DELL PowerEdge T20-9186 Tower Server £115.88 after Dell bank transfer cashback), Intel Pentium G3220 Dual Core 3.0GHZ Haswell 54W, 4GB ram, 500GB 7200rpm HDD - £173.88 @ Serversplus

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DELL PowerEdge T20-9186 Tower Server £173.88 Delivered (£115.88 after Dell bank transfer cashback), Intel Pentium G3220 Dual Core 3.0GHZ (Haswell) 54W, 4GB ram, 500GB 7200rpm HDD @ Serversplus

£173.88 Serversplus2 Dec 15

Source: HotUKDeals | Deals > Technology

Opening post

nirvanaman

27 Nov 15

It is £115.88 after £70 cashback which is wired into your bank account. You need to apply for cashback between 30-60 days after ordering, not before and not after, so put a calendar alert on your phone and on a physical calendar if you have one.

A full modern complete desktop tower (except an Operating System and DVD-RW) for just £115.88 is a bargain. Mine arrived today, i put windows 10 x64 on it and it works perfectly.

Here is the software updates download page for server: http://www.dell.com/support/home/uk/en/ukdhs1/product-support/product/poweredge-t20/drivers?rvps=y

The idle power consumption of this computer running windows 10 x64 with latest drivers from intel site and a 60GB ssd added is: 31-33W, i measured this using a power meter plug adapter. The SSD adds 1.5w idle power consumption.

Dell cashback qualifying products page: https://plus.delltradetosave.com/gb/en/pages/promotions/qualifying
Dell cashback terms and conditions: https://plus.delltradetosave.com/gb/en/pages/promotions/terms
Dell cashback claim form: https://plus.delltradetosave.com/gb/en/claims/promotions/view

Specs:

NO Operating System, DVD-RW, keyboard, mouse or monitor.
CPU: Intel Pentium G3220 Dual Core, 3MB Cache, 3.00 GHz (Haswell) 54W, socket LGA 1150
GPU: Integrated Intel HD Graphics 4600 (DirectX 12(software), DirectX 11.1 (hardware), OpenCL 1.2 and WDDM 1.3 compatible)
1x4GB DDR3 ECC 1600Mhz 1.35V ram, 4x UDIMM slots available, supports 32GB max of 1333/1600mhz ram (model: HMT451U7BFR8A-PB)
500GB Seagate ST500DM002-1BD14 7200rpm SATA HDD
VGA port
2x Displayport ports
4x USB3 ports (2 front and 2 back)
6x USB2 ports (2 front and 4 back)
2x sata3 ports and 2x sata2 ports
Audio: Realtek ALC3220
Network: Intel I217-LM Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000)
Chipset: Intel C226
Raid: Intel Rapid Storage Controller 12.0 (software RAID)
1 PCIe 3.0 X16
1 PCIe 2.0 x16 (x4 speed)
1 PCIe 2.0 x1
1 PCI slot
1x serial connector
1x mic and headphone/speakers connector on front
1x mic and headphone/speakers connector on rear
290W PSU + power cord
Weight: 8.49 kg
Dimensions: 36cm (H), 17.5cm (W), 43.6cm (D)
1yr warranty

You can add a slimline DVD-RW, you will need to remove the front face plate. There is no small power cable in the case for a slimline optical drive, there are spare sata data cables though, follow this guide to install it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dobVMrVg4HY You will need to use one of these adapters: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/371495729269

You can install a 3rd party GPU that uses up to 75W but if you want a more powerful GPU then you will need to use sata to 6-pin power adapter(s), i don't know anything about this so you will need to research this to be sure that it will work.

You can get a displayport to hdmi cable for £4.19 delivered off amazon or £2.74 from ebay delivered from hong kong (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6FT-1-8M-Display-Port-DP-To-HDMI-Male-1-4V-HDTV-LCD-PC-1080P-Cable-Adaptor-Cord-/311341020862) which took 13 days for it to arrive for me. This server cannot output audio via the displayports, you will have to use the 3.5mm out jacks or install a soundcard or gpu with a hdmi out port.

