Project: Galaxy 5.0

So where are you thinking to place those SAS drives? Also which SAS enclosure did u go with for them?

I added a 2GB module to the Areca 1280ML today. Throughput benchmarks didn't really improve much, but I do notice the frequency of activity lights on the drives way down, so that extra cache definitely reduces the wear and tear on the drives by being a massive buffer.

I threw my 2 x E5410's in yesterday and ran some encoding benchmarks with Mainconcept Reference. Mama - mia. 243.9 frames per second encoding DVD -> H.264! That's 15 minutes for a 2-hour movie. More than twice as fast as my Q6600 using the same movie.

All I can say is you are in for a treat with those 8 cores. Perhaps Galaxy 6 will use one of those 4-socket Intel boards, eh? :) 16 cores - mmmm...

8coresfpsrf4.jpg


8corefg2.jpg
 
Ockie said:
Slim DVD Optical Drive. This is one sweet slot load drive.
dsc06366zp1.jpg


dsc06367fp7.jpg
Click to expand...

Im in your serverz steelin your dataz!

Thats a sweet spot for a slot load drive :) Was wondering what that was for, obviously I didnt read either haha.
 
odditory said:
All I can say is you are in for a treat with those 8 cores. Perhaps Galaxy 6 will use one of those 4-socket Intel boards, eh? :) 16 cores - mmmm...
Click to expand...
Problem is, the quad socket boards I've seen are 604...why Intel went back to socket 604 is beyond me (though I'm not complaining...I have a few 604 processors myself). The quad core socket 604 processors and boards are impossible to find on top of that, but the specs on them are ridiculous. 192gb of RAM! :eek: http://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/Xeon7000/7300/X7QC3.cfm
 
Blue Fox said:
Problem is, the quad socket boards I've seen are 604...why Intel went back to socket 604 is beyond me (though I'm not complaining...I have a few 604 processors myself). The quad core socket 604 processors and boards are impossible to find on top of that, but the specs on them are ridiculous. 192gb of RAM! :eek: http://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/Xeon7000/7300/X7QC3.cfm
Click to expand...


Supermicro does make another board for the next generation and current gen xeons. It's about 800 for the board or 1200 for the barebones. I am looking at building one of the 1u's with 16 cores for a vm testing server.... imagine the performance.
 
beowulf7 said:
LOL that cat looks like it means business! :eek:
Click to expand...

Yeah, he always looks pissed off :p



Tomorrow some new things should arrive. I'm hoping to bring this system online by wed and post some results.
 
Ockie said:
Yeah, he always looks pissed off :p



Tomorrow some new things should arrive. I'm hoping to bring this system online by wed and post some results.
Click to expand...

Can't wait!! :D I remember reading you say you're gonna rack this baby. What kind of rack/cabinet? :confused:
 
AMD_RULES said:
Can't wait!! :D I remember reading you say you're gonna rack this baby. What kind of rack/cabinet? :confused:
Click to expand...

I don't have any cabinets at home yet, still working on that part. That part will come with the whole room idea that I have going on but I am still working on that too :) It will most likley be a APC, Great Lakes, HP, or a Dell cabinet.
 
Ockie said:
I don't have any cabinets at home yet, still working on that part. That part will come with the whole room idea that I have going on but I am still working on that too :) It will most likley be a APC, Great Lakes, HP, or a Dell cabinet.
Click to expand...
sounds good. I really like HP's cabinets. :cool:
 
odditory said:
I added a 2GB module to the Areca 1280ML today. Throughput benchmarks didn't really improve much, but I do notice the frequency of activity lights on the drives way down, so that extra cache definitely reduces the wear and tear on the drives by being a massive buffer.
Click to expand...

What RAM did you put on that controller??
 
jojo1224 said:
What do u plan on using all that ram for?:confused: vm image running in a ramdisk?:confused:
Click to expand...

There are lots of things I can think of using it for, mainly it's just to try out new things.


