Well, it looks like this is where I get off... Will keep CEP in my projects list, but doubt I will get much now that I'm adding rice (and other BOINC projects) back into the fold. Should have more than enough running on my machines, and in the validation queue for gold. Don't have a snowball's chance for Ruby (only 3 machines running 24/7) so I'll leave the tiny trickle of work I've been siphoning up to everyone else who's chasing badges.

Good luck, and happy crunching... See everyone on phase 2!

Here's a few numbers that I've been awed with after much performance issue running multiple CEP jobs, just always allowing 1 or 2 at the time. Just let it rip and do nothing else for 16 days. After tallying the last 12 days, the similar amount of tasks sitting in PV at end of the period as at beginning and find the average at 90 hours daily CPU time for the quad which gives about 94% efficiency. Never thought to see that on Vista, but here it is. More so, the credit per hour was more than the average benchmark. For the period it was 15.7, versus 15.1 claim. We thank the owners of 64 bit OSsed machines for their uplifting help.

Now about to start a E001085 the highest 1088 in queue. With the last batch E001155 that's about 130,000 tasks in between to do.

"I dont want to not finish any in time".

How many cores is that? On a Quad that's 28 days, taking 95% efficiency that's ~26.5 days worth of CPU time. You got how much already complete per My Grid and how much in Pending Validation per the Result Status page. Then you know how much more you need to complete. Sept.14 or 15 looks like the last day of work, so if your I7 arrives today and is set up, you can do with hyperthreading about 7.5 days per day. That's another 75 days CPU time till then plus what's buffered by then... another 7 days times X cores.

If you get 100% efficiency then you get 8 days per day, that's why I said 7.5, assuming a lower efficiency. My quad manages 94%, but I'm using it during day time such as replying to you and listening to JazzFM.

With less than two weeks left before the last new WUs are distributed I would not bother changing the cache until the last three days and then I would increase the cache by 1 day each day. (I am personally not doing this as I already have enough PV for emerald and can't possible reach sapphire so have already moved on to FLU). When the last new WU has been distributed you want to turn your cache way down so you can pick up the rush jobs at the very end from people who over committed (like you likely will) and can not complete on time. This is not efficient for WCG or it's servers but will be the way to get the most badge time in as possible.

{edit} I am sure you already know this but you should only be pulling CEP (do not check "send other projects if no work") and should also not participate in Beta. All the other standard stuff ... when you get the i7 up and running get BOINC on it right away don't worry about anything like games or office. Do not turn it off or stop BOINC for any reason {/edit}