[Downgraded] Hot or Not? [Tepid] Dell Server Deals Again

[Optimist]

I ordered a 1600SC with the following:

--533MHz FSB with 2.0 Xeon--upgraded to 2.4 for free and to 2.8GHz for $99.
--single 36G 10K Ultra 320 SCSI drive (any guesses as to the brand???)
--first year parts and on-site warranty, years two and three parts next day ($50 I believe)
--no OS, keyboard, mouse
--128M ECC Registered
--Free access to the wonderful Dell forums, including world class Linux support (just kidding)

$1048 - $200 instant = $848 cash - $100 mail in/beg rebate (you'll get it, but it may take a few calls) - $100 for not doubling memory = $648.
[edited] turns out Keltron is correct: only $100 total in rebates (verified with Dell)

Maybe I'm getting senile in my old age, but I've seen no mention of the deal on these Dell Servers which has been going for about a week or so. Yes, I got in on a couple of those deals in March, but this current deal, which expires on the 18th, seems just as hot. Last time, we got two 73G Ultra 320 SCSI and 2.0GHz/400MHz FSB for about $600, so now it's one 36G Ultra 320, but with 533MHz FSB and 2.8GHz Xeon for $648, or about $600 with the same warranty.

Should I cancel the order? Did I get too excited?

 

[DorkBoy]

Originally posted by: Optimist
Should I cancel the order? Did I get too excited?

Yes. Yes
I have seen alot better

 

[imported_Mike]

what advantages do a dell server have over say a home-made server? xeon obviously has HT, but i dont get it. Im noob when it comes to servers...

 

[Optimist]

Originally posted by: CheapArse
what advantages do a dell server have over say a home-made server? xeon obviously has HT, but i dont get it. Im noob when it comes to servers...

No advantage per se, but with prices like the ones above--or better--you would be hard pressed to build one cheaper. A 2.8Ghz/533MHz Xeon goes for $467. Any motherboard board with integrated Ultra 320 SCSI is $400+. Even on Ebay, the 32G 10K Ultra 320 drives fetch $125. The point is that it's pretty hard to put together a server for less than the price I got excited about--and even that price may not be that great.

 

[Optimist]

Originally posted by: DorkBoy

Originally posted by: Optimist
Should I cancel the order? Did I get too excited?

Yes. Yes
I have seen alot better

To which deals or prices are you referring? I'm actually looking for an excuse NOT to spend this money, but I need to know what you mean by better. (Long DEAD deals are fine for your examples.) I just have to know where our point of reference is here. Thanks in advance.

 

[ImSeeker]

I got a Poweredge 600SC on Friday for $240 after rebate. I thought that was pretty good.

(128Mb memory, 40Gb, 2.4Ghz Pentium 4)

 

[myconid]

what advantages do a dell server have over say a home-made server? xeon obviously has HT, but i dont get it. Im noob when it comes to servers...

Im an ubergeek, and have run my own servers forever, but I gotta tell you, theres something nice about not having to worry about cooling issues etc. I bought a 1600SC with the twin 73gig scsi deal. $800 was hard to beat. Its quiet, fast, damn sexy, and looks cooler than a regular desktop does. You *WILL* get more friends with a power edge.

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: myconid
what advantages do a dell server have over say a home-made server? xeon obviously has HT, but i dont get it. Im noob when it comes to servers...

Im an ubergeek, and have run my own servers forever, but I gotta tell you, theres something nice about not having to worry about cooling issues etc. I bought a 1600SC with the twin 73gig scsi deal. $800 was hard to beat. Its quiet, fast, damn sexy, and looks cooler than a regular desktop does. You *WILL* get more friends with a power edge.

im ubernoob, do i need scsi hds? or can i run off ata? I dont really have alot of $$ to spend on a server.

 

[hamburglar]

you don't need scsi hds. they are just faster than ata.

 

[SearchMaster]

Originally posted by: hamburglar
you don't need scsi hds. they are just faster than ata.

And more suited to the rigors of 24x7 service, which is, after all, the point of a server.

 

[Optimist]

Actually in just about every test I've read in the last couple years, for a single user on a single processor, the SCSI and ATA drives ran pretty darned close. In a couple of recent review (I think one was done by Anandtech, but not sure), the new WD Raptor beat most of the SCSI drives of the same RPM. Now when you start talking about multiple users and tons of IO requests, like in a web hosting or corporate database server, the SCSI outperforms ATA in just about every benchmark.

I finally went SCSI at home because I got tired of all my IDE drives failing within a year. I leave my machine on most of the time and, for whatever reason (quality control or design disparities), my SCSI drives have always lasted longer. Even with this preference, the price still has to be really sweet for me to go SCSI.