Update:



This is the list of build parts for this system as requested, the system is now almost complete:


Supermicro X7DWN+ Dual 771 Intel 5400 Seaburg Extended ATX Server Motherboard
Supermicro SC846TQ-R900B 24 Hot Swap SATAII Chassis (dual 900w redundant HE PSU's)
Supermicro MCP-220-84601-0N HDD-add on module for internal mounting
Supermicro AOC-SIMSO(+) IPMI Remote lights out management
Supermicro CBL-0177L Cable Extension for IPMI
Supermicro CSE-M14TB 4-in-1 Mini SAS Hot-Swap Unit
Two Intel Xeon E5410's Harpertown 2.33GHz 12MB L2 Cache Socket 771 Quad-Core (8 cores total)
Areca 1280-ML 24 Port PCI-E SATAII Raid Controller with Mini SAS Breakout cables
Areca 1280ML 2GB Cache Memory Upgrade Kit
Adaptec 3405 4 Port SAS Controller PCI-E with Mini SAS cables
Adaptec 3405 Battery Backup Option Kit
Adaptec 3405 256MB Cache Upgrade Kit
16 x Wintec 2GB DDRII FB-DIMM DDRII-667 Memory Modules (total of 32GB Ram)
Microsoft Windows 2003 Server
4 x Seagate 15K Savvio 2.5" 73.4GB SAS Drives
24 x Western Digital Caviar GP WD10EACS 1TB Drives
Intel PCI-E PRO/1000 PT Quad Port Server Adapter
Quanta Storage Slim DVD-RW slot load Drive
Slim Optical Drive Adapter to IDE
 
Ockie said:
There are lots of things I can think of using it for, mainly it's just to try out new things.
Click to expand...

Man, I can't tell you how often I've used that line. Usually I'm not referring to RAM though...:D
 
Ockie said:
Areca 1280-ML 24 Port PCI-E SATAII Raid Controller with Mini SAS Breakout cables
Areca 1280ML 2GB Cache Memory Upgrade Kit
Click to expand...

What 2gb memory module are you going to use??

Very cool that you are almost "done" with the parts stage, should be one hell of a machine when you get some benches run:)
 
munkle said:
Where did you get the slot load? I haven't been able find them at a good online store.
Click to expand...

Ya, I was able to find them at a few not so well known places, just curious where you found the best deal.......
 
Ockie said:
There are lots of things I can think of using it for, mainly it's just to try out new things.


Update:



This is the list of build parts for this system as requested, the system is now almost complete:


Supermicro X7DWN+ Dual 771 Intel 5400 Seaburg Extended ATX Server Motherboard
Supermicro SC846TQ-R900B 24 Hot Swap SATAII Chassis (dual 900w redundant HE PSU's)
Supermicro MCP-220-84601-0N HDD-add on module for internal mounting
Supermicro AOC-SIMSO(+) IPMI Remote lights out management
Supermicro CBL-0177L Cable Extension for IPMI
Supermicro CSE-M14TB 4-in-1 Mini SAS Hot-Swap Unit
Two Intel Xeon E5410's Harpertown 2.33GHz 12MB L2 Cache Socket 771 Quad-Core (8 cores total)
Areca 1280-ML 24 Port PCI-E SATAII Raid Controller with Mini SAS Breakout cables
Areca 1280ML 2GB Cache Memory Upgrade Kit
Adaptec 3405 4 Port SAS Controller PCI-E with Mini SAS cables
Adaptec 3405 Battery Backup Option Kit
Adaptec 3405 256MB Cache Upgrade Kit
16 x Wintec 2GB DDRII FB-DIMM DDRII-667 Memory Modules (total of 32GB Ram)
Microsoft Windows 2003 Server
4 x Seagate 15K Savvio 2.5" 73.4GB SAS Drives
24 x Western Digital Caviar GP WD10EACS 1TB Drives
Intel PCI-E PRO/1000 PT Quad Port Server Adapter
Quanta Storage Slim DVD-RW slot load Drive
Slim Optical Drive Adapter to IDE
Click to expand...

I am comfortable in my manhood when I say, "Ockie, you have nice equipment!" :eek:
 
Ockie said:
There are lots of things I can think of using it for, mainly it's just to try out new things.


Update:



This is the list of build parts for this system as requested, the system is now almost complete:


Supermicro X7DWN+ Dual 771 Intel 5400 Seaburg Extended ATX Server Motherboard
Supermicro SC846TQ-R900B 24 Hot Swap SATAII Chassis (dual 900w redundant HE PSU's)
Supermicro MCP-220-84601-0N HDD-add on module for internal mounting
Supermicro AOC-SIMSO(+) IPMI Remote lights out management
Supermicro CBL-0177L Cable Extension for IPMI
Supermicro CSE-M14TB 4-in-1 Mini SAS Hot-Swap Unit
Two Intel Xeon E5410's Harpertown 2.33GHz 12MB L2 Cache Socket 771 Quad-Core (8 cores total)
Areca 1280-ML 24 Port PCI-E SATAII Raid Controller with Mini SAS Breakout cables
Areca 1280ML 2GB Cache Memory Upgrade Kit
Adaptec 3405 4 Port SAS Controller PCI-E with Mini SAS cables
Adaptec 3405 Battery Backup Option Kit
Adaptec 3405 256MB Cache Upgrade Kit
16 x Wintec 2GB DDRII FB-DIMM DDRII-667 Memory Modules (total of 32GB Ram)
Microsoft Windows 2003 Server
4 x Seagate 15K Savvio 2.5" 73.4GB SAS Drives
24 x Western Digital Caviar GP WD10EACS 1TB Drives
Intel PCI-E PRO/1000 PT Quad Port Server Adapter
Quanta Storage Slim DVD-RW slot load Drive
Slim Optical Drive Adapter to IDE
Click to expand...

