Folding Forum

I read this post about overhauling the android client:
https://foldingathome.org/2018/02/02/an ... -overhaul/

Any news on this?
I have about 3 cellphones at home that are unused.

Some people mention about how silly it is to run this on an Android phone.
But when I joined Folding@home in 2005, I ran it on an AMD Athlon 2600XP processor, which was a single core 2100Mhz CPU.
One of my cellphones that has a battery issue, but the hardware is still perfectly fine, has a Snapdragon 821, with 4 cores running at 2.35Ghz, and 4 cores running at 2Ghz; or a total of ~6.5-8x faster than my first desktop PC of 2005 running Folding@home. Granted, my Cellphone is 15 years newer technology.

My last post was specifically about FAH for Android.
This one is FAH for ARM.
I read this thread, and how much has changed in 7 years this thread was made?
Especially since ARM processors now come with 8, 10, 12, 16, and now even 48 cores (see Qualcomm's Centriq 2400) ?

Another mention in the thread is that ARM runs Folding@home less efficient.
I wonder though, my first desktop pc that ran FAH, was an Athlon XP2600+, at 2,1Ghz single core, I bet this 150W desktop PC folds less good than my 7W Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 cellphone with 4 cores @ 2.35Ghz, and 4 cores at 2Ghz.

My question is if it runs on ARM easily, or an x86/x64 processor is a necessity?
What the speed trade offs are between arm and x86/x64?
And perhaps if there's any speed difference running Folding at home between Windows and Linux?

Edit by Mod

Topics mergeduh

I am not sure why you keep posting if you won't read the answers.

F@H Runs on x86-64 CPUs on Windows, MacOS and Linux.
F@H runs inside the Chrome Browser, but I think that also requires an x86-64 CPU.
F@H runs in some Android phones on ARM CPUs, basically if they resemble a Sony.
F@H can run on recent AMD and Nvidia graphics card in x86-64 Windows and Linux.

Linux will be about 15% faster than Windows.

I run the Android client on a Motorola G4 Play cell phone and a Nexus 7 (2013) tablet.
Neither is so complex that it confuses the Android client, which was written by Sony for Sonys.

If you device uses a big.LITTLE architecture model that Sony phones do not support, you may have trouble. (there are at least 3 models)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARM_big.LITTLE

I recommend you just try the phones and you will know.

JimboPalmer wrote: F@H runs inside the Chrome Browser, but I think that also requires an x86-64 CPU.

Yes, folding using the NaCl client in Chrome requires a x86-64 CPU.

Joe_H wrote:

JimboPalmer wrote: F@H runs inside the Chrome Browser, but I think that also requires an x86-64 CPU.

Yes, folding using the NaCl client in Chrome requires a x86-64 CPU.

Thank you! I have never used the NaCl client, so am just spreading rumors on it.

JimboPalmer wrote:I am not sure why you keep posting if you won't read the answers.

F@H Runs on x86-64 CPUs on Windows, MacOS and Linux.
F@H runs inside the Chrome Browser, but I think that also requires an x86-64 CPU.
F@H runs in some Android phones on ARM CPUs, basically if they resemble a Sony.
F@H can run on recent AMD and Nvidia graphics card in x86-64 Windows and Linux.

Linux will be about 15% faster than Windows.

Apologies Jimbo,
The two threads were created almost simultaneously, and merged by the mods, even though they are two entirely different topics.
Android is linux, but Linux isn't android.
The first one was about android phones,
The second one was about ARM servers.
I don't know why the mods have merged the two threads.

Joe_H wrote:

JimboPalmer wrote: F@H runs inside the Chrome Browser, but I think that also requires an x86-64 CPU.

Yes, folding using the NaCl client in Chrome requires a x86-64 CPU.

But that doesn't speak of the app?
Or is the app using Chrome (because I think it does connect to my browser as soon as I start it up).

NaCl is (or was) specifically supported by the chrome browser. It invokes some applications downloaded from the FaH servers which are either compiled for NaCl or for x86. I never tried it on ARM. As far as I know, the only code compiled for ARM is the Sony client