[txp135]

Hi, I need help choosing parts to build a system for under $500 to use as a server. I will be running Linux on this system. It used to be a lot easier to choose parts because if it wasn't intel, it wasn't good. Now a day we have healthy competition but keeping up with technology is a full time job!

I'm thinking about 2 of this hard drive http://www.newegg.co...N82E16822144417 to set up raid.

CD drivez: will be using and old one to save money
Graphic: I don't need sound or fancy graphics for sure.
I guess the most important thing would be the motherboard that's reliable and supports SATA II.
CPU: doesn't have to be cutting edge, just need something that's a good value.
RAM: I guess the RAM is important because it has to be reliable
Case: needs to be roomy and easy to work on. Looks isn't really important, funtionality and price is. If I can get away with stuffing everything into some of the old cases I have at home (w/ your recommendation) I will.
PSU: I have about 3 old cases(gateway, generic, cheap dell) at home with working PSU, I guess I've been lucky. I know this is important but spending $90 for one seems a little steep considering my system will only cost $500.

Please feel free to post any suggestions, I'm hoping to do this right away so don't wait too long to give me your valuable advices.

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Thermaltake W0070RUC

or...

Ultra X-connect ULT31556 500W


Are these decent power supplies? Thanks

[txp135]

Thermaltake W0070RUC

or...

Ultra X-connect ULT31556 500W


Are these decent power supplies? Thanks

[dsenette]

what kind of "server" are you wanting this to be?

[txp135]

web-hosting, forums, video download, possibly web based board/card games. Thanks

[jrm20]

Hi, I need help choosing parts to build a system for under $500 to use as a server. I will be running Linux on this system. It used to be a lot easier to choose parts because if it wasn't intel, it wasn't good. Now a day we have healthy competition but keeping up with technology is a full time job!

I'm thinking about 2 of this hard drive http://www.newegg.co...N82E16822144417 to set up raid.

CD drivez: will be using and old one to save money
Graphic: I don't need sound or fancy graphics for sure.
I guess the most important thing would be the motherboard that's reliable and supports SATA II.
CPU: doesn't have to be cutting edge, just need something that's a good value.
RAM: I guess the RAM is important because it has to be reliable
Case: needs to be roomy and easy to work on. Looks isn't really important, funtionality and price is. If I can get away with stuffing everything into some of the old cases I have at home (w/ your recommendation) I will.
PSU: I have about 3 old cases(gateway, generic, cheap dell) at home with working PSU, I guess I've been lucky. I know this is important but spending $90 for one seems a little steep considering my system will only cost $500.

Please feel free to post any suggestions, I'm hoping to do this right away so don't wait too long to give me your valuable advices.

With a $500 budget for a server and with the harddrives you already picked out that leaves you $300 for everything else.. SataII motherboards are more usually also. You wont be able to afford a high end chip not even an amd 3000+ or 3200+ venice 64 bit. You will most likely only be able to afford a cheap version of a chip like a sempron or celeron unless you up your budget. Any cheap video card will be fine for you as you dont need a gaming one you said. The amd 3200+ 64 bit cpu runs around $180 and then buy memory, motherboard etc.. You will run out of funds fast on that budget so your limited to a sempron or celeron.

[jrm20]

P.S.

I found that in todays market the breaking point between a budget and high end custom system would be around $700-$850.

What im trying to say is if you saved $200-$300 dollars more and added it to your budget you could have so much more for your money. Trust me, and the pc will last longer.

I would rather wait and save $200-$300 more so you can have a real chip and not the cheap version like a sempron or celeron.

[txp135]

Thank you for your post. You are right about the budget, but if I go to a smaller hdd, I'd be saving about 40-50. Is there anyway I can get a decent MB w/ an okay CPU then upgrade the CPU later? I'll be on the look out for some hot deals on the case. How much do I need to bump my budget if it would make the system a better "value"?

[warriorscot]

The well ill just get this now and get something else later never really works, as even if you sell the slower chip you will be lucky to get half what you payed for it. Its easier to be patient and save some money up. Do you have a decent internet connection the kind you use for a server used for hosting etc. costs a very large some of money every month.

[jrm20]

web-hosting, forums, video download, possibly web based board/card games. Thanks

At your home on a cable or dsl network connection or at a business? About how many users are you expecting or wanting the server for connecting to your forum or web hosting?


If its a simple server an amd athlon 64 bit 3200+ would be more than enough but I dont recommend the celeron or sempron cores from intel or amd. You dont want to get the older sockets either which are socket A for amd and socket 478 for pentium 4. If you get an amd 64 bit cpu get a socket 939. If you want a pentium 4 get the newer lga 775 socket. If its going to be a really small web server a sempron cpu would be okay if you are lacking the funds but the performance of the 64 bit amd chips would be alot better and a smarter investment. If your not going to be playing any 3d games at all you dont need any more than a gig of ram.
Now if your looking to get a bigger server and expect it to get big, you need some type of dual core cpu or dual processor, with 2gb of ram or more..

