Talos™ Frequently Asked Questions
| Q: | Where can I find detailed, low-level documentation for the POWER8 CPUs? |
| A: | IBM has published a significant amount of detailed design and software documentation online. A good place to start is downloading and reading the complete POWER ISA v2.07, along with checking out the resources available from IBM's OpenPOWER Connect landing page. |
| Q: | Are the libre-toolchain FPGAs integrated onto the mainboard? |
| A: | The libre-toolchain FPGAs mentioned on the prerelease page are integral to the board and handle multiple critical system functions; they take the place of many of the proprietary ASICs normally used by mainboard designers to handle such tasks as power sequencing and IRQ routing. As such, the Talos™ mainboard offers unprecendented opportunities to customize and tweak the lowest levels of hardware and software operation. |
| Q: | What graphics processor drives the integrated HDMI output? |
| A: | The VGA controller of ASpeed AST2400 BMC is used to provide the integrated HDMI graphics output. This is primarily a 2D, non-accelerated output that should be replaced by an appropriate discrete GPU; the discrete GPU can be selected and purchased separately based on your specific requirements. One such recommended add-on would be an nVidia GK104-based card, which is a reasonably modern GPU that can be initialized by and used with the libre Nouveau driver. Should a discrete GPU be installed, the integrated GPU can either be safely disabled or used as a secondary display output, contingent on software support. |
| Q: | Will the provided heatsink / fan cool the processor sufficiently to prevent thermal throttling at full load? |
| A: | Yes! We are working with our heatsink vendor and the original IBM heatsink design to ensure that the 190W of heat generated by the CPU at full load can be dissipated into a normal office environment. We will be publishing recommended environmental maximum limits within which the system will not experience thermal throttling when operated according to design specifications. |
| Q: | Do you recommend specific RAM modules? |
| A: | While a full RAM HCL is not yet available, at this time we are able to recommend Hynix 16GB x4 ECC RDIMMs operating at DDR3 PC-12800 speeds. These modules were used to generate the memory benchmarks on the main Talos™ information page. |
| Q: | How many logical CPUs will Linux see? |
| A: | Due to the POWER8's 8-way SMT, Linux will see the number of physical cores multiplied by 8. For example, with the stock 130W 8-core CPU, Linux will show 64 logical cores. This is configurable at runtime with a small loss of overall performance when the SMT level is reduced. |
| Q: | May I purchase more than one Talos™ mainboard from the initial run? |
| A: | Yes! We can accomodate order sizes up to and including bulk retail shipments. Special offers and/or pricing may be available on orders of 10 units or more; please contact us at sales@raptorengineering.com for more information. |
| Q: | Your site mentions patents and copyright. Why? |
| A: | We believe in the intrinsic value of hard work and innovation, and would prefer that other manufacturers design their own hardware instead of re-using our designs, slapping a different logo on them, and shipping them without the libre-friendly features that make Talos™ unique. We do not intend to, nor will we, enforce any of these intellectual property rights against our customers, commercial or non-commercial, who, repair, enhance, or otherwise modify. analyze, or reverse engineer their Talos™ board(s). The sole intent is that we remain in control of official Talos™ mainboard manufacture to prevent non-affiliated manufacturers from creating non-libre boards based on Talos™. |
| Q: | Are there plans to reduce mainboard cost in the future? |
| A: | Yes! Provided that the initial Crowd Supply funding goals are met, and after shipment of the initial Crowd Supply systems, pricing of subsequent POWER8-based Talos™ systems will likely be reduced as part of the normal product life cycle. This should, in turn, make Talos™ systems affordable to more individuals, and help to grow the POWER ecosystem even further. |
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