Supermicro Ready To Go with nVidia Grid solutions

Comparing the parallel computing performance of a graphic card to a CPU is like comparing the shoe-wearing ability of a centipede to a human. While the applications and environments around the GPU don't always allow it to maximise throughput, there is enough processing power under the bonnet to let it rip through some tasks in a way that CPUs may never be able to manage. KitGuru parses a new update from Supermicro and ponders the significance.

Earlier today, Supermicro UK announced that the latest addition to its Ready To Go (RTG) server range was a family of products based on nVidia's Grid Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI).

In the past, applications like autoCAD, Bunkspeed, PTC Creo, Synerscope and Insight Earth would run on a local machine for one person. Now these applications can be virtualised and run remotely – without losing responsiveness or any of the multimedia experience.

Miodrag Relic, head of marketing for Supermicro in the UK, updated us to say “As our Ready To Go range continues to evolve, the addition of VDI servers with nVidia Grid shows we are delivering leading edge technologies to the market well ahead of the curve”.

For the right kind of task, the set up proposed by Supermicro seems very appealing. More appealing is the price that Supermicro is making available around the launch.

Faheem Karim, Head of Sales at Supermicro UK told us, “With 50% off as an introductory offer, customers wanting to run a proof of concept with nVidia's Grid solution will not find a better time to access VDI”.

To understand the way nVidia's solution is being positioned and to which markets, it's probably best to speak with VP Walter Mundt-Blum.  He said “Grid gives users of virtualised desktops the performance, stability and compatibility of hardware-accelerated graphics. Remote users involved in everything from product design to manufacturing to supply chain management can now enjoy the benefits of desktop and application virtualisation with nVidia Grid technology”.

Sure, Grid will be available from a number of suppliers, but Supermicro's Relic was keen to point out that his RTG systems come with a comprehensive SLA (Service Level Agreement) that includes next day delivery and enhanced warranty services as standard. Nice to know that if you hit an issue, it can be resolved quickly and efficiently – especially when you're spending the big bucks.

KitGuru gaming enthusiasts (and we know you're one of them!), will also be glad to know that Grid has other applications in the online space, including cloud gaming technology. Right now, we all stream video etc to our compute-enabled devices, well with Grid, you will also be able to play 3D games where the core runs remotely – each frame being encoded and transmitted in real time. Nice.

Supermicro Grid solutions include Ready To Go models RZ-1240i-NVK1 and RZ-1240i-NVK2, which means:-

• Support for Ivy Bridge Xeon E5-2600 v2 CPUs
• 1U form factor with optimised thermals
• Compatibility with virtualisation solutions from Citrix, Microsoft and VMware
• 1800W Redundant Power Supplies designed to run at significantly higher efficiencies of up to 94+, which Supermicro claims will reduce energy loss and the total cost of ownership
• Internal optimisation for additional power saving
• The special 50% off promotion seems to run from 28th October for 50 days

For more technical and contact information, you can check this page.

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KitGuru says: The UK's National House Building Council recently used nVidia's Grid technology to completely revamp their IT infrastructure – including virtualisation to allow 500 workers from across the country to work in a flexible, seamless way. If this is the kind of solution you have been considering – then it's hard to ignore a 50% price cut on key hardware.

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