SGI: Hardware

An SGI Origin 350 (with a modded VPRO so it has graphics) is a nice noisy server that does not look attractive on a desk in an office.

With Tezros being expensive, hard to find, and the desire to make them last as collectibles instead of using them 24/7 .. what if we could place the Origin 350 into a more attractive desktop case? (maybe with more quieter fans as a side benefit). Yeah, I know attractiveness is subjective.

I do not have an Origin server to physically look at (yet), so I reviewed an Origin 350 manual and can see its guts. It looks possible, but I am not sure how flexible the mounting of the RAM/memory mezzanine card is for mounting in a non-lengthy way (I'd like it more boxy/height for a desktop). Plus how much leeway there is for wires and the addition of a VPRO card somehow.

Has this been done before by anyone? (a forum search reveals nothing so far)
Is this possible? The node board should be the same as the Tezro, and that fits in a desktop case already with the Tezro.

I found an interesting case, the Cooler Master HAF-XB which is basically an open test-bench that can be enclosed. I assume a test-bench would make things more flexible for fitting in an odd systems (well.. odd in relation to an x86 system) like an SGI Origin.

If anyone has a spare Tezro for sale at 650$ instead.. I'll go for that instead



Thanks

If you ever try this, be sure to be very careful with the airflow...

necron2600 wrote: An SGI Origin 350 (with a modded VPRO so it has graphics) is a nice noisy server that does not look attractive on a desk in an office.

I do not have an Origin server to physically look at (yet), so I reviewed an Origin 350 manual and can see its guts. It looks possible, but I am not sure how flexible the mounting of the RAM/memory mezzanine card is for mounting in a non-lengthy way (I'd like it more boxy/height for a desktop)......The node board should be the same as the Tezro, and that fits in a desktop case already with the Tezro.

Hard to see much detail in the techpubs illustrations, but what might have appeared to be a RAM/memory mezzanine card is actually the processor node board. It is the same node board used in the Tezro tower, but the Tezro and O350 do not use the same system board. The Tezro node board attaches to the 'bottom' side of the system board and is positioned in a stacked/overlapping configuration to suit the Tezro desktop configuration.

The node and system boards in the O350 were arranged in a longitudinal/linear arrangement to suit the O350's low profile 2U rack mounted case. The O350 node board connects to the underlying system board by means of two MEG-Array connectors, so relocating it would probably be a fairly significant undertaking.

necron2600 wrote: Plus how much leeway there is for wires and the addition of a VPRO card somehow. [quote=necron2600"] Plus how much leeway there is for wires and the addition of a VPRO card somehow.

That's another area where the O350s linear 2U design might prove problematic if fitted into a shorter/boxer case. The XIO slot for the VPro is on the (system board) side of the PCI riser, which in turn is connected to the system board by means of an fixed edge connector.

necron2600 wrote: With Tezros being expensive, hard to find, and the desire to make them last as collectibles instead of using them 24/7 .. what if we could place the Origin 350 into a more attractive desktop case?

If an alternative case that fits the O350's linear 2U configuration doesn't turn up, perhaps look at some of of the small 4U rack cabinets to see if one suits your needs. Or pickup an 8-dollar Ikea Lack Side Table and make yourself a LackRack.

necron2600 wrote: If anyone has a spare Tezro for sale at 650$ instead.. I'll go for that instead

$650 doesn't sound like a completely unreasonable expectation, Tried a post in the wanted section?

necron2600 wrote: The node board should be the same as the Tezro, and that fits in a desktop case already with the Tezro.

I've got a Tezro so I can say with some authority that you need a really big desk for it to be used as a desktop...