Latest comments (121)

godzillafan

4 Jan 16 #121

HI Guys

Looking to update my N36L, will this take 4-6 x 3.5" 5TB HDDs and a low profile AMD HD Graphic Card (hdmi - sound etc)?

Is it better than the N36L long term wise (n36l aging now)?

donny2004

2 Jan 16 #120

Thanks a lot

cheers

donny2004

2 Jan 16 #118

just realise my model number was T209179 compare with this thread T209186, bought it when this thread was active.
any difference in it? I am claiming cashback now.
thanks

nirvanaman to donny2004

2 Jan 16 #119

the 9186 is the one that comes with a 500gb hdd, the 9179 has no harddrive.

The "serials" is the service tag and the Order Code is the order number that you got via email when you first ordered from serversplus. My claim has been validated already, took 1 day after applying. Will receive the cashback within the next 30 days.

nirvanaman

28 Dec 15 #113

cashback claim time if you ordered around the same time i did.

donny2004 to nirvanaman

2 Jan 16 #117

which one is serials and order code I need to put in the claim form as found Service Tag and Express service code and also another 22 long number and alphabets but no clue which one to use

thanks

mgk

2 Jan 16 #116

Did you or anyonelse get Esxi working....I am new to VMs but wanted to play....just installed ESXi 6.0 on a USB and all seems to install - but I get a DHCP error on the home screen...any advise or pointers appreciated

neonplanet40

28 Dec 15 #114

Ty for the reminder haha. My dvd drive arrived in the post also

nirvanaman to neonplanet40

28 Dec 15 #115

yeah, mine came on christmas eve :smiley:

nirvanaman

10 Dec 15 #112

My Displayport to HDMI cable arrived today, it took 13 days to arrive from hong kong. Works perfectly, have it running my monitor at 1920x1080 at 60p. It cost me £2.74 delivered.

The Lone Ranger

8 Dec 15 #111

Yes, this was ridiculously fast. So fast, I thought it had only done the first step when it had finished. Did you find that at the restart it tried to start the install again? I had to remove the USB and reboot to get it to continue with the install.

The Lone Ranger

8 Dec 15 #110

I've already bought the DVD drive and cable. Woe is me. :disappointed:

nirvanaman

7 Dec 15 #109

I contacted serversplus after reading your posts and dell are going to send me a DVD-RW drive and cable too :smiley:

AndySX

5 Dec 15 #108

Yeah, the tech spec section specified a DVD-RW in three places. Apparently they just copied and pasted the info Dell, or the distributor supplied, and hadn't noticed it was wrong.

They'll have corrected the mistake it by now. I'll wait and see what happens in a fortnight, they said they'd be in touch to confirm delivery details.

AndySX

5 Dec 15 #106

Also, I queried the lack of a DVD-RW drive with ServersPlus. Didn't really need it, but as I'm using the T20 as a desktop the fact that one was advertised along with the 500GB HDD, it did affect my descision to buy this over the cheaper model.

ServersPlus were really good and have offered to send out the Dell part and cables. There's no stock so will have to wait a couple of weeks. From the email I "think" they may be getting in touch with other buyers as well.

Might be worth waiting to see if you get an email in a couple of weeks before buying a drive if you don't desperately need one.

heraferi to AndySX

5 Dec 15 #107

Thanks AndySX.
Do you mean the DVD-RW drive was advertised along with the £179 offer that the OP has posted?

AndySX

5 Dec 15 #105

Doing a clean install of Windows 10 is really simple. And it was the fastest clean Windows install I've ever done, although that may have been down to the combination of USB Flash drive and SSD.
Download the Media Creation tool for windows 10 (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO) and run it. It will give you the option to create a USB install. Once it's complete, stick the flash drive into your T20 and it will boot from it automatically. Windows will ask you a few questions, choose clean install, pick a drive and then eventually it'll ask for a key. I used my Windows 7 (retail) key and it accepted it fine.

