low end dual processor server build

  • Thread starter Thread starter LGM
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LGM

any one have any sugesstions for a build of a low end dual processor server
box config (as low end as a dual processor set up can get). I'd like to put
it in a rack mount 3U chassis. Like to stay with IDE or SATA for the drives.
any thought would be appreciated.

Thanks
 
LGM said:
any one have any sugesstions for a build of a low end dual processor
server box config (as low end as a dual processor set up can get). I'd
like to put it in a rack mount 3U chassis. Like to stay with IDE or SATA
for the drives.
any thought would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

I just built a low-end (dual P-II) unit
using Slackware...
it worked great.

I had some ultra-wide scsi drives so had to use the scsi kernel...
but by default it will use the standard IDE kernel.
Better check their docs for SATA...
that's way too new for me :)
 
any one have any sugesstions for a build of a low end dual processor server
box config (as low end as a dual processor set up can get). I'd like to put
it in a rack mount 3U chassis. Like to stay with IDE or SATA for the drives.
any thought would be appreciated.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Athlon 64 X2. The 4400+ is the best choice for a high performance system,
the 3800+ will save you $200 if you really aren't performance sensitive.
The 3800+ has 1/2M caches vs 1M on the 4400+, it also runs at a slightly
lower clock rate (2GHz vs 2.2GHz). The clock rate difference isn't very
significant but the cache difference is. Dual core systems are sharing a
common main memory system so cache miss rate matters, a 1M cache will have
a lower miss rate then a 1/2M cache.

All of the name Nforce 4 motherboards are basically similar. The Nforce 4
includes a built in SATA raid controller, the motherboard makers have all
included an external SATA raid controller also. They all have dual
Gigabit NICs also. The Nforce 4 Ultra chipset includes an IP offload
engine for the built in Gigabit NIC so it's capable of delivering the full
gigabit speed without bogging down the CPU.

I'm using an MSI K8N Neo4 which works fine with Fedora Core 3. The Neo4
has a Silicon Image RAID controller in addition to the NForce 4 RAID
controller. ASUS and TYAN have similar boards at a similar price. You
won't go wrong with any of them.

The disadvantage of the Athlon 64X2 vs an Opteron or dual core Opteron is
maximum memory size. The A64 uses unbuffered DIMMs which limits you to a
maximum of 4G of RAM running at 333MHz because the biggest unbuffered DIMM
you can buy is 1G and they are all dual sided which is why the clock speed
is limited to 333MHz vs 400MHz. The Opteron uses registered DIMMs which
can be run at the full 400MHz and are available up to 2G, so you can put
8G on a single CPU chip and 16G in a dual chip system (potentially four
cores if you use dual core Opterons). The Opterons are priced at about 2X
the price of an equivalent A64, for example the X2 4400+ is $548, the
Opteron 275 which is identical except for the memory interface and the
ability to be operate in a dual chip system is $1045.
 
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