.

Since this is another mod by mashie I should have expected something like this :eek:

I like the way you sorted and stacked those parts. Makes you look very organized :D
 
The title got my hopes up for a Dark Tranquillity mod….guess not. Never the less sounds like an interesting mod. Good luck
 
I'm going to guess that all of these systems will be setup running linux or something similar, and that they will be basically mobo/cpu/ram+hard drive except the "server" board that has managment control over the others.

In that case I would recomment ditching the 12x140 watt power supplies and going with a single 500watt+ QUALITY unit. You won't need a ton of actual power to run the setup, and I imagine you won't even run the thing that often. This will save you a LOT of money on the power bill, and a lot of space in the box.

Another suggestion that i'm almost sure you already know about - you can stack the boards using threaded nylon spacers and headless screws. You could even implement a method of putting the hard drives between boards in this fashion, thus cutting down further on space requirements.

And in addition to all that - I can't see whether or not the processors have fans, but assuming they do, you might be able to cut down on electricity costs and add reliability by hitting ebay and buying a bulk of fanless heatsinks. I would imagine a large system like that would only need a couple 120mm super low speed fans strategicaly mounted.
 
mashie said:
Allright, minor update.

I removed all brackets from the NICs and installed them in the motherboards to test different layouts.




After a few trial and errors this ended up being the most efficient layout, a switch will be included as well to provide management connectivity.

.
Click to expand...
So I take it this is going to be a server farm? Bet that rig would fold like a mofo!!
 
get the modcam up :p

what color is it all gonna end up being? it better not be one of the many shades of biege :p
 
mashie said:
Just because a PSU is rated 140W doesn't mean it is constantly using 140W.
Click to expand...

Of course thats common knowledge, but 12x140W old inefficient power supplies are going to add both space and electricity cost, regardless of how much the actual draw is. Running a lot of ATX wires isn't a big deal if you were to setup a central wiring system, would take more work but would be a LOT cleaner. You would essentially have to cut the cords to the atx connectors of all the old supplies and attach the wires to a sort of "bus" that runs along the length of the whole setup, having one female plug (you might have to order it, not sure where you would find one except a dead board) at the end of the bus that the single supply hooks into.

As far as cost, yeah you could save a good chunk of change by not going that route. I suppose thats what it comes down to in the end - is it really worth the investment.

Also, do you plan on using this unit regularly, or is it for show? (seriously, it's hard to know sometimes). Having multiple the original multiple power supplies can be seen as a good thing since it keeps the whole setup from having a single point of failure.
 
wow that looks like there might be heat problems but then again there are only small cpu. but i remember when my 90mhz woulld get so hot i couldn't touch the heatsink.
 
Surprised you didn't keep one of those boxes for the time machine! Lovely boxes. We had RM machines at school and my university got a whole lab of 386es while I was there! (Showing my age there!)

How big is the box that they would fit in? Three feet by two by two? Bigger? Smaller?
 
Mashie, Only you would take on such a project.
LOL
Keep it comin its looking good. :D
 
it looks very nice, and i would love to know what it will be, but why are you modding in your bathroom
 
zapperfish said:
it looks very nice, and i would love to know what it will be, but why are you modding in your bathroom
Click to expand...
Bathrooms are easy to clean up and this one is spare. For non dusty/messy work I use other parts of the apartment. ;)
 
Good work mashie! This is awesome! I love all your projects!

Quick question... I need to do something similar to this, but on a small scale. I have 3 mini atx motherboards, and it may rise to 5 or 6 in the near future. What sort of structure would be good to hold these bad boys?

 
when ever i see a mashie project, aside from the wow factor and master craftmanship of the case itself i always think to myself: If I had his hardware I would burn mine :)
 
mashie said:
9 x 366MHz celerons won't do much good.
Click to expand...

Every little bit helps... we have lots of people running them on 233's even ;)

Nice casework you have going there... good ideas for my 7x nekkid boards :)

Think the spacing would get a little warm though. what will use use for increasing airflow
within the case? 120's? 80's?
 
mashie said:
Just because a PSU is rated 140W doesn't mean it is constantly using 140W. Nine boards pulling say 20W each will still only use 180W of power regardless if that comes from one or nine PSUs. By not buying an expensive PSU I will save a few months usage in power bills not to mention adding nine ATX connectors to a PSU will drive even the most dedicated person insane...

