A New Free-DC HydraCluster

[CaptainMooseInc]

Hey everyone! I'm really interested in hosting another Free-DC HydraCluster. Is anyone willing to help fund it? I've got 4 system configs listed below and a total cost of parts (w/o tax) to build it. 2 systems are AMD based (one 32bit, one 64bit), the other two are Intel based (one slower Pentium, one faster). The prices are hopefully low enough to build one of each and be a template for further machines. OS Discussion (i.e. Windows, Linux, BeOS) can be discussed later. If anyone shows interest in helping to fund new computers for a cluster, I'll open a Paypal account just for the team. I'll also take personal checks and money orders, deposit them to my bank account, and transfer them to the Paypal account from there. If there isn't enough money to build at least 1 system in 1 year, then I will refund everyone their money from the Paypal account. I will also release a monthly statement of how much we have and how much we have to go for DL on the forums in Excel format. If you have any suggestions for cutting the price down on these buggers, tell me. All prices are taken from eMicroX.com and are for a retail, not OEM (yuck) product. I can pick these up locally so there are NO shipping charges (take that into consideration before suggesting NewEgg.com). If you would like to buy a part and mail it to me or send an old part/small hard drive, then we could do that too.

Here are the computers:

AMD: :thumbs:

64bit
Case: SLK1600 Mini Tower 300W - $51
Mobo: K8N-E DELUXE ATHLON64 LAN 800FSB SATA RAID ATX - $219.00
CPU: ATHLON 64 3000+ 2.0GHZ 512KB S754 BOX NEWCASTLE - $189.00
RAM: 512MB DDR PC2700 333Mhz C2.5 - $98.00
HDD: 80GB ST380013AS 7200RPM SATA/150 - $72.00
Video: 64MB RADEON 7000 4X AGP - $42.00
Floppy: 1.44MB FLOPPY DRIVE - $10.00
CD-ROM: 52X INT ATAPI CD ROM RTL - $21.00

Total Price: $702

32bit
Case: SLK1600 Mini Tower 300W - $51
Mobo: A7N8X-VM/400 SOCKET-A 400FSB AUD VID LAN MATX - $89.00
CPU: AMD SEMPRON 3000+ 2.0GHZ 256KB BOX - $143.00
RAM: 512MB DDR PC2700 333Mhz C2.5 - $98.00
HDD: 40GB CAVIAR 7200RPM 2MB ATA/100 - $61.00
Floppy: 1.44MB FLOPPY DRIVE - $10.00
CD-ROM: 52X INT ATAPI CD ROM RTL - $21.00

Total Price: $473

Intel: :trash:

Slower:
Case: SLK1650 MIDTOWER 350W BLACK - $62.00
Mobo: P4R800 ATI RADEON 9100 IGP VID AUD LAN 8XAGP MATX - $88.00
CPU: P4 2.4GHZ 533FSB 1MB BOX - $144
RAM: 512MB DDR PC3200 400MHZ CL3.0 - $98.00
HDD: 40GB CAVIAR 7200RPM 2MB ATA/100 - $61.00
Floppy: 1.44MB FLOPPY DRIVE - $10.00
CD-ROM: 52X INT ATAPI CD ROM RTL - $21.00

Total Price: $484

Faster:
Case: SLK1650 MIDTOWER 350W BLACK - $62.00
Mobo: X5DAE DUAL XEON E7505 VID LAN EATX - $369.00
CPU: 2x P4 XEON 2.66GHZ 512K 533FSB BOX - $516.00
RAM: 512MB DDR PC2100 266MHZ CL2.5 - $98.00
HDD: 40GB CAVIAR 7200RPM 2MB ATA/100 - $61.00
Floppy: 1.44MB FLOPPY DRIVE - $10.00
CD-ROM: 52X INT ATAPI CD ROM RTL - $21.00

:shocked: Total Price: $1137 :shocked:

The systems have all been assigned a value as Systems 1-4 as listed. Vote in the poll for the system you would most like to see built first! Most votes denotes what the funds -may- go to first.

[Bok]

Hydras in the past have been built using spare parts people donated.

Also at least one hydra has disappeared in the past, which wasn't too much of an issue as nobody really lost anything as such (I believe) but it doesn't set too good a precedence for people giving cold cash away when it could just disappear...

I know it worked at US-D and in fact I paid a few hundred dollars towards one of them (4xXP2500's) and hosted it for some time too (and paid for the shipping of it to another member when I left for Free-DC) , but I just don't see it as viable now. I'm not even sure the US-D nodes are even running now.

just the cynic in me talking.

I added an option for none in the poll by the way. That is the programmer in me..... case statements and such :)

Bok

[CaptainMooseInc]

I helped fund a cluster at US-D before I defected to Free-DC. I love the idea over there. US-D has basically DIED in my eyes because their forums are so inactive. Their SETI team used to be putting out close to 14000WUs/day and now its down to a couple of thousand.

I don't think anyone would have to worry about me disappearing. I don't even have to host the system. A more "seasonsed" member of the DC team could host them if they want. I was just offering.

I know US-D did the spare parts thing. I covered the spare parts thing in my description too. I'm willing to do whatever anyone wants. I see it as a better opportunity to do it with cash because then you don't get everything you need for a computer just to find out that the parts don't match and you have to wait until you get a ramstick that you need.

Hopefully I can change your cynic ways. I plan on donating my electricity bill to these clusters, and maybe some cash after I work some MAJOR HOURS in January. :cheers:

You're not allowed to be a cynic anymore Bok. :moon: :crazy:

-Jeff :elephant:

[IronBits]

Magnav0x has always said he would take 'anything' anyone wants to send his way to run for Free-DC. :D

[magnav0x]

Ok ok, I can't take ANYTHING anymore lol. I got a nice pile of slow machines running various projects and I'll tell you what...those buggers get expensive in the summer lol. :D

Also captianmoose, why not do what some have and go headless on these setups. motherboard, powersupply, ram, and cpu only. That would shave off costs and electricity costs if you use one powersupply to power two boards. There was a lot of discussion on this a while back.

[MrTRS]

I like what Magnav0x said.

In the past I have went that route. I call them Table top computers because
they set on on my work table and run like crazy.

I put the mobo on some blocks of wood so you can get some ventilation
under them. Put a cpu, some ram on the board. Set a hd and pwr supply
next to the board and your ready. Borrow a keyboard, monitor and a
cd-rom from another system and load up the os and the client and your cooking.

Return the keyboard and monitor where you got it or not.

The point is to spend the least amount of cash per work unit generated.

Something else to think about is what to do with these bare-bone workers
when it's time to move to something faster. What I have done in the past, is
when a friend or family member needs a computer is I tell them to buy a case
and what ever they want in it and I donate the bare-bone parts to their
completed computer.

Ray