[Marvio]

Hello all,

What a wonderful resource you guys have here for the SGI community! I just signed up for the forums, and I'm sure this question has been asked before, but after a quick search on different forums I couldn't find a thread related to buying an SGI machine recently...

I would love to get my hands on an SGI machine, you see, I used one many moons ago to do 3D rendering for a local TV station, and fell in love with it! The machine I used was the Terzo, apparently they had spent their whole IT budget on that machine for the year!

I went to the "usual suspects" online: Ebay, CL, a couple of SGI related sites, but either could not find a whole machine, or the prices were completely "out there"

So, I guess my question is...
Is it the case that SGI machines still command such prices? I've seen Octane's for 6 grand plus? That seems pretty "salty" to me, for something that is a "curiosity" at this point. I do realize there may be some hospitals out there still using SGI machines to run their CT scans, maybe a production house or two? But the actual use case scenario for these computers has to be pretty "thin" at this point, no?

I'm in the Boston area, does anybody here know where I could go, where I could look, to find some more reasonably priced machines? I've heard of people buying them at estate auctions and such, but I've no idea where to start

Thanks everybody!

[Irinikus]

My advice is for you to decide what machine it is that you want, and start a search on eBay for that type of system. Good deals do pop up from time to time, you just have to be patient. You can also post in the "Wanted Hardware" section of this forum.

In the US you do have Mashek systems http://mashek.com and 3ddoc https://www.ebay.com/usr/3ddoc?_trksid=p...1543.l2754, who will be able to sell you good systems for a price. (They do give discounts to hobbyists!)

[Jacques]

Welcome!

Don't narrow your search down to say just a Tezro, unless that is what you want. Octanes are very useable with the older software as well, or maybe a good spec Indigo2 or high spec O2.

I would say anything above a dual 250Mhz R10k (or single 300Mhz) Octane with 1Gig of ram and a VPro is plenty for a hobbyist. Heck, even a MXE system is very capable.

Octanes do pop up every now and then for around $300+, if you're patient.

[Intuition]

Ah, to have a nice big purple Tezro deskside.

For a span of years there was always at least one or two Tezros on Ebay.

Someone in Europe or China, can't remember, had a very nice one for $8000 that had everything maxxed out.

Now days you are lucky if you can find a rackmount version for under $2000.

I would echo that getting a good Octane or Octane 2 with dual processor will give you a pretty good Irix and 3D software experience for much less money and likely less hardware troubleshooting as well.

Do you remember what 3D software you did the renders in?

[shrek]

I have ordered Octane2 RAM, a hard disk, and skins from Mashek Systems. Their prices are a bit high but there’s a warranty and you know exactly what you’re getting. Look around on eBay, as that’s your best bet for cheaper systems. Or take a look at the marketplace section of the forum here. SGI workstations aren’t cheap but my Octane2 was under $1k. These machines don’t exactly run much intensive software outside of 3D stuff, which is all obsolete now. So getting entry or mid range specs will allow you to play with the OS just fine without paying out the rear for top of the line rare parts you won’t even utilize for anything serious.

[Trippynet]

My advice:

1) Patience is key with this if you want to score a nice system for a sensible price.

2) Check eBay/CraigsList regularly, or set up an automated search. There are a number of systems at silly prices, but also some genuine bargains do crop up from time to time.

3) "Maxxed out" systems almost always fetch a major price premium, try to aim below maximum spec if you want a decent price. Remember, you can always upgrade later! Same goes for buying from the likes of Mashek etc. If you go for a more modest spec initially, you'll get it for *much* cheaper.

4) Post in "Wanted hardware" here, and also keep an eye on the forum in general. People here do often decide to sell systems on - and you'll usually get a pretty fair price if it is from someone on this forum.

5) You could also speak to Ian Mapelson at SGI Depot. He's based in the UK, but does ship worldwide (using bomb-proof packaging) and his more middling-spec systems are priced pretty reasonably. He might be able to line you up with a nice starter system for a pretty decent price if the shipping costs aren't too high.

[kirikoo]

A "bargain" for Xmas here ! : https://www.ebay.com/itm/50416005200-SGI...3323036953

[Intuition]

I saw that one.

I wonder if he even searched for other o2 on Ebay?

Ridiculous price for any o2... even brand new.

[shrek]

Isn’t that like 3-4x the price of a brand new O2 back in the day? Lol

[uunix]

Problem is shipping for most folk.. I have a shit load I'll be selling, but I'm afraid you can't ship these unless you know what you are doing and that's where the likes of Ian and co come in, but the flip side is you pay for that service.