This is one sweet setup :)

Czar

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
28,510
0
0
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/pix/seti/

now the specs.. anyone know?

edt.
found some



<< 13.30pm - As many of you will be aware, Overclockers UK has taken an active role in the SETI@home (search for extraterrestrial intelligence) research project. The project uses spare CPU cycles to analyse data gathered from the Arecibo Radio Telescope in South America. We have our own team crunching data with just under 1000 members and as part of our commitment to the SETI@home project we have built a super-computer called the STOMP-MONSTER centered around 7 x Athlon XP1700 CPU's for just over £2000. This machine is capable of analysing or "crunching" as we call it over 1000 work-units a month. This will ensure that Team OcUK continues to "stomp" other lesser teams in the race to find ET. You can read all about the STOMP-MONSTER on our forums here and join Team OcUK here. >>


4th March
 

RaiderJ

Diamond Member
Apr 29, 2001
7,582
1
76
"Hello, Stomp Monster, what are you processing there?"

"The Internet"

lol, that looks like one heck of a machine. They should stick it in a walk-in freezer and o/c the hell out of it
 

MichaelD

Lifer
Jan 16, 2001
31,528
3
76
Can someone explain the mechanics of this rig to me? I see 7 mobos w/ seven CPUs and what appear to be a USB cable coming out of each mobo. The mobos have onboard video, as evidenced by the monitor being plugged into that bottom mobo.

What I want to know is; how to you "chain" these "PCs" together to work as one unit? This is a serious question and one I've been curious about for awhile now. Thanks.
 

MichaelD

Lifer
Jan 16, 2001
31,528
3
76


<< Aren't they just separate machines tacked together?? >>



Well, according to the text that goes w/the photo, they are "working together" or words to that effect, insinuating that they are electronically linked somehow. I'd like to know how, exactly.
 

SUOrangeman

Diamond Member
Oct 12, 1999
8,361
0
0
First of all, those are network cables connecting all of the motherboards.

Secondly, I didn't think PS/2 keyboards and mice were NOT hot-swappable. That's USB's advantage. Wouldn't each mobo reboot either when anything PS/2 is disconnected or reconnected?

-SUO
 

Derango

Diamond Member
Jan 1, 2002
3,113
1
0
It's probably some type of cluster, although I didn't think you could do that kind of thing with windows...

EDIT: And you can unplug a PS/2 device from a MB while its running without a problem. If you try and plug one in though, I've never seen a MB recognize it without a reboot. With USB, it should recognize it, reboot or none.
 

nagger

Golden Member
Dec 26, 2001
1,429
0
0

from what I've read in their forum, the Stomp-Monster is a crack rack that is assembled using a Shareholders system (u go to their online store and buy shares for the Stomp-Monster).

The bellow quote is available here:

OcUK STOMP-MONSTER Shareholders List



<< Crunchers should be aware that shares in the OcUK STOMP MONSTER may be purchased at a cost of £23.50 (incl VAT).

If the share is the only item on the order, there will be a £1 + VAT handling charge per order bringing the Total cost to £24.67 for one share. Of course, more than one share on an order does not attract further handling charges, so further shares on the same order would be £23.50 inc VAT each.

This means that you can own a part of the Stomp Monster which is housed at OcUK HQ. The board can be populated to a total of 70 layers with the existing Windows licences. Each layer costs £285.41 (inc. VAT). The shares can be purchased at the on-line store. Click on the Team OcUK STOMP-MONSTER Shares section at the bottom.

When you purchase a STOMP-MONSTER share at £20 +VAT you are not purchasing a share as in stocks and shares. You are purchasing a Unit of Part-Ownership of hardware which is supplied to you on the understanding that it is used within the STOMP-MONSTER at OcUK HQ. Unfortunately, that means we have to charge VAT at the standard rate.

Shipping is charged at £1 because we post every purchaser an invoice for the supply of the required Units.

The above procedure complies with all customs & excise requirements and indeed any other legal requirements.

There are enough Windows 98 licences to cover a STOMP-MONSTER with 70 layers.

Unit Specification
PC Chips 810LMR Athlon motherboard
Athlon XP 1700
128Mb PC133 SDRAM
Taisol CEK733092 cooler
ATX 250w PSU
Internal 100Mb ZIP Drive
Zip Disk
Power Cable
1m network patch cable
>>



:D
 

majewski9

Platinum Member
Jun 26, 2001
2,060
0
0
I dont think the machine would reboot if a ps2 port mouse or keyboard were to be unplugged. Rather you cannot use the device if the mobo is started without the device. I believe that you can plug and unplug ps2 once the machine has booted up, but cannot install a new device unless you restart.
 

WarCon

Diamond Member
Feb 27, 2001
3,920
0
0
Thats only a work unit every .72 hours. Thats the same output per processor that my 1ghz Athlon @ 1.4ghz ran. (~5 hours per work unit). I think my Pentium 4 (actually testing it right now, so I will be sure), but at 2368 with DDR is around 3 hours per unit.

I kinda gave up SETI because of berkeley's bandwidth limits when it took 5 days to download my workunits and get more trying many times a day and night (I cached 20, thinking it would be plenty). Maybe I will run it to break in my processor for a while (at least these 20 workunits).

I am pretty sure most of us could build a more powerful crack rack for $2850 bucks.

................edit..............
Sorry, didn't mean to sound like a troll.
Growl.....:D

But if they figure out how to thread Windows over the whole beast so I can play games at 10ghz then I say cool.............;)
 

WarCon

Diamond Member
Feb 27, 2001
3,920
0
0
Well 25% of the way into a new workunit (while surfing), it is estimating 3hr 15min. BTW, can you imagine 7 delta screamers in that.........:) You would be able to hear it inside your neighbors house....:D