Allow for downloading new work before current work unit has completed

[thelomic]

v7 client would download a new work unit upon the current work unit reaching 99% (this was also a configurable percentage, with 99% being the default). I've noticed v8 doesn't seem to begin downloading a new WU until the current WU is completed.

This downtime between WU execution, while often fairly short, causes more thermal cycles on hardware rather than allowing it to remain in steady-state load most of the time. Assign servers also sometimes require a few retries before assigning new work, which creates unnecessary downtime.

Thanks for all the hard work on v8!

[hc970]

I fully agree with thelomic.

I am still using the 7.6.21 client and this feature is something I consider essential not only for hardware longevity but also for efficiency. The folding client should be optimized to maximize efficiency. I felt the version 7 client achieved this but currently the 8.4.9 client doesn’t.

Could this be included in 8.4.10 or 8.5.0, please? I realize this likely isn’t a trivial feature to implement but could the approach from the version 7 client be reused?

I’m to happy to donate if further funds are needed. Thanks so much to Joseph and all the FAH team for their work and dedication.