, don't forget to join Digg's team #47777
  • betterth, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3@whereami

    Pure opinion.

    I personally prefer Forza over GranTurismo for arcade simulation.
    But best simulator ever?! Are you ***** retarded? GT is not a simulator by any stretch of the imagination. Go play TOCA or something. You know, something that simulates a little more than basic damage and tire wear.

    And I also disagree about the best fighting game. That title will go to Xbox360 once Street Fighter 2 Turbo is re-released, or Wii when Super Smash comes out =)
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It didn't hit the PS Store yesterday, and I hunted for it. The original 1.0 version just magically appeared in the XMB after a firmware update if I remember correctly.

    BTW, little-known tip for F@H on the PS3: Hit triangle on the icon for it before you start it. It includes auto-start options so anywhere between 5 and 30 minutes of your PS3 idling, it will automatically start folding.
  • icemarsh, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yeah the 1.1 update is out now. I just updated. Currently sitting at around 40th on Kotaku's team. :)
  • madk, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2So what has all this processing power accomplished so far? Just some complex number crunching or has anything actually come from the project? Please don't flame. This is a serious question.
  • GawtMilk, on 10/12/2007, -5/+6Ah, one more thing. Sony likes to report on F@H a lot because it's a "proof of concept" of how powerful the PS3 is. Even though good F@H performance doesn't equate to good gaming performance, Standford University themselves say, "This advance utilizes the new Cell processor in Sony’s PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3) to achieve performance previously only possible on supercomputers."

    http://folding.stanford.edu/FAQ-PS3.html
  • Crispin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I was about to say.. you first!
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The Folding@Home update JUST got posted, dloading right now..... Oh, what will it be?
  • CanadianGeese, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3@jackson98

    "We"?
  • Shisher, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3Gran Turismo HD is the best driving sim ever made? The 1 track and handful of cars is good, but I wouldn't quite go that far... and while VF5 is good I wouldn't hands down call it the best out there. It also isn't the best example for ps3 support as it is coming to 360 with more content and online play.
  • enemyofstate430, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1The active GPUs at Folding at home put out twice as many teraflops as the active PS3s. Just wait until the R600 comes out and cheaper GeForce 8 series cards become mainstream. The PS3 will be yesterday's news pretty quickly.
  • EmmSee, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1With all the CPU's I've got folding now my electric bill will soon look like Al Gore's!
  • DreamerZero, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1thats very nice and all, but it should be for gaming, point blank. cause this is just like seti@home, and it's lame. glade to see that so many peoples PS3 are idle...goodjob sony *thumbs up*
  • yournamehere, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3why team #4777? don't team leaders get something in return for it? if so that's a huge scam in your pocket you got there.
  • trogdor282, on 10/12/2007, -6/+6Zoids: Look at the GPU numbers, per machine they blow the PS3 away...
  • WhereAmI, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1http://fah-web.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/main.py?qtype=osstats

    Just watch that as time goes on, save the stats now for your own research.
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