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Fuel Systems

Last Change: 27/Oct/2009

Fuel Parts/Spares

I have numerous Fuels available; too many to list, so here are some example configurations, grouped by CPU-type. See after the table for warranty information, optional discounts, extras, upgrades, notes, etc. Any 'special offers' I currently have available are shown before the main table.

All configurations come with a free QLOGIC Dual-channel QLA1280 U2W SCSI card, power cable and a free 9GB disk containing a clone backup copy of the system disk.

Main Table, more valuable systems listed first. Use price differences and later tables to calculate alternative configurations, or just contact me for a quote.

                                       Disk
Ref                       RAM   Banks  Size   Disk   GFX    5.25"     Cost
No.  CPU Type  MHz  L2    (MB)  Used   (GB)   RPM    Type   Device    (UKP)

 1   R16000SC  700  4MB   4096    2    147    15K    V12    DVDROM    1540
 2   R16000SC  700  4MB   2048    1    147    15K    V12    DVDROM    1365
 3   R16000SC  700  4MB   2048    2    147    15K    V12    DVDROM    1320
 4   R16000SC  700  4MB   1024    1    147    15K    V12    DVDROM    1255
 5   R16000SC  700  4MB   1024    1    147    15K    V10    DVDROM     855
 6   R16000SC  700  4MB   1024    1    147    10K    V12    DVDROM    1215
 7   R16000SC  700  4MB   1024    1    147    10K    V10    DVDROM     815
 8   R16000SC  700  4MB   1024    1     73    15K    V10    DVDROM     795
 9   R16000SC  700  4MB   1024    1     36    15K    V10    DVDROM     765
10   R16000SC  700  4MB   1024    1     73    10K    V10    DVDROM     770
11   R16000SC  700  4MB   1024    1     36    10K    V12    DVDROM    1150
12   R16000SC  700  4MB   1024    1     36    10K    V10    DVDROM     775
13   R16000SC  700  4MB   1024    1     36    10K    V10   16/10/40    750
14   R16000SC  700  4MB   1024    1     36    10K    V10   40X CDR     730
15   R16000SC  700  4MB   1024    1     36    10K    V10   32X CDR     725
16   R16000SC  700  4MB   1024    1     36    10K    V10     NONE      700

17   R14000SC  600  4MB   4096    2    147    15K    V12    DVDROM    1190
18   R14000SC  600  4MB   2048    1    147    15K    V12    DVDROM    1015
19   R14000SC  600  4MB   2048    2    147    15K    V12    DVDROM     970
20   R14000SC  600  4MB   1024    1    147    15K    V12    DVDROM     905
21   R14000SC  600  4MB   1024    1    147    15K    V10    DVDROM     505
22   R14000SC  600  4MB   1024    1    147    10K    V12    DVDROM     865
23   R14000SC  600  4MB   1024    1    147    10K    V10    DVDROM     465
24   R14000SC  600  4MB   1024    1     73    15K    V10    DVDROM     445
25   R14000SC  600  4MB   1024    1     36    15K    V10    DVDROM     415
26   R14000SC  600  4MB   1024    1     73    10K    V10    DVDROM     420
27   R14000SC  600  4MB   1024    1     36    10K    V12    DVDROM     800
28   R14000SC  600  4MB   1024    1     36    10K    V10    DVDROM     425
29   R14000SC  600  4MB   1024    1     36    10K    V10   16/10/40    400
30   R14000SC  600  4MB   1024    1     36    10K    V10   40X CDR     380
31   R14000SC  600  4MB   1024    1     36    10K    V10   32X CDR     375
32   R14000SC  600  4MB   1024    1     36    10K    V10     NONE      350

