Screensaver version of Prime95
 

Just a Quick Question:

Is there any plan to develop a screensaver version of Prime95, or has one been developed that I don't know about?

That wont work half as good. Prime95 means to use the cpu between your keystrokes. If it has to wait for 15 minutes and run for 5 minutes, what is the point?

Beside, did you hear that screensaver was the single biggest waste of cpu time? Even if there is such a prime95 screensaver, all you will see is probably a blank screen. So why would we need it?

I understand that it would work only when the screensaver is on, but most every other distributed computing application I've seen (folding@home, genome@home, SETI@home) all have screensaver versions of their applications. Actually SETI is the best of both worlds, with a tray app and a screensaver in the same application. My computer is relatively slow and has barely enough memory to supply even 8 MB to Prime95 plus all of the other applications I'm using without disk caching. If this were to load only when I was not using the computer (i.e. in screensaver mode), I could have enough memory to do both without sacrificing performance on my applications. I also have folding@home running on the same machine and want to dedicate more CPU cycles to it than to Prime95 as it takes longer to complete a job.

As far as pretty pictures go on the Prime95 screensaver, I really don't need them. Perhaps just a static Prime95 logo, or a text string that periodically updates the progress of the program.

You could always factor... That uses less than 4MB...

If you are running 72-pin SIMMs let me know... I have a box of them around here somewhere... Maybe a few of them might fit...

[quote="larsenn"] My computer is relatively slow and has barely enough memory to supply even 8 MB to Prime95 plus all of the other applications I'm using without disk caching. If this were to load only when I was not using the computer (i.e. in screensaver mode), I could have enough memory to do both without sacrificing performance on my applications. I also have folding@home running on the same machine and want to dedicate more CPU cycles to it than to Prime95 as it takes longer to complete a job.
[/quote]

I say you overload your box pretty heavily. There really isnt too much point to run 2 DC projects on one host specially it is your working horse - one would be enough to use up all your cpu! Well, maybe it is fun. ;)

Thanks for the memory offer, but this is my work computer (shhh, don't tell anyone), so I don't have any control over hardware. The factor idea is a good one...

So I guess the answer to the screensaver question is ... no.

Thanks again...

I'd think a screensaver is inevitable in a DC project like this, but as it's set up now, there's a much greater need for moving the server. Just give it time... (oh, and even if there WERE a screensaver, it'd be stupid to use it. just wastes cycles) :?

larsenn is looking for a 'screen saver' -- an app that waits til the pc has been idle and then takes over completely, not a 'screen saver' -- an app that wastes cycles making eye candy.

The fact that most screen savers are both is not a good reason to balk at turning Prime95 into the first type. Even if you have tons of status displays and flashy graphics like seti does, just allow the user to disable some or all of it.

The screen saver option is a good selling point that goes hand in hand with improvements to the web site and server interface that have been suggested in other threads. Yes, it isn't as high a priority, but it's part of the package.

Maybeso is absolutely right. I thought it was clear what I was inquiring about. I wasn't asking about a Prime95 screensaver that did nothing but show a pretty picture, but one that loaded itself as a screensaver (it would appear as a screensaver option in the Display Properties dialog box under the screensaver tab) and continue working. As I mentioned above, it could contain a minimal display showing that it was indeed running. I also agree that it isn't a big priority, but some people are paranoid about running stuff in the background when they are working, so this allows them to participate with relative peace of mind. Also, I could allocate more memory to Prime95 when in screensaver mode as I only have 130Mb on this machine and cannot dedicate more than 8 Meg to Prime95 when I'm using it....

larsenn,
You could use Scheduled Tasks to create a prime95 task that runs only when the computer has been idle for one minute and stops as soon as the computer ceases to be idle. Works like a charm.

I definitely want to run a screensaver, and I know a lot of people would too. However, the *good* screensavers (i.e. the ones where the entire screen has something that changes) that come with Windows take alot of processing time.

All Prime95 would need to do to make a *good* screensaver is have something simple that goes across the whole screen, like maybe a dark blue background with the decimal expansion of the Mersenne they are testing going across the screen diagonally in a color that's not dark blue. (I can make a 1.5 page javascript thing that would do the same thing on a webpage, and probably in less than a day... If I knew how to program I would write the screensaver myself.)