 

[Optimist]

Originally posted by: hamburglar
you don't need scsi hds. they are just faster than ata.

Actually in just about every test I've read in the last couple years, for a single user on a single processor, the SCSI and ATA drives ran pretty darned close. In a couple of recent review (I think one was done by Anandtech, but not sure), the new WD Raptor beat most of the SCSI drives of the same RPM. Now when you start talking about multiple users and tons of IO requests, like in a web hosting or corporate database server, the SCSI outperforms ATA in just about every benchmark.

I finally went SCSI at home because I got tired of all my IDE drives failing within a year. I leave my machine on most of the time and, for whatever reason (quality control or design disparities), my SCSI drives have always lasted longer. Even with this preference, the price still has to be really sweet for me to go SCSI.

 

[Keltron]

This config is good for only a home server. If you need it for a small office you need a lot more memory and two more hard drive for RAID. If you dont have an operation system that is 2000 server or later you need to buy an OS too. there is no point installing NT4.0 on such a fine hardware

you are not supposed to get $100 off for not doubling memory memory. that s wthat $200 instant rebate for. if you get another 100 you are lucky

We order ordered this server with 2.4GHZ Xeon, 1GB memory 3 SCSI HDDs on RAID 5 and windows 2003 server, 3 year onsite service for $2693-15% coupon - $100 MIR= $2189.05

main advange over a home built server is that you can't build one for that price

optimist, you could have also gotten the keyboard, mouse and printed documentation at no extra charge

 

[Optimist]

Originally posted by: Keltron
This config is good for only a home server. If you need it for a small office you need a lot more memory and two more hard drive for RAID. If you dont have an operation system that is 2000 server or later you need to buy an OS too. there is no point installing NT4.0 on such a fine hardware

you are not supposed to get $100 off for not doubling memory memory. that s wthat $200 instant rebate for. if you get another 100 you are lucky

We order ordered this server with 2.4GHZ Xeon, 1GB memory 3 SCSI HDDs on RAID 5 and windows 2003 server, 3 year onsite service for $2693-15% coupon - $100 MIR= $2189.05

main advange over a home built server is that you can't build one for that price

optimist, you could have also gotten the keyboard, mouse and printed documentation at no extra charge

Keltron, thanks for info on the keyboard, mouse, and documents. I'll check into that. On the extra $100 rebate, it's always hard to tell and I should try to call to be certain. I am fairly certain that it is separate from the INSTANT $200 rebate, which given your total price, you opted not to use in lieu of your 15% discount (since the 15% isn't stackable).

I did go through the ordering system to see if the $100 MIR was red flagged when using the free memory upgrade. It wasn't. However, since Dell's menu system isn't always correct (need I mention the double 15% fiasco of late), I think a `phone call is in order.

 

[Optimist]

Keltron, you were correct. I verified with Dell. Only $100 total in rebates. I would rate this deal tepid.

When compared with the free upgrade on the SCSI drive, free second matching drive (73G Ultra 320 SCSI in my case), instant $250, and $100 MIR deal back in Feb, this deal is tepid. (Still....that deal was for the 400MHz FSB. Didn't it drop the instant off and second drive when the FSB increase to 533 a week later?)

I would cancel my order of late yesterday afternoon, but with a ship date of June 24 they sent to distribution center last night (not updated in my order tracking until about 30 minutes ago). My luck. Next question: refuse shipment and wait about 30 days for Dell to find it or take delivery and risk having to pay to ship back. Any opinions?

 

[swNYC]

Just received a new 15% off Servers, Storage and Switches SB coupon from Dell

 

[Keltron]

Originally posted by: Optimist
Keltron, you were correct. I verified with Dell. Only $100 total in rebates. I would rate this deal tepid.

When compared with the free upgrade on the SCSI drive, free second matching drive (73G Ultra 320 SCSI in my case), instant $250, and $100 MIR deal back in Feb, this deal is tepid. (Still....that deal was for the 400MHz FSB. Didn't it drop the instant off and second drive when the FSB increase to 533 a week later?)

I would cancel my order of late yesterday afternoon, but with a ship date of June 24 they sent to distribution center last night (not updated in my order tracking until about 30 minutes ago). My luck. Next question: refuse shipment and wait about 30 days for Dell to find it or take delivery and risk having to pay to ship back. Any opinions?

Unless you need a server right now, I would refuse the shipment

 

[MrPG]

must you have a business account with dell to get these deals? dual xeons and 320 scsi for around $1,000.

crikey