Super-Computer Competition!

Raystonn

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Do you think you have what it takes to be the best? Can you beat out everyone else in this forum? Then prove it! Introducing the CPU forum's first Super-Computer Competition.

If you wanted to put together the most powerful Windows 2000 machine possible using technology available right now, and price was not a concern, what would it include? There are four main rules to follow here.

1) It must be capable of running Windows 2000.
2) It must use parts available today to consumers.
3) Price and upgradability are completely irrelevant. Uncle Moneybags has decided to furnish you with any computer components you desire for free for the rest of your life.
4) There will be no flaming. Flaming in this thread disqualifies you for any win.

To win you must list the set of components that, when put together, will be the fastest machine of the lot. Fastest for this competition will be defined as that which would win more benchmarks than any other system listed in this thread when put to a head-to-head test. The list of benchmarks includes the latest versions of all benchmark suites, applications, and games that any reviewer has used in the last 6 months as a benchmark. Each sub-test within a benchmarking suite will count as a separate benchmark for determining the number of won benchmarks. Remember that allowed benchmarks are not just CPU benchmarks, but also harddrive latency and bandwidth tests, memory tests, etc.

Benchmark scores will be obtained by looking at the average of all scores reported for the latest version of each benchmark by all reviewers. When a benchmark score cannot be found for a particular piece of hardware, a score will be derrived by interpolating the results with the those found for the same hardware at a different speed, or by guestimating. Interpolations based on a hardware with known scores running at a speed that has no scores will stand at the interpolated score. However, guestimations must be accepted by a majority of those who have submitted entries in this thread.

I will be submitting a system here after waiting and letting others start things out. Note that only one system may be submitted for the competition per person, but entries may be revised as many times as you like until the competition is closed for judging. (Given sufficient interest it will probably go on for at least a week or two.) This means that people can and will steal ideas from others. This is perfectly acceptable, but if you steal someone's complete system design only the first person (original person) to come up with that design will be credited for the win, if it does indeed win.

Once judging begins, the entries will be judged by analysis of the system designs by myself and the rest of the forum, followed by some kind of voting system. As a voter you may change your vote based on new information or analysis as it comes to light. Once the votes have stabilized (not many changes), the system holding the majority of votes will win. The prize for winning is the undieing respect of everyone in the forum as a mean, lean, system building machine.

Now that we have all of that out of the way, let the games begin!

-Raystonn

P.S. The trophy for second place is down in the ladies' room.


= The views stated herein are my personal views, and not necessarily the views of my employer. =
 

Ncogneto

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Interesting but a couple of questions.

1) Is overclocking allowed?
2) Are we talking MP systems or only single CPU systems?
3) Scsi Systems with ellaborate Raid arrays?
4) Benchmarking....how will it be weighted? Which will matter more in real world apps vs. synthetic benchmarks?

A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing!
 

Raystonn

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"1) Is overclocking allowed?"

Yes, but everything must fit in a standard system case and sit on a standard desktop.


"2) Are we talking MP systems or only single CPU systems?"

It must not use more than one motherboard. SMP systems are fine, as long as we stick to the single motherboard.


"3) Scsi Systems with ellaborate Raid arrays?"

Sounds good to me, but fit it in a full tower. No external racks are allowed.


"4) Benchmarking....how will it be weighted? Which will matter more in real world apps vs. synthetic benchmarks?"

Timing something in a real world application counts as one benchmark test, so long as some reviewer has done it in the last 6 months, and only with the latest version of said application. A suite that is made up of 5 tests of real-world software will count for 5 tests. A synthetic suite made up of 5 sub-tests will count for 5 tests.

-Raystonn

= The views stated herein are my personal views, and not necessarily the views of my employer. =
 

rbertino

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Okay, it seems no one else wanted to start this yet, so I guess I'll go ahead.
Let me know if this is about what you wanted...

