Cheap PCs from Wal-Mart

[Ken Chase]

On Mon, Jun 02, 2003 at 02:18:06PM -0700, Alvin Oga's all...
  >> hmm.  for rhetorical purposes, let's compare the numbers from this article
  >> to two high-end unis:
  >> 
  >> 	dhry	whet	mmi	mmf	memi	memf
  >> e800	1048	285	963	1588	194	208
  >> e10k	1300	351	1193	1968	233	245
  >> e10k-n	1591	366	2255	2285	664	389
  >> p4	6809	9327	22170	13896	5050	5041	
  >> ath	3319	8855	13011	12217	2912	3080
  >
  >I wonder what the specific details was for the aove p4/ath cpus.
  >
  >For the $$$ difference betwen a p4/amd and c3 ...  it seems
  >like a non-issue for performance of spending the extra $50 - $100
  >for better performance in the above benchmark numbers
  >
  >( but, its a bigger price/performance gap for the lastest FSB-800 cpus 
  >  and runs $300 - $500 or higher
  >
  >good stuff in either case ...

Since power & cooling is almost always free for .edu's, yes, .edu cluster
design and others' will be extremely different.

Not to mention that .edu's cant stand losing nodes in a throwaway 
design that accomodates tolerable rates of failure. (Anyone operating
a cluster in this mode? Im very curious as to how you surmounted the
psychological objections to it!)

When you say 'TCO' you REALLY have to define what you mean -- "total cost
of OWNERSHIP" or "total cost of OPERATION"? You can own a really nice
cluster for $x if you dont have to cut $x into slices to buy it
AND pay for running power and cooling for it for n years.

Anyone admit to being in the 'must pay for power and other operationals'
camp and want to explain how their designs differ? (especially those
that pay a premium for floor space - these edens start winning on two
fronts. Low heat = low space requirements.)

I suspect EDENs will be viable for people in the expensive power & floorspace
areas (Bay area, etc?)

/kc
-- 
Ken Chase, math at velocet.ca  *  Velocet Communications Inc.  *  Toronto, Canada
Wiznet Velocet DSL.ca Datavaults  24/7: 416-967-4414  tollfree: 1-866-353-0363

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