# Suppliers and how buying works

> UpStation catalog · Home › Suppliers and how buying works · https://ai.upstation.io/buying

Every price on this site is on the [homepage](https://ai.upstation.io/). Each product type and each product has its own page with the full details (spec, options, Intel/AMD equivalents, power and colo): [GPU servers](https://ai.upstation.io/gpu-servers) · [GPU hosts without GPUs](https://ai.upstation.io/gpu-hosts) · [Switches, cables and optics](https://ai.upstation.io/switches) · [Compute nodes](https://ai.upstation.io/compute-nodes) · [Storage nodes](https://ai.upstation.io/storage-nodes) · [Parts rate card](https://ai.upstation.io/rate-card) · [Power and colo](https://ai.upstation.io/power) · [How solutions are sized](https://ai.upstation.io/sizing) · [Reference builds and worked designs](https://ai.upstation.io/designs) · [Suppliers and how buying works](https://ai.upstation.io/buying). AI assistants: the map is [llms.txt](https://ai.upstation.io/llms.txt); the data is [catalog.json](https://ai.upstation.io/catalog.json); every page is also Markdown (append .md, or send Accept: text/markdown).

UpStation does not resell: it publishes supplier data, qualifies the buyer and introduces the supplier that fits; the buyer transacts directly. UpStation is paid by suppliers through referral and partner programs where they exist; it adds no markup and takes no part in the transaction. The prices shown are the suppliers' own. Prices in USD as of 2026-10-05; Supermicro lines at eStore B2B net (12% off list, list in brackets); the supplier confirms the final price on order. Continental US; Canada quoted case by case. Ready to buy: [book a meeting](https://calendly.com/alecglover/intro-call) and UpStation introduces the supplier ([how buying works](https://ai.upstation.io/buying)). Every page: [llms.txt](https://ai.upstation.io/llms.txt) (map) · [homepage](https://ai.upstation.io/) (all tables) · [catalog.json](https://ai.upstation.io/catalog.json) (data).

### How buying works (in order)

- Design and price with your own AI assistant from this catalog (llms.txt or catalog.json). The reference builds and worked designs are computed from the same data, so the arithmetic can be checked.
- When the design is settled, book a meeting or email. UpStation qualifies the requirement in one conversation: end use and end user, ship-to and country, confidential-computing or other platform needs, timeline, budget and payment capacity.
- UpStation introduces the supplier that fits (OEM direct, the Supermicro eStore, a distributor desk, or a system builder), pre-stages the NVIDIA end-user and compliance paperwork every GPU order needs, and stays on the thread until the order is accepted.
- The buyer transacts directly with the supplier at the supplier's price and terms. UpStation adds no markup; where a supplier runs a referral or partner program, UpStation is compensated by the supplier.

UpStation is paid by suppliers through referral and partner programs where they exist; it adds no markup and takes no part in the transaction. The prices shown are the suppliers' own. [Book a meeting](https://calendly.com/alecglover/intro-call) when a design is ready.

### Two kinds of price on this site

- **Listed exactly.** Listed exactly: the supplier's own public price book (Supermicro eStore, Octoserver, FS.com), re-read monthly.
- **Pricing under NDA.** The site shows a $25,000 range that contains the quoted price, not the figure. The exact, current quote comes with UpStation's introduction.
- Suppliers with private pricing are the high-value introductions: they quote once a buyer is qualified, and UpStation's role is to bring them that buyer with the paperwork ready.