33   R14000SC  500  2MB   4096    2    147    15K    V12    DVDROM    1090
34   R14000SC  500  2MB   2048    1    147    15K    V12    DVDROM     915
35   R14000SC  500  2MB   2048    2    147    15K    V12    DVDROM     870
36   R14000SC  500  2MB   1024    1    147    15K    V12    DVDROM     805
37   R14000SC  500  2MB   1024    1    147    15K    V10    DVDROM     405
38   R14000SC  500  2MB   1024    1    147    10K    V12    DVDROM     765
39   R14000SC  500  2MB   1024    1    147    10K    V10    DVDROM     365
40   R14000SC  500  2MB   1024    1     73    15K    V10    DVDROM     345
41   R14000SC  500  2MB   1024    1     36    15K    V10    DVDROM     315
42   R14000SC  500  2MB   1024    1     73    10K    V10    DVDROM     320
43   R14000SC  500  2MB   1024    1     36    10K    V12    DVDROM     700
44   R14000SC  500  2MB   1024    1     36    10K    V10    DVDROM     325
45   R14000SC  500  2MB   1024    1     36    10K    V10   16/10/40    300
46   R14000SC  500  2MB   1024    1     36    10K    V10   40X CDR     280
47   R14000SC  500  2MB   1024    1     36    10K    V10   32X CDR     275
48   R14000SC  500  2MB   1024    1     36    10K    V10     NONE      250

Options/Upgrades (see the Parts/Spares page for a full list):

Add 400 to upgrade V10 to V12.
Add 95 to include an original SGI Copper Gbit Ethernet PCI card.
Add 75 to include a Revolution 7.1 PCI Audio Card.
Add 45 to include an Audigy2 PCI Audio Card (not quite so good quality, but does the job).
Add 175 to include an extra 2GB RAM kit.
Add 65 to include an extra 1GB RAM kit.
Add 195 to include a dual-port LSI U320 PCI SCSI card
Add 125 to include a dual-port U160 LVD/SE PCI SCSI card (2 x 160MB/sec, QLOGIC QLA12160)
Add 40 to include a dual-port U2W LVD/SE PCI SCSI card (2 x 80MB/sec, QLOGIC QLA1280)
Add 35 to include a single-port U2W LVD/SE PCI SCSI card (80MB/sec, QLOGIC QLA1080)
Add 25 to include keyboard and mouse
Subtract 20 if you don't mind a unit with scratches, etc.


      WARRANTY     |  <------- System Value (UKP) ------->
       TABLE       |  Up to 599 | 599 to 1499 |   1500+
----------------------------------------------------------
Default cover      |   30 days  |   60 days   |  90 days
Extend to 60 days  |     +50    |      -      |     -
Extend to 90 days  |     +95    |    +150     |     -
Extend to 6 months |    +195    |    +295     |   +495
Extend to 1 year   |    +395    |    +595     |   +995

NOTE: These configurations are not fixed. I can upgrade/downgrade
as required. Use the upgrade prices below or price differences above
to calculate other combinations, or feel free to email me or call if
you're interested in a configuration not shown above.

The main table above already shows the different disk option prices,
but here is an upgrade/downgrade table (old disk along the top, new
disk down the side on the left, all disks are 1" high), eg. to upgrade
from a 36GB 10K to a 73GB 15K, add 45. Remember that unlike Octane,
Fuel can take good advantage of a 15K drive, eg. more than 95MB/sec
from a Maxtor Atlas 15K II.

Old Disk ->     RPM: |  10K  |  15K |  10K | 15K   | 10K
              Space: |  36GB | 36GB | 73GB | 73GB  | 147GB
           -----------------------------------------------
New         10K 36GB |    -  |   -  |   -  |   -   |   -
Disk        15K 36GB |   15  |   -  |   -  |   -   |   -
 |          10K 73GB |   20  |   5  |   -  |   -   |   -
 |          15K 73GB |   45  |  30  |  25  |   -   |   -
\|/        10K 147GB |   65  |  50  |  45  |  20   |   -
           15K 147GB |  105  |  90  |  85  |  60   |  40

For an extra disk with sled, merely select the disk required from the
SCSI Disks Table.


The main table is ordered in terms of CPU speed. Choose the example closest to your needs in the table, then add on any extras as required (or discounts) - see the list of example optional extras/upgrades after the table, or the Parts/Spares page for the full list. If you're not sure, feel free to email me. Please widen your browser window to see the full table.

Please see the Fuel section of the Parts/Spares page for a full list of available upgrades and extras. Further items such as DVDROM/CDROM/CDRW/DAT units, SCSI cables, etc. can be found on the SCSI Items page.

Please see my Origin3000 Architecture page for background information on the architecture Fuel is based on. Fuel is effectively a single-CPU Origin3000 with one VPro graphics pipe).


