From: hyatt@cis.uab.edu (Robert Hyatt)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.cray
Subject: Re: How expensive is a cray?  (was: How big is a cray?)
Date: 8 Apr 92 13:09:54 GMT
Organization: University of Alabama at Birmingham

In article <271@moene.UUCP> toon@moene.uucp (Toon Moene) writes:
>In article <1992Apr6.023836.19469@cis.uab.edu> hyatt@cis.uab.edu (Robert  
>Hyatt) writes:
>> In article <267@moene.UUCP> toon@moene.uucp (Toon Moene) writes:
>> >
>> >Yeah, that's the problem with these guys from NASA; they always want to  
>> >get physical ... But the real question - of course - is: what does a 
>> >Cray cost ? (Well I know I can just use the one at the European Centre 
>> >for Medium-Range Weather Forecast - but it's a bit loaded there).
>> >Soooo, two questions here:
>> >- Does the Y-MP EL (or whatever it's acronym is) run at room 
>> >  temperatures (say 5-30 degrees C) ?
>> >- What does an entry level system cost (if I have to chose between a 
>> >  house at 150 K and a Cray, I'd choose the latter ...
> 
>> I think you (we) are talking about two different machines.  The YMP-EL 
>> is not the same as the YMP that I saw sitting at Supercomputing '91.  
>> They had a "wimpel" (YMPEL) there, but it is MUCH smaller than the YMP 
>> box.  The YMP I saw was (I believe) a 2 processor machine running at 
>> 6.0ns as most do.  If I misunderstood what I saw, I'm sure a Cray person 
>> can jump in here.  As to ambient temp operation, yes, it was setting in  
>> the exhibit hall at a nice, comfortable 75+ degrees and was screaming 
>> right along.
>
>> Can't answer the pricing....  need a Cray salesman to jump in here....
>
>Hmm, clearly I wasn't clear enough :-)  I know the difference between  
>Y-MP's and YMP-EL's (although I never saw the latter type - I've been  
>sysadmin'ing a Y-MP4/64 for about half a year).  The point I tried to make  
>is that you don't want a Y-MP in your study; not only because it is too  
>expensive and takes up a lot of room, but also because the necessary  
>infra-structure (cooling, electricity requirements, etc.) is quite  
>complex.  I just wondered if the YMP-EL fell more in the class of 'home  
>computers' :-) in that it is 1) air cooled, 2) powered at normal appliance  
>voltages (220 V here), 3) can operate at room temperatures, 4) doesn't  
>need a special dust free environment, and 5) is within the budget of  
>individuals.  Sure someone from CRI can fill us in on the details ...
>
>--
>Toon Moene (toon@moene.uucp)
>Kantershof 269, 1104 GN  Amsterdam, The Netherlands
>Tel.: + 31 20 6982029; Fax: + 31 20 6003411
>No Disclaimers; a NeXT at home protects against this occupational hazard.

it would seem that the YMP/EL and the YMP/2E both meet your requirements.  THe
2E at supercomputing was (a) operating at room temp  (b) used air cooling (an
unusual "chimney" at the back serves as some type of heat exchanger) (c) used
your "normal" 208VAC power  (d) operated in the exhibit hall with MAX dust
(e) is within the budget of anyone owning a Fortune-500 company [  :^) ]

The alpha will probably be closer to what you are asking for when it shows up
in a package.  At least a "normal" person can afford one, although the /EL is
not "out of sight" it is nearly "out of reach" --- and this is cheaper than the
/2E.


-- 
!Robert Hyatt                    Computer and Information Sciences   !
!hyatt@cis.uab.edu               University of Alabama at Birmingham !