University professors build supercomputer for $2500

Bungleau · 08-31-2007, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Microwulf: A Personal, Portable Beowulf Cluster

Microwulf is a personal, portable Beowulf cluster, providing over 26 Gflops of measured performance, for less than $2500. Its dimensions are just 11" x 12" x 17", making it small enough to fit on one's desktop or in a suitcase.

That's... impressive. And impressively cheap, too.

And Calvin is located right here in lovely Grand Rapids, just two miles from my house. Who knew?

robertthebard · 08-31-2007, 09:13 AM

Oooo, time to start saving my pennies again...

Dragonshadow · 08-31-2007, 01:53 PM

Wow...

Ilander · 08-31-2007, 02:25 PM

Hmm...I wonder if those Tesla Rigs of NVidia's are more cost effective...They effectively use 64-bit precision on GeForce 8800GTX's (usually in SLI, both in twos and fours) as x86 processors...and I've heard said they're capable of breaking a teraflop without a whole lot of work.

I hate to say it, but 26 Gigaflops is kind of on the low end of supercomputers.

EDIT: Looked it up...appears each card has 500 Gigaflops of power.

johnny · 08-31-2007, 02:32 PM

How many beers equals one Gigaflop?

robertthebard · 08-31-2007, 02:53 PM

I guess it would depend on who's drinking them...

Kakero · 08-31-2007, 07:50 PM

Did you pay him a visit Bungleau?

Bungleau · 09-01-2007, 12:48 AM

Not yet, but I'm going to try to find out more about it...

Thoran · 09-01-2007, 10:53 AM

Yea the performance of systems these days is pretty impressive... that article came out at the beginning of the year, you can now build that system for about $1300 instead of $2500.

Also for those who aren't into building clusters... you can buy single motherboard solutions that have amazing performance for cheap:

http://www.principledtechnologies.co...44_Linpack.pdf
these are the results for the Supermicro 6025B-TR+V system, it's a dual quad core duo system that starts at about $1500 bucks (bare bones). It's capable of 63 Gflop on the same benchmark that the microwulf cluster scored 25 Gflop on... although by the time it's loaded with processors and memory you're probably looking at $3500 or so.

Firestormalpha · 09-01-2007, 11:45 AM

Emmm.. for the un-initiated, just how fast is a Gigaflop really?

08-31-2007, 09:13 AM	#2
robertthebard Xanathar Thieves Guild Join Date: March 17, 2001 Location: Wichita, KS USA Age: 60 Posts: 4,537	Re: University professors build supercomputer for $2500 Oooo, time to start saving my pennies again... __________________ To those we have lost; May your spirits fly free. Good Music: Here. Interesting read, one of my blogs.

08-31-2007, 01:53 PM	#3
Dragonshadow Quth-Maren Join Date: February 17, 2003 Location: Portsmouth Age: 34 Posts: 4,145	Re: University professors build supercomputer for $2500 Wow... __________________ aka Loc der Graf, Quillruke

08-31-2007, 02:25 PM	#4
Ilander 20th Level Warrior Join Date: December 28, 2003 Location: Kentucky Age: 38 Posts: 2,820	Re: University professors build supercomputer for $2500 Hmm...I wonder if those Tesla Rigs of NVidia's are more cost effective...They effectively use 64-bit precision on GeForce 8800GTX's (usually in SLI, both in twos and fours) as x86 processors...and I've heard said they're capable of breaking a teraflop without a whole lot of work. I hate to say it, but 26 Gigaflops is kind of on the low end of supercomputers. EDIT: Looked it up...appears each card has 500 Gigaflops of power. __________________ Is that what you really want to say? Last edited by Ilander; 08-31-2007 at 02:30 PM.

08-31-2007, 02:32 PM	#5
johnny 40th Level Warrior Join Date: April 15, 2002 Location: Utrecht The Netherlands Age: 58 Posts: 16,981	Re: University professors build supercomputer for $2500 How many beers equals one Gigaflop? __________________

08-31-2007, 02:53 PM	#6
robertthebard Xanathar Thieves Guild Join Date: March 17, 2001 Location: Wichita, KS USA Age: 60 Posts: 4,537	Re: University professors build supercomputer for $2500 I guess it would depend on who's drinking them... __________________ To those we have lost; May your spirits fly free. Good Music: Here. Interesting read, one of my blogs.

08-31-2007, 07:50 PM	#7
Kakero 40th Level Warrior Join Date: March 24, 2002 Posts: 10,215	Re: University professors build supercomputer for $2500 Did you pay him a visit Bungleau?

09-01-2007, 12:48 AM	#8
Bungleau 40th Level Warrior Join Date: October 29, 2001 Location: Western Wilds of Michigan Posts: 11,752	Re: University professors build supercomputer for $2500 Not yet, but I'm going to try to find out more about it... __________________ B Save Early, Save Often Save Before, Save After Two-Star General, Spelling Soldiers -+-+-+ Give 'em a hug one more time. It might be the last.

09-01-2007, 10:53 AM	#9
Thoran Galvatron Join Date: January 10, 2002 Location: Upstate NY Age: 56 Posts: 2,109	Re: University professors build supercomputer for $2500 Yea the performance of systems these days is pretty impressive... that article came out at the beginning of the year, you can now build that system for about $1300 instead of $2500. Also for those who aren't into building clusters... you can buy single motherboard solutions that have amazing performance for cheap: http://www.principledtechnologies.co...44_Linpack.pdf these are the results for the Supermicro 6025B-TR+V system, it's a dual quad core duo system that starts at about $1500 bucks (bare bones). It's capable of 63 Gflop on the same benchmark that the microwulf cluster scored 25 Gflop on... although by the time it's loaded with processors and memory you're probably looking at $3500 or so.

09-01-2007, 11:45 AM	#10
Firestormalpha Knight of the Rose Join Date: July 11, 2002 Location: Coral Springs, Fl USA Age: 40 Posts: 4,454	Re: University professors build supercomputer for $2500 Emmm.. for the un-initiated, just how fast is a Gigaflop really? __________________ "When you start with a presupposition, it's hard to arrive at any other conclusion." "We are never to judge a philosophy by its abuse." - Augustine "If you're wondering if God has a sense of humor, consider the platypus." http://www.greaterthings.cbglades.com

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