LAST DAY: Dell Sm Biz Server SC1400 $661 or $763 w 1GB RAM

[Yo2]

PowerEdge 1400 Server P3-933 Dual ready 512MB RAM, 18GB U160 SCSI drive 1yr $661 - free shipping as well but they charge tax.

Unlike some recently advertized celeron machines this is a decent dual ready server with a 10K drive and a good amount of RAM.

Linked just reduce warranty. Also another 512MB RAM can be added for just $102 (may be worth it since I think it's not so commonly available ECC RAM which costs about the same at CRUCIAL)

 

[dlaw]

$661......a year... well...

 

[Yo2]

LOL

 

[swifty]

Anyone know how good these servers are - I want to plant one in my room and DSL to it - I like IBM better - but this looks like a good deal
anyone has any experience with them?

 

[swifty]

The link only takes me to it but with a price tag of $810 with one year of warranty
and 512 ram included

 

[Richard98]

<< The link only takes me to it but with a price tag of $810 with one year of warranty
and 512 ram included >>



Under Warranty, Select:
"1Yr Onsite Labor + 1Yr Parts Delivery + 1Yr Technical Support "

 

[Yo2]

<< Anyone know how good these servers are - I want to plant one in my room and DSL to it - I like IBM better - but this looks like a good deal
anyone has any experience with them? >>



They are at least as good as the Gateway 6400 that sold for $499 and less in July. In fact Dell was on some occasions stating that they could not match the 6400 with the 1400 because their server adheres to some stricter specs in terms of noise and monitoring software. Noise may be an issue if you set it up at home, so this could be really good.

Yo

 

[Bob151]

Nice.

But, primary controller=none?

 

[Bob151]

Oh. Is there still a Dell coupon out there?

 

[clusterman]

This is a good deal but the problem is the cost of the second processor.
The Gateway could be upgraded without an expensive VRM. I assume this
motherboard requires a VRM. Is that true?

 

[DonBlack]

The Compaq deal that was just pulled looked better... albeit more expensive... Still, not bad.

 

[Yo2]

<< This is a good deal but the problem is the cost of the second processor.
The Gateway could be upgraded without an expensive VRM. I assume this
motherboard requires a VRM. Is that true? >>



What is a VRM???

As far as i can tell you should be able to simply plug in another CPU - they start at $123+6.96s&h (newegg), possibly you would need to obtain a certain stepping, but that can typically be obtained by purchasing at a computer show.

Yo

 

[Hgabriel]

Swifty: These are good servers. We base our 1 billion dollar a year product on them. They work. The 1 year warranty is iffy, but who keeps a machine longer than that anyway.

 

[Yo2]

<< The Compaq deal that was just pulled looked better... albeit more expensive... Still, not bad. >>



What was that about?

Yo

 

[lsman]

this deal

 

[Yo2]

Thanks - that was sweet but the Dell could be configured similarly for about the same $840

 

[GetReal]

<< Thanks - that was sweet but the Dell could be configured similarly for about the same $840 >>



How do you figure that ?

Xeon processors on the SP750 vs standard Pentium III on the Dell server
PC600 Rambus vs SDRAM on the Dell server
3 Year on site vs Dell 1 year "phantom" warrany

yep they sound about the same to me, NOT

 

[Omagh]

Anyone know how good these servers are - I want to plant one in my room and DSL to it - I like IBM better -
but this looks like a good deal anyone has any experience with them?

Why are you so brand loyal? IBM have made junk before too. Think PCjr. Think chicklet keyboard. Think
PS/2

Dell servers are pretty robust. I would have no hesitancy recommending it. Don't personally need this
robustness in a server. I just convert a desktop PC into my server. (Home use only).

 

[patrickj]

I'll second the fact that Dell makes a strong server. I use the 1400's in remote offices as BDC's for our WAN. Never had a problem with them. You'll want to get better video if you are going to use it as a desktop though. They have an ati chipset on the motherboard that isn't great for anything other than a server.

 

[lsman]

the strong point of compaq (deal) deal is 2 processes and both Win NT and 2000 Professional.
But it was pulled. Sorry.

 

[Yo2]

<<

<< Thanks - that was sweet but the Dell could be configured similarly for about the same $840 >>



How do you figure that ?

Xeon processors on the SP750 vs standard Pentium III on the Dell server
PC600 Rambus vs SDRAM on the Dell server
3 Year on site vs Dell 1 year "phantom" warrany

yep they sound about the same to me, NOT >>



I was referring to the hardware: XEONs are expensive fake PIIIs and RDRAM has not really been proven to be better in a server environment. Moreover these two components could turn out to be costly if they ever had to be replaced...

