Are there any alternatives to multi-core CPUs like Xeon/Opteron for parallel Erlang computing?

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Disclaimer: the author has tried his best to ask a question that will not be closed like the previous one.

I have written a piece of Erlang software, that has proven:

  • to be N times faster than its non-parallel counterpart;
  • to scale nice on processors with more cores.

I would like to know if there is a cheaper alternative to rather expensive Xeon/Opteron.

I would like to have a multi-core CPU, which:

  • has more cores/threads than Xeon or Opteron processors;
  • can have lower frequency, than Xeon or Opteron (500 MHz is ok, the Erlang application doesn't do any number crunching);
  • is possible Linux/Erlang to be run on;
  • is cheaper that Xeon or Opteron processor.

I have found this list, but maybe there are already some best practices on which multi-core CPUs to use for Erlang parallel computing.

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erlangparallel-processingmulticore
Maybe try Server Fault instead? I think the reason the original one is closed isn't avoided--your question is still essentially about hardware. I agree it's a tricky grey area, so for what it's worth, I wouldn't advocate closing this but--not really my call to make. - Anna

1 Answers

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The Niagra chip ( now Oracle, formally Sun ) was quite impressive when I used it 6 years ago. But it didn't really introduce any cost savings. A T-1000 ( now called a Ultra T1 ) was about the same price and performance as a 2Ghz Quad Core Opteron based Dell server at the same price point at the time.

$300 US isn't expensive for the processors you are looking at. CPUs aren't expensive considering how powerful they are. CPU price to performance ratios are at an all time low comparatively.

You can always pick up older slower equipment at fractions of the price of new equipment if you really are on a constricted budget. Equipment coming off lease is usually dirt cheap.