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PS3 users boost Folding@home project

Computing capacity more than doubled by the participation of console owners, update coming tomorrow.

One month after the PlayStation 3 launch of Folding@home, which was included with firmware update 1.6, Stanford University has reported the response from owners of the console as "phenomenal." Since the PS3 part of the project went online in March, more than 250,000 PS3 users have registered for the program, more than doubling the power of the network.

An update to Folding@home will be available for download from tomorrow, April 26, and will feature "an improvement in calculation speeds, increased visibility of user location on the globe, and ability for users to create longer donor or team names." The update to version 1.1 can be downloaded by restarting the Folding@home application.

The project works by utilising the idle processing power of PCs, Macs, and PS3s as a distributed-computing project that investigates the causes of diseases including Alzheimer's, cystic fibrosis, and various cancers.

Folding@home program lead and Stanford University professor of chemistry Vijay Pande commented, "The PS3 turnout has been amazing, greatly exceeding our expectations and allowing us to push our work dramatically forward. Thanks to the PS3, we have performed simulations in the first few weeks that would normally take us more than a year to calculate. We are now gearing up for new simulations that will continue our current studies of Alzheimer's and other diseases."

Sony concluded that it would be supporting a wider variety of distributed computing projects in the future, across the medical and social sciences and environmental studies fields.

254 Comments

  • wheelerj92

    Posted Aug 14, 2007 7:07 pm GMT

    im confused...i was reading opm and it didnt really explain what you have to do??? well what do u do on folding@home

  • theKSMM

    Posted May 7, 2007 1:55 pm GMT

    Folding at home is pretty cool. I've written some about it on my GameSpot blog but on the whole I support it.

    Of course, I have to wonder how much the PS3 processing capacity will drop off after September when a slate of high-profile games get released for the console. I mean, doing your part for society is all well and good, but we did buy these things to play games, after all.

  • RonHack

    Posted Apr 27, 2007 8:01 am GMT

    mjsancho411:

    Now THERE'S a great idea!

    Hey, with the new consoles AND PCs working together, all that "idle" processing and network resources could be used to help the scientific community in their research.

    What better way for us "hardware geeks" to use our Wiis, XBox360s, PS3s, and PCs while we're not using them?

  • W_Claiborne

    Posted Apr 27, 2007 5:07 am GMT

    Get down with the sickness

  • camarozl1

    Posted Apr 26, 2007 7:17 pm GMT

    staley6565 : hey i also think the same thing, i got the 360, so you know i spent 399.99 for the system, 99.99 for the wireless, thats 499.99 compare to 599.99 which i also own a ps3 with wireless, memory reader, 60GB and blu-ray, it does not take a genius to realize that you end up paying more money for the 360 than the ps3. well this is how much i spent on the ps3 so far 139.99 dollars for 200GB Hard Drive,+ 599.99= 739.98.
    in the other hand the 360 to get near the ps3 in value you need,
    399.99+99.99 for wireless+199.99 for HD-DVD+49.99 for xbox live+59.99 for a memory reader adapter+ the apin of deleting something else jut to keep the newly downloaded demo or trailer because the 20Gb hard drive= 709.96 keep in mind that you still the the tiny hard drive so you will need to shell out another 100.00 dollars or so to get a bigger hardrive

    oh yeah send me a private message staley6565, if you want to add another friend on playstation network or xboxlive i have both

  • Somini

    Posted Apr 26, 2007 6:43 pm GMT

    Well, folding proteins is actually somewhat more useful to most people than playing games... Maybe???... Ahem...

  • maxsteel86

    Posted Apr 26, 2007 5:21 pm GMT

    I totally agree with everything staley6565 just said

  • staley6565

    Posted Apr 26, 2007 3:07 pm GMT

    Well apparently some people appreciate the comments I made on here. Let me just say, it isn't hard to come to the truth on these things. Instead of blindly funneling the information people tell you, think things through yourself. Lets take one small example, aside from folding

    -Everyone complains how the PS3 costs too much, in opposition to the 360.

    Now instead of looking at big dumb numbers, and what other obviously biased fanboys are saying, do some hands on investigating. Me, I know every cent I've spent on my PS3, and my brother got a 360 so that we'd each have both. now he owns 3 more games than me, but I've also avoided buying games I've sincerely wanted because I'm saving.
    Overall my brother has spent twice as me giving his xbox the functionality of my PS3, with already paying twice for Live, buying HD-DVD, controller chargers, hard drives etc., and now he's talking about trading in for an elite.

