[Build Log] Summermute

Summermute: a 4p server for folding, storage, & hosting

I didn't get a lot of money when my dad died of a rare, poorly-understood disease...but after funding the rest of my schooling and living expenses, I had about enough for new system.

Right about the time I was ready to spend some money on a folding system, Desert Rat posted an insane deal on 4 Opterons, and, well...here're the results in a build log:

Receiving the first two Opteron 6134s:



and



I then had a few weeks wait as I ordered the rest of the parts & coordinated shipping. Then, the motherboard (the 4p monster, an H8QGi+-F) arrived...



Finally, the part I'd waited for the longest: the case. I didn't have many options on this, as very few cases accomodate SWTX (proprietary, bigger than HPTX)...but based on another 4p builder's recommendation, I contacted Chenming USA and procured this ~80lb behemoth:


and it's nifty modular fan cages:


Then...my phone lost all kinds of photos mysteriously, including the RAM (4 kits of low latency 4x2gb from G.Skill), SSD, PSU, etc.

Somehow the most dramatic photo survived: the tiniest of wounds during building.



I ran Summermute - so named because the roommate's HTPC I built had been christened Wintermute (we'd just finished reading Neuromancer) - for a few days on SMP folding for test runs, and then switched it over to its first -bigadv for the Chimp Challenge!

Folding away for OCN [and the CC as of May]:


I didn't have many difficulties (save for picking the beast up). The only really notable failure was that of the onboard graphics (wouldn't work on either of two monitors), and that only sacrificed a spare, cheap GPU I had in a previous build.

Future plans:

- Move it to somewhere more out of the way and where its noise won't be quite as bothersome
- Overclock it, and finish tweaking the f@h utilities (e.g. Kraken, etc.)
- Learn Ubuntu a bit more so I can fulfill all of its potential (incl. VPN between Summermute and friend's Wintermute)

...phew, first build log! I likely won't update this with much more, as grad school takes up almost all of my time, but suggestions & comments are welcome!

-- ps: Thanks to Desert Rat, derickwm, and zodac for all the help & guides!
Edited by decali - 9/1/12 at 2:50pm

Ahaha, you know it's a serious case when it comes with wheels - and this one actually needs 'em! Phew.

Great question! Yeah, unfortunately I was forced to use a discrete GPU (that prevents me from using another fan; argh) due to the onboard being DOA. Not a huge deal, as I had the card in another machine dedicated to folding *shrug*.

Thanks!

My rough guess for PPD is ~185k, I'd say. That's with a few conditions:
1) I calculated that figure very roughly (see point #3 for lack of HFM accuracy)
2) I've only had p8101 come to me so far, so, blegh to that.
3) Grad school's been really busy and I haven't had time to optimize the set up (e.g. Kraken or Langouste. I'm not at all proficient with linux so it takes me a while to get through the step-by-step instructions; I like it, I'm learning, but I barely have time enough for proper sleep)
4) It's been bloody hot here, so I haven't been overclocking [though I made sure to get a properly supported motherboard, so it's a future possibility]. I've been pretty worried about temps (hit 65C yesterday! Argh) on the CPU's as-is, so, no OC'ing for the next few months...

If I'm able to score either some free time with the beast or some nicer WU's, I expect that number to increase!