Forgot to add one thing. As for the Power Supplies (PS). I tried everything from 400W to 550W and came to the conclusion that mostly 400W is fully acceptable for most machines (1-4 disks). I know that the shop assistants often recommend stronger Power supplies (after all thats their business ;-).
Bear in mind that the heat has to go somewhere ;-) Best regards Nils Valentin Tokyo / Japan http://www.be-known-online.com > O.K I guess I have to take the risk that Lord Sauron will flame me for > what I say next ;-) > > I would rather recommend you a 2xCPU MB instead of a single CPU MB > You will easily find many 2xCPU MB out there and you may want to consider > the following: > > - most have only 32 bit PCI slots, look for 64 bit PCI slots and the max > bus speed (133mhz) > - server boards come (optional) with onboard scsi cards > - you may still find additionally 4xSATA & IDE on the same MB > - (optional) SCSI raid card > - (optional) server admin card > > If you take this all into conclusion you will probably opt for the > S2882UG3NR or a similar board from another maker > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813151151 *no scsi > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813151152 * with scsi > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Showimage.asp?Mode=&Type=&Image=13-151-152-01.jpg%2C13-151-152-02.jpg%2C13-151-152-03.jpg%2C13-151-152-04.jpg%2C13-151-152-05.jpg&CurImage=13-151-152-02.jpg&Description=TYAN+S2882UG3NR-D+Dual+Socket+940+AMD+8131+Extended+ATX+Server+Motherboard+-+Retail > > Note the scsi raid card socket (option), white and in the middle left) > > Having the 64 bit pci bus also allows you to navigate real HEAVY loads > between scsi discs and the CPU & Memory. > > Regarding CPU I would probably choose the 246 or 248 ($240-310) which are > slightly cheaper than the 252 and, lets face it, the CPU speed alone wont > really change so much on the systems performance. > > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103412 > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103433 > > Another concern is the heat those CPU beasts produce (90W each). You may > want to find a cooler solution which doesnt grill you or the CPU and also > doesnt make you death. (I am sitting next to such a beast right now ;-) > > Most cooling systems go up to the 246 or 248. Finding one for the 252 > might be difficult. I had a hard time finding a cooler which would do his > job for the 248 while still allowing me to hear my own voice ;-). > > I would invest the saved money (compared to the 252) into Memory or SCSI > and use the SATA for a backup solution. I prefer SCSI, as for me it has > shown to be reliable in the long run and still outperforms most SATA/IDE > setups. > > Note that 2xCPU systems are not twice as fast as single CPU systems. The > SMP setup does have a bit of a overhead on your OS, so expect something > like 0,8x the speed of a single CPU system. > > What the 2xCPU system gives you however, is the ability to handle heavy > load. It can handle obviously more requests than a single CPU system. It > will also take advantage of the hyperthreading bus *communication bus > between the CPUs. > This means that CPU1 can *borrow Memory from CPU2 if it is required for an > application. > > For the case I would choose the CM Stacker. It does Unfortunately not > offer the redundant PS, but you can put 2x PS from the maker of your > choice. It wont be hot swabable, you will have to switch the plugs > yourself. > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811119042 > > The design is also quite appealing I believe. If you do opt for the CM > Stacker make sure to get the Optional Cross floor fan. > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16800887011 > It will make sure to get the heat out of the case, and that silently. > > If you prefer to show off the case, there is also a sie window available > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811999760 > > I hope that I could make some valid points to make your decision easier > for your next system. > > The system above is more expensive than "Lord Saurons" setup but it adds a > lot of options and is really a sound system (not to say a beast ;-) > > I usually buy the parts not all in one go, but as required. > > Newegg as suggested by "Lord Sauron" does give a good service and I can > back him up with that. > > I currently have 2 Opteron systems online which should be accessable for > the public. > > 1) 203.143.127.108 > 2) 203.143.127.98 (testing) > 3) 203.143.127.99 (from October) > > Do you have the possibility to take an opteron system for a testride ? > (You might find that some shops might let you try a system) > > Best regards > > Nils Valentin > Tokyo / Japan > http://www.be-known-online.com > > > -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