The Lone Ranger

4 Dec 15 #100

Better to just update the deal for the new price rather than expiring IMO. In total I've spent £185 (including delivery), £27 for the SSD, £14 for the DVD drive and £6 for the cable. If we take away the £70 cashback, the total comes to £162. I'm no expert on PC parts, but I think I'd struggle to buy a new PC with this performance for this price. Although I suppose if I needed to pay for the OS and other software it might not be such a bargain.

nirvanaman to The Lone Ranger

4 Dec 15 #101

I have edited the prices now and reported this thread to get it un-expired. I ordered the dvd adapter and displayport to hdmi cable from hong kong or china as i'm in no rush for either, i'm using the VGA for the time being on won't need to use the DVD-RW anytime soon so less than £110 spend for me after using my existing 60GB SSD and existing DVD-RW from an old laptop.

heraferi to The Lone Ranger

5 Dec 15 #104

@LoneRanger - please can you provide links for SSD and DVD drive. And any guide to install Windows10. I would prefer to install it via USB first before I get the DVD drive

The Lone Ranger

4 Dec 15 #103

Earlier in the topic someone suggested putting a low spec graphics card in this to save the main memory. I too thought this was a good idea, adding my ATI Radeon HD 5450 from my old desktop. The passmark rating with my card was 1289. I was quite happy with this because the passmark rating from my old desktop was 689. Looking through the results though I noticed that Intel HD Graphics 4000 was outscoring my card so I decided to remove the card and run the tests again - the passmark score jumped up to 1749. So unless you have a fairly decent card, I wouldn't bother putting one in.

andywedge

4 Dec 15 #102

Hi nirvanaman
That's a very significant price change. I've edited it back again from £185.88 to £173.88 as the temperature of this thread is based on the price of £173.88. If you feel that £185.88 is still hot then by all means repost at the new price. Thanks

The Lone Ranger

4 Dec 15 #98

Rather than just getting an adapter I ordered a cable that has the connections needed on both ends (this just plugs into the existing cable). I though this a better solution as it felt like it might be a bit tight for movement having to get the data cable onto the drive. Bit surprised though that the DVD drive didn't seem to have any life with just the power cable, expected it to eject at least. Anyway, should be turning up tomorrow so all will be revealed....

So far this is great though. Had some problems last night installing Windows 10 on the SSD, but that was down to my stupidity rather than anything else. This PC is very quiet though IMO, much quieter than the one it has replaced. This is a very good investment for non gamers, my last PC was something like 7 years old so hopefully I'll get something similar out of this as it looks to have a lot of upgrade potential. Just hope I get the £70 cashback then this will be an amazing bargain...

Not sure why this is expired as the link still works.

nirvanaman to The Lone Ranger

4 Dec 15 #99

It is expired because they increased the price. It is now £116 after £70 cashback, still a good deal though.

donny2004

4 Dec 15 #96

any good Nvidia Gpu could fit into this server, prefer GTX..thanks

nirvanaman to donny2004

4 Dec 15 #97

Any gpu up to 75W will work, if you want a more powerful gpu then you will need to use sata power to 6 pin adapter(s), you will have to research that as i don't know anything about that i'm afraid.

nirvanaman

4 Dec 15 #95

I edited the original topic as it doesn't come with a thinner sata power cable that it needs for an slimline optical drive to work, i have linked an adapter that will allow a regular sata power cable and data cable to connect to a slimline optical drive. You can buy it from amazon uk for £4.20 ish if you don't want to wait for a cheaper one to arrive from china. I thought the youtube video that dell made mean't that it came with the required power cable, that video is highly misleading :disappointed:

Mada06

4 Dec 15 #94

Normally drives require power and a data cable. Google "SATA power cable", I'd be amazed if the Dell PSU didn't have one. It's a long thin connector you are looking for.

The Lone Ranger

3 Dec 15 #93

I bought the server but have a problem with the DVD drive. In the video it shows plugging a cable into the left slot but on the Samsung I bought, I had to plug into the right. The DVD drive seems to have no power, do I need a different cable (that should plug into the left) or is it more likely I have a faulty DVD drive?

nirvanaman

2 Dec 15 1 #92

Integrated graphics are fine for you, it is almost silent and it only uses 31-33w on idle. I am happy with it.

