Potential Deal: 2 x Dual 2011 nodes @$199, Quanta Openrack

[abstractalgebra]

Looking for cheap 2011 systems, I ran into this Quanta Open Compute barebones server for $199.
2 x Dual LGA2011 nodes with 10GB Ethernet. $50/cpu socket, with 10 GBE, and 1024GB Total RAM

Looks rather loud but should be easy to swap in larger fans. I wonder how expense a basic build would be.
Seams like a good deal but I might be missing something.

• 2x QUANTA WINDMILL OPEN COMPUTE SYSTEM BOARDS BAREBONE EACH WITH THE FOLLOWING:
• Supports 2x LGA 2011 Socket CPU'S (4x TOTAL)
• Supports 16x DDR3 Memory Modules (32x TOTAL)
• 1x 1Gb Ethernet PORT
• 1x 10GbE Ethernet Mezzanine CARD PN# CX341A (SFP)
  
• 2x USB Ports, 2x Internal SATA ports
  
• 1x 16x PCIE Slot
• 1x 700W Power Supply Included

Home » Open Compute Project

~21" Width not standard 19" rackmount, 200-277v input (confirmed by DBA)

$99 from sale seller for single node motherboard (Dual LGA2011) only.
$1269 bundle with 4 x E5-2660 (2.2Ghz 8c) 16GB RAM, 2 x 250GB HDD.


EBay Picture:

 

[RTM]

Interesting board, doesn't look like it comes with a top for the case and the power supply apparently accepts only 200-277V or 48V.

For what it is worth this document, suggests that it is a connectx-3 card

 

[Scott Laird]

I doubt there *is* a top to the case. I'm not that familiar with the OpenCompute stuff, but I know some of their relatives, and they tend to be designed to operate with no lid, in a rack designed to support them that way. It saves costs and makes maintenance easier when you have tens of thousands of them to keep healthy.

 

[MatrixMJK]

Looking at the sellers other OpenCompute listings shows full racks of these. And they do not have lids, using the node above to control airflow. For less than $40k you can have a full rack of these with 2.2Ghz procs and memory.

 

[abstractalgebra]

Interesting board, doesn't look like it comes with a top for the case and the power supply apparently accepts only 200-277V or 48V.

For what it is worth this document, suggests that it is a connectx-3 card

Correct on no top for the server. They just stack them on top of each other so they eliminated the extra metal. I think it is standard 19" sizing.

I saw a video were facebook did a taller 2U variant of this with 2 x 80mm fans per node to lower cooling power consumption.

Good catch on the power. So what common consumer power would you use for that? Perhaps this $50 transformer would work. Seven Star TC1500W Step Up and Step Down Transformer-1500W

Edit Seller also has single node motherboard only for $99

 

[AERuffy]

could be interesting if you removed the boards and placed in another case(Like people did with the C6100 boards)

 

[T_Minus]

Correct on no top for the server. They just stack them on top of each other so they eliminated the extra metal. I think it is standard 19" sizing.

I saw a video were facebook did a taller 2U variant of this with 2 x 80mm fans per node to lower cooling power consumption.

Good catch on the power. So what common consumer power would you use for that? Perhaps this $50 transformer would work. Seven Star TC1500W Step Up and Step Down Transformer-1500W

That transformer setup isn't made for US judging by the reviews and UK item usage.

You can buy a couple parts off ebay and make as large as a transformer (within reason) as you need. They also make transformers for off-grid setups in the $500+ range for people with 220v (USA) well pumps, that's the reason I looked into them years ago.

If you're in the U.S.A and own your home installing a 220v circuit, and running the the wire is trivial if you can follow instructions or read a couple write-ups. Over the years we've re-done our fair share of panels, new runs for CNC equipment, 220v adapters 3/4/etc wire... The wire run regulations are really simple if you want to grab the NEC you can make sure to stay "to code" and "LEGAL".

If they really accept direct 220v then that's easy enough but still requires wiring, plugs/adapters if you don't hardwire (I forget the regulation on stationary/power req. to be considered for this).

If these were standard power and were plug and play i'd do a custom chassis swap in a second.. but messing around with power/converters = time and the deal =gone then.

 

[dba]

At $50/CPU that's some dirt cheap barebones gear. Know anyone selling the required Freedom Triplet Open Rack V1 racks?

Looking for cheap 2011 systems, I ran into this Quanta Open Compute barebones server for $199.
2 x Dual 2011 nodes with 10GB Ethernet.

Looks rather loud but should be easy to swap in larger fans. I wounder how expense a basic build would be.
Seams like a good deal but I might be missing something.

