What computers would you suggest?? (setting up 20-30PCs with 2 Servers)

[coolVariable]

I'm currently researching a computer setup for a project.

There would be 20-30 PCs to set up.
Probably 2 Servers.

The PCs:
Since this is for a company these PCs DON'T have to be top of the line.
They will be used mainly for Photoshop and stuff and Office applications (Word etc.)
What would you recommend?
I thought I would maybe go for something with integrated graphics but lots of RAM (and maybe good CPU/RAM upgrade capabilities?)
Of course all the PCs should come with WinxP Pro.

The Servers:
One server will be for file storage only but it will need lots of space to start off and great upgrade capabilities.
The other server will handle everything else.

 

[venk]

FOr the PCs, i would look at an Intel Celeron (or whatever that new Celeron is called) or P4 solution combined with an Intel Mobo. I couldn't imagine having to install 4-in-1s on 30 PCs . Just get as much RAM as you can for each system, DDR PC2100 may not be as cheap as it once was, but 512 MB wont set you back too much.

 

[ahsia]

All prices from newegg.com. I'll explain why I choose these parts. For desktop PC, well, I would go with Intel for stability. I know AMD XP would have been much cheaper, but this system is very fast, and 512mb is what you need if you plan to Photoshop. The Intel motherboard has onboard LAN and audio, and the ATI Radeon is a good video card that should do anything you need it to do. You can upgrade the CPU later if you wish, this motherboard can take the latest Northwood 2.2GHz.

Desktop PCs:

$40 EVERCASE 300W P4 ATX MID Tower Case
$115 INTEL D845BGL PGA478 DDR266 ATA/100 with LAN Retail Box ATX
$158 Intel Pentium 4 1.5GHz 256K Socket 478 400MHz
$138 KINGSTON 512MB DDR PC2100
$85 IBM IDE HARD DRIVE 60GXP 40GB 7200RPM
$45 ATI OEM RADEON 7000 32MB DDR W/TVATI RADEON 7000 chip
$28 SONY 52X IDE CD-ROM DRIVE
$9 MITSUMI Floppy 1.44MB 3.5INCH

Total: $618


As for the storage server, well, I found the most cost effective motherboard with 4 IDE channels, which means you can hook up 8 IDE devices. The ANTEC server case can hold all of the hard drives, including the 20GB Western Digital, which I think you should get just as a boot drive. That way, you have four 80GB IBM drives which will give you 320GB of storage. I choose a Duron processor because you don't need processing speed on a storage server, and the EPoX motherboard will work with the latest AMD XP Processors if you decide to upgrade in the future, and the AMD 761 chipset should be better than VIA chipset based motherboards. 256mb of memory should be plenty for a storage server. As for additional storage, well, you can have two more hard drives, after the 4 IBM, 1 WD and CD-ROM, then you will have to use IDE PCI cards. This is a budget server system. Most people who are serious about storage would probably go SCSI RAID. Ask the SCSI experts for that option.

Storage Server:

$140 ANTEC Full Tower Chasis for P4 and AMD Model SX1240 w/ Antec Original 400 Watt Power Supply
$101 EPoX EP-8K7A+ (AMD-761) with HPT370X RAID
$90 AMD Duron 1.2 GHZ Socket A
$72 KINGSTON 256MB 32x64 PC2100 DDR RAM
$69 WESTERN DIGITAL IDE HARD DRIVE 20GB 7200RPM MODEL # WD200BB
$170 IBM IDE HARD DRIVE 80GB 7200RPM MODEL Deskstar 120GXP ATA/100 (x4 for 320GB of storage)
$34 ATI XPERT 2000 PRO 32MB 4X AGP NO TV-OUT - OEM
$28 SONY 52X MAX IDE CD-ROM DRIVE
$9 MITSUMI Floppy 1.44MB 3.5INCH

Total: $1223


As for the other server, well, that would really depend on your budget. Since the other server is for everything else, you can spend A LOT of money, get a XEON P4, or dual AMD MP, or just a fast AMD XP or Intel P4. That would really depend on your budget. Let me know how much you are willing to spend, and I'll piece together something for you.

Good Luck!

 

[Ionizer86]

In any case, companies generally buy PCs by the dozens through someone with tech support, such as Dell. It'd be a pain if you had to support and build all these, so you'd probably be better off simply buying from an OEM.