I would love to see a dollar figure net to each of those parts
 
Bar said:
I would love to see a dollar figure net to each of those parts
Click to expand...


I'm sure my wife would also like to see that :p lol




Update:

Xeon Processors Goes in:
dsc06381re9.jpg


Heatsinks comes in a protective case but the thermal tape isn't protected... anyways:
dsc06387ay8.jpg


Fans removed from the heatsinks to fit the rackmount design
dsc06388bz5.jpg


Foamies added to heatsinks to concentrate the airflow. I noticed that my windtunnel doesn't fit tight with the heatsink, I may have to look at an alternative to concentrate all air flow through the sinks
dsc06389vb0.jpg


dsc06390xr0.jpg


dsc06384nw4.jpg


dsc06385nk7.jpg


dsc06393ee5.jpg


dsc06394ca3.jpg



Slim Drive adapter install:
dsc06382no4.jpg


dsc06383pq1.jpg


dsc06392on3.jpg




Tomorrow comes ram :)
 
Ockie said:
Fans removed from the heatsinks to fit the rackmount design

Foamies added to heatsinks to concentrate the airflow. I noticed that my windtunnel doesn't fit tight with the heatsink, I may have to look at an alternative to concentrate all air flow through the sinks
Click to expand...

Why didn't you just order the xeons with the rack mount heatsinks? They sell them with passive heatsinks or with the fans on the front not the top depending on the config.
 
@swatbat: he didn't buy the "rackmount edition" fanless heatsink version of those Xeons because only the version with the fan are in supply right now - these new 45nm Xeons are very hard to find in stock since Intel is barely trickling them out.

Ockie: Looking good - I wouldn't worry about the fan shroud not fitting "tight" - its not really an issue - when you power up you'll notice pretty much NO air leakage if you place your hands where the shroud makes contact with the metal case. No air leaking = no problem.

The mounting mechanism is pretty damn foolproof, eh? I mean the four screws pre-installed on the heatsink screwing into four holes pre-installed on bottom of case - no bending/flexing of mobo. Compare that to the $hitty plastic mounting mechanism of desktop class LGA775 motherboards/HSF's - i'm always afraid i'm going to break the damn motherboard!

Glad to see the stuff made it, albeit late.
 
odditory said:
@swatbat: he didn't buy the "rackmount edition" fanless heatsink version of those Xeons because only the version with the fan are in supply right now - these new 45nm Xeons are very hard to find in stock since Intel is barely trickling them out.
Click to expand...

Yea I thought about that after I posted it. Pretty easy to fix if those don't do the job though.
 
These heatsinks are Active/1U heatsinks. These were designed for both Active (with fan) and fanless 1U applications.


They do make a 2U passive version but I think that the heatsink would be too high. There is only about 1.5cm between the current heatsink and the air channel shroud. Either way, I'm not too worried, if I need better sinks (which I doubt), I can always go out and get some.


Update:

The memory comes in today. I hope to see the SAS drives and controller either today or tomorrow.
 
Ockie said:
These heatsinks are Active/1U heatsinks. These were designed for both Active (with fan) and fanless 1U applications.

They do make a 2U passive version but I think that the heatsink would be too high. There is only about 1.5cm between the current heatsink and the air channel shroud. Either way, I'm not too worried, if I need better sinks (which I doubt), I can always go out and get some.
Click to expand...

The 1U sinks are a non-issue as far as temps, ESPECIALLY now with these cooler running 45nm 80 watt dies, compared to the previous generation's 120W at the same clockspeed. The air is blowing so damn hard that even if you overclocked these Xeons it'd still be a non-issue due to the massive CFM of airflow going through that air shroud. Just wait and see - the temps are LOW even at 100% load - in part due to 45nm and in part due to the high CFM.
 
I'm still SOL on the mini 4 in 1 hot swap 2.5" SAS unit from supermicro and the longer Supermicro cable :(


If anyone can find one for me in stock, you will be my new hero.