As for mounting please see my previous post.
Click to expand...

actually it depends on the efficiency of the unit converting ac to dc. Lets say those psu's are rated at 60% efficiency, then if only 20 watts is being used by the comp, then 28watts is being drawn. if 100 watts are being used, then 140 are being drawn. multipy that by 9 psu's and it is pretty inefficient.
 
No built in kvm switchbox? And how are they all going to switch on without blowing up the building's supply circuit?

I wish my psu had pass through on it. Damn, I miss the monitor switching off from the old AT days!
 
I like your idea of balsa wood, only problem is you'll have to be fairly careful when handling the case. Balsa wood can easily be crushed, smashed, and destroyed :(

I would have done it in a thick plastic card, or some other... non-malleable material.

Considering this project really won't be moved again once it's in it's final resting place, this really isn't a huge concern. I'm sure.

Also, for the sides: Why not do the same as the front, only with bigger "plates" This will be far less work, and still give you the satisfaction that you didn't skip out on them.

Just my .02 :)
 
agreed :D he turns a LAN junction into a work fo art :D

did anyone actually watch the modcam at the PSU failure? :D
 
You made it look like a prop from the set of a Sci-Fi series :D nice job!
 
Man thats insane WoW.









Some black cat cables would look better then yellow...
 
this looks great i love your workspaces in the bathroom and in the kitchen and stuff you pull of amazing work even without a full workshop, sorry altec gonna have to disagree about the cat cables i think the yellow ones are a nice feature they make it look industrial.
 
altec said:
Man thats insane WoW.
Some black cat cables would look better then yellow...
Click to expand...

I think they look nice, they make contrast. But, of course, to each his own.
 
Looks really cool. The texture on the 'tiles' looks great.

But why are there holes in the mesh ?
 
Very nice..

One question, really just curious: Why did you go low and wide (like a coffee table) instead of tall (like a server rack)?

==>Lazn
 
altec said:
Man thats insane WoW.
Click to expand...

Your Blizzard is showing. :eek:



mashie: Another stunning project born from a simple need. Can't wait for the next one.

 
Ooh, ooh ooh! Another mashie mod!
/me runs to grab some popcorn

Oh, wait, you're already done. Wow, it looks nice.

mashie, I noticed that you have three NICs on each motherboard, but you only have one NIC on each MB linked to your Ethernet switch. Is there a reason for that?
 
Woah nice project. I assume all those computers will be aiding the fight against the aussies? ;)
 
Teancum said:
mashie, I noticed that you have three NICs on each motherboard, but you only have one NIC on each MB linked to your Ethernet switch. Is there a reason for that?
Click to expand...
Zxcs said:
Woah nice project. I assume all those computers will be aiding the fight against the aussies?
Click to expand...



mashie said:
Tranquillity here will be used as some kind of router lab by friends in need so it will have 9 motherboards and 30+ network cards in the smallest possible volume.

. . .

The management network has been installed and another 10-15 cross-over cables will be added later.
Click to expand...
;)



123

 
DthInd said:
Looks really cool. The texture on the 'tiles' looks great.

But why are there holes in the mesh ?
Click to expand...
Just for fun mainly. I still needed some kind of handles at the far left and right side to make it easier to remove the panel.


Lazn_Work said:
Very nice..

One question, really just curious: Why did you go low and wide (like a coffee table) instead of tall (like a server rack)?

==>Lazn
Click to expand...
Because it will be used as a table ;)


Teancum said:
mashie, I noticed that you have three NICs on each motherboard, but you only have one NIC on each MB linked to your Ethernet switch. Is there a reason for that?
Click to expand...
It is four NICs per board, I still have to get hold of enough cross-over cables to do that patching.


Zxcs said:
Woah nice project. I assume all those computers will be aiding the fight against the aussies? ;)
Click to expand...
Thanks, but there are no clients that will run on the OS...
 
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