WEP-M+2 server down

[Dirk Broer]

WEP-M+2 was the subject of last 'Formula Boinc' sprint and its server couldn't bear the strain that the sprint brought upon it.

Time to evaluate the hardware, not only on Bearnol's side, but also at myself, as there is no work ATM. I already had decided to pull back all my ARM systems that had less than four cores as being not efficient enough. The rest is presently made out of six Raspberry Pi's from three generations. The ARM Cortex-A7 Pi 2's bring both 300-350 credits a day; the ARM Cortex-A53 Pi 3's bring each 580-600 credits a day, while the ARM Cortex-A72 Pi 4's bring around 1120 credits a day.

I think it is time to pull back the Pi 2's too, and find another destination for them. The new 8 GB Pi 4 looks like a capable -and relatively cheap- alternative.
I might split the Pi 'rack' into a 32- and a 64-bit 'rack' and even start an Android 'rack' -or two. Other candidates for the new racks are the RockPi 4, the Orange Pi 4, plus the Odroids C4 and N2.
The 32-bit rack can be populated with the ASUS Tinker Board S, the Beaglebone AI and the Odroid XU4Q and perhaps even my Cubieboard 4, if it still works.

[Dirk Broer]

Project page and user pages are/were up again, though no others yet.

[vaughan]

So it was Formula Boinc that broke it.

[Dirk Broer]

It's a shame, we would have won that sprint in normal circumstances on my daily output alone. See how we are doing in the 2020 competition http://formula-boinc.org/projets.py?lang=&prj=56&year=2020

[Dirk Broer]

Time to evaluate the hardware, not only on Bearnol's side, but also at myself, as there is no work ATM. I already had decided to pull back all my ARM systems that had less than four cores as being not efficient enough. The rest is presently made out of six Raspberry Pi's from three generations. The ARM Cortex-A7 Pi 2's bring both 300-350 credits a day; the ARM Cortex-A53 Pi 3's bring each 580-600 credits a day, while the ARM Cortex-A72 Pi 4's bring around 1120 credits a day.

I think it is time to pull back the Pi 2's too, and find another destination for them. The new 8 GB Pi 4 looks like a capable -and relatively cheap- alternative.
I might split the Pi 'rack' into a 32- and a 64-bit 'rack' and even start an Android 'rack' -or two. Other candidates for the new racks are the RockPi 4, the Orange Pi 4, plus the Odroids C4 and N2.
The 32-bit rack can be populated with the ASUS Tinker Board S, the Beaglebone AI and the Odroid XU4Q and perhaps even my Cubieboard 4, if it still works.

First order has been placed: a 8GB Raspberry Pi 4B, two stackable housings and a cooler
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0176/3274/products/20191209_152127_500x.jpg?v=1576668851https://www.kiwi-electronics.nl/image/cache/cache/7001-8000/7273/main/4f51-WS-17143-01-0-2-684x456.jpg.
We'll run that Pi on 64-bit Raspberry Pi OS @2000MHz...might want to test that cooler on the ASUS Tinker Board S too

Benchmarks for the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B@1500MHz, using Raspberry Pi OS 64-bit:
2081 floating point MIPS (Whetstone) per CPU
60385 integer MIPS (Dhrystone) per CPU

As I bought myself a 52Pi Ice Tower Cooler for the Pi 4, I decided a modest overclock.
Benchmarks for the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B@1800MHz, using Raspberry Pi OS 64-bit:
2511 floating point MIPS (Whetstone) per CPU
72845 integer MIPS (Dhrystone) per CPU
The 52Pi Ice Tower Cooler keeps it at 52°C / 125.6°F

[vaughan]

Where do you buy the stackable housings?

My Pi is now using a Noctua fan IIRC

[Dirk Broer]

The stackable housing is a Pihut product. They took over Modmypi, who made the original stackable housing. Their Australian address is https://raspberry.piaustralia.com.au/collections/pihut
It are very tiny fans of the housing, 30mm. I reckon you'll need a large heatsink to go with it too in Oz -which they sell too
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0053/4721/3361/products/20191011_110835_1000x-2_1800x1800.jpg?v=1575451800

[Dirk Broer]

The second step in performance improvement has been set. After replacing one Raspberry Pi 2B with a 8GB Raspberry Pi 4B, I have now ordered a Odroid-XU4 to replace the other.
Next step will be the replacement of the two Raspberry Pi 3B's with higher performing SBCs. I have to do something to advance beyond Lysergius and to stay ahead of Sentient_Life....