 

[Yoshitoshi]

<< In any case, companies generally buy PCs by the dozens through someone with tech support, such as Dell. It'd be a pain if you had to support and build all these, so you'd probably be better off simply buying from an OEM. >>



Ionizer has a valid point here. It sounds like a nice project in theory - but if something stops running it falls on your shoulders.

Maybe try and find an OEM supplier that will let you spec the systems fully first.

I bought a Dell 1400SC PowerEdge server last year and got just what I wanted, very reliable (as if I had built it myself ). And I don't have to worry about footing the bill if it dies in the next 6 months.

Yoshi.

 

[reicherb]

I would say never buy from an OEM for a personal PC, but for a business go with Dell or Compaq. You will be glad you had the service when a part fails. I personally would go with Dell, but the only support I ever get is I have a bad (insert part here) please send a new one and it's here the next day.

For the server, do NOT build your own. You want to get a tried and true system. I think Compaq makes the best servers. You may save a few bucks if you build a server yourself, but what happens when a part fails? Do you run out and buy a new one, or do you call Compaq and have a new part in 4-24hrs depending on support agreement?

 

[coolVariable]

Although i certainly go with an OEM like Dell I wanted to get some general specs.

Desktop PCs:
For example the video card: I don't know if onboard video might be enough? Photoshop doesn't require any high end graphics card does it?
Also I think it might be better to go with CD-RW drives since they SURELY are the replacement for floppy drives ...
RAM-wise I was also thinking of going along the line of 512 MB

What would you recommend for monitors? CRT monitors (21") or TFT displays (~19").
I know the TFT will be more expensive but they are much nicer on the eyes and people working with these machines will be doing a lot of photo intensive stuff and other office work. In my opinion people work much better with TFT screens and so I think it might be worth the extra cost.

Concerning the CPU: venk you really have a good point but doesn't winxp have those drivers integrated. I know what a PITA (pain in the ...) Tech-Problems because of the 4-in-1 drivers can be but I am also kind of an AMD-man and they are cheaper (and offer better performance) ...



Storage Server:
I will surely go SCSI-RAID with this since 320 are way below what I think they will need. I did some consultation last year in a similar matter and I think storage needs for the first year will be somewhere around 1-2 Terabyte.
After that they will probably need to go with one of these fridge-size storage servers but for this one year the budget will never cover THAT!



2nd Server:
This server will probably be used for all sorts of administrative stuff.
(sharing the internet connection for the network/administrating the users/intranet/ .......)
I though a dual Athlon XP (or P4) with some nice RAM should do that job.




About the networking:
Should I maybe use Firewire for networking?

I know it is possible under WinXP (and win2K??) to set up a network using firewire instead of a normal 100Mbps network.
I once did this with a friend of mine and boy was this thing FAST!!
Well, of course firewire is spec'd as 400Mbps (correct?) but it seemed much, much faster than just 4 times a 100Mbps network connection.
I also know it is possible to connect more than one firewire device (or computer) to each other, but would it be possible to set up a whole network for 20-30 computers?

Also it would be much cheaper than a Gigabit-Network since almost all new comuters already have a firewire port (and firewire PCI cards are much cheaper than Gigabit-networking cards).

It should be possible but is it? Also I don't know about possible technical difficulties ...

 

[Snoop]

<< I couldn't imagine having to install 4-in-1s on 30 PCs >>


Umm, usually in enviroments such as this, you make all the workstations the same config, then you set one up, and fiddle with it to get the optimal settings than just ghost the drive.

If it were me, I would look into the nforce + Duron for the PC's. Stability, ease of setup, great upgradability in the future with agp slot and Athlon XP's, and good support (nvidia) with high quality components compared to all other integrated setups.

For the servers, it really depends on what your going to use them for, so i wont venture a guess.
From newegg
Retail Duron 1000 68
MSI K7N420 PRO 146
Western Digital 40 gig 7200rpm 87
Quality Case with good PS 60
one quiet front fan (panaflow) 8
24x Lite on CDRW 80
quality 17inch monitor 120
From Crucial
256 megs 2100 DDR 75

Mouse and keyboard 60

=704, so around 800 dollars with shipping for an exceptional system, good for a wide variety of applications.