GPU-Xpander

GPU-Xpander Product FamilyGPU-Xpander is an economical way to enhance the Input/Output (I/O) power of your computer. GPU-Xpander is a hardware-only solution that expands the I/O capability of your computer by adding slots, power and cooling. Each GPU-Xpander can add two, four or more PCI Express (PCIe) slots to your computer. Add high-powered graphics processing units (GPU) cards for mathematical high-performance computing (HPC), graphical rendering or color correction to your existing computer with GPU-Xpander. Each PCIe slot in your computer can support a GPU-Xpander with two or more slots.

  • For connecting GPU-Xpander to desktop computers, click here.
  • For connecting GPU-Xpander to laptop computers, click here.
  • For connecting GPU-Xpander in a rack mount environment, click here.

Overview
GPU-Xpander allows you to convert your desktop tower PC or rack mount computer into a workstation with multiple adapters and controllers, including high-end, 3D graphics, audio and other multi-port IO adapters such as FireWire, USB 2.0 or Gbps Ethernet for thousands of dollars less per seat than buying a specialized, overpriced GPU-enabled PC.

Use your favorite “slot and watt limited” PC – Dell®, HP®, IBM®, white box – to tackle HPC and/or graphical rendering projects.  It takes only a few minutes to supercharge your PC by adding a GPU-Xpander to make scientific calculations or graphical rendering lightning fast.

GPU-Xpander allows you to re-purpose your favorite brand or corporate approved PCs as CUDA-enabled GPU engines to run scientific compute-intensive applications or graphics rendering applications such as Autodesk® 3ds Max or Bunkspeed® Shot with Mental Images iray, Acceleware® Solvers and Adobe® Creative Suite® 5.

GPU-Xpander provides an independent life support system with its own power and cooling dedicated to the GPU or GPUs themselves. GPU-Xpander is a PCI Express bus extender, so you don’t tax your existing PC’s cooling capability, power supply, or violate its warranty by operating it beyond its specifications.

GPU-Xpander offers you a choice of three PCIe connection transfer rates (x1 at 5Gbps, x8 at 40Gbps, and x16 at 80Gbps) and offers either two or four PCIe expansion slots. If your computer has multiple PCIe slots, you can install a host adapter in each slot and connect each adapter to a GPU-Xpander. If your rackmount computers have a free PCIe slot, you can also provide for your rackmount computers to support multiple GPUs using GPU-Xpander Rack Mount products.

Retrofit existing computers
If you are thinking about adding powerful graphics or other IO adapters to your existing computers, learn from the experiences of others.  There are a lot of uncertainties. Is there adequate power for an additional 280Watt graphics controller in your PC?  GPU-Xpander OverviewHow about enough power for two double-wide 250Watt controllers?  Will adding a high-powered graphics controller overheat your computers?  Do you have enough physical space for one or two graphics controllers inside your computers?

With GPU-Xpander, all the questions about using existing computers have positive answers. Your existing computers remain as they are and your worry disappears.  Or you can start fresh with new low cost computers, add GPU-Xpanders and get the same cost-saving, performance-enhancing results. All you add are device drivers. GPU-Xpander requires no software.

Specialized oversized, overpriced computers
Buying proprietary oversized workstations to run GPU-enabled and HPC applications will put you at odds with your purchasing department. Why invite conflict? Instead, use your limited but familiar corporate approved computers with GPU-Xpanders. This combination allows you to garner the best possible return on your PC investments under existing service contracts, familiar sourcing and corporate purchasing standards.

You need GPU-Xpander if the hardware and software combination you intend to use runs in your computer but causes over-current or overheating problems. GPU-Xpander is a hardware-only solution: no software required. GPU-Xpander provides its own power supply and cooling; it requires no power from the host computer. Simply plug the host adapter in your computer's PCIe slot, connect GPU-Xpander, power up and install device drivers.