But you have a point with the warranty, and also I was unaware that the compaq came with software so to that extent it was agreat deal - but it's DEAD.

As far as the DELL hardware goes, the box costs $661, another processor is about $130, so that would bring it in at about $800. Bearing in mind that we are talking about a low cost server that's not too bad.

Yo

 

[Kwad Guy]

How was the Compaq deal better? Let me count the ways:

1) DUAL CHANNEL (Intel 840 chipset based) RDRAM vs.
single channel SDRAM. Big performance difference.

2) TWO PIII 933/133 vs. one PIII 933/133 for the Dell.

3) SUPER quality case vs. simply decent quality case.

4) 4X AGP Pro slot on Compaq vs. crappy on-board graphics
for the Dell (upgradable only with a PCI card).

5) 3 years on site P&L warranty for the Compaq vs. 1 year
for the Dell.

Given that the Gateway 6400s were selling for as little as
$400 and change, this isn't even as good a deal as those. But
it's DEFINITELY not as good as the Compaq deal, which anyone
with sense and interest in this type of computer would have
JUMPED on when it came up two days ago.

Kwad

 

[sleefer]

I've got a PowerEdge 1400 server, as far as I know you will need a second VRM for it to do duals. I don't know if you can buy just the VRM or not...

 

[Yo2]

<< How was the Compaq deal better? Let me count the ways:

1) DUAL CHANNEL (Intel 840 chipset based) RDRAM vs.
single channel SDRAM. Big performance difference.

2) TWO PIII 933/133 vs. one PIII 933/133 for the Dell.

3) SUPER quality case vs. simply decent quality case.

4) 4X AGP Pro slot on Compaq vs. crappy on-board graphics
for the Dell (upgradable only with a PCI card).

5) 3 years on site P&L warranty for the Compaq vs. 1 year
for the Dell.

Given that the Gateway 6400s were selling for as little as
$400 and change, this isn't even as good a deal as those. But
it's DEFINITELY not as good as the Compaq deal, which anyone
with sense and interest in this type of computer would have
JUMPED on when it came up two days ago.

Kwad >>



The deals you are quoting are obviously is over - so your point is exactly WHAT??

Yo

P.s.:

Besides RDRAM cannot be used efficiently by PIIIs because they only have dual memory piplelines, - PIVs have the quad memory piplines that really improve the memory throughput.

As for the other points you are trying to make I think they may depend on the purpose for the machine, and the compaq was also $340 more (+how much for S&H??).

 

[Kwad Guy]

<< The deals you are quoting are obviously is over - so your point is exactly WHAT??

Besides RDRAM cannot be used efficiently by PIIIs because they only have dual memory piplelines, - PIVs have the quad memory piplines that really improve the memory throughput.

As for the other points you are trying to make I think they may depend on the purpose for the machine, and the compaq was also $340 more (+how much for S&H??). >>



My point would be that this is only a luke-warm deal in light of
other deals that have been freely available THIS PAST WEEK.

As for your other comments:

RDRAM was not used efficiently on the Intel 820 PIII chipset. HOWEVER,
it is used efficiently on the i840 chipset. It is not pushed to its
limits on the i840, but it is pushed far enough to show superiority
to standard SDRAM.

The Poweredge 1400 is $661. The Compaq was $840. I am not sure what
base you are talking about to get a difference of $360. More like
$180. True, the Compaq then doesn't come with a video card. But you
can buy a video card for $10 that is as good as the on-board video
on the Poweredge to make an apples to apples comparison.

So let's do the simple math, shall we?

Dell: 1 x 933, needs second VRM.
Compaq 2x933 all VRMs included.
Cost to upgrade Dell to Compaq level: $130 for processor, $35 VRM.

Dell: no OS.
Compaq: Your choice of Win2K or NT4.
Cost to upgrade Dell to Compaq level: ~$200.

Dell: 1 year P&L warranty
Compaq: 3 years P&L warranty
Cost to upgrade Dell to Compaq level: ~$89

So that would be $454 more to upgrade the Dell machine to the
level of the Compaq. And that does not consider the fact that that
delta assumes you buy an OEM processor and VRM (no warranty) whereas
the Compaq second processor would be covered under warranty. It also
doesn't consider the fact that the Compaq is hands down without
question a better built case. So now with your Dell, you have
a $1100 machine that won't take an AGP graphics card and has
an inferior case.

That, to my thinking, is why this is NOT such a hot deal.

Kwad