Cheap server build. Critique please

[Phew]

I work at a small engineering company (<20 employees), and it's time to replace our server (constant lockups and backup failures). We don't do any web hosting or SQL or anything like that; the server just stores all our technical data, acts as an antivirus server, and performs incremental backups every 4 hrs (to external USB drives).

I was thinking of buying a Dell PowerEdge SC440 with the current $399 off deal, with the only upgrade being to increase the RAM to 4x1GB. The total would come to $268 shipped+tax.

The plan would then be to purchase the following items off Newegg and upgrade the SC440 chassis:
Intel Xeon X3350 Yorkfield 2.66GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80569X3350 - Retail: $340 (to replace the crappy Pentium E2180 in the SC440)

QTY 4 Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM: $560

HighPoint RocketRAID 2310 PCI Express x4 (x8 and x16 slot compatible) SATA II Controller Card - Retail: $150

We would then swap out the processor in the SC440, and set up a RAID 5 array using the 4 1TB drives and the HighPoint Raid controller.

Net result? A quad core, 4GB RAM, 3TB RAID 5 server for just over $1300. We already have Gbit ethernet cards and a copy of Windows Server 2003.

I don't know anything about servers, so am I missing something obvious here? Our 'IT consultants' want to charge us like $4k to build an equivalent server.

Thanks!

 

[RebateMonger]

That should be OK.

I'm not positive about CPU compatability with the SC440. I've read of many folks installing Q6600, but I don't know if there's any issues with the Yorkfield.

ALL of the PCI-E slots on the SC440 are limited to X1 speed, but that shouldn't represent a problem in itself. Consider, though, buying the optional $200 RAID adapter that Dell sells. Dell BIOSes are known for having issues with 3rd-party RAID cards. I've seen that problem with 3Ware and other RAID cards. I HAVE used HighPoint RAID cards in a some 400SC sservers, and an Areca RAID card in a 1600SC box.

I don't personally use RAID 5 anymore unless absolutely necessary, having seen way too many RAID 5 arrays fail or lose data. The SC440 is really only designed to hold two hard drives, but you can squeeze a couple more into the case in the upper section. Somebody also seems to make a metal adapter for the bottom of the case, holding four drives there.

Edit:
Since the price is so low, consider buying a SECOND one for spare parts.

 

[Phew]

Thanks for the input RebateMonger. I'd be fine with the Q6600, it's like half the price of the Yorkfield anyway, for similar performance.

The Dell $200 RAID controller sounds like the way to go. Does it support 4 drives? Can't tell from the Dell website.

As for RAID config, what do you recommend? 0+1? Would allow us to use 2 fewer external backup drives, which would offset having 'only' 2 TB.

I figured we could buy some brackets to store the 2 extra drives in the 5.25" external bays.

New setup would be SC440 with 4x1GB of RAM and RAID controller for $467, then a Q6600 and 4x1TB WD Caviar Blacks off Newegg, for a grand total of $1217.

 

[RebateMonger]

Dell SAS 5/iR Features

Note that I've never purchased one of these separately. They are likely on a couple of my small business servers, purchased complete from Dell with drives, but I haven't played with the controllers. They'll handle four internal drives and only do RAID 1 and RAID 0. It also doesn't support a hot spare.

Again, my primary reason for suggesting the Dell controller is guaranteed compatability with the SC440. You could always contact other RAID controller makers to verify compatability with the SC440.

I like simple RAID 1 (although hot spares are nice). It's quite reliable and gives you EASY expansion later on. When 2 TB drives come out next year, you back up the array, insert two 2 TB drives, and copy the data back. Simple. Of course, if you NEED 3 TB right now, then you don't have much choice but RAID 5 or its variations.

Edit: I can't find evidence whether the SAS controller can support two RAID 1 arrays. Better look into it if you decide to go that way. I can't imagine it doesn't, but Dell configuration screens for servers that support four hard drives seem to only offer an option for two drives in RAID with the SAS controller.