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1. trhway+(OP)[view] [source] 2026-02-04 06:25:37
>That would make your solar panel (40kg) around $60K to put into space.

with the GPU costing the same, it would only double the capex.

>Even being generous and assuming you could get it to $100 per kg that's still $4000

noise compare to the main cost - GPUs.

>There's a lot of land in the middle of nowhere that is going to be cheaper than sending shit to space.

Cheapness of location of your major investment - GPUs - may as well happen to be secondary to other considerations - power/cooling capacity stable availability, jurisdiction, etc.

replies(3): >>blacko+k1 >>estoma+Ae >>iso163+wt
2. blacko+k1[view] [source] 2026-02-04 06:38:00
>>trhway+(OP)
Any idea, what is the estimated cost of a Google TPU. It may not make sense for Nvidia retail price but at cost price of Google.
replies(1): >>trhway+F6
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3. trhway+F6[view] [source] [discussion] 2026-02-04 07:27:32
>>blacko+k1
Can only speculate out of thin air - B200 and Ryzen 9950x made on the same process and have 11x difference in die size. 11 Ryzens would cost $6K, and with 200Gb RAM - $8K. Googling brings that the B200 cost or production is $6400. That matches the numbers from the Ryzen based estimate above (Ryzen numbers is retail, yet it has higher yield, so balance). So, i'd guess that given Google scale a TPU similar to B200 should be $6K-$10K.
4. estoma+Ae[view] [source] 2026-02-04 08:30:44
>>trhway+(OP)
> with the GPU costing the same, it would only double the capex.

Yes, only doubling the capex. With the benefits of, hmm, no maintenance access and awful networking?

replies(1): >>ndsipa+PD
5. iso163+wt[view] [source] 2026-02-04 10:27:10
>>trhway+(OP)
> jurisdiction

This is the big thing, but Elon's child porn generator in orbit will be subject to US jurisdiction, just as much as if they were in Alaska. I guess he can avoid state law.

If jurisdiction is key, you can float a DC in international waters on a barge flying the flag of Panama or similar flag of convenience which you can pretty much buy at this scale. Pick a tin-pot country, fling a few million to the dictator, and you're set - with far less jurisdiction problems than a US, Russia, France launched satellite.

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6. ndsipa+PD[view] [source] [discussion] 2026-02-04 11:45:17
>>estoma+Ae
Don't forget the major problem with cooling
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