2-4 way box on the cheap

[Guest]

I really wonna get 2-4 way box on the cheap.

It should be x86 with capacity to hold up to 2GB RAM, up to 4GB preferred.

As I'm on the budget to buy it for myself and later on to beef it memory up, I'm on the cheap -
so SDRAM /DDRAM only, no RDRAM. It's for research, so I will put cheap CPUs, but all of them -
I will put 2 CPU in 2-way box and I will put 4 CPUs in 4-way box.

I've found

Dell -
PowerEdge 1400SC - with 2xPIII 933 MHz installed, cheapest - $1,098.00
I can beef it up to 2GB of 133MHZ SDRAM later on.

PowerEdge 2500 - with 2xPIII 933 MHz installed, cheapest - $1,541.00
I can beef it up to 4GB of 133MHZ SDRAM later on.

Cheapest 4-way with Dell is some $7,600, so it’s out of question.


Alternatively, I'm curious about building 4-way box on my own, but I do not know any details about any of 4-CPU mobos out there. I see some on http://www.pricewatch.com, but which one is good? Can I use PIIIs or I will be forced to go with PIII XEONs?

Any ideas? Does anybody has an experience with building 4-ways?

 

[Matisaro]

Build a 2 way athlon mp system, cheaper than the p3's and more powerful by far.

~Matisaro~
"The Cash Left In My Pocket,The BEST Benchmark"
~Tbird1.3@1.5~

 

[Kelledin]

hmmm...

AMI used to make a line of motherboards called the Goliath II--2-way or 4-way Pentium PRO motherboards capable of holding about 2GB worth of SIMMs (yes, SIMMs). I believe they're still made on demand, but they're not mass-produced anymore.

Dual-CPU 440BX motherboards are still sold (I have a couple myself), but I don't think you can get more than 2CPUs on a 440BX, or more than 1GB RAM. The 440GX chipset can go up to 2GB RAM. I've seen quad-Xeon AMI motherboards that can hold up to 32GB RAM, but they'll cost you an arm, a leg, and a firstborn child. To go beyond 2-way with x86 CPUs, you'll probably have to go with Xeons or Pentium PROs.

For dual-CPU x86, there's really no better way to go than AthlonMP's. Inexpensive as hell and generally faster than the fastest P4 Xeons. Supposedly can hold up to 4GB PC2100, and Corsair makes PC2100 DIMMs up to 1GB capacity. You can find them at <A HREF="http://www.pcprogress.com/" target="_new">PC Progress</A>.

Another option is to look on E-bay. I've seen a lot of used Compaq Proliants on there...you might have to replace hard drives, but nothing major.

Kelledin

"/join #hackerz. See the Web. DoS interesting people."