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Thread: Farms, Names, Pictures, Projects and Paper Trays

  1. #21
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Plymouth, UK
    Posts
    56
    Yet more pictures!

    First thing we need to do is get the CPU into place:


    And then something to cool it. For now I'm simply using the reference HSFs that came with each of the Semprons.


    With those applied the motherboards can now go into their trays. You might also notice the new stickers on each of them - each of the motherboards came with it's own sticker, so of course that had to go on. You'll also notice there are only four trays shown below. That's because I've decided that I'm going to use the fifth motherboard as a replacement for the faulty one in my main computer, at least for now.


    Thanks for all the feedback so far. I think I did mention this, but all of the boards will have a 2GB Compact Flash card connected to them, via an IDE adaptor. I'm then going to be installing Linux onto each of these. (Most likely Arch Linux, as it's what I use on my main computer, so know most of the ins and outs of it.) They will all run headless, managed via SSH from my main computer.

  2. #22
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Virginia, USA
    Posts
    969
    Hey Starbuck,

    Here's another idea that I use. Plastic Cutting boards. Simple stuff.

    Last edited by mitchellds; 10-09-2008 at 01:38 AM.

  3. #23
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Plymouth, UK
    Posts
    56
    That looks quite impressive mitchellds, especially like the watercooling.

    The idea of mounting them on boards like that did cross my time, as did a few other ideas.

    I started by looking at some examples of farms from the link below, to get an idea of how other people stacked them up.
    http://bhs.broo.k12.wv.us/homepage/staff/seti/farms.htm

    I even did some very brief research at "proper" computer racks, but quickly turned back once I started seeing prices!

    I'm happy with what I've come up with though, still yet to find any other examples like it

    I have got some more pictures ready, but I havn't got them uploaded yet, and I think you guys deserve a break for a few hours at least - I am aware I'm taking photos of just about everything. (Do you really want to see a picture of another cardboard box?)

  4. #24
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Virginia, USA
    Posts
    969
    yup I remember seeing that link years ago when I first ran SETI. Proper computer racks can get real expensive no doubt. As you can see, I don't own those either.

  5. #25
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Sydney, Australia
    Posts
    5,642
    Sorry to rain on the parade but I've never had any long term success with these "out of box" setups. Computers are dust magnets and I've found you need a case with some descent fans that direct the airflow inside the case and some dust filters for the intake air. Easier to maintain the filters than go cleaning the HSF every month or two.


  6. #26
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Virginia, USA
    Posts
    969
    Its worked for me for a couple of years. I call that long term in computer years. Maintenance is simple. Of course my oldest computer is prob no more than 2 years old. I'm always changing things. It helps a lot to have things in a sealed room with good air turnover and filters on the AC.

  7. #27
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    US
    Posts
    2,229
    Quote Originally Posted by vaughan View Post
    Sorry to rain on the parade but I've never had any long term success with these "out of box" setups. Computers are dust magnets and I've found you need a case with some descent fans that direct the airflow inside the case and some dust filters for the intake air. Easier to maintain the filters than go cleaning the HSF every month or two.
    I've found over the years that it really doesn't matter how you set them up cause you end up having to clean them out no matter what anyway.

  8. #28
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Plymouth, UK
    Posts
    56
    Well it's been a few days since I've given an update, so here goes.

    Still waiting on things like RAM and PSUs, and it's slowly driving me mad.

    In the meantime though I have tested each of the mothboards, and thankfully, they all work:


    That's great, but the BIOS is very out of date, so that needs updating. One problem though. These boards only provide two ways of doing this. You can either use a floppy, or update them from within windows.

    Sadly, floppy means floppy - a usb memory stick does not work, despite my best efforts. I have a USB floppy drive, but that wasn't detected either. So, I was forced to go with the second option.
    I have an XP disc from an old laptop, so I installed this onto a spare hardrive. The BIOS update went fine, and thankfully the same install of XP ran without a problem on all 5 of the motherboards - by simply plugging the drive and some RAM from my main pc (and the PSU) into each board I was able to update them all without any problems:


    Finally, I decided to move the trays off the top of my computer and place them on the side. So here is what my desk now looks like:


    As for the comments about having the computers open-air. Yes, dust will be a problem over time, but that's why I've got my compressed air can, to help clean them out every week / month, depending on how bad they get.

    And off topic: Do you like my slowly growing collection of Relentless tins?

  9. #29
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Virginia, USA
    Posts
    969
    Nice Starbuck.

    Here are some of my Relentless tins I've been toying with recently.
    pardon the flash


  10. #30
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Central Pennsylvania
    Posts
    4,333

    Farms, Names, Pictures, Projects and Paper Trays

    Nice Tins Mitchellds are those V-4100's?

    You went dumpster diving didn't you?





    Challenge me, or correct me, but don't ask me to die quietly.

    …Pursuit is always hard, capturing is really not the focus, it’s the hunt ...

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