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Where to Spend $1M on a Cluster?

Posted by Cliff on from the shopping-for-beowulfs dept.

Natchswing asks: "My university has been given a $757,825 NSF grant to build, 'A 256 node (128 pair) Beowulf parallel computing cluster ... to improve the realism of gravity-wave modeling by permitting treatment of the three dimensional problem and multiple wave interactions.' They want to pay a company to just show up and drop off a functional cluster rather than build it themselves. Since word has leaked out regarding the purchase intent, every computer manufacturer under the sun (including Apollo himself) has called up trying to sell their cluster. Since I'm no cluster expert, I'm writing Slashdot. If you had $0.7 mil to buy a pre-built cluster who would you go with and why?"

6 of 104 comments (clear)

  1. Me! by Jahf · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'll do it ... send via paypal to my /. username @ yahoo.com ...

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    It is more productive to voice thoughtful opinions (reply) than to judge (moderate) others.
  2. Only on ask slashdot... by Txiasaeia · · Score: 3, Funny

    could you say, "Imagine a beowulf cluster of those!" and actually be asking a legitimate question!

    --
    Condemnant quod non intellegunt.
  3. You got a grant with NO PLAN? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Shit, my department needs to take lessons from you guys. We need to specify the budget down to the last rubber foot and network cable just to have them review the application, and you got a grant without even having an idea what you were going to spend it on?

  4. Re:I'll do it by Vaevictis666 · · Score: 2, Funny
    Oh man, I so have #3 down...

    3. Pocket the leftover $499.5K

  5. Wanna Buy a Cluster? by Apollo · · Score: 2, Funny
    Hey, you -- yeah, you. Wanna buy a cluster? I know you'd like some UltraSPARC IVs. No? Come on. I've got great deals on last year's hardware, too. For the low, low price of $757,825, you, too, can own a piece of precision equipment from the Sun Fire line. OK, OK, fine! Go to that guy across the street. But make sure you come back here before you decide, because I've been authorized to toss in some incentives.

    You'll be back, believe me. You'll be back in no time.

  6. Re:Myrinet? by jrockway · · Score: 2, Funny

    While we're on the subject of spelling, I just thought I'd point out that you need a knew spellchecker... or maybe you already new that?

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    My other car is first.