### Suppliers UpStation introduces

| Supplier | Kind | Pricing on this site | What | How to buy / terms | Lead time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supermicro eStore | OEM web store (Tier 1) | Public: listed exactly (eStore price book) | Gold Series ready-to-ship systems and configure-to-order chassis; the price basis for every Supermicro line here | Buy online with a B2B account: 12% off list observed (free application; Supermicro publishes 'start with 3%'). Credit card or Supermicro Business Pay Net-30 (needs 2 years of operating history); no purchase orders | Gold Series from stock when listed in stock (B300 Gold out of stock on 2026-10-05, notify-me); configure-to-order 3-5 weeks non-HGX; HGX from NVIDIA allocation | Ships to the continental US only. GPU orders pass NVIDIA export review before ship; 8U HGX boxes (300 lb) need freight the store does not quote. Gold prices reset on the 1st of each month |
| Supermicro through distribution (TD SYNNEX US and Canada) | Distributor | Private: distributor quotes are not published; introduction | The same Supermicro SKUs on a distributor quote: purchase-order terms, reseller or end-user paper, Canadian delivery | UpStation introduces the buyer to the Supermicro desk; a quote is issued only with the end user's name, address and website. NCNR; wire or net terms | Drop-shipped from Supermicro San Jose; same stock position as the eStore | Canada: quoted in USD, freight covered on prepaid-wire orders, a 25% reciprocal tariff was flagged as possible and unresolved (September 2026). Distributor pricing on Gold SKUs landed close to eStore B2B net plus a 3-year on-site NBD service |
| Aivres | System builder (Tier 2), OEM direct | Private, under NDA: shown as bands on the two B300 Tier 2 lines; exact quote on introduction | HGX B300 8-GPU 10U air-cooled: KR9288X3 (Intel Xeon 6) or KR9288E3 (AMD EPYC); also B200, RTX PRO 6000 platforms | NDA, new-account paperwork (account form, end-user statement, W-9, resale certificate), then a customer-specific quote. 25% deposit within days of an NCNR PO, 75% before ship; DAP; 3-year warranty; on-site NBD about $4-5k per server per year | 8-12 weeks from buffer inventory when it exists (Intel shipping before January 2027 and AMD from February, as of October 2026); quotes valid one week | Pricing is bundled (no line items) and under NDA; UpStation obtains it on request. Sales director ex-Supermicro; prioritises confidential-computing (TDX) builds |
| Dell, HPE, Lenovo | OEM (Tier 1) via partner programs | Partner pricing: on introduction (deal registration) | PowerEdge XE, HPE ProLiant / Cray and ThinkSystem GPU servers | UpStation is a Dell Technologies Authorized Partner (Canada), an HPE Business Partner (Partner Ready Vantage) and has a Lenovo Canada channel account manager; priced builds on request through deal registration and distribution | By OEM and configuration; not stocked | Not priced on this site yet |
| Octoserver | System builder (Tier 2) | Public: listed exactly (online configurator) | 4U dual-socket AMD chassis with 8 usable double-width slots; the price basis for the Tier 2 lines here | Online configurator with per-part prices; 3-year parts warranty, rails and cables included; order direct | Chassis in stock; builds 3-5 weeks; custom passive RTX 5090 cards 30 days | Custom passive dual-slot RTX 5090 (and 4090) cards that fit a server chassis; RTX PRO 6000 passive card $14,800 in stock (Supermicro's accessory card is out of stock) |
| OneChassis | Chassis maker (build your own) | Public: OneChassis's standard customer price, quoted to every buyer; shown exactly | 7U GPU chassis that takes retail 3.5-4-slot RTX 5090 cards (front and rear trays, 5× 2000 W) with an ASRock Rack board, and the 4U OCG7466M6 for RTX PRO 6000 Server Edition; the basis for the OneChassis barebone lines | Order direct from Shenzhen (WhatsApp/email, proforma invoice, bank transfer); ships chassis + risers + PSUs + motherboard, PCIe links tested before shipping; no CPUs, memory or drives | Chassis in stock; TURIN board in stock, ROME board mid-October 2026; plus sea or air freight from Shenzhen | The only listed host for retail RTX 5090s (every other 5090 line needs a custom passive card). Shipping and duties are extra; confirm Incoterms on the proforma. OneChassis pays UpStation a referral on introduced orders |
| Exxact | System builder | Private (quote confidentiality): shown as a band on the B200 and B300 Tier 2 lines; exact quote on introduction | HGX B300 / B200 nodes integrated on ASRock Rack chassis; DGX systems; DGX Rubin NVL8 pre-orders | Quote on request; 50% deposit, 50% when the system is ready to ship. BIOS confidential-computing support confirmed per build | HGX B200 Intel about 11-12 weeks (8 for the barebone, 3-4 to integrate and test); HGX B300 on NVIDIA allocation, 30+ weeks in September 2026; no expedite and no guaranteed dates | Component prices quoted as volatile and subject to change; NVIDIA Inception members get a hardware discount here |
| Thinkmate | System builder | Private: quote on introduction | Intel and AMD GPU servers built to order | Quote on request; the quote states motherboard and BIOS version so TDX / confidential computing can be validated | By build |  |
| ASRock Rack | Chassis OEM | Public barebone prices at integrators; no system quotes | MGX and conventional GPU barebones (4UXGM-GNR2: 8x RTX PRO 6000 SE, 16x E1.S, 3+1 3200 W) | No direct sales to small buyers; barebones through Hypertec (Canada), TD SYNNEX, Ma Labs, ASI, or integrators such as Exxact, ASA Computers and ICC | About 8 weeks for an HGX barebone (September 2026) | 4UXGM-GNR2 barebone configurations start around $17k at integrators (no GPUs) |
| QCT (Quanta) | ODM | Private: quote on introduction (50-unit minimum) | Hyperscale-style GPU servers built to customer specification | Minimum order 50 servers, NCNR purchase order with payment in full, through TD SYNNEX, Arrow or Cambridge | About 38+ weeks; secure NVIDIA allocation first | Not a fit below 50 units |
| Colocation (Montana, Texas, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Canada) | Colocation | Listed: per-location rates on the power page; the site and quote come with the introduction | Powered racks for the servers above | UpStation introduces the site; service order, MSA and colo schedule with the operator | Capacity is tight in the Pacific Northwest; Montana and Canada have confirmed room | Modelled per location on the power page with the tax folded in: Montana $260, Texas $225, Oregon $175 (Tier II), Pennsylvania $250 with the certified-data-center exemption, Canada $225 (3-year) or $175 (5-year). Internet rates seen: 1G $1,000, 10G $2,500 per month. |