Support a variety of single and multiple GPUs
GPU-Xpander, depending upon the model, supports one to four NVIDIA® GPU adapters including but not limited to:

  • Quadro™ FX 3800 / 4800 / 5800
  • Quadro 4000 / 5000 / 6000
  • Tesla™ C2050 / C2070
  • GeForce™ GTX 470 / 480 / 580

Support a variety of PCIe adapters and controllers
GPU-Xpander supports one to four multi-port, multi-function PCIe adapters including:

  • FireWire
  • USB 2.0
  • Gbps Ethernet fiber-optic or copper
  • Professional audio

Support a variety of software
GPU-Xpander supports a variety of operating systems and applications, including but not limited to:

  • Acceleware® Solvers
  • Adobe® Creative Suite®
  • Apple® OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard (some NVIDIA products, e.g., GTX470/480, require Boot Camp 3.x and Windows drivers)
  • Autodesk® 3ds Max or Maya with Mental Images iray
  • BlackMagic Design® DaVinci Resolve 7.1 and 8.0
  • Bunkspeed® Shot with Mental Images iray
  • Microsoft® Windows® 7 / Vista / XP
  • Refractive Software Octane Render
  • The MathWorks™ MATLAB®
  • Wolfram Research® Mathematica®

Simple Installation and Use
Installation is straightforward.  Install the GPU and driver in your PC or Mac Pro, verify operation and shut down. Replace the GPU with a Cubix host interface controller (HIC) in the same PCIe slot, move the GPU to GPU-Xpander, connect the cable from the GPU-Xpander to the HIC and boot your host computer. Now you are ready to harness the power of GPU-computing!

GPU-Xpander is also available in rackmount versions for use with rackmount Cubix XpanderBlades or other rackmount servers. A rackmount server needs only rack space available immediately above or below it and a PCIe slot available. Install a HIC in each rackmount host computer, connect each to GPU-Xpander and install the device drivers. Now your “slot and watt limited” rackmount computers have one or more GPUs or other adapters available.

GPU-Manager for Microsoft Windows
Cubix GPU-Manager is an application that provides management of graphics processing unit (GPU) clusters in Cubix GPU-Xpander enclosures. The primary aims of GPU-Manager are asset management, health monitoring and technical support data of GPUs. GPU-Manager runs under Microsoft Windows but does not support PCIe devices that are not GPUs. If you run Microsoft Windows on computers connected to GPU-Xpander, you can download and install GPU-Manager by creating an account on the Cubix Website here.

  • Asset Management - GPU-Manager collects data from distributed GPU clusters into a central management console that lists the following:
    • all attached GPU-Xpander enclosures
    • the GPUs within each GPU-Xpander enlosure
    • GPU capabilities such as number of GPU cores, amount of RAM, etc.
    • operating system and software driver version numbers
  • Monitoring - GPU-Manager continuously monitors GPU clusters, and provides the following:
    • link status, number of lanes, and link speed for each enclosure
    • temperature, fan speed and GPU load characteristics for each GPU

GPU-Xpander Models

GPU-Xpander Desktop 2

  • GPU-Xpander 5 is a desktop unit that provides a maximum bandwidth of 5Gbps and 4 PCIe Gen 2 x16 (x1 electrical) with external x1 connectivity to the host computer. GPU-Xpander 5 connects to a HIC in a tower computer. GPU-Xpander 5 is best suited for moving the connecting cable from one host computer to another because its connector provides a 1,500 mating duty cycle.
  • GPU-Xpander 40 is a desktop unit that provides a maximum bandwidth of 40Gbps and 2 or 4 PCIe Gen 2 x16 slots (x8 electrical) with external PCIe x8 connectivity to the host. The cable connectors provide a 250 mating duty cycle.
  • GPU-Xpander 80 is a desktop unit that provides a maximum bandwidth of 80Gbps and 2 PCIe 2.x x16 (x16 electrical) with external x16 connectivity to the host. GPU-Xpander 80, with its fast transfer rate, is ideal for use in high-end, 3D rendering or HPC. The cable connectors provide a 250 mating duty cycle. Black Magic Design has certified DaVinci Resolve 7.1 to run with GPU-Xpander Desktop 2.

GPU-Xpander Desktop 4

  • GPU-Xpander 4 is a desktop unit that provides a maximum bandwidth of 80Gbps and four PCIe Gen 2 x16 (x16 electrical) slots with external x16 connectivity to the host. GPU-Xpander 4, with its fast transfer rate, is ideal for use in high-end, 3D rendering or HPC. The cable connectors provide a 250 mating duty cycle. Black Magic Design has certified DaVinci Resolve 8.0 to run with GPU-Xpander Desktop 4.

