SBC Clusters are a terrible value, but they're fun anyway
3 hours ago
- SBC clusters offer poor value for money but are enjoyable for hobbyists and learning HPC.
- The DeskPi Super4C improves on the Super6C with ESP32 remote management and dual Ethernet/power inputs.
- A minimum cluster with four Raspberry Pi CM5s costs about $600, and a full build can reach $1,400, far more than a comparable mini PC.
- In HPL benchmarks, the Super4C performed similarly to student-built clusters in the SBCC competition.
- Use cases include HPC tinkering, multi-camera vision processing, Arm build farms, and redundant edge computing.
- For a simple homelab, a single mini PC is more cost-effective than an SBC cluster.