I have a 4570 with an Asus Z87 Gryphon (intel NIC) and the noctua cooler and I'm very peased with them
The 350D might be pretty, but you can pay a fair bit less. An SSD for server use is questionable at best, and two in RAID is pointless IMO. The hardware on show doesn't need a 500W PSU - a 400W model will save you at least £10. You could pare that back even further given the lack of a GPU, but it's a case of diminishing returns, because you'll want to stay with a reputable 80+ rated PSU.
About the PSU, avoid the Corsair AX. They are very nice, do not misunderstand me, but the PSU fan speed depends on the LOAD and not on the temperature. Below a certain load, the fan is simply OFF and in Africa I guess you could fry it pretty quickly.
Can you recommend a cheaper case with good looks and a decent build quality? I want the speed of an SSD because the programs we are running are really crap and they will definitely (i spewwed it wight! lol) benefit from it. I used an SSD to replace our server drive here, and using the same programs the performance difference was huge!. I'll be using a second SSD in RAID for backup. There really is no support where the new server will be based. If an office worker can change drives easily, then it makes life that much easier for me and them.
RAID IS NOT A BACKUP If you need reliability then buy a server from HP, Dell or IBM/Lenovo They're built to last
Antec 300? £50 ish Xigmatek Midguard II? £60 ish You could get a Fractal Design Core 1000 for about £30, if you're sticking with a mATX mobo. All of the above have dust filters, but Saspro has a point - you can probably buy a cheap HP Proliant or Dell Poweredge server for your budget.
saspro has a point, you can get a "real" quad core HP server for the same or less than the cost of your Scan basket. E.G. http://www.cclonline.com/product/15...350W-Factory-Integrated-Power-Supply/SRV0507/
As pointed out, a server in a 350d case on a budget = overkill. Spend less on the case and more on the hardware, I have a 350D and love it, but if I was on a budget I would be looking at the fractal/nzxt range.
What about a Fractal design Node 304 and an ITX motherboard ? Only concern could be CPU HSF compatibility.
Sorry that came out wrong. I know its not a backup. I meant that at least they'll have a drive to fall back on while they replace the faulty drive in the array. As mentioned before, there will be offsite backups too. I didn't even know they still sold the Antec 300. I used to have one and the cooling was great. I also liked the look of the core 1000. As for hardware, i'm sticking with the i5 and q87 board. Completely sold on the vpro support. I know I can get a cheaper server from HP or Dell, but the components aren't readily available. Trust me, they aren't. We're talking about a township in the middle of nowhere, very similar to a shanty town.
Surely then there are NO components available, whether they are generic desktop PC components or pucka server components? Therefore doesn't logic dictate that you use the most reliable components possible? As well as being vPro kit (Intel Xeon (Quad Core) E3-1220v3), HP servers also come with something called ILO (Integrated Lights Out), basically remote bare metal management accessible via a web interface.
There are SOME small shops that might supply desktop parts. Another thing to consider is the price of replacement HP parts. They aren't cheap, and the budget is thin, at least for the first couple of years.
Get a HP server and put a 3 year carepack on it. That way you've got no maintenance bills for 3 years and somebody will come out to change parts for you
It'll be a UK (maybe Euro if you're lucky) warranty if you buy it here. Dread to think how much the upgrade to worldwide warranty would cost or what the SLA would be if they even support Ghana.
I'd bet my life savings that you won't get an HP techie coming out to replace parts in the bush in Western Africa.
Seems both HP and Dell have technical support in Ghana... http://www.dell.com/support/content...nical-Support/technical-support-phone-numbers http://www8.hp.com/gh/en/default.html
Yeah I saw that. But its a carry in service or phone support. Its more than 300 miles from the site lol. Edit: Jeez I could make a killing with a PC repair shop in Ghana.