LBPMAN1

1 Dec 15 #91

Thanks for the reply, I would appreciate if you could answer a few more of my questions below, hopefully my last questions.

After some research, I've found:

1) Apparently servers lack in the graphics area due to less potential to add great GPU's (PSU capacity contributes to this), but this does have PCI-e slots, however the only graphics power I'd need would be to view occasional Youtube videos, does the integrated graphics cope fine with those?
2) Servers can be quite loud, very vague question but is the sound bearable? (as long as it doesn't sound like a grinding machine)
3) Servers use more power than normal desktops, I'm guessing they use the extra power when they need it to fulfil multiple requests when functioning as servers, so power consumption should be similar to normal PC's when using this as a normal computer?

And your overall experience with it so far?

Thanks.

Mada06

1 Dec 15 #90

I actually think the cheaper server without the hard drive is better value for money (http://www.serversplus.com/servers/tower_servers/dell_tower_servers/t20-9179).

As far as I can see, the only difference is the lack of a 500gb hard drive. It still qualifies for £70 cashback and you can buy a 1TB WD Blue hard drive for £34 from amazon.

LBPMAN1

30 Nov 15 #88

Thinking about buying some as office machines & sticking Windows on them, just wondering how is the performance like for normal use(non-server)? Does it run smooth with around 7 internet tabs and an excel spreadsheet?
Hearing "Pentium" just reminds me of my 2005 Pentium 4 Desktop 256MB ram, I'm sure this is newer technology lol

nirvanaman to LBPMAN1

30 Nov 15 1 #89

It is plenty fast enough for that.

ciamcool

30 Nov 15 #87

And the cpu wont max out with 6 cams? I only ask as I have a Q6600 and 4 cams and it runs at 80-100% with hikvision software and win10

Cheers

mutav

30 Nov 15 #86

I'd like to run VMWare ESX on this, but it seems less than straightforward https://communities.vmware.com/message/2376654

Anyone here got any experience with VMWare ESX on the T20?

josh_parker123

30 Nov 15 #84

Would I be able to stick a satellite card in one of these to feed my other devices ?

nirvanaman to josh_parker123

30 Nov 15 #85

yes.

josh_parker123

30 Nov 15 #81

Hi could anybody tell me do these have a sort of standby mode or is it a case of on or off ? Also what is real world running costs like please ?

nirvanaman to josh_parker123

30 Nov 15 #83

I think windows 10 puts your computer to sleep by default about 20-40mins, you can change this in windows, to wake it up you need to quickly press the power button, don't hold it in. I already sent my computer to go to sleep after 20 mins and put the monitor to sleep after 5 mins.
I have this server but i'm not using a 3rd party gpu. There is a slot for a gpu which can power a 75w or lower gpu which the r240 is as that uses around 30w, so there will be no problem.

neonplanet40

30 Nov 15 #82

Do you own one? Which GPU did you use? Any issues?

Thanks

neonplanet40

30 Nov 15 #79

Can you put a low powered low profile GPU in this to use as a HTPC? E.g an AMD R7 240?

Can't find out much information regarding the addition of dedicated GPU's.

nirvanaman to neonplanet40

30 Nov 15 #80

yes.

adv

30 Nov 15 #78

it will likely be a 'standard' size just not atx formfactor

heraferi

29 Nov 15 #77

Thanks all. I think i will take the plunge. If DP->HDMI adaptor does not work, I will have to turn this into a Plex server.

nirvanaman

29 Nov 15 #76

You don't need any extra cables for an ssd. If you are using a dvd-rw then you can either buy a bracket for the 2.5" ssd or you can just have it hanging inside the spare space in the hdd bays which is what i have done.

The Lone Ranger

29 Nov 15 #75

Thanks so much! So if I buy an SSD and bracket and don't have any additional drives (other than the 500GB drive that comes with it), can I just make use of the existing cables and not have to buy anything else? Sorry for the questions but although a long time PC user, only carried out very minor upgrades in the past (adding memory and a graphics card).

