On Monday, February 26, 2018 at 3:47:07 AM UTC-5, Zbigniew Łukasiak wrote: > On Tue, Feb 6, 2018 at 2:01 PM, Utility Panel > <utility.panel....@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Meanwhile, the machines I'm currently replacing are both server > > workstations with 96 gigs of EEC RAM. I'm looking to upgrade to something > > comparable, and I'm pretty certain at this point that I'll start building > > with either the KCMA-D8 or KGPE-D16. I've got one year after the release of > > 4.0 to make the transition, so I've got time to collect all the bits before > > 3.2 reaches end-of-life. > > > > Did you consider Dell workstations? I am also looking for some > high-end workstation and I was considering HP Z8 - thanks for the > warning! > So maybe Dell T7820? The plus is that you can request them with Linux > - so at least some of the compatibility problems go away. > > I am not so eager to build something - as you can get into the same > compatibility issues with any part be it mother board, video etc. - > and then the issue just gets more complex (and also the recommended > KGPE-D16 looks old). > > > -- > Zbigniew Lukasiak > https://medium.com/@zby > http://brudnopis.blogspot.com/
I did consider Dell server workstations, but I was buying used on that big auction site, and the Z800s were available at my price point. At the time, I thought I was saving myself the trouble of tracking down all the minute details pertaining to compatibility, but no such luck. Now, it actually seems easier to find data sheets on individual components (motherboards, CPUs, GPUs, and the like) than on the total builds offered by Dell, HP, Lenovo, and the like. The problem with the large assemblers is that their supply chains vary enough from run to run that the fine details about individual components are often not readily available, at least not on the used market. Sellers typically don't know how (or don't want) to give me the identifying information on their machines before purchasing, so all I could do is cross my fingers and roll the dice, which I'd rather avoid as much as possible from now on. But all of this may only apply to the used market. I can't speak to buying new, as I've only done it once or twice, decades ago. Meanwhile, my interest in hardware has been rekindled, now that I better understand some of the privacy and security implications, and I've been inspired by the open-source hardware community to learn more by doing. So, I've decided to build with the KGPE-D16. Thus far, I've got the motherboard and two 6386SE CPUs with air coolers. I buy the other components when the pricing is favorable. Later, when I've got the machine built, I'll figure out how to flash the BIOS. I know it isn't difficult, and I think I've got some good instructions bookmarked. I just haven't done that before, so it will be a learning experience. Like you, I am a tad concerned about how old the KGPE-D16 is, but it and the 6386SE are both a bit spiffier than the kit in my Z800s, and I was planning on riding them into obsolescence. So, my "new" build should have a bit more life in it than the Z800s, it will support Qubes 4.0, and I will gain the privacy and security benefits from using coreboot. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "qubes-users" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to qubes-users+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to qubes-users@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/qubes-users/9d818590-5664-4636-977e-9dc96e58d119%40googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
