Tripped over this on eBay. Good deal for someone

[QuietDad]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/221144224727?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649 Ad for an IBM xSeries 345 Dual Xeon 3.06Ghz 4GB DVD 2U Server for $85. Looks like it has 4 PCI-x slots on it too. $85 and a SCSI hard drive looks like a good starting point for a gpu cruncher. Would pick it up myself but other projects in the way so I thought I'd pass it on.

 

[somethingsketchy]

The 1MB L3 cache will be quite limiting on CPU work. I don't recall if it would matter with GPU WUs, but you would be better off with something like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DMGD-Dell-1...185815?pt=COMP_EN_Servers&hash=item3f2164ad97

It's a little old (in series with Dell Poweredge 2950 gen III), but at least you will have a good amount of L3 cache (and memory!) for some of the bigger projects.

 

[QuietDad]

My thoughts are the IBM has 4 PCI-x slots (2xfull, 2Xlow profile) where the Dell has only one at twice the price ($150 vs 85) and replacing the Xeon isn't an issue here. Just saw this as a low cost quicky to get 4 gpus in a frame.

And not knocking them, I just have a personal issue with Dell and it's proprietary nonsense. Currently rebuilding an Optiplex 755 and wishing I went another platform.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Are they actual PCI-X slots? Video cards these days come in PCI-E, not PCI-X. The two are NOT the same.

 

[TwoAlpha]

PCI-X is not PCIe. You won't find any GPUs to fit that old 345 server.

 

[QuietDad]

They are PCI-x slots. Star technology makes and I have(and used) a PCI-X to PCI-Ex8 adapter that would work and fit you can find for around $100. I happen to have probably a dozen of them around and from testing Seti, It runs about as well on a x8 card as a x16. Other projects may have issues. So I saw it and having the pieces to get a 4 gpu platform, it seems like a good deal.

The Dell is not a bad deal for what it is, but as mention earlier, I have a personal thing with Dell and their proprietary nonsense. It is what it is and I was just pointting it out. If it doesn't float your boat, so be it. Its all good.

 

[QuietDad]

And worse case there are PCI cards that crunch and I PCI card should work in a PCI-X slot, even though it will be lower speed.....