• 2x QUANTA WINDMILL OPEN COMPUTE SYSTEM BOARDS BAREBONE EACH WITH THE FOLLOWING:
• Supports 2x LGA 2011 Socket CPU'S (4x TOTAL)
• Supports 16x DDR3 Memory Modules (32x TOTAL)
• 1x 1GbE Ethernet PORT
• 1x 10GbE Ethernet Mezzanine CARD PN# CX341A
• 2x USB Ports, 2x Internal SATA ports
  
• 1x 16x PCIE Slot
• 1x 700W Power Supply Included

Home » Open Compute Project

EBay Picture:

 

[Patrick]

This is great.

Some context: These guys have been getting the decommissioned OCP stuff for at least 2 years. One thing to think about is how to manage these and power them. Some of the older FB iterations I believe they were just pulling the Xeons and Opterons plus memory from and selling those off.

How about this. First person to buy one, get it up and running, and document it for main site content, I will pay you the $199 cost of the unit. This could be really interesting for folks.

 

[neo]

How about this. First person to buy one, get it up and running, and document it for main site content, I will pay you the $199 cost of the unit. This could be really interesting for folks.

I'd be able to rewire the PSU and document it to get it running, but unfortunately I don't have any spare CPUs or memory for it.

 

[J Hart]

FYI if these are truly made to Open Compute/Open Rack standards, they will not fit 19" racks. The Open Rack specs are completely different from 19" rack specs. They will be 537mm wide(21") and 48mm tall(1.9") instead of 465mm wide and 44mm tall.

 

[PithyChats]

I'd be able to rewire the PSU and document it to get it running, but unfortunately I don't have any spare CPUs or memory for it.

I have 240V power available, as well as the CPUs and memory. But only up in Canada. Getting it up there is a bit of a challenge...

 

[abstractalgebra]

FYI if these are truly made to Open Compute/Open Rack standards, they will not fit 19" racks. The Open Rack specs are completely different from 19" rack specs. They will be 537mm wide(21") and 48mm tall(1.9") instead of 465mm wide and 44mm tall.

Take a look at the horizontal spacing it appears to be the standard 19" rack. Later versions of Open Rack were standard.
Facebook was/is using a variant of these servers.

 

[canta]

the detail doc is on here -> ownCloud

since the power supply can be power wit 48V DC, any 48DC that can supply ~17A would do.

rewiring motherboard power is abit tricky since not atx standard.

one thing to remember, there is NO graphics card... the only way to see the output is via debug port (serial port).

 

[J Hart]

Take a look at the horizontal spacing it appears to be the standard 19" rack. Later versions of Open Rack were standard.
Facebook was/is using a variant of these servers.

Server/SpecsAndDesigns - OpenCompute This board is the "Facebook server Intel Xeon motherboard v2" design as the eBay listing points out. It says that it is an OpenRack V1 design which would use the dimensions I said.

 

[abstractalgebra]

Server/SpecsAndDesigns - OpenCompute This board is the "Facebook server Intel Xeon motherboard v2" design as the eBay listing points out. It says that it is an OpenRack V1 design which would use the dimensions I said.

Edit: Confirmed ~21.1" Rack width. See this video they have 1500 series which is 19" but you can see much smaller power supply.

Different Series 1500 of Winmill does offer 19" rack comparability.

Wow here is a different version with three nodes horizontally: Open Compute Project Server and Storage Solutions - Penguin Computing

 

[PithyChats]

Do these support ipmi?

 

[abstractalgebra]

Do these support ipmi?

No IPMI, No Video, only serial port. How about installing a Video card in the PCI riser slot (with a riser)?

 

[dba]

By the way, I did buy one just to investigate. I have plenty of 208V power available, and serial port servers to manage them. Patrick, would be glad to write up something for the site.

Also: Looks 19" to me. The triple-wide version is definitely 21" though.

UPDATE: 19" wide but won't fit in a 19" rack, which have 17 3/4" openings between the rails. See later post for more details about these quirky servers.

At $50/CPU that's some dirt cheap barebones gear. Know anyone selling the required Freedom Triplet Open Rack V1 racks?

 

[dba]

Am I crazy? I am seriously considering buying a few full racks of these servers from pdneiman:

52x Quanta Windmill Open Compute Nodes 4X E5 2660 2 2GHz 64GB 2X 250GB with Rack | eBay

A ready-to-plug-in rack with 104 8-core Xeon E5 V1 CPUs, 4TB RAM, and 52 10GbE ports for $40K seems really good.

By the way, I did buy one just to investigate. I have plenty of 208V power available, and serial port servers to manage them. Patrick, would be glad to write up something for the site.

Also: Looks 19" to me. The triple-wide version is definitely 21" though.