Good Cheap Server - HP Proliant Microserver 4 BAY - OWNERS THREAD

dragonuk · 10 Dec 2010 at 02:23

This thread is for people with the HP Proliant Microserver 4 BAY.

This can be got for around £112 as HP are giving £100 cashback at the moment. Which is a really good price.
The HP £100 Cashback ends December 31st so you have to order before then

It has space for 4 Storage Drives and a Optical Drive. Also supports RAID 0 and RAID 1. Has 6 USB Ports and 1 Internal. Comes with 160GB HDD 7200rpm and 1GB RAM. This can all be easily upgraded though. Very Quiet too

Considering a Netgear ReadyNAS is around the same price and only supports 2 storage drives and no optical drive, this is a great deal.

Also you can install any OS you want on this. Like Windows Home Server etc.

Would make a good Home NAS/Media Streamer or a server for a small business.

Here is the Specifications.

Dimension: 10.5 x 10.2 x 8.3 inch (26.7 x 26.0 x 21.0 cm) H x D x W

Power supply:200 Watt

Network Controller:Embedded NC107i PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Server Adaptor

Optical: None shipped standard, optional optical drive

USB: 4 front, 2 rear, 1 internal + 1 eSATA rear

Processorual Core 1.3 GHz AMD Athlon II

Number of processor:1

Cache: 2 MB cache

Memory type: PC3-10600E DDR3, operating at maximum of 800 MHz

Memory slots: 2 DIMM slots

Maximum memory: 8 GB (2 x 4 GB)

Maximum internal drives: 4 pluggable drives

Maximum internal storage: TB (4 x 2 TB 3.5” SATA drives)

Storage controller: Embedded SATA controller RAID 0/1

Expansion slots: 2 PCI Express (x16 and x1)

So what does everything think of it who has it? And what OS you going to install?

Anyone sent away for there cashback yet and got it?

dragonuk · 10 Dec 2010 at 06:29

You can get it for exactly £212.82 including vat. And then the £100 cashback.

Type this into google " COMSUK23/612275-421-HP " and click the first link

And there is a 2.5% discount voucher for there if you look around

dragonuk · 11 Dec 2010 at 00:37

Anyone know who this gets delivered by ? Or how to track delivery. Mine is despatched. But dunno tracking number or who its coming by. Any ideas. Throught there might be a way to find it, work it out.

dragonuk · 12 Dec 2010 at 22:06

The other place has stock and ready to send.

Pretty much the same price,

dragonuk · 15 Dec 2010 at 00:53

I was thinking of only having 2gb ram total in mine (2 x 1gb) do you think I will need more. What tasks would need 4gb ram total ?

Also ECC vs Non-ECC what should i get ?

dragonuk · 15 Dec 2010 at 17:40

You get 2 leads. A Uk power lead with Uk plug, And a european lead with eu 2 pin plug

dragonuk · 15 Dec 2010 at 20:48

Ok so raid 0 and raid 1 is hardware raid in this is that correct ?

And if I wanted raid 5 it would be software raid ?

Now whats the best raid to use for 4 x 2tb drives ? . Hardware raid or software raid? And raid 0 or raid 1 ?

Basically if I am using WHS whats better ? Adding drives to the storage pool in that (drive extender thing) or using raid?

dragonuk · 15 Dec 2010 at 23:38

the.m said:
Normally it would not even boot if you you tried to mix the ram, I am checking the part no of the pre installed 1GB stick and cant find anything saying it is ECC, maybe thats why.

Can you post the part number of the 1gb stick and who makes it?

There should be a way to tell in windows using cpu-z or something to read the ram

dragonuk · 16 Dec 2010 at 16:20

So I'm going to install WHS (Windows Home Server) v1 or WHS Vail Beta on mine.

Should I use the onboard raid or not ?

dragonuk · 16 Dec 2010 at 16:21

the.m said:
Just received email confirmation of my cashback from HP

When did you send yours off the completed form?

dragonuk · 16 Dec 2010 at 22:25

So whats better WHS v1 or the WHS Vail Beta at the moment it still has drive extender

.

So is drive extender like a software raid ? Whats it sort of equivilant to ? Raid 5 ?

And WHS v1 used to write everything to the system drive first and then copy it to the pool. I dont think it does that now though. Is that right ?

dragonuk · 17 Dec 2010 at 12:32

Is it possible to overclock this CPU ?

dragonuk · 17 Dec 2010 at 18:40

DIABLO said:
Like RAID1 but unstead of mirroring whole drives it will only mirror folders you specifie.

Thanks

So when WHS v2 Vail comes out without drive extender I've got to either choose no raid or raid 0/raid 1 ?

dragonuk · 17 Dec 2010 at 19:51

Stoned_SpaZZZ said:
Just put your name. I think your name in capitals is effectively a company anyhow

(not actually a company, but a legal entity as such)

Yeah thats what I done, waiting on email confirmation that they got it

dragonuk · 17 Dec 2010 at 21:07

BTW I'm not sure what would happen in this scenario can someone explain.

If I have WHS with drive extender running on my hp microserver and have 2 storage drives in it added to the storage pool. Things I copy will be split into parts and stored over the 2 drives correct ?

Now if both of these are half full and I install a 3rd hdd and add it to the storage pool does none of the existing data get spread over this 3rd hdd ? Is it only new data that will now get spread across the 3 drives?

dragonuk · 18 Dec 2010 at 18:04

Mine should hopefully arrive soon

dragonuk · 28 Dec 2010 at 15:42

Does anyone know if you can use a pcie x1 card in the x16 slot.
I installed a pcie x1 tvcard in the x16 slot and it doesnt seem to get recognised in windows.

Anyone confirmed if a x1 card works in the x16 slot

dragonuk · 31 Dec 2010 at 12:09

Anyone running WHS Windows Home Server V1 ? or Server 20003 r2 and been able to install the onboard graphics driver and got it working.

It says its only for server 2008 r2 on the hp website in drivers.

Does everyones graphics in WHS or server 2003 come up in device manager as "Standard vga adpater" and says device can't start.