Well, I figure the best place to start would be Tom's Powerbox, so:

Motherboard: MSI K7 Master (without onboard SCSI)

Processor: Vapochill cooled AMD Athlon 1.2 GHz, overclocked
to 1.6 GHz

Hard Drives: Adaptec 29160N Ultra 160 SCSI for 32-bit PCI
3 Seagate Cheetah X15 15,000 RPM Ultra 160
RAID 0 (striping without parity)

Video: Elsa Gladiac 64MB DDR Geforce2 Ultra (has 4ns memory)

Memory: 2- 256 MB Corsair PC2400 DDR-SDRAM CAS2 16Mx64 DIMMS
for a total of 512 MB RAM.

Sound Card: Hercules Game Theater XP

Okay, I'm not sure if you wanted us to add any of the other stuff (like CD-ROM's, monitors, etc). I figured those weren't necessary in this case...

<i>I don't know anything about computers... but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night...</i> :lol:
 

Kelledin

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Errr....does a SuperMicro SC-850 chassis count? (I think it's actually a re-badged Antec, but that's not important)

Kelledin

bash-2.04$ kill -9 1
init: Just what do you think you're doing, Dave?
 

Ncogneto

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Not a bad start but Ithink I will wait until after June 4 when the AMD MP systems are announced as well as the Palimino. This might have something to do with the lack of response so far. You might want to consider some fibre channel drives seeing as price is no object.

A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing!
 

Bud

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That's the funniest sig I've ever seen....still lmao from it.

I thought I was wrong once, but I was mistaken.
 

kurokaze

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yeah but its supposed to fit in a standard desktop..
fibre channels needs all that backplane stuff..
hmm.. come to think of it.. he never did define exactly
how big a standard desktop could be.. coz I could build
a 3 foot cube case and put alot of crap in there...

Intel Components, AMD Components... all made in Taiwan!
 
G

Guest

Guest
Geez, Raystonn.. that must be the most non sensical posts I ever read from you...

First of all, I think you need to define the benchmarks up front. You will always be able to find benchmarks that make one or another system win. Knowing you a little, I dont think it will include 3D Max...

Secondly.. voting, will most likely result in a AMD vs intel vote.. not sure how much wiser that is going to make us.

Thirdly, we cant even agree on the interpretation of existing benchmarks.. Let alone this community would ever be able to judge on non existing theoritical machine

Lastly, is a Tbird 1.33 overclocked to 2.5 Ghz allowed ? combined with a Geforce3 @800/600Mhz ?

I mean.. who cares man..

oh, and am I disqualied now ?


---- Owner of the only Dell computer with a AMD chip
 
G

Guest

Guest
Oh no, not another stupid [peep'n] contest......

Don't you have some Legos you can play with??
 

Phelk

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~ Super-Computer Competition ~

~ It must be capable of running Windows 2000 ~

Sorry, but if you're going to run a super computer competition, shouldn't you use an OS that actually can be used for Super Computer tasks like Linux/Unix instead of W2k?


<font color=blue> The Revolution starts here... as soon as I finish my coffee </font color=blue> :eek:
 

Grizely1

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Tom's Powerbox is a little old. I would wait for a Palomino, and go for a GeForce3 with dual Seagate15x hard drives in a SCSI RAID array

---------
Grass is a beautiful weed
 

Kelledin

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If you're into SCSI RAID, SuperMicro makes a little 4-drive SCA cage that fits in three adjacent 5.25" bays. Only holds quarter-height SCA-2 drives, though.

Kelledin

bash-2.04$ kill -9 1
init: Just what do you think you're doing, Dave?
 

starbucksaddict

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OK everything should be available by the time this "contest" is finished, so don't give me guff about the mobo and cpu.

