Mining rig extraordinaire - the Trenton BPX6806 18-slot PCIe backplane [PICS]

[rjk]

If you need an example of a working .conf I can provide it.

However, I may require you to come over to relay chats just to be mean since you quit forever.

aha, still haven't forgiven old cocktopus for disappearing? If I can't get something going, I'll be sure to show up and ask you for tech support.

[rjk]

Either that, or cut the backplanes and only leave the very top screw mount and the overhang (so it balances on the beam).

This is the part that I want to get fabricated, so I can keep the original brackets for resale. Unless someone wants to sell me a bunch of brackets? They could actually be from any reference card model, as long as it has the 2 screws at the top, since the rest would be getting chopped off.

Would this single wide bracket work?  EDIT: More info here.

Available here for ~$2 each.

I bought a bunch of these, and they were a flop. The tabs don't line up with the mounting holes on the cards, so I had to chop them off, and then I realized that the screw holding the bracket on was pushing the card away from the support beam. The stock bracket is held on by the DVI connector screws, since I had removed the top screws so the card would fit flush to the support beam. I guess I'll see what kind of hash and temps I can get with the stock bracket, and then move to 5970s or 7990s with a proper single slot bracket.

[Spotswood]

Either that, or cut the backplanes and only leave the very top screw mount and the overhang (so it balances on the beam).

This is the part that I want to get fabricated, so I can keep the original brackets for resale. Unless someone wants to sell me a bunch of brackets? They could actually be from any reference card model, as long as it has the 2 screws at the top, since the rest would be getting chopped off.

Would this single wide bracket work?  EDIT: More info here.

Available here for ~$2 each.

I bought a bunch of these, and they were a flop. The tabs don't line up with the mounting holes on the cards, so I had to chop them off, and then I realized that the screw holding the bracket on was pushing the card away from the support beam. The stock bracket is held on by the DVI connector screws, since I had removed the top screws so the card would fit flush to the support beam. I guess I'll see what kind of hash and temps I can get with the stock bracket, and then move to 5970s or 7990s with a proper single slot bracket.

Sorry to here about that. 

What if the top "clamp" part of the PCI support bracket was a lot wider?  Is there enough of an edge/surface on a GPU card that a wider clamp's foam could press onto?

[rjk]

Sorry to here about that. 

What if the top "clamp" part of the PCI support bracket was a lot wider?  Is there enough of an edge/surface on a GPU card that a wider clamp's foam could press onto?

Not sure if I totally understand, but the support beam clamp arrangement is plenty wide. However, the note about the screws interfering is just because the clamp sections are thick, and the GPU support bracket is designed to be sitting on thin steel, so the screws are right up near the top of the bend in the bracket. With the stock bracket, the screws aren't totally necessary because the DVI connectors have screws that hold it on.

Also, the screws that hold the clamp together are dead center in the width of it, but ideally should be in the empty space where the screws on the card bracket usually go. Sorry the picture is blurry, but you can see the repeating pattern in the foam where the brackets are, and if you look to the right side where there is a dot that is sticking through, that's where a screw hole should be since that is a void in the card's bracket.

[Spotswood]

Here's a pic of what I was thinking...



The PCI mounting bracket is removed.  The (new) overhanging piece of aluminum bar presses down onto an edge of the GPU card.

[rjk]

Here's a pic of what I was thinking...

http://i715.photobucket.com/albums/ww153/Spotswood_/20SlotTraywoverhangingclamp.jpg

The PCI mounting bracket is removed.  The (new) overhanging piece of aluminum bar presses down onto an edge of the GPU card.

Hmm, that's an interesting idea, so the foam would just be on the Crossfire connectors. And then you would need something to support the bottom of the upper level as well. I think for now I will just leave it, since the eventual plan is for dual-GPU monster cards which presumably will have proper single-slot brackets available from watercooling shops.

I could even do no support at all on the lower levels by removing the card brackets totally, and then leave the brackets on the upper cards so that they can hold themselves up, but the upper cards will also be able to have more airspace between them since they are on flexible risers and not plugged into the board. That is probably the best compromise for now.
Reference this pic to see how the upper cards have space:



And once I get some more riser cables, I'll plug some of them in series so that they can reach over to the side carriers (that's what they are there for, after all).

[Garr255]

And once I get some more riser cables, I'll plug some of them in series so that they can reach over to the side carriers (that's what they are there for, after all).

I'm pretty interested in whether that will work. I've been considering trying that and setting a gpu on top of my cd drive xD But all the responses I've gotten say either "idk" or "i wonder..."

dual-GPU monster cards

I guess when you get virtualization set up this will work flawlessly. This project is easily cooler than any ASIC or FPGA! (Sarcastic pun unintended, but lol.)

I'm really happy to be a part of this.

