Build or Buy server?

Izi · 4 Nov 2010 at 14:46

Requirements: file server, web server and SQL server

This is a development server, its not business critical if it goes down and no more than 6 people will be connected to it.

I am trying to decide if its worth paying the extra to get a proper dell server, or just build a normal PC?

I must have built over 30 PCs in my time, and apart from some faulty ram and a couple motherboards I have never had any issues.

What are you thoughts on my situation?

Burnsy2023 · 4 Nov 2010 at 14:56

What's your company's policy regarding this?

Izi · 4 Nov 2010 at 15:10

Burnsy2023 said:
What's your company's policy regarding this?

With respect to what sorry?

Burnsy2023 · 4 Nov 2010 at 15:12

Izi said:
With respect to what sorry?

Well have you looked to see if they'd even allow building your own? I know many wouldn't.

wij · 4 Nov 2010 at 15:47

Personally wouldn't bother with the price you can pick up a small Dell / HP tower box for these days that will have a warranty and so on.

SiriusB · 4 Nov 2010 at 15:51

Your company would probably prefer a pre-built machine that comes with a warranty and support etc. Plus it will probably work out cheaper once you throw in software and the like.

#Chri5# · 4 Nov 2010 at 16:03

Buy a HP or Dell. Life is too short to bother building your own server and trying to troubleshoot any compatability issues.

daz · 4 Nov 2010 at 16:32

That is a good point - anything server grade you buy from Dell or HP will be on all of the compatibility lists. You don't need to worry about chipset drivers or anything like that.

The only time it's worth building a server is if you need something that you can't get from a supplier, in which case get a Supermicro barebones.

knowlesy · 4 Nov 2010 at 16:34

R210 for cheap and nasty sir .....

Izi · 4 Nov 2010 at 18:13

OK so consensus is: Buy one!

I should have made it clearer: The decision is mine. I don't need any software as we are Microsoft partners.

It will run Windows Server 2008 so drivers wouldn't be a problem.

Still if you all say just buy one then i will take you word for it.

EDIT:

DELL™ PowerEdge™ R210 works out around £800+VAT/Delivery for 500gb raid, i3, 4gb, no OS.

I dont really want to spend more than £1000 (ex vat), but whenever I spec a server it always works out twice the amount for not as much umphh. I know this is because of server grade components, however I could buy two identical systems for the same price as one bought server and replicate data for security...

Decisions, decisions.

iaind · 4 Nov 2010 at 18:38

Not your money - not worth the faff

Izi · 4 Nov 2010 at 18:48

iaind said:
Not your money - not worth the faff

if it was your own money, what would you do though?

daz · 4 Nov 2010 at 18:49

Izi said:
OK so consensus is: Buy one!

I should have made it clearer: The decision is mine. I don't need any software as we are Microsoft partners.

It will run Windows Server 2008 so drivers wouldn't be a problem.

Still if you all say just buy one then i will take you word for it.

EDIT:

DELL™ PowerEdge™ R210 works out around £800+VAT/Delivery for 500gb raid, i3, 4gb, no OS.

I dont really want to spend more than £1000 (ex vat), but whenever I spec a server it always works out twice the amount for not as much umphh. I know this is because of server grade components, however I could buy two identical systems for the same price as one bought server and replicate data for security...

Decisions, decisions.

The R210 is a rackmount so you're paying a premium for the form factor. One other thing to consider is that it will be very efficient on power - you're probably looking at 0.3-0.4A with that specification you've posted, which is a massive advantage in a datacentre environment.

Izi · 4 Nov 2010 at 22:12

daz said:
The R210 is a rackmount so you're paying a premium for the form factor. One other thing to consider is that it will be very efficient on power - you're probably looking at 0.3-0.4A with that specification you've posted, which is a massive advantage in a datacentre environment.

form factor and energy efficiency are not an issue.

this is my predicament:

#Chri5# · 4 Nov 2010 at 22:52

On board controller for RAID5? Hmm - not my cup of tea.

SiriusB · 4 Nov 2010 at 22:55

That's where a lot of the money is going if you buy a proper server. The RAID controllers and HDDs to go with it.

Depends what the OP wants. Reliability, robustness and some redundancy... or a flash desktop. I know what I would rather have, even if it isn't deemed business critical. Though 6 people not being able to do their job if the dev machine goes splat doesn't sound trivial.

Izi · 4 Nov 2010 at 22:59

SiriusB said:
That's where a lot of the money is going if you buy a proper server. The RAID controllers and HDDs to go with it.

Depends what the OP wants. Reliability, robustness and some redundancy... or a flash desktop. I know what I would rather have, even if it isn't deemed business critical. Though 6 people not being able to do their job if the dev machine goes splat doesn't sound trivial.

If a dell server goes splat doesn't that put me in the same boat? I.E with out a development server?

I could get two of the above server and replicate files/SQL and have a proper redundancy? I duno.

Anything would be better than the 5 year old thing chugging along at the moment

zetec452 · 4 Nov 2010 at 23:02

Izi said:
if it was your own money, what would you do though?

For my home server I purchased a Dell T105.

Personally, buy something from Dell / HP. It will save you the hasstle, you'll get hardware support on it if required and all the hardware will have been tested with most major software vendors.

zetec452 · 4 Nov 2010 at 23:03

Izi said:
If a dell server goes splat doesn't that put me in the same boat? I.E with out a development server?

I could get two of the above server and replicate files/SQL and have a proper redundancy? I duno.

Anything would be better than the 5 year old thing chugging along at the moment

If this just for you to learn on at home? If so a built machine isn't so bad.

Either way, if you buy a Dell / HP it will have some form of hardware warranty (I guess home built kit would too).

SiriusB · 4 Nov 2010 at 23:13

Izi said:
If a dell server goes splat doesn't that put me in the same boat? I.E with out a development server?

I could get two of the above server and replicate files/SQL and have a proper redundancy? I duno.

Anything would be better than the 5 year old thing chugging along at the moment

My point is server hardware is far more reliable. You will have proper RAID and server-class HDDs meaning data loss is less likely in the event of HDD failure. You will have warranty and support to fall back on if something major did happen to the machine. You will know all the hardware is fully compatible, as HP/Dell will have tested everything and set it up just right.

It's your decision of course, but I would rather buy one very reliable machine designed for the job than buying and building two separate machines.

One suspects you prefer the self-build option because you just want to build something shiny!