Tyan Thunder K7
2x 1.4Ghz palomino
Corsair PC2400 cas2 2x256
GeForce3 64ddr (pick whatever brand you like)
Richoh 8.12.32.4 combo cdburner/dvdplayer
LS120 drive
18x ST336752FC Cheetah X15 36.7GB Fibre Channel RAID 01
Adaptec <A HREF="http://www.adaptec.com/worldwide/product/proddetail.html?prodkey=PM3755F&cat=/Technology/RAID/RAID+for+High-Performance+Servers" target="_new">PM3755F </A>64bit pci Fibre Channel RAID Controller 256MB Cache
4x <A HREF="http://www.gorilla.net/goricp/gorsbc_rocky-3742.htm" target="_new">Gorrocky-3742EVFG </A>Dual 1Ghz PIII SBC (fits in 64bit pci slot)
- each having
- 2GB PC133 sdram
- 1000BASE-T Gigabit LAN
- 2x 1394 ports
Chenbro <A HREF="http://www.caseoutlet.com/Server/91/9691/default.htm" target="_new">A9691 </A>21 bay case (Hey! it'll fit on my desk!)
Dual Enermax EG651P-VE 650 watt power supplies


that should do for a start.


Flame not, lest ye be flamed.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Just my addition to your system:
The Thunder K7 has 4 dimms, and both Samsung and Corsair offer 512MB ECC PC2100 dimms. They are only about $700 a piece, but that doesn't matter :smile: . 2GB main RAM would go nice with the other dual-p3 cards.

With a system like this, you might want to consider solid state drives. While only a few GB's, they offer acces times in the sub 0.5ms range.

--------
I have not yet begun to procrastinate.
 

Kelledin

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Will that case really hold a full-PICMG backplane and a motherboard at the same time? I'd have to see that!

Oh, and perhaps team three or four of those Gigabit adapters together? You can pull that off with the Intel PRO/1000 S adapters.

And see if you can duplex two or three RAID cards...

Kelledin

bash-2.04$ kill -9 1
init: Just what do you think you're doing, Dave?
 

Shocwavez

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Hey, up the ante a bit for the winner. Throw in a free week of wet t-shirt contests at Laguna Bch along with that undieing respect of everyone.

:tongue: <font color=green> I LOVE INTEL. It tastes like chicken </font color=green>
 
G

Guest

Guest
just a quick question?

why the "Gorilla Systems Dual Socket 370 Single Board Computer"?
in which benchmark will these be of value?


however, we all start at the end and finish at the begining
 
G

Guest

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first off LMFAO@LINUX for super computer that baby os aint going to cut it anyways why scsi 160 why not 320 raid with a build in cache of 256megs? but i cant realy do this since i wouldnt want to with out mp athlons. anda c ustom case design wiht full liquid cooling. ac ouple gigs of ddr ram all running on a quad pumped systems. thiw would be more interesting in winter. but if ya can get scsi 320 solid state drives that would be tight. and why windows 2000? each os has its strong point. win2k is to limited on the end user part(untill futher service packs that is) o well like i said if you do this in the winter ill be on top of it but for now nothing realy peaks super computer to me till the [-peep-] load of tech comes out late this year.

Computer Shop owner and Head tech.
 

steinbr

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"First of all, I think you need to define the benchmarks up front. You will always be able to find benchmarks that make one or another system win. Knowing you a little, I dont think it will include 3D Max..."
LOL
did you mention Maya as well? Lightwave?!?!?
LOL
 

Kelledin

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Regarding Linux: everyone's entitled to an opinion, but I suggest you try arguing the point with <A HREF="http://www.cray.com/news/0101/sc.html" target="_new">Cray.</A> They don't seem to agree with you...

Anyways, I'm waiting for the 760MP myself. Should scale much better than anything Intel has dual-CPU wise.

Kelledin

bash-2.04$ kill -9 1
init: Just what do you think you're doing, Dave?
 

Kelledin

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I would assume so...such motherboards are available to consumers!

Kelledin

bash-2.04$ kill -9 1
init: Just what do you think you're doing, Dave?