If I buy a DVD drive as well, is there anything extra I'd need for that or will it have all the cables needed for this too?

AndySX

29 Nov 15 #74

Yeah, my mistake, was comparing the prices of Kingston 8GB ECC kits to a 16GB non-ECC kits. Forgot there was 4GB in there already. However, if we're talking Dell RAM prices it's very different.

nirvanaman

29 Nov 15 #73

You don't need a bracket as long as you aren't going to install a DVD-RW drive as the location that 2 x 2.5" drives can go is where the DVD-RW drive would go.

Not true, another 4GB stick of ECC memory brings it up to 8GB and costs £24 + delivery. If he used non-ECC memory then he would have to buy 16GB of ddr3 non-ecc which costs around £51.

AndySX

29 Nov 15 #72

If you're buying a 3.5" conversion bracket then you should just be able to install the SSD in one of the 3.5" bays and use the existing SATA and power connectors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb0CBk3d9FI

That daughter board is to allow the use of two SSD drives in addition to the four 3.5" drives. I'm not sure if the daughter board is supplied, but going by a post by a Dell employee (I assume) on Spiceworks, it probably isn't.
https://community.spiceworks.com/topic/393770-dell-poweredge-t20-server?page=1#entry-2651951

PS, users on that post claim the system works fine with non-ECC RAM. Which would be nice as you could then get 16GB non-ECC for the same price as 8GB ECC. Also, DABS have that 120GB SSD drive for £27 when you use the code SANDISKBF8 http://www.dabs.com/products/sandisk-120gb-ssd-plus-sata-6gb-s-2-5--solid-state-drive-sdssda-120g-g25-B23F.html?src=3

The Lone Ranger

29 Nov 15 1 #71

What is the card near the end? Does the server already have this or is it something I need to buy? Looks like I don't need a bracket at least.

The Lone Ranger

29 Nov 15 #70

Thanks guys. So if I want an SSD, do I just order a 120GB model like this ->http://www.amazon.co.uk/SanDisk-PLUS-Sata-2-5-inch-Internal/dp/B00S9Q9UKS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1448809268&sr=8-2&keywords=120+GB+ssd and a bracket like this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kingston-Technology-2-5-3-5-Brackets-Screws/dp/B00DGL2X7I/ref=pd_bxgy_147_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0VAZKEJHB4D9NHY1RX6R and won't need anything else?

AndySX

29 Nov 15 #69

This silent movie by Dell may help:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkDhNT7PbOw

The Lone Ranger

29 Nov 15 #66

Just taken a punt on this. Current PC has a passmark of 1709 and Dell has 3188. Will I notice a big difference? I'll want to install an SSD, will I be able to plug it in or need to buy cables etc? Also, according to spec seem to have a DVD drive.

nirvanaman to The Lone Ranger

29 Nov 15 #68

It does not have a DVD-RW despite what the serversplus website says. The computer has spare sata power cables and spare sata data cables so no you don't need to buy any to attach an ssd.

The Lone Ranger

29 Nov 15 #67

Can you just plug an SSD into this or will you need cables etc?

AndySX

29 Nov 15 #65

In an updtae to my previous post, somebody got an i7-4790k working in their T20:
http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/servers/f/956/p/19656938/20837179#20837179

Cro_Baron

29 Nov 15 #60

Can I stick my seasonic 330w psu in this?

nirvanaman to Cro_Baron

29 Nov 15 #64

Your seasonic psu may or may not physically fit in but you won't be able to connect it to the motherboard as this motherboard doesn't have a 24 pin connector on it. You would have to buy a new motherboard and keep the cpu and ram (assuming the motherboard accepts ECC ram and assuming the psu physically fits).

bobflem

29 Nov 15 #63

I see, but that seems to contradict itself:

garraban

29 Nov 15 #59

Thanks OP - looks ideal for what I'm looking for

On the serversplus website it says that the offer is for this month, but on the Dell cashback pages it says finishes early Feb 2016? Can we assume the latter is correct?

Also anybody know roughly how much another 4gb of RAM would be for this?

