Blanca Condo Cluster
The RC condo computing service "Blanca" offers researchers the opportunity to purchase and own compute nodes that will be operated as part of a shared cluster. The aggregate cluster is made available to all condo partners, while owners maintain priority access to their nodes. As of 2025, Blanca has approximately 230 nodes.Ìý
Benefits to partners include:
- RC covers all data center costs (rack space, networking, redundant power, and cooling).
- RC staff provides system configuration and administration, as well as technical support for users.
- Partners only pay for the up front cost of their node(s) for the first five years, during which the node is under warranty. ÌýBulk discount pricing is available for all compute node purchases.
- RC will continue to operate the node(s) for up to two years beyond the warranty -- for a total of seven years -- as long as the hardware remains serviceable and the partner chooses to do so. Ìý
- During this two-year post-warranty period, the partner will be responsible for any costs associated with hardware failures (e.g., SSD, RAM cards, network cards, etc).
- Partners have priority access on nodes that they own and can run preemptable jobs on any nodes that are not currently in use by other partners.
- Partners may access a standard software stack appropriate for a range of research needs.
- Jobs may access storage that is common to all RC clusters (/home, /projects, PetaLibrary, and /scratch/alpine).
- Partners are able to install additional software applications as needed.
Please note that nodes ordered for Blanca might be deployed as one in a set of four to be housed in a single chassis owned by Research Computing. Node owners are responsible for providing a chassis (and other peripherals) if they wish to reclaim such nodes after their end-of-life in CURC.Ìý
Blanca nodes can be purchased during one of the bi-annual ordering windows, which occur in Autumn (Sep/Oct) and Spring (Mar/Apr). Details on specific windows will be advertised via CURC's weekly newsletter when the window opens. Persons interested in purchasing one or more Blanca nodes may join the curc-users email list-serve to receive the newsletters. Additionally, those with interest may email rc-help@colorado.edu anytime and request that we reach out to you when the next ordering period opens.
Example node configurations and approximate costs (as of Fall 2025) are indicated below. ÌýQuotes may be customized on request. Potential Blanca partners will receive the finalized quote for review and approval before RC initiates their purchase. All quotes include a five-year warranty during which any hardware failures on the nodes is covered.
| Ìý | CPU | Memory | SSD | CPU Model | Base Clock (GHz) | GPUs | Cost | Lead Time | Additional Notes |
| Option 1 | 64 cores AMD | 256 GB | 480 GB | EPYC 9354 | 3.25 | None | $17,368 | 2 wks | Ideal for general-purpose computing applications. |
| Option 2 | 128 cores AMD | 512 GB | 480 GB | EPYC 9534 | 2.45 | None | $25,703 | 2 wks | Optimized for high core count and memory requirements. |
| Option 3 | 64 cores AMD | 256 GB | Ìý1.6 TB | EPYC 9354 | 3.25 | 2 x NVIDIA L40S | $33,270 | 2 wks | A cost-effective entry into GPU computing. |
| Option 4 | 128 cores AMD | 512 GB | 1.6 TB | EPYC 9534 | 2.45 | 2x NVIDIA H100 | $78,678 | 2 wks | High core AMD CPUs, more RAM, and substantial GPU resources |
** Prices are listed as a guideline and are subject to change when quoted for the order.Ìý
Note: For custom orders or further inquiries, please contact CURC directly.
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