As a side note, this benchmarking process is why members may have experienced shorter or longer than usual runtimes over the past several months. The core algorithm of the Mapping Cancer Markers engine, used to evaluate each potential gene signature, has a processing time that is highly dependent on the statistical characteristics of each signature. The search space targeted by a single work unit can sometimes contain time-consuming signatures, which together lead to a longer total runtime. This also means variability with the size of Mapping Cancer Markers results. A typical work unit will evaluate tens of thousands of potential gene signatures, many of which are of low quality. Signatures below a certain quality threshold are removed from the returned results. However, the search space targeted by a single work unit can sometimes contain a high proportion of high-quality gene signatures. If this happens, the result file is larger than usual.

Pitting your 3770 at 3.4/3.7ghz against my mobile 2670 at 2.0-2.2? Such daredevils, those great state texans.