Cubix GPU-Expander for Octane Render

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Cubix GPU-Expander for Octane Render

Postby PhilBo » Wed May 19, 2010 2:35 am

PhilBo Wed May 19, 2010 2:35 am
Cubix has come out with a great piece of hardware, the GPU-Xpander for Octane Render. It allows you to quickly add more video cards to an existing computer without having to upgrade to a motherboard with more PCI-E slots or installing a larger power supply. The product is really easy to install and provides a great solution to Octane Render users looking to add more pixel pushing power to their rig. A GPU-Xpander was used to create the Multi-GPU video posted last week and it worked great.

For more information, please visit http://www.cubixgpu.com or http://www.refractivesoftware.com/cubix.html

Sincerely:

Phil
Win7 64| Two GTX 470s | Phenom II 920 | 8 GB
Win7 32| GTX 260 | Athlon X2 5000+ BE | 2 GB
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Re: Cubix GPU-Expander for Octane Render

Postby jipe » Wed May 19, 2010 3:31 am

jipe Wed May 19, 2010 3:31 am
I'm curious if Cubix plans on offering the GPU-X without the GTX 260? I imagine a lot of people here would be interesting in paying a bit less for the bare box, as most are probably planning to fill it with GTX 4xx cards and would rather not be forced to purchase an older card. Anything that gets the price down to around $800 seems like it would be closer to the "sweet spot", especially considering that the default warranty appears to be just a year and I can't seem to find how much an extended warranty would cost.

I'm also wondering what kind of power supply is used in the unit and whether it would be user replaceable in the event that the power supply died and needed to be replaced (same question regarding the fan(s) in the unit). The recent news that Galaxy may be coming out with a single slot GTX 470 also raises the possibility that more than 750W may be necessary for a fully loaded box.

And this last note is probably meaningless to most people since this is basically just a render box that sits under the desk, but the enormous logos are a bit tacky/over the top. I don't really expect Lian-Li type design from a render box, but man, those logos are huge. A solid black case would be pretty slick, but I suppose my tastes tend toward the minimal.

Anyway, props to Cubix for coming out with a very interesting product. I'm sure a lot of people here are interested, and I know this is a niche product so the price is never going to be as low as we would probably like, but it's definitely a nice option to have. Oh, and one last question: in the news section, the April 12 post mentions a $95 discount for those who provide proof of purchase of an Octane license. Is this still an option?
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Re: Cubix GPU-Expander for Octane Render

Postby havensole » Wed May 19, 2010 4:24 am

havensole Wed May 19, 2010 4:24 am
Well I don't work for Cubix, but I've been testing one of the new GPU-x boxes for a little while now. To get a full 4 single width gpu's you will need the Xpander Pro 2 model, as the GPU-x box only supports 2 cards. The PSU looks like a standard atx style, but I haven't opened it up enough to full check this. Should be pretty easily replaceable if need be though. I doubt you will have any issue with the fan. The thing is huge and it works very well. The logo is only on one side of the box and I think it works great. So far I love the box.
System 1: EVGA gtx470 1280Mb and MSI gtx470 1280 in Cubix Xpander for Octane, AMD 945, 4Gb Ram
All systems are at stock speeds and settings.
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Re: Cubix GPU-Expander for Octane Render

Postby jipe » Wed May 19, 2010 2:35 pm

jipe Wed May 19, 2010 2:35 pm
Thanks for the heads up, glad it's working well. I saw Radiance did some tests and noticed almost no difference in speed with both cards running off the same PCI-E slot (just slightly longer initial load times), which is great to hear.
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Re: Cubix GPU-Expander for Octane Render

Postby havensole » Wed May 19, 2010 4:45 pm

havensole Wed May 19, 2010 4:45 pm
I noticed roughly the same thing here with my 2 gtx 470's in the GPU-x.
System 1: EVGA gtx470 1280Mb and MSI gtx470 1280 in Cubix Xpander for Octane, AMD 945, 4Gb Ram
All systems are at stock speeds and settings.
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Re: Cubix GPU-Expander for Octane Render

Postby EricNV » Wed May 19, 2010 9:55 pm

EricNV Wed May 19, 2010 9:55 pm
Hi everyone,

On behalf of everyone here at Cubix Visual & GPU Compute Solutions, thanks to PhilBo for the praise!

