Uploaded July 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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In November 2003, this configuration of HP AlphaServer ES47 would have cost at least $133,000 (see the price sheet below). We'll take a look at the system inside and out, and we'll listen to the loudest system fans I've ever heard on a computer.

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00:00 Intro
01:27 100 pounds of computer
07:07 CPU board revealed
11:30 CPU upgrade gone wrong
13:50 AGP?!?
18:42 Your biggest fan
22:09 NUMA and 64 AGP slots
25:57 Countdown to leaf blower
29:34 Booting to Linux
33:10 CPU info, kernel build, 720 watts
36:24 CPU package, bare board, smashed heatsink
43:17 Sweet relief of quiet
44:25 Closing words

North Carolina - Government Compaq Branded Alpha Price List Effective 11/22/03:

ftp.zx.net.nz/pub/archive/ftp.compaq.com/pub/US/state/ncgovalphalist.pdf

Matt's web page with additional information about this specific machine:

mattst88.com/computers/es47