Meet Tanker!

[Methal]

Yeah, I would steer clear of anything Engineering Sample from eBay. I'm sure somebody is watching. Even Kyle and the [H]orde are showing a deviation from the usual cavalier attitude.

hijack warning:

These processors often include additional features that production processors do not include for customer pre-production evaluation and test purposes

From intel.

Source: http://www.intel.com/support/processors/sb/CS-030747.htm

So If I understand that correctly, the samples given to hardware test sites such as toms, 'often include additional features..." Doesn't that pretty much nulifiy any charts they make considering the products we-the consumers are able to buy do NOT contain these additional features and therefore would perform differently?

 

[Adak]

Adak,
Looking at your mod for the motherboard, it looks like it would be possible to screw a clip angle onto the case frame at each end of the flat bar and then screw the flat bar onto the clip angle. No bending required. You would have to purchase the right size angle stock and cut the clitp angle out of it.

l---------------------|

I was looking for angled brackets when I went to buy the bar, but didn't find them. I'm positive there's hardware out there that would make this a lot simpler, but Home Depot is no Orchard Supply Hardware, when it comes to finding what you want.

Next time I'm down there, I'll scout around a bit more. I could always take a page out of Nate's book, and make it out of plumbing parts!

 

[freeagent]

Now that is a real computer!

It gave me impure thoughts

 

[Fever]

[Boratvoice] Very nice![/Boratvoice]

Sick rig man... Sick! Gotta build myself something like that soon.

 

[Adak]

Thanks guys!

It gave my credit card impure thoughts, as well.

Once you get past the price point (and there are certainly cheaper ways to get started), it's a good way to fold:

*lower power and less heat generated, especially with the HE Interlagos.

*lots of folding power

With a good heatsink/fan, it's *blissfully* quiet.

 

[ChasR]

I was looking for angled brackets when I went to buy the bar, but didn't find them. I'm positive there's hardware out there that would make this a lot simpler, but Home Depot is no Orchard Supply Hardware, when it comes to finding what you want.

Next time I'm down there, I'll scout around a bit more. I could always take a page out of Nate's book, and make it out of plumbing parts!

Don't bother looking for prefab angles, buy 1 x 1 x 1/8 aluminum angle, cut to the width of the flat bar and cut off one leg a bit if it's too log. Drill holes and screw (and glue with structural adhesive if you want a really tight joint) the clip into the case frame and the flat bar to the clips with with self tapping srcews.

 

[Adak]

Thanks Charles.

 

[ChasR]

Useless info, unless you plan on doing it again.

 

[Adak]

Useless info, unless you plan on doing it again.

I did just happen to keep the other half of the flat bar! But if I do it again, I'd change a few things:

1) [Edit] I would keep the same mobo. There are cheaper versions, but their features are also fewer, or their layout more difficult to cool with air. It's tempting to go with the versions that have half the # of RAM slots, but I have discovered that with some d/c projects, (Rosetta specifically), I need the greater amount of RAM.

2) I'd try the used M-C 6174's, from a very good rated seller on ebay.

3) Get a somewhat smaller psu, maybe 900 Watts (still modular, still Gold or better efficiency).

And use a simpler support bar design.

I would use the same case and Noctua's however. They're keepers, imo.

 

[Norcalsteve]

1) Go with the SuperMicro 4P board with half the RAM slots of this board, which would lower the RAM cost.

Is this a real board? do you have a link? or am I just too new to this 4p stuff

 

[TC]

Is this a real board? do you have a link? or am I just too new to this 4p stuff

This model supports half the ram (256GB vs 512) but the sockets are positioned different which could pose a problem for some heatsinks:
http://www.supermicro.com/Aplus/motherboard/Opteron6000/SR56x0/H8QGL-iF.cfm

Price on this board is in the $600's vs $700+ for the 512GB version (H8QGi-f)

 

[Adak]

Is this a real board? do you have a link? or am I just too new to this 4p stuff

TC has the link to it posted, above. It's real.

 

[Norcalsteve]

I think you should start to build another. (Picture me as the little devil on your shoulder ) Besides, you would be "saving money"

 

[Adak]

Yes! You are a little devilish! I won't call the Angels to get you, as long as you're a teammate, though.

Tanker replaced a 2P Intel server, and two overclocked i7's. Think about the power they used, from the:

*cpu's
*3 case fans in each rig (one rig has 5)
*power loss due to each power supply's inefficiencies
*heatsink fans
*HD's
*video cards (small one's, but they had a fan, too).