### NVIDIA Inception hardware discounts (members only; valid 2026-07-27 to 2026-10-25)

Who qualifies: Startups under 10 years old building their own product; not resellers or distributors, cloud service providers, consultancies, crypto companies or public companies. Free to join; approval takes days.

| NVIDIA product | Discount guidance | Cap | On this catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| HGX B300 NVL8 (8-GPU baseboard) | $60,000 off list | 8 units lifetime (64 GPUs) | 8x B300 lines: about $60,000 off a node |
| HGX-8 B200 | $50,000 off list | 8 units lifetime | 8x B200 lines: about $50,000 off a node |
| H200 HGX x8 | $44,000 off list | 8 units lifetime; 64 H200 GPUs across x1/x4/x8 | 8x H200 line: about $44,000 off a node |
| H200 HGX x4 | $22,000 off list | 16 units lifetime (same 64-GPU pool) | not listed (4-GPU) |
| H200 NVL (PCIe) | $5,500 off list per card | 64 units lifetime | card option for the 8-slot hosts |
| RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Edition | $1,400 off list per card | 64 units lifetime | 8x RTX PRO 6000 lines: $11,200 off a node; same per card in a host |
| RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Workstation / Max-Q | $1,400 off list per card | 64 units lifetime | not listed |
| RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell (Server / Workstation) | $650 / $1,050 off list per card | 64 units lifetime | card option |
| RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell Server Edition 32GB | $210 off list per card | 64 units lifetime | not listed |
| L40S | $1,400 off list per card | 64 units lifetime | card option for the 8-slot hosts |
| DGX B200, DGX B300, DGX B300 Busbar, DGX Rubin NVL8 | 30% off list | 8 units lifetime each | not listed (DGX appliances; quote) |
| DGX GB200, DGX GB300, DGX Vera Rubin NVL72, DGX Station GB300 | 30% off list (DGX Station: $10,000 off) | 2 units lifetime each | not listed |
| NVIDIA AI Enterprise (per GPU, on-prem, 1/3/5-year) | 75% off list | 64 licences lifetime | software; not listed |

- Requested in the Inception portal and applied by the seller: the server must come from an NVIDIA Partner Network solution provider or an NVIDIA OEM, which quotes the final price (the OEM needs the member's approval number; cost at purchase varies by vendor).
- Hardware bought at member pricing is for the member's internal use (demonstration, evaluation, development, testing, proof of concept; NVIDIA's terms say not production) and may not be resold, transferred or bundled into a commercial offering.
- Caps are lifetime per GPU type: 64 HGX GPUs of one type across x1/x4/x8 systems (H200 HGX counts toward H200, not toward B200); 64 RTX PRO or L40S cards.
- Not available in NVIDIA's excluded countries (China, Hong Kong, Macau, Russia and others). Guidance is revised quarterly; the current table is dated 2026-07-27 to 2026-10-25.

