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Cheaper File Server Challenge

A manager at my uncles business thought paying Dell over $1,000 for a File Server with 1TB of shared storage was a good deal. I proved him wrong after the fact by proposing the building of a latest gen 4 core 8 thread Xeon, 32GB of DDR4 ECC UDIMM memory, and 12TB of redundant storage. Total cost was around $1,400.

 

Here's the challenge. Go to a typical brand server website that sells file servers (Dell, HP, etc) and post here how much cheaper you could build it yourself or how much better you could build it for the same asking price of theirs.

 

There are rules that must be followed:

1. All equipment must be purchased new. No used equipment

2. The OS and any other software must be factored into the cost.

3. The hardware must be of a server variety (CPU, Motherboard, RAM, Hard drives, Optical) exceptions are: PSU, SSD if desired, CPU cooler, Chassis

4. Nothing proprietary such as a Sinology NAS or hardware that will only fit inside a specific case.

 

I understand the asking price of these companies come with insurances but I think for home users or small companies they're bull. If you can build and setup a file server yourself then you can troubleshoot why something stopped working.

 

Here's my contribution:

Dell wants $679 for a PowerEdge T330 Tower Server

Specifications:

Intel Celeron G3900

4GB 2400MHz DDR4 UDIMM ECC Memory

500GB SATAIII 3.5" 7200RPM hard drive

350W Non-redundant PSU

(cost includes some services warranties with no option to opt out)

 

I could build a better server for: $587.75

Case: RAIJINTEK ARCADIA WHITE

Storage: WD Gold 2TB 7200RPM (4x the storage)

PSU: CORSAIR CX-M Series CX550M 550W 80 PLUS BRONZE (200W more power for drives or accesories)

Motherboard: ASRock C236 WS

RAM: 1x 8GB stick DDR4 2400MHz Unbuffered ECC memory (2x the RAM)

CPU: Intel Celeron G3900 (To swamp it with a Intel Xeon E3-1220 V5 4C/4T would bring total cost to $749.93)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO (better cooler than stock)

OS: FreeNAS (Costs $0)

 

Looking at more expensive servers VS building your own the cost gap between pre-build vs build it yourself gets bigger and bigger. The $1400 server I previously exampled Dell would have charged them $3,350 for a similar server. So go. Build a server and post back how much it cost vs what it would have cost for Dell, HP, etc to build something similar or what you could build yourself for their asking price.

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18 minutes ago, Windows7ge said:

A manager at my uncles business thought paying Dell over $1,000 for a File Server with 1TB of shared storage was a good deal. I proved him wrong after the fact by proposing the building of a latest gen 4 core 8 thread Xeon, 32GB of DDR4 RDIMM memory, and 12TB of redundant storage. Total cost was around $1,400.

 

Here's the challenge. Go to a typical brand server website that sells file servers (Dell, HP, etc) and post here how much cheaper you could build it yourself or how much better you could build it for the same asking price of theirs.

 

There are rules that must be followed:

1. All equipment must be purchased new. No used equipment

2. The OS and any other software must be factored into the cost.

3. The hardware must be of a server variety (CPU, Motherboard, RAM, Hard drives, Optical) exceptions are: PSU, SSD if desired, CPU cooler, Chassis

4. Nothing proprietary such as a Sinology NAS or hardware that will only fit inside a specific case.

 

I understand the asking price of these companies come with insurances but I think they're bull. If you can build and setup a file server yourself then you can troubleshoot why something stopped working.

 

Here's my contribution:

Dell wants $679 for a PowerEdge T330 Tower Server

Specifications:

Intel Celeron G3900

4GB 2400MHz DDR4 UDIMM ECC Memory

500GB SATAIII 3.5" 7200RPM hard drive

350W Non-redundant PSU

(cost includes some services warranties with no option to opt out)

 

I could build a better server for: $587.75

Case: RAIJINTEK ARCADIA WHITE

Storage: WD Gold 2TB 7200RPM (4x the storage)

PSU: CORSAIR CX-M Series CX550M 550W 80 PLUS BRONZE (200W more power for drives or accesories)

Motherboard: ASRock C236 WS

RAM: 1x 8GB stick DDR4 2400MHz Unbuffered ECC memory (2x the RAM)

CPU: Intel Celeron G3900 (To swamp it with a Intel Xeon E3-1220 V5 4C/4T would bring total cost to $749.93)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO (better cooler than stock)

OS: FreeNAS (Costs $0)

 

Looking at more expensive servers VS building your own the cost gap between pre-build vs build it yourself gets bigger and bigger. The $1400 server I previously exampled Dell would have charged them $3,350 for a similar server. So go. Build a server and post back how much it cost vs what it would have cost for Dell, HP, etc to build something similar or what you could build yourself for their asking price.