AndySX to garraban

29 Nov 15 #62

Kingston ECC RAM is around £25 for 4GB, assuming I'm looking at the right stuff:
http://www.ebuyer.com/store/Servers/cat/Server-Memory/subcat/ECC-Memory?sort=price+ascending

AndySX

29 Nov 15 #61

I'm considering this as a replacement for an aging PC. The case dimensions are near identical to the budget PC I built years ago, and the CPU performance of the G3220 is twice that of the existing dual core. But I can't find anything about the upgradability of the CPU... The Dell manual suggests that it'll only support the G3220 or the Xeon E3-1225?
http://www.dell.com/support/manuals/us/en/19/poweredge-t20/T20OwnersManual-v4/About-Your-System?guid=GUID-2C2F4D32-FFA7-4223-A683-AAB764561849&lang=en-us

Does anybody know if the system supports other CPUs at all? I was planning on building a PC around an i5 4690 so would like something somewhere in that region.

Also, UDIMM is just Unbuffered DIMM isn't it? And does the RAM have to be ECC?

PS, the E3 model can be had from Spain for around £252, just be sure to pick a seller that ships internationally.
http://www.curiua.com/dp/B00UJU89DG

bobflem

29 Nov 15 #57

I may be being super thick here but while the serversplus website states £70 cashback doesn't the Dell website suggest only £40 cashback for a server with no OS?

nirvanaman to bobflem

29 Nov 15 #58

KingElk

29 Nov 15 #56

I have bought the hp ml10 but struggle to set up the os cause of the horrible hp smart aray. I've spent hrs trying to do it. If this comes without it I might just try my luck.

HinseyHonsey

29 Nov 15 #55

I guess this could be used to run the excellent Sophos UTM if you buy an additional usb Ethernet adaptor!

Wow cool!!!

donny2004

29 Nov 15 #48

any chance to change gpu with gtx model..thanks

BigYoSpeck to donny2004

29 Nov 15 #49

While it has a PCI-E 3.0 slot that can take a card it only has a 290W PSU which only has SATA power connectors.

You'd get away with say a GTX 750 Ti at most.

nirvanaman to donny2004

29 Nov 15 #51

there are no 6-pin power connectors for a higher performance gpu so the max power consumption gpu you could use would be 75W as that is the maximum that the PCI-E x16 slot provides.

amansth to donny2004

29 Nov 15 #54

you'll need a sata to 6 pin pci express cable. The best gpu without replacing the psu would be a gtx gt960 ( 4gb if you want to future proof it a bit).

amansth

29 Nov 15 #53

sata to 6pin connectors exist.
the e3-1225 version of this server pairs well with a gt-960( the 4gb gigabyte one ).
arkham knight runs at 60 fps at 1080p when not driving around.

jasee

29 Nov 15 #52

The driver update page at Dell is rather disappointing. They only list drivers for 64bit windows. Presumably this includes the 32bit and it seems no support for any of the server versions of Linux.

MercutioLeonhart

29 Nov 15 #50

This would be perfect for Plex. I have this server with the upgraded CPU, & it's handling everything I've chucked at it so far.
Linux Mint as the OS, with Virtual Machine Manager handling 3 separate VMs.
1: OpenMediaVault (Handling Plex, Calibre & Backups / NAS functionality)
2: OpenMediaVault (Purely for Music, sharing 1 iTunes library between multiple computers)
3: MineOS (Hosting multiple servers for Minecraft PC & Pocket Edition).

It's quiet, reliable & economic.