By the way your talking though it sounds like its going to be small so please elaborate.

[txp135]

Well, this is more like a "feeler" project to learn the ropes of servers before I jump in the water. We're going to get 3.0mb/768kb DSL from verizon with static ip. You are right about adding $200-$300 more. I was actually going to buy an used computer to replace my current desktop and then use the desktop as the server:

P4 2.4 800FSB HT
1GB Ram

But the person sold the computer right out under me so now I have to rethink the whole thing.

Are you guys familiar with older technology?

like the EPoX EP-D3VA dual processor (1Ghz). How's the performance of a dual processor compare to one of the cheaper sampron or celeron? It's just that I desperately want to start something really cheap and then upgrade when I know more about what I want.

To start out we're just going to host a couple of small business websites with graphics and a forum with personal webpages and a site w/ video download. We also have a couple people who will buy some space on the server for their own business. I guess the download has to be restricted somehow because of the relatively slow connection we have. The last website had about 100 hits/day, I think we're going to get over 3000 hits/day pretty quickly because we are hosting some existing sites. Our goal is to set up a better server in 6 months so I imagine those hard drives would still be good for us in 6 months. I'm clueless and don't know what to expect so please keep filling me in... Thank you

[jrm20]

Well, this is more like a "feeler" project to learn the ropes of servers before I jump in the water. We're going to get 3.0mb/768kb DSL from verizon with static ip. You are right about adding $200-$300 more. I was actually going to buy an used computer to replace my current desktop and then use the desktop as the server:

P4 2.4 800FSB HT
1GB Ram

But the person sold the computer right out under me so now I have to rethink the whole thing.

Are you guys familiar with older technology?

like the EPoX EP-D3VA dual processor (1Ghz). How's the performance of a dual processor compare to one of the cheaper sampron or celeron? It's just that I desperately want to start something really cheap and then upgrade when I know more about what I want.

To start out we're just going to host a couple of small business websites with graphics and a forum with personal webpages and a site w/ video download. We also have a couple people who will buy some space on the server for their own business. I guess the download has to be restricted somehow because of the
relatively slow connection we have. The last website had about 100 hits/day, I think we're going to get over 3000 hits/day pretty quickly because we are hosting some existing sites. Our goal is to set up a better server in 6 months so I imagine those hard drives would still be good for us in 6 months. I'm clueless and don't know what to expect so please keep filling me in... Thank you

Im familiar with those chips. Sounds like you should get a pretty fast machine. An intel pentium 4 3ghz or an amd 3200+ or a amd dual core x2, some opterons are below $300 for a dual core version. Yes they have cheap amd x2 dual cores for $313 just for the dual core cpu. Not that bad actually but probably too much for you budget.


I would get something like this atleast with a gig of ram and you should be fine. Its socket 939 so you can always upgrade the cpu to a dual core amd x2 later on down the road. Make shure the motherboard supports
CPU Type: Athlon 64 FX/Athlon 64/Athlon X2 so you can upgrade to the dual core with no hassles when you get ready to. Thats the best chioce for you I think.

AMD Athlon 64 3200+ 1GHz FSB Socket 939 Processor

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16819103535


For Intels.


Intels do good for servers to aswell and they have great deals on dual core processors.


Intel Pentium D 920 800MHz FSB LGA 775 Dual Core Processor

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16819116237

you could get that also $266.00 is a heck of a deal for dual core, intels do great for web servers also.

Many choices for you to decide on. Ill leave that up to you and your budget.


The AMD Athlon 64 3200+ 1GHz FSB Socket 939 Processor would do fine for you and you could always upgrade to a good dual core later. Dont get a celeron or sempron you will be stuck with an older socket board more than likely and wont be able to upgrade properly when you are ready.

Edited by jrm20, 23 January 2006 - 03:24 PM.

[warriorscot]

You should get a faster internet connection as well i think most web servers i know of use a minimum of a 15Mps line with at least 2 Mbps upstream and all the big ones use leased lines as far as i know of. Mind you i dont see many web servers but i know how slow a site/server can be on a connection like that.

Maybe you could try one of the opterons they are made for servers and they are going for funny money at the moment.

[jrm20]

Yeah, I was thinking that also on the upload part. Your upload should be no less than 1mbps upload for shure. Try to get atleast the full 1mbps upload if they offer it.

[txp135]

I can't find anything more than 768kbs yet

[warriorscot]

More than that is generally moving into the more specialised market for servers and business customers so you generally have to search along those lines.