[rjk]

And once I get some more riser cables, I'll plug some of them in series so that they can reach over to the side carriers (that's what they are there for, after all).

I'm pretty interested in whether that will work. I've been considering trying that and setting a gpu on top of my cd drive xD But all the responses I've gotten say either "idk" or "i wonder..."

Should work fine, as long as you aren't trying to game on it. Mining is low bandwidth, and a couple of my rigs have this: PCI-to-PCIe adapter, which goes to a x1 to x16 riser cable, which connects to a powered x16 to x16 riser, and then the video card. Works fine.

dual-GPU monster cards

I guess when you get virtualization set up this will work flawlessly. This project is easily cooler than any ASIC or FPGA! (Sarcastic pun unintended, but lol.)

lol yeah, it should be pretty cool with these fans. BTW how is that controller coming along?

I've been trying to work out the eventual efficiency of this, but I don't have good numbers on the power draw of the board itself or the new SHB that I have ordered that supports VT-d. Removing the fans on the cards saves me a few watts, but the monster blowers that I am installing use 48 watts each or something huge like that. Maybe less when PWM'd down to 30% or whatever. The PSUs are reasonably efficient, and I will be running them on 240VAC, (hmm that reminds me I need to update the second post with some more goodies that I bought...) so I will have to find a good way to monitor the current. I wonder if the PDU I bought has current monitoring, it might actually.

[twoBitBasher]

I do hope that the virtualization does allow unlimited amount of passthroughs because damn it would be sad for this not to fly!
All the howtos I could find about KVM was about basic device passthroughs. And some vague mentions about how someone made patches for GPU passthrough but no GPU specific tutorials. 

[ice_chill]

Would be cool for AMD to add support for linking cards using Crossfire bridge only, then you could link unlimited cards and run them off 1 PCIe slot.

[DiabloD3]

Dear Lord.

[mcorlett]

Dear Lord Santa.

[DiabloD3]

Dear Lord.

Please make it say "hello Professor Falken" when you turn it on 

No no no, make it sound like HAL. If we're going for classics, HAL > WOPR.

[Garr255]

Would be cool for AMD to add support for linking cards using Crossfire bridge only, then you could link unlimited cards and run them off 1 PCIe slot.

^ The Bitcoin miner's Utopia.

The fan controller is coming along nicely though I've been really busy with school this week. Do you prefer the GUI to have settings from 0-255 or 0%-100%? I think the raw pwm values would be better, but its your choice.

[rjk]

Would be cool for AMD to add support for linking cards using Crossfire bridge only, then you could link unlimited cards and run them off 1 PCIe slot.

^ The Bitcoin miner's Utopia.

The fan controller is coming along nicely though I've been really busy with school this week. Do you prefer the GUI to have settings from 0-255 or 0%-100%? I think the raw pwm values would be better, but its your choice.

Wow it has a gui and everything ?!! Whichever way is easier, I don't mind. Hopefully it isn't stuck to windows or something, actually I'm not even sure how you are planning on interfacing with the cards at all (probes?).

[bulanula]

And once I get some more riser cables, I'll plug some of them in series so that they can reach over to the side carriers (that's what they are there for, after all).

I'm pretty interested in whether that will work. I've been considering trying that and setting a gpu on top of my cd drive xD But all the responses I've gotten say either "idk" or "i wonder..."

Should work fine, as long as you aren't trying to game on it. Mining is low bandwidth, and a couple of my rigs have this: PCI-to-PCIe adapter, which goes to a x1 to x16 riser cable, which connects to a powered x16 to x16 riser, and then the video card. Works fine.

I thought the limit in the PCI spec was 19 cm due to latency issues

How long is the total setup and is the card performing worse in terms of MHash/s ?

Thanks !

[rjk]

I thought the limit in the PCI spec was 19 cm due to latency issues

How long is the total setup and is the card performing worse in terms of MHash/s ?

Thanks !

It probably is longer than spec, but that doesn't apply to the low bandwidth needs of bitcoin mining. It is overclocked and going just as fast as the other 5 cards in the same rig.

[twoBitBasher]

I was wondering what kind of noise does the server PSU make compared to traditional consumer PSU? In your case it is probably irrelevant as those delta screamers would drown out even a jet engine

[oldDirty]

Sry if i overlook the answer, but what OS is operated here on this backplane?

[rjk]

I was wondering what kind of noise does the server PSU make compared to traditional consumer PSU? In your case it is probably irrelevant as those delta screamers would drown out even a jet engine

I haven't got it started yet, but I have ordered the plugs and a PDU for it so I'll try it soon. It has a smaller Delta fan inside, which is pretty loud. It is of superb design and build quality; every component is well placed and thought out. It should be able to throttle down the fan when idle or low load, so it shouldn't be too loud normally.

Sry if i overlook the answer, but what OS is operated here on this backplane?

None yet, but probably will be KVM.