Also, the SAS drives came in yesterday and so did the Memory. I can't WAIT to get home for this beast to fire her up (lets hope that the SAS controller arrives today).
 
I have the hot-swap enclosures at work and could send you one if you'd like...not a Supermicro one though. Have SAS cables too...
 
Ockie are you being sponsered by supermicro or somthing :p everything i read seems to be supermicro.
 
Blue Fox said:
I have the hot-swap enclosures at work and could send you one if you'd like...not a Supermicro one though. Have SAS cables too...
Click to expand...

Can you send me a link to the specs? I'd really like to see this model you speak of.

ring.of.steel said:
Ockie are you being sponsered by supermicro or somthing :p everything i read seems to be supermicro.
Click to expand...

Haha, I could only wish. The thing with supermicro products are that it's build solid and made for eachother. I'm trying to stick to a single brand to keep the overall server uniform and to avoid any issues which may arise with other brands.


Update: Shipping confirms SAS controller arrives today. WHOOOHOOO!!!!!
 
ring.of.steel said:
Ockie are you being sponsered by supermicro or somthing :p everything i read seems to be supermicro.
Click to expand...

Well given that he started with the case and motherboard, after he had those, most of the accessories have to come from SuperMicro too then like IPMI cards and mounting brackets, etc. Thats the only reason it seems like a lot of SuperMicro on his parts list.

To be honest, before I found this thread and was about to buy parts for a build of my own along the lines of Ockie's Galaxy 5, I was going to just buy Intel hardware/motherboard, etc because I thought Intel would be the "true blue" reference parts that I couldn't go wrong with. I asked Ockie why he chose SuperMicro and he stated it was "top notch" based on past experiences.

Boy, am I glad I didn't buy the Intel parts. Being an owner of an almost identical parts list to what Ockie's putting into Galaxy 5, and having my system running a couple weeks now, I can honestly confirm that Supermicro stuff *is* top notch, and in fact would consider their parts more of a "reference" design than even Intel's stuff. Everything with the SuperMicro name on it that I purchased is PERFECTION. No crashes, no weird problems, everything fits perfectly together (case/motherboard), everything is well thought out in terms of design, etc. To steal apple's catch-phrase, "it just works".

I'm actually tempted tempted to buy a whole other case and motherboard and put a second system together, just because the first one was such a pleasure to work with. As an I.T. veteran of 16+ years, I'm not easily impressed by much of anything tech-wise these days, but this SuperMicro stuff really impressed me.
 
SAS drives came!! These things are going to be SCREAMING
dsc06424zp9.jpg


SAS Controller also came. Man am I dissapointed :( And Mad. I read everywhere that this stupid controller comes with the cables... I was so excited that it comes with the cables. I get this tiny box, oh wait, no cables! :mad: All this money, the least they could do is throw in a SAS cable, it aint so hard... no instead they throw in a book in 20 languages telling me that I can buy the SAS cable from their online store... WTF. Seriously. Yet another weekend without my server, sigh. I was hoping to bring her online tonight.

dsc06427mj4.jpg


dsc06428ic9.jpg


dsc06429ya6.jpg




MEMORY! All your memory are belong to me.

16 x 2GB sticks of love.... 32GB's of insanity
dsc06425vs3.jpg


dsc06426is5.jpg


dsc06430ou4.jpg


dsc06431ls7.jpg


Got Memory?
dsc06432ky0.jpg


Almost there!!!
dsc06433kl0.jpg
 
I did a quick dry boot, this system is nice and loud as expected.

I also did a quick draw test, amps jumps to about 5.5amps on boot, settles to about 3.58a, not bad at ALL! :eek: However, I will check this when the system is actually up and fully running with the SAS drives, with the additional drives, and with software taxing the resources.
 
It's even listed on thier site!!!! :mad: I need to go double check my box or something...

Package Contents
• Adaptec RAID 3405 Controller
• Additional low-profile bracket
• Quick Installation Guide (English/French/German/Italian/Spanish)
• Software and documentation CDs
• Mini SAS to SATA fanout cable w/ sideband (2247100-R)
Click to expand...


EDIT: Nope, double checked, not in any of the boxes....weird.
 
Man, that sucks about the SAS cables...but damn, that's alot of memory!


I have a feeling once everything is set up this things gonna scream.
 
I checked other sites, it appears as if they sell a "kit" version too now that comes with the cables. Oh well, I am not going to worry much about it, I wont be able to use them with the sas mini enclosure anyways, but it would have been nice to at least test run this weekend.

Right now my biggest challenge is finding this mini sas unit and then also finding room for it within the case too. I think it's going to be tricky, I perhaps need to come up with another idea.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top