Introducing... GPU Turbine

[p3taoctane]

I agree.. while you are in planning stages.. thunderbolt for sure. You open up your mac market that way

[Seekerfinder]

Why not vertical?.. That just seems like that would make more sense. Heat rises and perhaps less stress on cards and slots...

Good observation, Frank. It could indeed be vertical. We'd like to offer a certain level of flexibility with the unit and we may extend that to vertical OR horizontal - we'll look at it. However, there were many considerations during the design and we felt that the PSU at the base makes sense. We have a solution to support the cards. The i/o cable reach also played a role in the design - more info on that to be released in due course.

You gonna have an black anodized aluminum version? Acrylic kinda looks cheap - and some don't need/want to see GPUs.

Personally I'm not convinced that a black anodized sleeve at that scale would be that nice. However, the housing could be replaced with an opaque material. For version 1 though, it will most likely be a clear material and we think the majority of people will either want to see the GPUs, or not be concerned with it too much - like those who stick a render farm in the basement.

Thanks for the valuable feedback.

Best,
Seeker

[Seekerfinder]

Since it uses such a large diameter fan, the fan might not have to turn at speeds high enough to add significantly to the noise inherent in running 7xGTX Titan Xs. But if there's a custom order option I'd like a two fan model for a push-pull effect (more cooling when both fans are operating and a backup should one fail), with a push fan in the front and a pull fan in the back, sort of like this [ http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id- ... ation.html ] with the GPUs treated (as they really are) like radiators. My wondering mind: cylindrically shaped GPU enclosure + cylindrical air ducts = multi purposing-> Now I'm wondering whether there is a sufficient extension on the rear of the cylinder to allow me to attach ducting to fit around it tightly to divert that heat to some other environmental sound use (thus taking it far away from the room housing the system) such as to warming other cool spaces [ discussed here [ http://render.otoy.com/forum/viewtopic. ... 92#p224792 ] } when the weather is cold or very cool (we just had one of the coldest winters that I've experienced here - is it climate change?) or to divert the heat out my structure during the blazing hot summers we have here in the southern US. I could send the warm air into the heating system's return air duct when it's cool/cold; lower the thermostat or just run the fan; and use that heat to do what I'd otherwise use costly fossil fuels to do. A cooler/heater would be a win-win environmentally and just require that the cylinder extend an inch beyond that rear fan that I'd like. A third "win" would be the transporting of the heat from the room housing the system -> leading to cooler GPUs.

P.S. Just don't forget to close the warmth supply ducts to the room that you want to keep cool. Furthermore, I completely relinquish any proprietary interest in any of these suggestions. So whoever choses to use them to help preserve our environment or otherwise to improve anything they have in mind is free to do so - we're all cousins and I love you all.

I did respond to a PM from Tutor covering most of this post, but for the sake of posterity, I'll just add a few of those comments here and of course for the sake of others:
- While I think Tutor's suggestion to re-use excess heat is a very sound one, the GPU Turbine fan is not designed to push large volumes of air through a duct. We're trying to keep the fan motor as quiet as possible - and low speed. We're still working on the motor design;
- A second fan at the rear of the unit is not required since we're merely removing ambient heat by augmenting the card's integrated cooling fans. A second fan would also add complexity which we are always trying to avoid;
- One way to achieve Tutor's suggestion to re-purpose the heat, is to place a bell-mouth fitting on a custom stand right behind the Turbine with an integrated fan that is designed to move the air as far/fast as you need to in a particular situation.

Best,
Seeker

[00Ghz]

Nice idea about heating the house. I remember how I used to heat my room this winter by setting the GPU’s to render something intensive. Definitely an idea worth pursuing.

[Seekerfinder]

Here [ http://render.otoy.com/forum/viewtopic. ... 55#p226955 ] I posted about the beauty of the human mind; now Seeker introduces Exhibit 1: Simple, Beautiful, Innovative and Functional. It's just what I want. Seeker is a mind reader too.

Music to our ears... Thanks for always having something encouraging to say, Tutor! Now we have two reasons to appreciate you - that, and your vast experience (with your crazy many computer systems) which you share here!

Best,
Seeker

[Seekerfinder]

I agree.. while you are in planning stages.. thunderbolt for sure. You open up your mac market that way

We hope to cover as many bases as possible. However, thunderbolt interface cards are generally more bulky than other options, which may limit the amount of usable card slots. We would hope we could accommodate Thunderbolt somehow though.

Anybody know what the maximum number of GPU's are that an Apple user has managed to rig up? No point really in using GPU Turbine for 1 or 2 cards - for that there are other solutions that seem to work well.

Best,
Seeker

[p3taoctane]

So far the limit is Four. I'm running two Z's on a pretty small extension card that can be powered by the PSU that you will have

I'll send you a picture of it over the weekend.

Keep at it

Peter

[prehabitat]

A horizontal trashcan ...sick sick

Would be cool if it would use thunderbolt 2 somehow.

I completely agree with 00Ghz on this one Seeker,

GPUT + flexi daisy chain thunderbolt solution + Mac firmware modded cards = $$$$$$$$4u

[Tutor]

... .
- One way to achieve Tutor's suggestion to re-purpose the heat, is to place a bell-mouth fitting on a custom stand right behind the Turbine with an integrated fan that is designed to move the air as far/fast as you need to in a particular situation.

Best,
Seeker

Good idea.