A somewhat hopeful note it that the Bulldozer server chips called "Interlagos" have started shipping to customers.

http://www.amd.com/us/press-releases/Pages/am...-processors-2011sep7.aspx

David, that's hilarious! The kid is adorable, though....

I chuckle because, when I'm reading news items about Bulldozer, Google always puts ads for tractors, plows, and the like on the side of my screen. I guess that's what they come up with by putting together "Bulldozer" with me being in Iowa.

Got to get one of those

It would be great if there was a self build kit

Takes me back to my Hobby Electronics days. I checked on Ebay and....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HOBBY-ELECTRONICS-MAGAZINE-October-1980-/250853833479

I must have been the only 12 year old kid in the street with an oscilloscope!

(Courtesy of my Uncle Ken - the TV repair man. It had so many valves in there it would cause a local brown out when I switched it on )

Remember this...

"
I've just negotiated a new deal with my electricity supplier

First 728KWh per year £0.1848 inc VAT
Unit rate after 728KWh £0.1151 inc VAT
Night Rate Midnight until 7am £0.0457 inc VAT

All prices GBP - so you see why we need absolute efficiency in the UK those are the cheap prices !!!!
"


Well from the 1st October 2011

First 728KWh per year £0.1978 inc VAT ($0.3136/KWh)
Unit rate after 728KWh £0.1232 inc VAT ($0.1953/KWh)
Night Rate Midnight until 7am £0.0489 inc VAT ($0.0775/KWh)

It averages out (so they say) to a 7.8% increase (on top of the 5% they added in April)

So I will need to get even more efficient to stay ahead

From what I can find out on the Internet it costs about twice as much for the power to crunch a work unit in the UK as it does the US

US average

http://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/images/cha...ctricity_sector-large.gif

It now costs the average UK Cruncher 90% more today (even before the October increase) for Electricity than it did when the WCG first kicked off on the 16th Nov 2004

90%+ increase in less than 7 years

Here's to the next 7

David, you are lucky to be able to negotiate. Here in Switzerland the market is monopolistic. The country is divided between electrical power distribution companies, that are unique and have a legal monopoly to apply the fares as they please in their region. Over the years the cost has increased regularly and now it is more than the double as it was 20 years ago. Do not forget that in Switzerland electricity is produced by Nucelar power and Hydro at about 50% share each. Both have low running costs and power plants have been amortized long ago. Margins of those distributors (majority of their capital is in hands of municipalities) are very high and so correspond to an indirect tax. I feel like a sheep that is regularly shaved for free.