Source: NVIDIA Inception Discount Guidance: NVIDIA Hardware (member portal document, read 2026-10-05).

### Market notes (dated; what suppliers said and what the price books show)

- 2026-10-05: Supermicro October price book: Gold Series up 9-13% (4U 4x RTX PRO 6000 Gold $114,440 to $127,673; 2U 2x RTX PRO 6000 Gold $60,683 to $66,680; 5U AMD 2x RTX PRO 6000 Gold $95,755 to $104,670; 2U 24-bay HDD Gold $51,107 to $57,873; 1U Hyper AMD $66,636 to $72,769). UpStation's saved 8x RTX PRO 6000 configuration $191,888 to $196,626 (+2.5%; the 64GB DIMM is now $2,530). B300 Gold $565,384 (Sep 3) to $572,364 (Sep 8) to $568,110 (Oct), and out of stock on the eStore (notify-me). H200 default configuration $319,422 to $323,603 (+1.3%). Configure-to-order chassis base prices moved +0.7% to +4.9% (SYS-422GA-NRT $25,368 to $25,850; AS-5126GS-TNRT $46,168 to $46,495 with 2 GPUs; SYS-521GE-TNRT $48,699 to $49,988 with 2 GPUs; ASG-2015S-E1CR24H $13,462 to $14,116), so the September configurator reads for hosts and nodes are kept with that error band until re-probed.
- 2026-09-22: HGX B200 is the fastest high-end route a system builder could quote in late September: a configured 8x B200 Intel system (2x Xeon Gold 6548N, 1.5TB, 5.8TB NVMe, no fabric NICs) in the $375,000-$400,000 band plus freight on a prepay-wire, NCNR, two-week-validity quote, 11-12 weeks (8 for the ASRock Rack barebone, 3-4 to integrate and test), versus 30 weeks for the same builder's HGX B300 system (2TB, 8x 800G CX-8 on-board) in the $475,000-$500,000 band. B200 is being EOL'd, so treat it as a one-time buy; the Supermicro eStore no longer lists its B200 Gold SKUs. Exact quotes come with an introduction.
- 2026-10-01: HGX B300 8-GPU nodes with 2-3 TB host memory were quoted between about $490k and $615k per node across OEM-direct, distributor and reseller channels in September-October 2026; the spread is set by CPU brand, memory, warranty and how soon the box ships. One OEM could ship Intel from buffer stock before January 2027 and AMD from February; a reseller offered AMD boxes from a cancelled order at 4-6 weeks after Supermicro compliance approval, at the top of the range.
- 2026-09-22: NVIDIA raised DGX pricing on 2026-09-08, the first across-the-board increase one system builder had seen; memory and SSD prices have risen since December 2025 and suppliers expect shortages into 2027. Quotes now carry one-week validity and subject-to-change language, and some suppliers call B300 lead times unguaranteeable.
- 2026-09-30: Lead-time bands for an 8x B300 node: ready-to-ship stock when listed (comes and goes; 1-3 weeks including export review); OEM buffer inventory 8-12 weeks after PO, deposit and signed sales agreement; configure-to-order from NVIDIA allocation 30+ weeks. Payment norms: OEM direct 25% on an NCNR PO and 75% before ship; system builders 50/50; eStore credit card or Net-30; distributors net terms or wire.
- 2026-10-02: Compliance: every NVIDIA GPU server order needs an end-user statement. OEMs run an 8-point review (purchaser, end user, ship-to, headquarters, parent, payer, destination, installation and end-use scenario); distributors will not quote without the end user's name, address and website; the eStore routes GPU orders through export review. Allow a few days and have the ship-to address settled.
- 2026-10-05: NVIDIA Inception: startups under 10 years old that build their own product can request member pricing on NVIDIA hardware once approved; NVIDIA's current guidance (table on this page) is $60,000 off an HGX B300 node, $50,000 off an HGX B200 node, $44,000 off an H200 x8 node and $1,400 off each RTX PRO 6000 or L40S card, with lifetime caps. Apply before the PO: the OEM needs the approval number, and the hardware is for the member's own use, not resale.