    See that wasn't hard, using real life logic, against internet lore. And that's simply what all these comments are, is word of mouth nonsense. The PS3 having no games. I'm sorry I have 6 titles I want, RR7, Oblivion, VF5, Motorstorm, Ninja Gaiden, and FEAR. So I don't know about you but 360 bucks is a lot to spend on games for me personally, after a console cycle just opened, having also bought a Wii. Another myth, PSP having no games. This one gets really old, because Gamespot itself has awarded more 8+s to PSP games than DS...and as previously stated, I don't even have the cash to get every PSP game I want.

    So this has just been a small tidbit of why I post what I post, because I'm sick of not seeing people talking about the facts, and spreading internet lore simply because they want their choice to somehow make them superior to you. And lastly, that's exactly what is happening on this FAH issue, people are bashing it to take away each and every accomplishment from what I think is an at least solid gaming company. If you have posted on here saying something negative about FAH, or Sony's involvement with FAH, please take a second to honestly consider how stupid what you just did is.

  • V-Nine

    Posted Apr 26, 2007 2:36 pm GMT

    Hate to be paranoid but this is the perfect set up for spying.

  • mjsancho411

    Posted Apr 26, 2007 12:37 pm GMT

    If this program ran on the 360, scientists would've found the cure for AIDS by now (with all gamers on live).

  • snarple_basic

    Posted Apr 26, 2007 11:21 am GMT

    It would be cool if the 360 would get something like this. Its cool that it can actually help research for diseases. Maybe now we'll start getting some cures.

  • WolfSkill5544

    Posted Apr 26, 2007 9:28 am GMT

    cool

  • VirginFingers

    Posted Apr 26, 2007 7:47 am GMT

    I have a C2D @ 2.8 GHZ and FAH would do one frame in 1m 26s. On the PS3, it did a frame in .07s. I do FAH a few times a week when I am at work, glad to be part of this.

  • Doolum

    Posted Apr 26, 2007 7:37 am GMT

    good to hear that

  • chrisdojo

    Posted Apr 26, 2007 6:18 am GMT

    if computers can cure things.... why are there still sicknesses?

  • s_king7

    Posted Apr 26, 2007 5:00 am GMT

    If you didn't know the PS3 can use this same method to make games have MUCH MUCH better graphics its called "Real-time Ray-tracing" check this out

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLte5f34ya8

  • s_king7

    Posted Apr 26, 2007 4:45 am GMT

    @ pixelsword

    I don't care what anybody says but everybody should think wisely before they say anything because everybody that has been bashing at the PS3 should read pixelsword post and just understand how grown up you need to get. even if his not defending the PS3 his making a valid point

    PREACH ON MAN PREACH ON

  • 814StopsToday

    Posted Apr 26, 2007 3:02 am GMT

    "Why work on those when the Wii can cure AIDS? Okay, that was a bad joke. But seriously, people spent $600 on a system that currently can't do much more than Fold (at least until the Fall Batch of games), so people will need more than just a compliment as reason to keep it going. I remember someone saying that they were considering "compensation."

    Obviously, this "compensation" should come from Stanford through Sony, so the latter won't really lose anything (read much.) And cold hard cash, like universities give out for participating in relatively easy medical experiments, is understandably out of the question. Still, a clear conscience won't be enough for a lot of people who clearly have the money to spend on the PS3. And what about everyone else, working on their PCs?"

    Well, actually folding at home was one of the main reasons I chose a PS3, so kindly be quiet, and I suppose of you want me to bash your console of choise just so it can be like a normal post. People payed £180 just to play nes games and give their girlfriends black eyes.

  • Dav_id83

    Posted Apr 26, 2007 3:00 am GMT

    I say well done to those people who have helped in this project I used to have it running on my AMD Athlon XP 2500+ system. Once I get my AMD 939 rig sorted it'll be running on that again as well people may say t's all for rep but I don't think it is. It's putting new technology to good use the CELL is capable of doing more than just playing games and Sony is at least making good use of it.

  • Forelli_Boy

    Posted Apr 26, 2007 2:52 am GMT

    Why work on those when the Wii can cure AIDS? Okay, that was a bad joke. But seriously, people spent $600 on a system that currently can't do much more than Fold (at least until the Fall Batch of games), so people will need more than just a compliment as reason to keep it going. I remember someone saying that they were considering "compensation."

    Obviously, this "compensation" should come from Stanford through Sony, so the latter won't really lose anything (read much.) And cold hard cash, like universities give out for participating in relatively easy medical experiments, is understandably out of the question. Still, a clear conscience won't be enough for a lot of people who clearly have the money to spend on the PS3. And what about everyone else, working on their PCs?