Get this custom build NAS : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/NRwfcc (without disks)

With 2x 8 TB : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/xfVQvV

I know I know equipment isn't made for servers but this guy's feature is low power usage and upgradeability (You can easily get 6700K if you want) and you can run dual core VM's.

OS can be Windows Server 2016, FreeNAS, CentOS, Ubuntu Server, unRAID...

 

Amazon
Component Selection Base Price Promo Shipping Tax Price    
CPU Intel - Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor $113.79   FREE   $113.79 ($3.80 more than SuperBiiz) Buy
Motherboard Gigabyte - GA-H270N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard $119.99   $6.86   $126.85 ($14.36 more than SuperBiiz) Buy
Memory G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (1 x 16GB) DDR4-3200 Memory $139.99   FREE   $139.99 ($18.00 more than Newegg) Buy
Storage Western Digital - Red 8TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive $265.51   FREE   $265.51   Buy
  Western Digital - Red 8TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive $265.51   FREE   $265.51   Buy
Case Silverstone - DS380B Mini ITX Tower Case $156.33   FREE   $156.33 ($8.34 more than Directron) Buy
Power Supply Corsair - SF 450W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply $89.99   FREE   $89.99   Buy
Total (7 / 7 Items): $1157.97

 

Amazon
Component Selection Base Price Promo Shipping Tax Price    
CPU Intel - Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor $113.79   FREE   $113.79 ($3.80 more than SuperBiiz) Buy
Motherboard Gigabyte - GA-H270N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard $119.99   $6.86   $126.85 ($14.36 more than SuperBiiz) Buy
Memory G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (1 x 16GB) DDR4-3200 Memory $139.99   FREE   $139.99 ($18.00 more than Newegg) Buy
Case Silverstone - DS380B Mini ITX Tower Case $156.33   FREE   $156.33 ($8.34 more than Directron) Buy
Power Supply Corsair - SF 450W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply $89.99   FREE   $89.99   Buy
Total (5 / 5 Items): $626.95

My Rig : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/MTBd2R

My VM Server : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/rPR6gL

My Backup Server : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/cRQYYr

My Storage Server : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/tzzR9W

My Router : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/bMPN4C

My Laptop : Lenovo Z575 with 6 GB RAM (1866 MHz), Crucial MX300 525 GB & Western Digital 2 TB (Removed optical drive)

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Or you can even go with rack mounting dude like this : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/kcmhLD

Its 2x more expensive than M ITX :|

My Rig : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/MTBd2R

My VM Server : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/rPR6gL

My Backup Server : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/cRQYYr

My Storage Server : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/tzzR9W

My Router : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/bMPN4C

My Laptop : Lenovo Z575 with 6 GB RAM (1866 MHz), Crucial MX300 525 GB & Western Digital 2 TB (Removed optical drive)

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54 minutes ago, Windows7ge said:

I could build a better server for: $587.75

Case: RAIJINTEK ARCADIA WHITE

Storage: WD Gold 2TB 7200RPM (4x the storage)

PSU: CORSAIR CX-M Series CX550M 550W 80 PLUS BRONZE (200W more power for drives or accesories)

Motherboard: ASRock C236 WS

RAM: 1x 8GB stick DDR4 2400MHz Unbuffered ECC memory (2x the RAM)

CPU: Intel Celeron G3900 (To swamp it with a Intel Xeon E3-1220 V5 4C/4T would bring total cost to $749.93)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO (better cooler than stock)

OS: FreeNAS (Costs $0)

A bit more expensive than your build but you get either 8TB of memory in Raid 0 or 4TB in Raid 1...  I would probably keep it in Raid 1 myself.

 

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/HBWTxY
CPU: Intel - Xeon E3-1220 V5 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($199.99 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-L9i 33.8 CFM CPU Cooler  ($38.95 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: ASRock - E3V5 WS ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($105.98 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Kingston - ValueRAM 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($77.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate - Constellation ES.3 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($179.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Seagate - Constellation ES.3 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($179.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair - 200R ATX Mid Tower Case  ($49.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic - 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($120.00 @ Amazon) 

OS:  FreeNAS

 

Total: $952.88

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Just now, WMGroomAK said:

A bit more expensive than your build but you get either 8TB of memory in Raid 0 or 4TB in Raid 1...  I would probably keep it in Raid 1 myself.

