Shuttle PC render slaves?

[PixelJockey]

I'm looking at adding a few more render nodes to my farm but I'm getting a little cramped for space. Does anyone have an opinion on using Shuttle PCs or similar small form factor systems for render nodes. I'm just a little concerned about heat and reliability.

The Shuttle system I'm looking at is about $964(US) - Intel Pentium 4 650 3.4GHz, 2GB RAM, 80GB HD.

[Dynedain]

I have 12 shuttles all running smoothly.

Don't max out the system, you don't need it for netrendering, and it keeps it cheaper. eg, you don't need 80GB drives in renderslaves, a 20G will be more than adequite.

You don't need internal CDroms either, just get one USB/Firewire one instead (more cost savings).

Mine run fine in terms of heat. Half of them are Athlon 2700 and half are Athlon 3200, all with 1GB of RAM. I had some overheating problem with one that had a stuck fan, but thats gone away. Obviously, the cooler the chip you put in there, and the cooler the air temperature around them, the better. Make sure to give them plenty of room for airflow. If you stack them, put some kind of spacers under the feet to allow airflow to the vent underneath. If they're next to each other, make sure to leave at least an inch space between them for the same reason (more would be better). Oh, and DONT overclock them.

BTW, mine priced out at around $600 ea, and they're probably even cheaper now. $945 sounds a bit steep for what you're talking about putting in there.

[PixelJockey]

Thanks for the reply.

What I have spec'd so far is:

Shuttle SB861 - $300
Pentium 4 640 3.4GHz - $267
Western Digital SATA 80GB HD - $55
Lite-On CD - $15
Corsair Value 2x1GB RAM - $186

I know I don't really need an 80GB HD but it about the same price as 40GB drives I've been looking at. So what the heck. And $15 for the CD is no big deal. It's not my money anyway. I could save $100 on the chasis, but I just like the minimal style of the SB86I. I could also save $50 on a Pentium 4 640.

[Mathew Everett]

I guess it all comes down to the more powerful the hotter it gets with Intel. How many shuttels are you looking to build or buy?

[Dynedain]

Don't forget tax and shippping. And of course how approving the person looking at the budget will be.

[PixelJockey]

My budget is around $3000. So I could do two $1500 machines or three $1000 machines. I was aiming for three. And the person looking at the budget is very approving. Since we take moonlight walks together.

[Dynedain]

Or you could get 5 $600 machines

[PixelJockey]

Mmmmm. Isn't math a wonderful thing. I'll see what I can come up with.

[cpnichols]

Dual SFF is also available. That gives you two Procs in the same amount of space:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16856101809

These take Opterons right now. I hear they are quiet too.

[cpnichols]

Just doing some quick math based on what you said, you can get one of these with two Opteron 248 and everyhting else you said the same for around $1,530. That gives you 4 processors and the small form factor.

[Syclone1]

I would also recomend the Dual Core AMD's as they tend to run cooler than the Intel single or dual cores...

-dave

[Dynedain]

I would also recomend the Dual Core AMD's as they tend to run cooler than the Intel single or dual cores...

Yeah, if you want to go Dual (which may or may not be cost effective for you) I'd be very very concerned about heat issues. Mine run fine on single procs, but I've had dual procs in nice towers overheat and I'd be very concerned about dualprocs in these little things.

[Mathew Everett]

Im sure you could get 4 shuttles at $3,000.00 that would render like champs! I am going to work my magic and see what i can come up with for you! juat for the heck of it.

[PixelJockey]

I got one down to $818. I would be curious to see how you could make a $750 rig. The OS alone is $150 and decent 2GB RAM is in the $180 range.

Case SS58G2: $240
CPU P4 630: $175
HD: $52
RAM: $186
CD: $15
OS: $150

Squeezing the piggy bank to get the most bang for the buck is an interesting exercise, but a hundred bucks here or there is no big deal. I'm really more interested in the performance aspect. I definately wouldn't go with a dual/dual core setup because of heat issues. I'd like to know how they hold up over time. The last render node I built a couple of years ago has been running non-stop.

[siliconbauhaus]

you might be interested in this then