BigYoSpeck

29 Nov 15 #47

If it's a dual mode displayport they it will transmit a single link DVI or HDMI signal with a passive adapter allowing 1920 × 1200 (WUXGA) @ 60 Hz so it should be fine to a 1080p monitor. Higher than that resolution needs an active adapter.

anti5580

29 Nov 15 #46

Really tempted to upgrade from a N54L but I think I'll prefer to get a Xeon variant instead which last a bit longer. Good price though

p4pankaj

29 Nov 15 #45

Thanks

p4pankaj

29 Nov 15 #44

Could you add a card to get an HDMI port on it

notavalidaddress

29 Nov 15 #43

yes, yes you will.

p4pankaj

29 Nov 15 #42

If I buy a Windows 8 license, would it be eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 10?

nirvanaman

28 Nov 15 #41

Correct, you can run regular windows 8.1 and windows 10 and likely windows 7. You would have to google poweredge t20 and look for windows 7 support. I'm running regular windows 10 on mine.

gordo1964

28 Nov 15 1 #40

Just one more question. So I could run Windows 7 on it as use it as a server and not have to purchase specific Server OS?

notavalidaddress

28 Nov 15 #39

Some may say it is but TBH IMO it isn't. You can get cheap versions of Windows 7/8/8.1 popping up now and again.

I work on Linux servers all day and wouldn't think of running it on my PC, although if you just want it for minecraft server then it might be ok and I'll bet there are a few step by step guides to doing that in Linux as well.

gordo1964

28 Nov 15 #38

Thanks. I'll probably go for the HP as its only to be used as a Minecraft server that my son will be setting up over Christmas. Looking at the Server OS. Linux seems to be free but Microsoft seems to be over £100. Is it straight forward to set up a Linux server?

gordo1964

28 Nov 15 #34

Is this better than the HP ProLiant Gen8, its currently £102 after cashback?
http://www.dabs.com/products/hp-proliant-gen8-entry-intel-g1610t-celeron-4gb-ram-microserver-819185-421-BM14.html?q=HP%20ProLiant%20Gen8&src=16

nirvanaman to gordo1964

28 Nov 15 #37

That depends on what your needs are. This is 50% faster than the HP for single core apps and 35% faster for dual core apps, has better graphics, has more usb3 ports, has displayports and comes with a harddrive. This uses intel's haswell cpu platform, the HP uses intel's older ivy bridge platform. The HP will use less power and is smaller. Here is a benchmark comparing both cpus: http://www.cpubenchmark.net/compare.php?cmp[]=2020&cmp[]=2075

notavalidaddress

28 Nov 15 #36

Could you stick a Low Profile GPU into your N54L and get the GPU to do the transcoding on the fly? That may be a better option?

I've got a N40L and N54L and don't see this as a replacement although I'd see it as a possible contender if I was looking to buy new.

notavalidaddress

28 Nov 15 #35

I think a passive one will be ok if you are using a single monitor setup *I think*.

I've got an active DP to DVI adapter plugged into my PC but that's because I've got a triple monitor setup so 2 running HDMI and the other via DP to DVI. It was a while ago I bought it though but I think I went active because of a multi monitor setup.

heraferi

28 Nov 15 #32

does this have a HDMI output? I am looking to use this as a day to day PC and just bought the ASUS monitor deal.

BigYoSpeck to heraferi

28 Nov 15 #33

VGA port
2x Displayport ports

No HDMI or DVI you'll need an adapter and as HDMI & DVI require a clock signal it may need to be an active adapter not just a passive one.

nirvanaman

28 Nov 15 1 #31

This server is almost silent :smiley: This uses 29.5w-31.5w on idle without my extra SSD added.

spaceghost

28 Nov 15 #30

Another person here with an N54L potentially looking to upgrade. Will this be any good for transcoding with Plex? My micro server is really struggling lately. Thanks

Mada06

28 Nov 15 #29

I'm in exactly the same position. This has a better processor and more USB ports etc but is considerably bigger but requires significantly more power.

Mine will live in the loft so size doesn't matter, but the increased power does. The microserver is also very quiet, who knows about this.

jasee

28 Nov 15 #28

But this is unlikely to appeal to them, as there is no operating system and it's rather big, though smaller than the Lenovo TS140. But as a media server or a NAS server, this is a no brainer!

shinds

28 Nov 15 #23

HP Microserver?

illusionuk to shinds

28 Nov 15 #27

Would also like to hear people's opinions for the Dell over the HP Microserver?
I'm currently running an N54L and was considering the Gen8 as an upgrade.

nirvanaman

28 Nov 15 #26

A lot of people just use their computers for ms office and the internet browsing, unless you are downloading quite a lot of video or installing games then 500GB is sufficient for a huge portion of the public.

andymk3

28 Nov 15 #25

Hot deal.