Just to clear up any misunderstandings: Only the base unit features a GTX 260. We can ship the product with 1-2 GTX 470 cards, 1-2 GTX 480, 1-2 Tesla C1060, 1-2 Quadro anything including 2 x FX 5800 (it's in the product pictures :))

Oops! Forgot to mention upgrades for Mac and laptop users: 1-2 GTX 285 for Mac, 1-2 Quadro FX 4800 for Mac, ExpressCard 34 connectivity (by definition, PCIe x 1 only).

If you look at our upgrade options, we're pretty aggressive on GTX and Tesla pricing. Maybe you are wondering how purchasing the Xpanders with graphics cards benefits you? Well, the primary benefit is the ability for Cubix to support you via website, phone call or e-mail. And we don't charge extra (at present) for support! We do burn-in tests of all configurations overnight before we ship products to customers.

Please feel free to call or e-mail me direct with any questions.

EricNV
[email protected], [email protected]
US ph# +1(775)888-1000 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              +1(775)888-1000      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, ext 276
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Re: Cubix GPU-Expander for Octane Render

Postby radiance » Wed May 19, 2010 10:01 pm

radiance Wed May 19, 2010 10:01 pm
I also would like to say something, we have been using the units here for testing and they are really good.

maybe not the right solution for tinkerers that have the time and knowledge to build exotic machines,
but it's wonderfull to be able to take your laptop, xpander and projector to a meeting and give a presentation with octane in unbiased quality with 2x GTX480.
you can even show them what colour the paint on the walls would look like as you change it in real-time.

Also, If you have a PC at home and one at work, you can take your GPU power with you in the morning, and take it home in the evening for gaming.
It's also been very handy for us to swap cards on different machines to test our multi-gpu functionality.

I think the prices are quite reasonable. Carrying a PCI-E signal over a 2 meter cable is no easy task, so congrats to cubix.

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Win 7 x64 & ubuntu | 2x GTX480 | Quad 2.66GHz | 8GB
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Re: Cubix GPU-Expander for Octane Render

Postby havensole » Wed May 19, 2010 10:24 pm

havensole Wed May 19, 2010 10:24 pm
I agree. I am doing the same thing, with taking the gpu's back and forth from work and home. It works great to not have to deal with all the cables and such with my PC, especially when I have almost the same specs on the one here at work. I also look at it like this. You are not just buying a device that gives you another PCIe slot, but an independent psu, much better cooling, and portability. The cooling benefit is really one of the best things to my mind. If you are using a laptop/macbook, then having the abiltiy to render somewhat on the go is awesome.
System 1: EVGA gtx470 1280Mb and MSI gtx470 1280 in Cubix Xpander for Octane, AMD 945, 4Gb Ram
All systems are at stock speeds and settings.
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Re: Cubix GPU-Expander for Octane Render

Postby EricNV » Wed May 19, 2010 10:42 pm

EricNV Wed May 19, 2010 10:42 pm
Looks like I've got the next blog subject figured out :)

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Re: Cubix GPU-Expander for Octane Render

Postby EricNV » Wed May 19, 2010 11:19 pm

EricNV Wed May 19, 2010 11:19 pm
I'm also wondering what kind of power supply is used in the unit and whether it would be user replaceable in the event that the power supply died and needed to be replaced (same question regarding the fan(s) in the unit). The recent news that Galaxy may be coming out with a single slot GTX 470 also raises the possibility that more than 750W may be necessary for a fully loaded box.
All upgrade options include a 750W auto-ranging power supply. I will double-check with Customer Service, but I believe we ship out a complete new unit in the event of a component failure.

Regarding power supply requirements for 2 x GTX 480, since Xpander is only driving the graphics cards instead of the entire PC, 750W is plenty of juice.
Oh, and one last question: in the news section, the April 12 post mentions a $95 discount for those who provide proof of purchase of an Octane license. Is this still an option?
Yes, for right now please make note of this request in the ordering form, and the price charged on your order will reflect this discount.

Cubix Visual & GPU Compute Solutions offers extended warranties through 4th year. Until these warranty options are loaded into the Online Store, please figure on the following extended warranty prices: 2nd year = 6% of Xpander price in cart, 3rd year = 11% of Xpander price in cart, 4th year = 15% of Xpander price in cart.

Eric Fiegehen (aka EricNV)
Director, Visual & GPU Compute Solutions
Cubix Corporation
Ph# (775)888-1000, ext 276
[email protected], [email protected]
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