Building new server on the cheap, what's the best 940 board?

[Liberator21]

I'd like to know, barring $400 boards, the generally best preforming 940 dual socket board. Also, a very important question that google doesn't seem to know the answer to: Is there ANY hope at overclocking? Even through a software based utility? Thanks

 

[Rabidwerewolf]

You're pretty much limited to Tyan and SuperMicro boards for dual socket 940 for what is out on the market currently available. As far as overclocking, you can't really do much with a dual socket 940 board through the bios. I know some people that have used ClockGen to overclock their Opterons. As far as board, what type of server are you building on the cheap, and have you considered going the AMD socket F(also known as socket 1207) route as it is a newer server platform set to replace socket 940?

 

[Liberator21]

Thanks and yes I have considered 1207, but my local computer shoppe is selling some 800 series for cheap. 800 series will work right? As far as the function, I don't really know lol. I just want to build a work related station. Maybe a game server, maybe even add a workstation class GPU and do the video editing I've always wanted to.

 

[Servant of Shodan]

How cheap is cheap for the 800 series boards?
Reason is, Tyan makes some very nice single socket AM2 server boards that you could pop a dual core Opteron in, for just under $200 USD.

 

[NXIL]

Dear Liberache,

even if you get an 800 series CPU or two cheaply, the supporting components are going to be very expensive, i.e. a server class (powerful and expensive) power supply, chassis, and, the memory: I think you haveto use ECC Registered Memory, not standard DDR or DDR2. It's great memory, especially for an essential server, but, if you are going for inexpensive, DDR2 is a great bargain right now.

Here are some comparison prices for 800 series Opterons at Newegg:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...5079%2CN82E16819105085

Those are pretty expensive, I think because the 800 series CPUs are designed to be used in 4 CPU and 8 CPU systems. No heatsinks included, by the way, so you need to buy those too....

Here are some sub $400 socket 940 motherboards:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...%2c713%3a10163&bop=And

However: seems like you need a fast, flexible workstation type PC, not a server class CPU and motherboard with expensive ECC registered RAM. Some prices to compare for ECC/Registered:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...4292%2CN82E16820146522

For video editing, depending on the software you will be using, perhaps a Conroe dual core or quad core:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...2c3028%3a25342&bop=And

It's more efficient to get a quad core CPU than two dual core CPUs....less noise, heat, power, etc....AMD put together a "4 x 4" system with two dual core CPUs on one motherboard, but, the current Intel offerings chew it up and spit it out....

Maybe one of these P35 chipset boards?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...ue=717%3a28997&bop=And

2 x 1GB of DDR2 800 RAM, or 2 x 2GB, a good video card, some western digital or Seagate hard drives, a decent power supply (Seasonic, PC Power/Cooling, Corsair 520, among many others), DVD-RW, and a well ventilated case, and you are good to go.

Depending on your budget, Anadtech and some other sites, like SharkeyExtreme and TomsHardware have buld guides--budget, midrange, super expensive--

Anyway, I think getting an 800 series processor is also going to lock you in to some pretty old tech, when there are some way cool products coming--Intel has price cuts coming on July 22, a new quad core CPU, and AMD has a quad core coming out as well....and, if Intel cuts prices, AMD will pretty much have to as well.....

HTH,

NXIL

 

[Liberator21]

Thanks NXIL and SOS. I know server tech is expensive, it's just that the CPU's are an AWESOME deal. I'm talking under $100 for TWO 1.8Ghz Dual Core 8xx Opterons. Probably closer to $50. Anyhow after pricing it up, it's not 'cheap'. I may still jump, but I'd like to know what kind of performance I can expect to my current rig with similar HDD and memory configurations:

Opteron 1212 2Ghz @ 3Ghz
BFG 590SLI
2Gb OCZ PC6400
Evga 8800GTS 320mb
2x WD Raptor 74Gb
WD 500 GB SATAII
Zalman ZM600-HP

Thanks

 

[NXIL]

Hi Liberache,

hmm, there are some Opteron 8XX CPUs, new, on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Pair-o...42QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

New, 3.0GHz; looks like they will be about $200 each or so, but: 3.0 >> 1.8.

A 1.8G Santa Ana versus a 1.8 Egypt (?) ?? Not sure how they would compare, though it would certainly depend on the OS and application: single threaded apps are going to get no benefit from all those cores.

I think the 8XX series of Opterons are more expensive because of all the extra circuitry that goes in to making them 8-way capable.

Since the cores are pretty similar (I think, except for the extra hypertransport links), I do not think there will be much difference in performance; the registered ECC memory will slow the 8XX processors down a bit, and, there are other bottlenecks: disc access, video, etc....

I would love to have a dual CPU system like that (see http://2cpu.com/ where those who wanted to multitask and churn some big numbers went before dual core got common), but, there is strength in numbers: the more typical a system is, the more likely the big bugs will be identified and killed. A dual 8XX system that isn't running some industrial strength OS, doing back end type stuff (database, server, etc) is going to be pretty unusual. (Serverworks chipsets, for instance...have never used one, but, I assume SW has their quirks just like Via and nVidia do....)

Good luck, would love to hear what you decide,

NXIL