Cheapo Dell Server

[Grider]

<a href="http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=04&kc=6W300&l=en&oc=sc420-min&s=bsd">$249</a>

Celeron 2.5Ghz
512M RAM
160GB SATA HDD

You supply the OS and monitor.

It has a PC Express slot that with some modification will fit a variety of ATI's cards, if you need 3d acceleration.

See <a href="http://aaltonen.us/forums/viewforum.php?f=4&sid=7560aaf13cba2f5ca6b6f17f0d72ead8">here </a> for more info.

Mine will be here in the morning...seeing how it is already in Opelika. :)

EDIT: That price expires 6/30/2005 if I am not mistaken. End of Quarter firesale at Dell.

[ElQuay]

not knowing much about the difference between regular computers/servers (well... from a hardware stand point that is)..

could one use this as a dedicated gaming server of sorts (LAN useage) or would that not work out too well?

If it would work.... I just might have to check one of them puppies out.

[Grider]

Yeah you could do that with it. You can install XP on it with a little help. A lot of people on the other forum I posted are using it as a desktop after they mod the PCI-E slot to take a 16x card (runs at 8x). I'm replacing a 1998 vintage P-II 350 that has been a linux server in the house for 3 years.

Deal expires on 6/30/2005 last time I looked. End of financial quarter, so Dell is running some fairly nice deals on stuff to get their volume up.

EDIT: I just like leave out whole words and shit.

[ElQuay]

Yeah you could do that with it. You can install XP on it a little help. A lot of people on the other forum I posted are using it as desktop after they mod the PCI-E slot to take a 16x card (runs at 8x). I'm replacing a 1998 vintage P-II 350 that has been a linux server in the house for 3 years.

Deal expires on 6/30/2005 last time I looked. End of financial quarter, so Dell is running some fairly nice deals on stuff to get their volume up.

Awesome, I think I'm going to order one tomorrow. Appreciate the info and speedy response!

[Obike]

Hehe, work just ordered an ass load :)

[CPMaverick]

So what would it take to make this into a PC? A video card? I don't do gaming but I do CAD, would I still need a video card? I'm interested, although with 1GB ram and 160 GB hard drive the price goes up quite a bit...

[CPMaverick]

Dell says CANNOT BE USED AS A DESKTOP...

[CPMaverick]

Another stupid question.. . Is the difference in mHz of RAM (533 vs 400) part of the RAM or the MoBo? In other words could you upgrade to 533 mhz RAM later?

[phillyd]

Another stupid question.. . Is the difference in mHz of RAM (533 vs 400) part of the RAM or the MoBo? In other words could you upgrade to 533 mhz RAM later?
You can upgrade the RAM as long as the mobo supports the faster RAM...in your case for this particular server yes you can start with the 400 and then upgrade to the 533 later...but I would suggest getting the better RAM from the beginning.

EDIT: here is a hell-of-a-lot-of info on memory.... Good Reference (http://www.computermemoryupgrade.net/index.html)

[Grider]

Dell says CANNOT BE USED AS A DESKTOP...

See the forum link that I posted. Dell says that because they do not support this as a desktop.

It does require a modification to the PCI-Express slot if you want to run a 16x based card in that slot.

The memory in this is also ECC, which is overkill for a desktop.

I got mine, came home for lunch and had debian installed and at a login prompt before I went back an hour later. Jebus installing stuff is getting too easy. :)

<a href="http://aaltonen.us/forums/viewforum.php?f=4&sid=7560aaf13cba2f5ca6b6f17f0d72ead8">SC400 /SC420 forum at aaltonen.us</a>

[Grider]

Charlie, I would buy something a bit nicer to do CAD work. Just my IMHO. or...since you travel so much, a strong laptop and a docking station at home.

[CPMaverick]

Yea I'm going to wait. I'm never home, so won't hurt to wait at least until the off-season. PCs just keep getting better. I have a company laptop that's pretty good, but since it's not really mine (and it might change each year), I don't want to invest in a docking station.

I don't do much intensive CAD work; right now I've got a 1.1 gHz AMD with a GB of RAM, and I don't have many complaints really. I'm sure anything would be a big jump, but I can wait.

[Obike]

Yea I'm going to wait. I'm never home, so won't hurt to wait at least until the off-season. PCs just keep getting better. I have a company laptop that's pretty good, but since it's not really mine (and it might change each year), I don't want to invest in a docking station.

I don't do much intensive CAD work; right now I've got a 1.1 gHz AMD with a GB of RAM, and I don't have many complaints really. I'm sure anything would be a big jump, but I can wait.

If you want a beefy laptop that you can do CAD work on I'd suggest an Alienware (although they are definately expensive). I don't know if their current laptops have the swappable video card slot, but if they do that's a definate plus (undo a couple screws, pop out the old video card, and pop in the new one and voila... instant upgrade). Alienware is actually the pioneer of the ability of laptops to upgrade your video card through this method.