Whats the process on joining the team?....Looking at building a new PC to help out...how much will I have to invest???
When you configure the Folding at Home client, it will ask for your team number and name.
Our team number is 195247.
You can pick any username you like.
If you are going to fold SMP (multi-core processor jobs), you will also need a passkey. There is an SMP thread floating around here.
The easy way to make big points right now is with a nVidia GTS450 or GTX460 video card. These can be had for as little as $100 or less if you wait for sales and rebates. They are also very good at playing games or movies. These run the GPU3 client program.
Any computer can run the Classic Client. It is automatic after the install questions, and doesn't need babysitting like other kinds do. They don't make a lot of points, but the jobs are important. Certain kinds of proteins can only be done on the Classic.
Playstation 3's have FAH built into them. Look for Life with Playstation in the menu, and remember to put in the team # and username.
Read through the threads here, and feel free to ask questions.
The home site and install instructions can be found at
http://folding.stanford.edu
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As far as building a computer, what is your budget, and what kinds of things do you want the computer to do? Spec out a computer for your personal uses first, then select parts that work well with FAH. Big point FAH machines are killer game computers.