  • bihboy69

    Posted Apr 26, 2007 2:46 am GMT

    i dont care if sony/microsoft/nintendo just does stuff like this for rep (if they do). its helping people and isnt that what really matters? ive done about 30hours, with my ps3 and its a good feeling, knowing that your helping alot of people

  • amourkiss

    Posted Apr 26, 2007 12:12 am GMT

    cool

  • ChitoKiryoku

    Posted Apr 25, 2007 11:17 pm GMT

    PSdual_wielder "corpulate, stanford most likely paid sony to let them have this program on the ps3 network. I doubt any big company does these things really out of their own angelic conscience."

    Well, it doesn't cost sony anything, plus it gives them a positive rep right? Nintendo and M$ do these things too. (not saying any of them aren't doing it just because they care, it's just it also has to do with the positive rep)

  • choasgod

    Posted Apr 25, 2007 11:09 pm GMT

    Acually PCdual_wielder SONY approached Standford University and asked them if they wanyted SONY to put Folding@HOME on PS3 ... SONY dosn't make any money from it ....

  • PSdual_wielder

    Posted Apr 25, 2007 10:51 pm GMT

    corpulate, stanford most likely paid sony to let them have this program on the ps3 network. I doubt any big company does these things really out of their own angelic conscience.

  • corpulate

    Posted Apr 25, 2007 10:36 pm GMT

    regardless of what anyone has said on here i still think its great to see that Sony is putting a huge helping hand into finding a cure for these diseases, with Folding@Home and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation we might finally stop calling it a medical practice and start calling it a science, take it easy folks.

  • lew_0911

    Posted Apr 25, 2007 10:18 pm GMT

    Good job. When the time is right, maybe they could also solve the great problem of how to make MS, Sony and Nintendo get along. Huxley! Orwell! Your stories are writing themselves upon human history!

    *runs for the hills*

  • Symphonycometh

    Posted Apr 25, 2007 9:45 pm GMT

    @:CCyberDDemon:

    Ah yes, you must be one of the last few people that bought a 360 before the sales stopped near dead.

    You know me, ignorant comment for ignorant comment?

    Or are you the last attempt to bash charity work? O-o, I love people with hearts! Always trying to see bad in good. *Sarcasm*

  • lilmp89

    Posted Apr 25, 2007 9:32 pm GMT

    SirNicoli, that is funny. But, that makes me think...MS does do what the can to earn a buck, like the Gears extra content?..sorry, I don't remember exactly, but I think that's what it was. The developers wanted it to be free and were really POed when MS made them charge $ for the first few months.

  • Symphonycometh

    Posted Apr 25, 2007 9:30 pm GMT

    @SirNicoli:

    LOL...I forgot they charge...Too used to the PS3 I suppose.:p

    @R3DN1N3: Who's proving the point that if you're anti-PS3, you're more prone to be ignorant by saying:

    "Yeah because the PS3 has no interesting games on it. So what do u do with a gameless console? U keep it on and say "God dammit my Mom's bill is gonna be sky-high! But it's all worth it because I'm helping cure cancer!". .......whatever helps u guys sleep at night."

    Resistance was NEVER interesting to me...I mean I only looove that shooter, though I usually hate them. *Dumb ace point 1*

    "Gameless console" Dear God, Please don't tell me we have such ignorant people around here. I mean...seriously, that sounds dumb to even the most blindest of Wii/360 fanboys.

    Seriously, that's the most...oddest comment to say the least that I've heard...that and someone putting bologna in his PS3...

    Honestly, are you just Wiitarted, an X-bot, WHAT? made you type that!?
    I hope that you said the same thing about the 360 when it first lauched...with its Call of Duty, DOA, and Perfect Dark. *Only DOA being the lasting game...*

    "Bill's going to be high?" Lets take a moment to laugh at this...

    I folded for about 15 hours in one sitting *Went to school for 7 hours of it.* and folded about everyday.... And the bill was still the same as always: 90-100$. That month it was about 95$. Maybe you should um...not back here, because I would LOVE to see your logic out of this. Pixelsword:

    I'll be listening to what you have to say from here on, its apparent that there are very few, like you, who don't place "OMgosh, I can't afford the 200$ difference, lets bash!" feelings in their minds and actually think and speak clearly. And if GS would stop deleting xbox360istruth, I'd be reading what he has to say as well...

  • Rentago

    Posted Apr 25, 2007 9:25 pm GMT

    thats nice, though SirNicoli, the only fee we pay is $50 a year, they wouldn't add to that. Why they don't do this? I don't know it is possible they rather rely on the PS3's processor than on the 360's and weren't asked to aid them in this.

