back to article Facebook one-ups Google with open hardware release

Four years after Facebook open sourced its data center hardware with the Open Compute Project, the company has done it again with a server built for deep learning neural networks. Dubbed Big Sur, the reference design uses eight high-performance GPUs of up to 300 watts each to crunch data in an air-cooled rack that fits with …

  1. Mage Silver badge
    Alert

    If this is so good ...

    Why is Facebook such a piece of uselessness?

    1. Amorous Cowherder

      Re: If this is so good ...

      Is it though? Global village, "happy online family" bullshit aside, Facebook is a business and designed to turn a profit. Investors and advertisers seem more than happy to continue to plow ever larger sums into Facebook's coffers in order to get just a lick of the large chunk of users on the FB site. So if money is going into FB, it's achieving it's goal and keeping the FB accountants happy.

      The ethics of farming people's lives for details to sell and the interfaces offered by FB to the populace they appeal to, oh dear Lord yes those are bloody awful!!

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The great mystery...

    ...is how FB can know so much about me, my every post, my every click, and yet still deliver such wide-of-the mark recommendations.

    It's almost as if so-called social media "engagement" is barely better than random noise. I know, right?

  3. Bob Gateaux

    Wet bottom

    If Facebook is so clever with the deep learn why they have to throw such special extra hardware at it? I think they have lots of idiots but lots of money.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Waiting for the day

    when this idiocy with Facebook's and Google's datacenter will stop.

    YOUR datacenter is NOT like theirs. YOUR applications are NOT like theirs and THEIR applications are NOT like YOURS.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      FAIL

      Re: Waiting for the day

      Reading the article, they've made no such assumption.

      The open hardware allows everyone and anyone to modify to their own needs.

  5. Electron Shepherd

    It's very big!

    Other companies are getting 4 GPUs or Phis into 1U. That looks like at least 4U to me.

    1. flokie

      Re: It's very big!

      It certainly looks like 4U.

      I'm curious as to what the CPUs are. 2x E5-2600 v3 CPUs would only provide 80 PCI-e lanes, so surely this has to be a 4 socket box?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: It's very big!

      Off the shelf components by the look of it.

      By allowing full-height PCI cards gives greater versatility of components.

  6. DCLXV

    Please, Sur

    I want some more

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Facebook Artificial Intelligence

    Because they have a deficit of the Real stuff.

  8. Charlie Clark Silver badge
    FAIL

    What a crap article, rehashed PR is not news

    All of this will make uncomfortable reading for the AI boffins at Google.

    It's an easily maintainable server box. Big fucking deal. I'm sure that has the chaps and chapesses at Google quaking in their boots!

    Server density, memory speed, network interconnects, total power draw, etc. are probably what keep the engineers in Mountain View awake at night.

    1. Disko
      Trollface

      Re: What a crap article, rehashed PR is not news

      agreed, this reads like a press release with some editorial lines put in for easier digestion. Fine for your average tech blog site, but I"m afraid Vulture Central has spoiled us (I'd say rotten but that's hardly on El Reg)... bestowing upon us lavish servings of rapier wit and biting sarcasm.

      If it had said: "Facebook, in an attempt to amp up the AI arms race, annouced a piece of concept kit to show off its rabid desire to win this particular hardware-measuring contest with The Alphabet Podpeople to all and sunder." or somesuch we would have been more entertained.

      That being said, "WLL IT RUN CRYSIS IN 4K at 100 FPS?1!!|?¿!1? is still the only relevant metric...

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Licensing

    Per core licensing suddenly looks increadably expensive...

    8x 2048 core GPUs (assuming GTX 980) + 2x 4 core CPUs (assuming its a dual socket server).

    = a license for 16,392 cores.

    Ouch.

  10. ecofeco Silver badge

    I wonder who Facebook is rebranding?

    I wonder who Facebook is rebranding?

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