So, you think you have what it takes to be an Extreme Team Folder? This is the Extreme Team Folding Manual containing all the information about the competition. If you are interested in joining the event, please complete the Extreme Team Folding Sign Up Sheet.
What is Extreme Team Folding?
Extreme Team Folding is an all month (changed to allow a 2 day break; event launches on the 3rd of every month), every month event where individual folders fold 1 piece of hardware with a unique passkey in a category for their Extreme Team. You may still fold other hardware, just not under the passkey you provide us with for the hardware you enter into the event. There are multiple teams of 3 folders each and 3 folding categories. Each team will have 1 folder folding in 1 of the 3 categories. The total adjusted points of the teams 3 folders is added up, and whichever team has the most points wins the event for the month. The individual folding categories are also tracked, so there are individual category leaderboards. It's a way to make something fun out your appreciated contributions to the folding@home project.
The 3 categories are nVidia, AMD, and Wildcard. The permitted hardware will be based on the GPU being listed on https://folding.lar.systems/ and a minimum of 500 submissions on the LARS database. If it's there, and has 500 submissions, it's permitted. If it's not, we will have to discuss it with the Team Captains before allowing it in the event.
The expectation is that you will fold the individual piece of hardware as close to 24/7 as possible. You will do your best to report any interruptions in your work to your Team Captain so accommodations can be made to fill your spot in your absence. Also, open lines of communication with your Team Captain will be needed, so exchange your preferred method of contact with your Team Captain.
The stats for the event are tracked at http://teamcomp.axihub.ca/.
How does the event work?
We'll ask you which GPU you're folding on, and then we pull the PPD estimate from LARS. The top piece of hardware, currently the RTX 3090, will have no adjustment to points. Each piece of hardware below it will have a points adjustment applied as a % of actual points. For example, if I fold a a 3090, on LARS the is estimated at 6,728,828 PPD. If you fold a 3080 it's 5,588,233 PPD. When we compete against each other in the nVidia category, the 3080's points will be adjusted up by 120% (3090 PPD / 3080 PPD). So, that leaves 2 variables for success which are efficient overclocking and keeping your rig housing your TC hardware up and folding as much of the month as possible. Each teams total points are based upon the adjusted numbers, and the top team wins the event for the month.
Note: If you report your folding output to LARS, do not report your overclocked GPU as it will cause the averages to increase, and your multiplier will decrease. More importantly, it is forbidden to underclock your GPU, and then report a lower figure to LARS in order to increase your multiplier. That will be considered cheating.
What to not do when folding in this event, or for EHW:
If you are caught doing any of the below actions, you will be warned, your points will be adjusted, and you could be banned from the event. So, read carefully.
Do not delete work units just because they are low PPD. This is a forever shamed decision in the folding@home project. When you accept work, you are supposed to complete it barring a hardware failure or other natural causes.
Do not fold another piece of hardware on your Unique Passkey. This passkey is not to be used on any other hardware you fold, only what you have in ETF.
Also, a reminder, click finish before shutting down your clients if you think you will not resume folding in enough time to complete your assigned projects.
What is a unique passkey?
It simply means you need to request a 2nd passkey using an email that's different than the one you're using now because passkeys are tied to your email. If you request another using the same email, you will receive the same passkey. You then use a folding slot flag to apply the passkey to your 1 item you fold in the event.
How to Setup a Passkey Slot Flag:
The Team Captain is responsible for managing and maintaining his or her respective team. That includes filling team vacancies, monitoring their team’s performance, addressing performance issues with their team, and communicating with staff and their team on a regular basis. They should be extremely involved in their team discussion thread, and monitor the Team Captains Group Discussions. All issues with their team members must be communicated to staff.
Team Members are expected to monitor their folding closely. When issues arise, they must communicate with the team in their team thread so all team members are aware. Also, when an issue arises that affects the team, send a PM to your Team Captain. They will notify me if a temp or replacement is needed. You must use only the hardware we have listed for you in the event. Do not change your hardware to anything new until you've PM'd BWG the details per add/subtract protocols set forth below. Keep on reading.
Teams are responsible for recruiting team members. Occasionally, staff may help you in your recruiting efforts, but the responsibility to fill team vacancies lies solely on the team.
Team threads will not be closely monitored by staff. Your team thread is a place for your team to communicate. Try to stay active in your team threads to build rapport within your team, and do your best to contribute any help you can to struggling team members. Avoid asking team members about their performance in your team thread. PM your Team Captain about performance issues.
Temp folding is when a user folds in 2 or more categories on a team. This will be allowed without any limitation, but the purpose of being a temp folder is for it to be temporary. Long periods of temp folding will be questioned.
Hardware Swapping will be permitted 1x per month in all cases unless it's a result of hardware failure which allows swapping even if you already used your 1x provision. Do not swap your hardware until you PM BWG with the details, and BWG confirms the swap is complete in the stats system.
Multi-Die GPUs are GPUs with more than 1 die recognized by the client as such. I 2 die GPU, such as the GTX 690 has 2 dies and 2 folding slots. The GRID M40 has 4 dies and 4 folding slots. LARS takes the average of 1 die into account. On these GPUs, you would isolate your passkey to your best die, and then we'd use the LARS all OS Average. The remaining dies, if folded, would need to be setup with a separate passkey.
To add/subtract a team member, PM @BWG with the following information:
Adding a Folder
EHW Name:
Folding Name:
Folding Team:
Team Name:
Unique Passkey:
Hardware:
Category:
Removing a Folder
Team Name:
User Name:
Category:
Reason For Leaving: Blame@axipher, always!
The History of the Team Competition.
Teams Participating and Folders:
The Fluffy Pink Ninja's
The Foldaholics
Out of Beta
Team OCN
Team Vacancy:
Event Winner's:
Event Change Log:
September - Monthly LARS re-balancing added and will eventually be automated, 2 day break will make the event start on the 3rd of every month, rules surrounding LARS and folding to influence LARS for a competitive advantage.