Uses for spare PCs

ronkmonster

I have a few spare pcs lying around that I need some ideas on what to use them for. I already have a pc for normal use/gaming. a server with ubuntu server that is my file-server,web-server,torrent downloader, vwmare server. A a laptop for when i'm away from home. I have 2 pcs and a laptop with a cracked screen spare. All are similarly specced, p4, 512mb ram, integrated 3d. Just wondering if anyone had some different ideas on how to use them other than file-sharing, web server etc. I've loaded ubuntu server onto the laptop with ssh on it (gets around the cracked screen).

Thomas_S_Hunterson

Stick Folding@home on them?

http://folding.stanford.edu/

Deano12345

Sean_K wrote: »

Stick Folding@home on them?

http://folding.stanford.edu/

Yeah, fold for the cause dude !

Check this thread out too

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055873872

ronkmonster

I don't mind that for one of them. But I'd like to have a few different things to try out.

Thomas_S_Hunterson

ronkmonster wrote: »

I don't mind that for one of them. But I'd like to have a few different things to try out.

It runs in the background at a low priority. You can do it in addition to other things.

ronkmonster

I might run one as a dedicated folding client. And the rest with it in the background. Any other ideas for uses of the others.

unnameduser

when folding does the PC work hard? the reason I ask is I'm thinking of the power it consumes? Ignoring business machines I have a few servers and PCs on the go, and quite often CPU and RAM usage is minimal. That being said the leccy bill is big enough already. Just wondering does anyone run folding @ home and if so does it consume much power?

ronkmonster

It uses all the spare processing so the cpu is running at full. I already run a server 24/7 and PC most of the day but not at full usage.

unnameduser

As you know most servers don't work close to 100% and therefore PSUs are not working at 100% wattage. I'm trying to figure out what % folding makes PC's work at. I'm all for adding to the cause but if its going to add significantly to electricity charges then its not a great idea.

Ideally I could just test this and see how it fares out but hopefully someone can save me the effort!

ronkmonster

On a windows xp workstation (clean install today) it's using 99% of cpu time. It's doing nothing else except folding. In the windows client you can limit the cpu usage to % of the total. Folding generally uses all idle cpu time by default.

zodac

unnameduser wrote: »

As you know most servers don't work close to 100% and therefore PSUs are not working at 100% wattage. I'm trying to figure out what % folding makes PC's work at. I'm all for adding to the cause but if its going to add significantly to electricity charges then its not a great idea.

Ideally I could just test this and see how it fares out but hopefully someone can save me the effort!

Folding will use 100% of any GPUs running the client, and then will use all of the CPU that isn't already beign used. Basically, the computer will be running at 100%.

You can limit the usage by going into the options though.

KAGY

Some data acquistion or weather station maybe, problem is you'd need to spend a bit extra to get the hardware. You could then host it as a webserver.
I saw a site, damned if I can remember it or even find it on google, where somebody had sensor'ed up his solar panel set up.

Wonda-Boy

A dedicated PORN server gets my vote

rogue-entity

I already went down this road, and I considered doing a bunch of things but I'm limited by the fact that most of the hardware I have is old and 32bit. It kind of limits the software I can run on half the stuff I have.. and.. what I can ultimately do with any of it.

ronkmonster

Found a few things to try out on them http://www.tonido.com/ - Run your own Personal Cloud Tonido allows you to access and share your content directly through a web browser without uploading or worrying about storage limits. Share files, music, photos and calendar, download torrents and even manage your finances straight from your desktop. Free.

---

http://www.amahi.org/features/gallery - Tools for a home server

---

I've loaded Mediatomb onto one of the pcs to test out. It's a media server so I can see my music from Xbox and Windows Media Player/iTunes etc

---

Ideo

that tonido application looks savage!!

ronkmonster

Yeah, it will probably be first thing i try. Lots of stuff that took me ages to setup by command line before