    I wonder is sony is getting paid by them to do this it would be like donating sperm and blood

    Though I don't understand is it the game "Home" that supports the option to help the researchers or the PS3 just has that option? Really I think of it as a "Sims" fused with the market place. Basically walk into a theater instead of just going over to trailers section

    For one of the guys saying he hasn't had a good answer to why to get an elite. My way of thinking has always been differant, but in my way I think of it to be like this, I could buy the PS3 60GB for about 500+ (Sry don't remember price) or go with the 360 Elite with 120GB (The key differance) for less. I wouldn't want to be mean, but I know if I state some differance in games you guys would be pissed. Elite is basically the option of you could go for the PS3 or just go ahead and get the best 360 available, if you were going to pick a console I guess the elite had more appeal for what it comes with.

  • chargr67

    Posted Apr 25, 2007 9:14 pm GMT

    25 work units well spent

  • SirNicoli

    Posted Apr 25, 2007 8:37 pm GMT

    seriously all of you dont hate. Ive contributed over 15 work units already and i cant wait to help out more with the new download.
    obviously microsoft wouldnt do this for the 360, unless they charged you per month

  • Game-o_O

    Posted Apr 25, 2007 8:24 pm GMT

    Only double the processing power yet.. they went to a few weeks from a year. ?? 52 weeks divided by 2 ;o?

  • Valen_Ca

    Posted Apr 25, 2007 8:18 pm GMT

    If you guys want to know how the PS3 actually compares to Desktop CPU's and GPU's you should check out the Folding@Home FAQ on the subject. http://folding.stanford.edu/FAQ-PS3.html

    Oh and limitt45, that is severely flawed logic, the 360s processor (and GPU for that matter) are very capable when it comes to crunching numbers so I don't think the fact that the 360 is slightly weaker is what is keeping them from porting the client. Heck they could probably get the 360 to push more WU's if they ported the ATI GPU client to it as well as one that takes advantage of the CPU.

  • psycho_wombat

    Posted Apr 25, 2007 7:46 pm GMT

    I think it needs to mentioned that there's a version of folding@home available that makes use of the processing power of Radeon X1900 GPUs, which can fold proteins very effectively. In terms of FLOPS per active processor, the GPUs are contributing much more than PS3s (which are, in turn, much better than standard CPUs).

  • alberto2045

    Posted Apr 25, 2007 7:37 pm GMT

    I feel good I cotributed a litle bit this and still will till my PS3 gets messed up, never probably

  • Somini

    Posted Apr 25, 2007 7:12 pm GMT

    The only thing that this means is that the PS3's processing power is awesome, even though some of you would like to think otherwise, because it's CPU's that are doing this, not any other kind of hardware. IMO, (don't take this as fact, just an opinion) MS is afraid of doing this with the 360, because they fear that it will show that their CPU is inferior.

  • Incubus420

    Posted Apr 25, 2007 7:01 pm GMT

    Oh Sony how i love thee

  • limitt45

    Posted Apr 25, 2007 6:15 pm GMT

    The only reason F@H is not on the 360 is because the 360 has about the same computing power as a regular home computer. But what the people at stanford want are computers with powerful procesors(somthing the ps3 has). If the wanted any regular computer for this. you would have seen a ad for F@H on yahoo's home page.

  • R3DN1N3

    Posted Apr 25, 2007 5:54 pm GMT

    mcxps3 this is a cool feature something that the 360 and wii can't claim to do.
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Yeah because the PS3 has no interesting games on it. So what do u do with a gameless console? U keep it on and say "God dammit my Mom's bill is gonna be sky-high! But it's all worth it because I'm helping cure cancer!". .......whatever helps u guys sleep at night.

  • Latinbro1

    Posted Apr 25, 2007 5:50 pm GMT

    i say the reason 360 doesn't have folding@home is because MS hasn't made any plans to put it in. Maybe in the near future or maybe that's not a priority for MS. My PS3 is running right now and has only contributed 36 units.

  • snipe2004

    Posted Apr 25, 2007 5:50 pm GMT

    the ps3 is helping to save lives yet xbots continue to bash..

  • stunt_boarder03

    Posted Apr 25, 2007 5:47 pm GMT

    Awesome... I will definitely do this when I buy my PS3.

  • CCyberDDemon

    Posted Apr 25, 2007 5:42 pm GMT

    a last try to sell playstation 3 a little more

  • majestikk

    Posted Apr 25, 2007 5:39 pm GMT

    Doesn't seem as intriguing to me.

  • pixelsword

    Posted Apr 25, 2007 5:39 pm GMT

    Folding @ home is a project that needs the strength of a supercomputer to process millions upon millions of caculations to run their experiments, but they lack an actual supercomputer to run it on, so they use the power of many other processors via a download to your PC, Mac, or PS3 to do smaller sections to get the job done.

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