Definitely a non-ATX PSU though. Look at the power cables to the mobo. No 24-pin. And SATA power is taken from the mobo too by the looks of it.

Will make a fantastic home server though.

jasee

28 Nov 15 #24

Yes, but who wants a 500gb drive nowadays, it's just a waste of a sata connection

nikolai

28 Nov 15 #22

That was the idea. I've always separated CPU and GPU in the past, but maybe my needs vs improving technology means I might not have to at some point. Thanks for the advice Gatchaman.

vithya

27 Nov 15 #12

Does not look like a standard power supply to me..

nirvanaman to vithya

28 Nov 15 #21

140mm x 150mm x 84mm, just measured it. This is a ATX/BTX sized psu. The cables are not standard, there is no 24pin cable, sata devices get power from the motherboard not the psu.

Gatchaman

28 Nov 15 #20

Maybe because the gt240 uses its own vram and will not use the system ram.

nikolai, use MSI Afterburner, nvidiaInspector and the like to create ultra low power profiles and you'll be okay. Do a bit of testing before though committing. I'm currently typing on, not literally, a GT650Ti down clocked to [email protected] + [email protected] from a default of [email protected] and [email protected] on 50" screen with no problems what so ever.

I bought the E3-1225-v3 version but I'll have to wait till the end of the month before I can put in a claim for the cashback. The box is quietly crunching away at CEP2 workunits at my workplace.

jamieisking

28 Nov 15 #17

Howdy fellow bargain hunters! Would this be ok as just a standard pc used for Internet browsing and stuff like that? My current PC is 6 years old with a pentium 4 2.9ghz and 1gb of ram, runs windows XP and takes about 5 mins too boot up?!

vmistery to jamieisking

28 Nov 15 #18

You would need to buy a Windows licence for it and install Windows on it but yes it would be fine.

nirvanaman to jamieisking

28 Nov 15 #19

yes, that is precisely what i have done with this server, running windows 10 x64 on it and using a 60GB ssd for windows, office etc. Using the 500GB for music and photos storage.

Why would you want that low end nvidia gpu in it? The intel gpu inside might be faster, would use less power and less noise too.

nikolai

28 Nov 15 #16

How would this do with me slapping my GT240 in, and using as a day-to-day desktop (with OS) & DLNA/uPNP fileserver? FWIW - would be upgrading from a Q6600. Found this comparison: http://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Pentium-G3220-vs-Intel-Core2-Quad-Q6600/1967vs1980 which suggests it'd be worth it IMHO.

gnowak84

27 Nov 15 #13

If you've measured, how many watts does it take in idle? Thanks

nirvanaman to gnowak84

27 Nov 15 #15

31-33w

I shall measure the PSU dimensions for you tomorrow.

ciamcool

27 Nov 15 #11

Does anyone know if this would handle x6 hikvision 3mp cameras without the cpu maxin out.

ravagilli to ciamcool

27 Nov 15 #14

easy, xpenology & surveillance station.

tek-monkey

27 Nov 15 #9

Hmm, could retire a microserver with this. Would need more internal bays though.

nirvanaman to tek-monkey

27 Nov 15 #10

Up to six internal (cabled) hard drives in total:
Up to four 3.5" SATA hard drives, plus
Up to two 2.5" SATA hard drives
requires expansion PCI-E sata card for more than four sata devices.

psu is replaceable, here is a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntxi_EyXbLI

Yes the memory is DDR3 ECC 1600mhz 1.35v, a single 4GB stick.

spannerzone

27 Nov 15 1 #8

amazing price and I look forward to the smart alecs that say they can build this for less :smile:

vithya

27 Nov 15 #7

is it using standard power supply? replaceable?
and memory ddr3?

Hootwo

27 Nov 15 1 #6

Nice entry-level server.
Couldn't put this together from bits at anywhere near this price ...

nirvanaman

27 Nov 15 1 #5