See the shipping costs page for details of postage charges to the UK, mainland Europe and beyond. A typical shipping cost would be 25 UKP for a UK destination, and between 30 and 75 UKP for most mainland European destinations. For destinations beyond Europe, see the shipping costs page for full details. Alternatively, a personal collection is welcome; I live in Edinburgh, Scotland. Or I can deliver by train/bus if the distance isn't too far (buyer just covers my travel expenses).


DVI monitor cables and adapters are also available - please see the monitors page for details.


Detailed Notes

All systems have a full installation of IRIX 6.5.30m (my own special installation with lots of extras such as Blender, BMRT, Ayam3D, mplayer, OpenOffice, Freeware, Nekoware, Quake2, Quake3, etc.) Adobe Premiere 4.2 is installed, plus many other items, including a good custom desktop layout. A typical installed software list in Software Manager looks like this, though I can of course customise in any way required, or even just put on a default installation with no extras if preferred.

All systems come with the Octane2 VPro demos CD, my custom SGI Nekoware split (8 CDs) and my SGI Gifts CDs. See the IRIX CDs page for details of these CDs. Alternatively, I can include a full 6.5.30 CD set for +50 (email for details).

If you require a hinv output of any configuration, let me know and I will send it to you. Similarly, I can send any photos required of any system or part.

V12 graphics is the best graphics option available. V12 has 128MB combined VRAM/TRAM (up to 108MB for textures) and supports more resolutions than V10.


Background Information (Comparisons with Octane2)

For full details, see my Fuel page, but here is a summary...

CPUs found in Fuels range from R14K/500 (2MB L2) to R16K/900MHz (8MB L2), with speeds of 600, 700 and 800 inbetween. 800MHz and 900MHz systems are much harder to find and thus more expensive, but even a 700MHz CPU causes a significant price jump.

The maximum RAM is 4GB (4 DIMM slots). The system architecture compared to Octane2 has 4X faster SCSI (U160 instead of UW), 2X faster PCI (which comes built-in as standard!), 2X faster RAM, 2X faster system bandwidth, lower RAM latency, less noise, but audio is not included as standard. An M-Audio Revolution 7.1 PCI card is the best audio board to look for, though this card is rather costly even 2nd-hand; the other board one can use is the Audigy2 ZS, but it's not as good as the Revolution 7.1 (does the job, so to speak). Fuel does have some degree of support for Firewire and USB (see www.nekochan.net for details).

Fuel has two internal 5.25" bays included, DVDROM typically fitted, but not always; some people have been able to use DVDR/DVDRW drives ok, but this does require a recent version of IRIX and up-to-date Nekoware apps (I can install 6.5.30 instead if required). The system has two internal 3.5" bays for disks, though one could always employ the 5.25" bays for extra disks aswell if required.

For raw speed, a 500MHz Fuel can be 40% to 50% faster than a 400MHz Octane2 with a good disk, ie. a better speed increase than is implied merely by the 25% higher clock speed. Application startup times are much improved. Fuel can take good advantage of a nice 15K drive since it has U160 SCSI. The graphics can only be V10 or V12 (just one pipe), but Fuel can get more out of them compared to the same options in Octane, though one would only notice this if working with more dynamic datasets, or if some aspect of displaying the model was CPU/memory bound, eg. repeated conversion from a prioprietory database to Performer. Overall, for any equivalent single-CPU/gfx combination, Fuel is better value for money than Octane2, ie. bette bang for your buck.

Fuel already has 4 PCI slots included. PCI with Octane requires either the expensive PCI cage or an XTalk adapter, so Fuel has an advantage here. If you can make good use of dual CPUs, then Octane2 may be a better choice though, eg. for use with Blender, Maya, SoftImage, or other applications that can use dual-CPUs for rendering (any professional video, animation or effects package will be able to use dual-CPUs). Thus, if single-threaded speed is more important (ie. running applications such as OpenOffice, Seamonkey or Firefox), then a 600MHz Fuel with a 15K disk is a very nice system (I recommend the Maxtor Atlas 15K II), especially if you don't care about audio since most Fuels do not come fitted with an audio board by default, whereas Octane has audio built-in as standard. By contrast, dual-CPU Octanes are very cool when using applications that can use multiple CPUs, but good dual-CPU systems (ie. dual-R12K/400 or better) ar a lot more expensive than a single-CPU Octane.

See the Nekochan site for further hardware information on Fuel.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to ask!

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