please help me choose between new desktop or a used older server class computer

[revahi]

I am looking to offload the MS SQL currently loaded onto a user's workstation PC ( a bad Idea I know,) to a dedicated box that does nothing else except sql and shared file access.
due to budget constraints it's a choice between either a new desktop class pc with a core i5 11th-13th Gen and desktop class SSD or a workstation / server class xeon based PC with SAS based storage about 6 years old they tend to come up about equal in price.
I am reluctant to try a NAS solution as I understand they don't perform SQL requests very efficiently unless you spend 4 figures and then I may as well get a PC based solution.
thank you

 

[BusError]

You can get something like a rack mount Dell precision R730 for around 200 quid thse days. DDR4 2133 (or 2400 with a bit of luck) at less than 25 quid for 32GB stick... Even the best xeons of that series are around 100 quid now; I ran a E5-2697A v4 until recently, it quite frankly it is not *far* off an EPYC Zen2 or 3 in terms of performance...

You can get 1.2TB or 1.8TB 2.5" SAS 12Gb/s disks for around 12 quid each(!) -- you can put 8, or 16 of them (depending on the model of the server) for very little money, and have a couple of spare disks in case you have one failing. Add an extra SSD for the system, or even boot it a USB stick for that matter...

So yes, now I don't even look at new 'gaming' hardware, I get pretty much all the way second-hand enterprise stuff. Only things worth buying new is chassis/PSU and bits if you want a tower. Otherwise, hide a rackmount somewhere with a 10Gb/s fiber and you're in business.

These server also have a BMC, with IPMI, so you can use a tiny desktop PC for browsing, and just remotely turn on the rack unit(s) when you want them...

 

[leezer3]

The blunt option would be neither if this is anything close to business critical.

The desktop class PC would probably be marginally preferable if it's got some sort of reasonable support behind it (By which I mean on-site hardware replacement warranty etc, *not* self-build), but really neither is suitable.
Retired enterprise class hardware is cheap for a reason. Fine for a homelab and playing with, but not for anything serious.

Stop and think for a minute about how much cash you'd loose if file sharing and SQL went down or you lost data, re-think the budget.