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How To... Cram a 24-Core Linux Cluster in $30 IKEA Drawers
- helwr 16y agoalso http://helmer.sfe.se/ http://helmer.sfe.se/
- aresant 16y agoLink to original http://obscuredclarity.blogspot.com/2008/09/24-core-linux-cluster-in-2999-case-from.html http://obscuredclarity.blogspot.com/2008/09/24-core-linux-cl...
- Natsu 16y agoThe original you found is much more informative that the one linked here. It goes into more detail and has more pictures, etc.
- adamt 16y agoGreat hack - but in terms of core density it's not exactly great. The article talks of "What we needed was a compact and efficient design with maximal core density" You can buy a Dell R410 1U 8 core (2 x 4-core Xeon) for about $1,400. Whilst you are paying about 25% more, you'd get 24 cores into a fraction of the space. If you include the cost of power, the 'Ikea rack' is likely to cost a fair amount more over 3 years.
- chrisbolt 16y agoOriginal article is from 2008. Now you can get a 1U-twin Supermicro with 24 cores in 1U.
- mrb 16y agoThe parent is correct. Many vendors make 24 cores in 1U nowadays. For example you can get an Asus barebone with two Opteron 6168 processors for $2290: $800 barebone (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816110055 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816110...) plus two $745 processors (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819105267 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819105...)
- lallysingh 16y agoActually you can get a 1U 48-core (4x12-core opteron) these days: http://www.supermicro.com/Aplus/system/1U/1042/AS-1042G-TF.cfm http://www.supermicro.com/Aplus/system/1U/1042/AS-1042G-TF.c...
- kiujygtyujik 16y agoYou may also wish to connect each drawer to the AC power ground on it's PSU
- ars 16y agoThen you get grounding loops - not a good idea. Connect all the drawers to a single ground, using only one direction (star, not ring).
- oiuytgfrgh 16y agoGround loops probably aren't a big problem for a SMPSU - if you are putting power into a metal box you need to have a ground to the metal box.
- ars 16y agoYou do need ground, but do it without loops. Grounding loops are a violation of the electrical code (and can be dangerous in certain fault conditions).
- towndrunk 16y agoSeems like a few different sizes of hole saws could be used to open the back of the drawers. They really hacked it up by cutting it the way they did.
- tzury 16y agoWell, the $2550 total price for that platform is never the less shocking. And those are 2008's prices, today it shall come out even cheaper. In other words, If I was thinking of giving my imaginary startup team (5) iPads as a bonus, I now have a better thing to do with the $2.5K, right?
- mey 16y agoPersonal favorite Ikea use http://lackrack.org/ http://lackrack.org/
- Adrock 16y agoIf you wanted to get that same amount of processing power using Amazon EC2, that $2550 would get you about 1250 hours (52 days). Of course, you have to pay for your energy, build it, and maintain it.
- DanielH 16y agoThe Blender guys also used such an approach... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eWJs9pygwU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eWJs9pygwU for their new movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac7KhViaVqc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac7KhViaVqc
- metamemetics 16y agoShould put some sort of mesh\screen on the front label airports. Otherwise your cabinet is vacuum cleaner for dust.
- deleted 16y ago[deleted]
- timinman 16y agoAnd you get a free space heater!
- prewett 16y agoIt bothers me slightly that for the price of my 17" MacBook Pro I could have bought a 24 node cluster... At some level it just seems like one portable processor ought to be 1/24th or 1/12th (factoring in extra for the mobility) the price.
- jbooth 16y ago6 node cluster - 4 cores each for 24 cores.