- 2026-09-24: Confidential computing: NVIDIA CC is supported on HGX B300; RTX PRO 6000 with Intel TDX runs on 5th Gen Xeon or Xeon 6 (one GPU per confidential VM); HGX B200 with Intel Xeon was still being confirmed by one builder. BIOS versions differ by builder, so ask for TDX/CC pre-enabled and the BIOS version stated on the quote.
- 2026-10-01: Supply alternatives: RTX PRO 6000 SE accessory cards are out of stock at Supermicro (the Gold-plus-loose-cards route is unavailable); Octoserver's passive card is $14,800 in stock. Supermicro's eStore now lists RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell SE entry servers (1U/2U, 1-2 GPUs). H200 NVL PCIe cards carry 35-40 week lead times.
- 2026-10-05: Consumer RTX 5090 in a server: retail 5090s are 3.5-4-slot active cards that do not fit a conventional 4U GPU chassis; the routes are a custom passive card (Octoserver, $5,200, 30 days) or a tall chassis with cable risers and 4-slot trays (OneChassis 7U, $3,000-3,500 before the board). Retail 5090 street prices (median about $6,000, range $5,200-7,450 on 2026-10-05; MSRP $1,999) now sit above Octoserver's passive card, so the DIY saving is in the host and the parts, not the cards: see the DIY worked design. GeForce drivers exclude data-center deployment; buyers treat these as lab or workstation nodes.
- 2026-10-05: Parts market read for build-your-own hosts (eBay sold medians, US): EPYC 7543 32C $595, 7742 64C $680, 7532 32C $318 (SP3); EPYC 9354 32C $1,695, 9654 96C $2,600 (SP5, no second-hand discount yet); 32GB DDR4-3200 RDIMM $240 ($7.50/GB) against 32GB DDR5-4800 RDIMM $800 ($25/GB, DDR5 scarce); PM9A3 3.84TB U.2 $533 median, $1,000-1,100 new. RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell: NVIDIA list $16,000 (from $8,565 at launch), street $15,000-18,000, Server Edition $13,000-14,900. Table on the rate-card page.
- 2026-10-05: Buying GeForce RTX 5090s in server quantities: NVIDIA sells GeForce only through retail; there is no distributor or OEM channel for a 64- or 512-card order, retailers cap quantities per customer (Micro Center in-store pickup, Best Buy and NVIDIA's marketplace limit one or two per order), and the sub-$5,500 prices on the rate-card page are those capped retail buys. Quantity is available only from marketplace sellers and grey-market lots at $7,350-9,300 per card, or by aggregating many retail purchases over weeks. For a fleet, plan on the top of the street range, a procurement effort of its own, mixed board-partner models (cooler length and slot width vary; the OneChassis trays take up to 4 slots x 370 mm), and no GeForce warranty for data-center use. Octoserver's custom passive card ($5,200, 30 days) is the only quantity-orderable RTX 5090 in the catalog.
- 2026-10-05: 10G over copper for GPU farms: FS's 48-port 10GBASE-T switch (S5860-48XMG) is $5,659 ($5,749 PicOS) and the 10GBASE-T SFP+ module is $86 (30 m) or $149 (80 m), so a native copper switch beats an SFP+ leaf plus modules ($4,569 + 48 × $86 = $8,697). Second-hand, Arista 7050TX-64 (48× 10GBASE-T + 4× 40G) sells on eBay at a $175 median ($99-495, n=9) refurbished and unsupported. Boards with on-board 10GBASE-T (ASRock Rack ROME2D32GM-2T, 2 ports) need no NIC on either path.

Generated 2026-10-05 from UpStation's catalog data; prices as of 2026-10-05; re-checked monthly. Book a meeting: https://calendly.com/alecglover/intro-call. Map of every page: https://ai.upstation.io/llms.txt