I use one of the i7's still, (it's a 2600k) and it still folds, but it's days are numbered as a folder, and as an overclocked rig.

I'll have to fire up the 940 i7 and see what it uses for power on the Kill A Watt meter, while folding. I'm using the server's drive in Tanker, so it can't be tested.

And the power folding data is:

i7 2600k @ 4.4GHz folding regular smp wu - 185 watts. Includes 3 case fans (very slow - 1300 rpm), and a heatsink/fan at 1400 rpm.

i7 940 @ 3.5GHz, folding regular smp wu - 252 watts. Includes 5 case fans (all very slow also ~ 1300 rpm), and a hsf at 1400 rpm.

Sub Total: 437 watts.

I can't measure the dual quad server, since it's been taken down already, but 250 watts would be a conservative estimate.

Estimated Total: 687 watts.
 Tanker's Total: 600 watts

So it's a slight power saving, but not a lot. The big contrast is in the power it gives to FAH, as measured in points:

          Tanker: estimate 170,000 ppd
Other 3 combined: estimate  59,000 ppd

 

[WhitehawkEQ]

I just got a Kill-a-watt meter today, even though I don't have a 4p uint, my 1p system pulls 175 watts idle, and 270 watts folding (this is with a UPS pluged in as well), I have a 550w PSU in the system, if I went with a 4p system, I would need a bigger PSU

 

[Adak]

Absolutely right. Tanker's power is with an open case, and only the 4 fans for the cpu's, running. No other case fans are on, atm.

And you want to run your psu at no more than 75% of it's rated full capacity. Anything more and you really build up heat inside it, and heat always shortens the life of electronic and mechanical devices; breaking down the integrity of the semi-conductor and lubricant, respectively.

 

[I.M.O.G.]

Adak, cool thread and cool rig.

Yeah, I would steer clear of anything Engineering Sample from eBay. I'm sure somebody is watching. Even Kyle and the [H]orde are showing a deviation from the usual cavalier attitude.

Not that I suggest or condone it, but I've never heard of buyers getting in any sort of trouble for buying ES. I was just posting in another thread on here about the 4 guys over in Asia who got arrested/fined for selling ES, but they were selling thousands for years.

hijack warning:



From intel.

Source: http://www.intel.com/support/processors/sb/CS-030747.htm

So If I understand that correctly, the samples given to hardware test sites such as toms, 'often include additional features..." Doesn't that pretty much nulifiy any charts they make considering the products we-the consumers are able to buy do NOT contain these additional features and therefore would perform differently?

We get ES samples at times as well. The ES we get are from just before actual release, and sometimes we only have a week to get the testing and article completed. They are pretty much identical to final product - where you typically see differences are on early ES like 6 months before the final product is released. If you are buying ES though, you either have to know what you are looking for, or be willing to gamble on what you get.

99% of ES go to OEMs as early samples to test system integrations and compatibility stuff. They get theirs much much earlier than review sites are seeded with samples, because they actually have to design products based off the architectures.

And of course, our ES never leave the editorial team so they don't end up in the wrong hands or ebay somewhere.

 

[madhatter256]

Don't the ES cpus tend to overclock better than retail chips? Especially as the stepping progresses (ie. q6600 g0 versus d0).

 

[I.M.O.G.]

That is a common misconception in my opinion, I haven't seen anything implying or confirming that personally. I think people hear engineering sample and think they are special/super or otherwise advantageous - it can be hit or miss depending on when they were made, often they are worse than retail as they are immature. Thing is however, they are made for the purpose of OEMs testing compatibility and product development - for that purpose, ES should be as close to the final product as possible, given their primary intended purpose.

 

[TC]

Don't the ES cpus tend to overclock better than retail chips? Especially as the stepping progresses (ie. q6600 g0 versus d0).

A myth more than anything I believe. I've worked with a number of ES chips from amd and intel through the years and none of them were special overclockers, and in some cases not as good as retail, despite being unlocked in some instances. ES pieces sometimes have errata that haven't been fixed and infrequently cause bios issues.

@ IMOG - very rarely have I heard of issues with buying/selling es chips, but I was unfortunate enough to get a wrist slap from intel for selling an es p4 years ago. They served me a warrant at my house and threatened legal action if I didn't return the product. Not only that they closed my ebay auction and suspended my account. They were in the end nice enough to send a prepaid overnight box to return the chip, and shipped me an equivalent retail box part.