(much snippage dealing with factoring on behalf of non-PC machines)
>Then again, if
>one turned a MP machine to factoring, GIMPS might soon
>run out of factoring assignments, which would not please
>those with 486s and other slower CPUs whose only useful
>contribution to GIMPS is factoring.
>
>Cheers,
>-Ernst
It will only get worse for the 486 users when PrimeNet begins handing out
exponents that will need factoring to 65 bits. Of course, they can use
factoroveride, but that's not helpful to the network as a whole.
For those who don't know, due to CPU design reasons that I don't claim to
understand, factoring to 65 bits takes easily four or five times as long as
factoring to 64 bits. In version 19, it was set to take place for exponents
13.38M and up. I believe PrimeNet will reach this point in a few months.
Currently, PrimeNet is set to award half credit for factoring. Should that
be adjusted once the LL testers begin to catch up with the factorers, and it
becomes increasingly difficult for non-PC users to find fully factored
assignments?
Nathan
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