GPU-Xpander Rack Mount

  • GPU-Xpander Rack Mount 2 provides a 1.5U enclosure with 2 PCIe Gen 2 x16 slots that support 2 double-wide GPUs. Connecting cables and host adapters are available in standard x8 or optional x16.
  • GPU-Xpander Rack Mount 6 provides a 4U enclosure for any 3 of the models above: GPU-Xpander 5, 40 and 80. It provides 3 GPU-Xpander units with 2 or 4 PCIe Gen 2 x16 slots each. Connect to the GPU-Xpander units with 3 host adapters in one host computer or with an adapter in each of 3 host computers. Connecting cables are available in standard x8 or optional x16 or x1.
  • GPU-Xpander Rack Mount 8 provides a 4U enclosure with 2 or 4 GPU-Xpander units with 2 or 4 PCIe Gen 2 x16 slots each. Connect to the GPU-Xpander units with 2 or 4 host adapters in one host computer or with an adapter in each of 2 or 4 host computers. Connecting cables are available in standard x8 or optional x16. Black Magic Design has certified DaVinci Resolve 8.0 to run with GPU-Xpander Rackmount 8.
  • GPU-Xpander Rack Mount 16 provides a 4U enclosure 4 or 8 GPU-Xpander units with 2 or 4 PCIe Gen 2 x16 slots each. Connect to the GPU-Xpander units with multiple host adapters in a few host computers or with an adapter in each of 2 to 8 host computers. Connecting cables are available in standard x8 or optional x16.

Which GPU-Xpanders are best for me?
Use the questions listed here and the flow chart below to identify which GPU-Xpanders are best suited for your requirements.

  • I want to connect tower computers one at a time to 2 to 4 graphics adapters each.
    GPU-Xpander 5 is a desktop unit that provides 4 PCIe x16 slots with the option to add several PCIe host adapters (one adapter per host). The x1 connector duty cycle provides 1,500 mating cycles, so you can move GPU-Xpander 5 from one host to another as needed.
  • I want to connect tower computers to 2 double-wide adapters each.
    GPU-Xpander 40 is a desktop unit that provides 2 PCIe x16 slots with a host adapter for a PCIe x8 or x16 slot and a transfer rate of 40Gbps.
  • I want to connect tower computers to 2 double-wide adapters each with the fastest possible transfer rate to/from the adapters.
    GPU-Xpander 80 is a desktop unit that provides 2 PCIe x16 slots with a host adapter for a PCIe x16 slot and a transfer rate of 80Gbps. Black Magic Design has certified DaVinci Resolve 7.1 to run with GPU-Xpander Desktop 2.
  • I want to connect tower computers to 4 double-wide adapters each with the fastest possible transfer rate to/from the adapters.
    GPU-Xpander 4 is a desktop unit that provides 4 PCIe x16 slots with a host adapter for a PCIe x16 slot and a transfer rate of 80Gbps. Black Magic Design has certified DaVinci Resolve 8.0 to run with GPU-Xpander Desktop 4.
  • I want to connect one computer to 2 double-wide GPUs within a rack mount cabinet.
    GPU-Xpander Rack Mount 2     provides 2 PCIe Gen 2 x16 slots that support 2 double-wide GPUs in a 1.5U rackmount chassis. 
  • I want to connect one computer to 6 double-wide GPUs or three computers to a pair of GPUs each, all within a rack mount cabinet.
    GPU-Xpander Rack Mount 6 provides 6 PCIe x16 slots for double-wide GPUs or up to 12 slots for single-wide GPUs, all within one 4U rack mount enclosure.
  • I want to connect 1 to 4 computers to 2 to 8 GPUs each with my choice of x8 or x16 connectivity to the host computers.
    GPU-Xpander Rack Mount 8 provides a 4U enclosure with 2 or 4 GPU-Xpander units and 2 or 4 PCIe Gen 2 x16 slots each. Black Magic Design has certified DaVinci Resolve 8.0 to run with GPU-Xpander Rackmount 8.
  • I want to connect 2 to 8 computers to 2 to 8 GPUs each with my choice of x8 or x16 connectivity to the host computers.
    GPU-Xpander Rack Mount 16 provides a 4U enclosure with 4 or 8 GPU-Xpander units and 2 or 4 PCIe Gen 2 x16 slots each.

For details or answers to specific questions, visit one of the GPU-Xpander product model pages or contact Cubix. For part numbers, prices and purchase information, visit the Cubix GPU On-line Store.

Which GPU-Xpanders are best for me?