 

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/HBWTxY
CPU: Intel - Xeon E3-1220 V5 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($199.99 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-L9i 33.8 CFM CPU Cooler  ($38.95 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: ASRock - E3V5 WS ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($105.98 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Kingston - ValueRAM 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($77.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate - Constellation ES.3 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($179.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Seagate - Constellation ES.3 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($179.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair - 200R ATX Mid Tower Case  ($49.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic - 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($120.00 @ Amazon) 

OS:  FreeNAS

 

Total: $952.88

Why not Xeon E5 ?

My Rig : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/MTBd2R

My VM Server : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/rPR6gL

My Backup Server : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/cRQYYr

My Storage Server : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/tzzR9W

My Router : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/bMPN4C

My Laptop : Lenovo Z575 with 6 GB RAM (1866 MHz), Crucial MX300 525 GB & Western Digital 2 TB (Removed optical drive)

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4 minutes ago, domandric034 said:

Why not Xeon E5 ?

While an E5 would be nice, I was aiming for a sub $1000.00 storage server build and unless you're getting an older E5 or less storage (which I would view to be important on a storage server), then the cost would probably top $1000.00 fairly fast.  Here is the closest I could get to $1000.00 with an E5 on PC Part picker.

 

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Bvctyf
 

CPU: Intel - Xeon E5-2603 V4 1.7GHz 6-Core Processor  ($229.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-D9DX i4 3U 46.4 CFM CPU Cooler  ($53.85 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: Supermicro - X10SRM-F Micro ATX LGA2011-3 Narrow Motherboard  ($275.66 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Kingston - ValueRAM 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($77.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate - Constellation ES.3 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($179.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Seagate - Constellation ES.3 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($179.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair - 200R ATX Mid Tower Case  ($49.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic - 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($120.00 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1167.46
 

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2 minutes ago, WMGroomAK said:

While an E5 would be nice, I was aiming for a sub $1000.00 storage server build and unless you're getting an older E5 or less storage (which I would view to be important on a storage server), then the cost would probably top $1000.00 fairly fast.  Here is the closest I could get to $1000.00 with an E5 on PC Part picker.

 

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Bvctyf
 

CPU: Intel - Xeon E5-2603 V4 1.7GHz 6-Core Processor  ($229.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-D9DX i4 3U 46.4 CFM CPU Cooler  ($53.85 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: Supermicro - X10SRM-F Micro ATX LGA2011-3 Narrow Motherboard  ($275.66 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Kingston - ValueRAM 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($77.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate - Constellation ES.3 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($179.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Seagate - Constellation ES.3 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($179.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair - 200R ATX Mid Tower Case  ($49.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic - 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($120.00 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1167.46
 

No no no no.

THAT PROCESOR TRIGGERS ME.

 

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/prfgyf - Way better solution but 200 dolars more.

 

 

My Rig : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/MTBd2R

My VM Server : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/rPR6gL

My Backup Server : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/cRQYYr

My Storage Server : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/tzzR9W

My Router : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/bMPN4C

My Laptop : Lenovo Z575 with 6 GB RAM (1866 MHz), Crucial MX300 525 GB & Western Digital 2 TB (Removed optical drive)

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4 minutes ago, WMGroomAK said:

While an E5 would be nice, I was aiming for a sub $1000.00 storage server build and unless you're getting an older E5 or less storage (which I would view to be important on a storage server), then the cost would probably top $1000.00 fairly fast.  Here is the closest I could get to $1000.00 with an E5 on PC Part picker.

 

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Bvctyf
 

CPU: Intel - Xeon E5-2603 V4 1.7GHz 6-Core Processor  ($229.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-D9DX i4 3U 46.4 CFM CPU Cooler  ($53.85 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: Supermicro - X10SRM-F Micro ATX LGA2011-3 Narrow Motherboard  ($275.66 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Kingston - ValueRAM 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($77.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate - Constellation ES.3 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($179.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Seagate - Constellation ES.3 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($179.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair - 200R ATX Mid Tower Case  ($49.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic - 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($120.00 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1167.46
 

And why the fuck not to go rack mount case like this one : https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811152095&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker, LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

My Rig : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/MTBd2R

My VM Server : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/rPR6gL

My Backup Server : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/cRQYYr

My Storage Server : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/tzzR9W

My Router : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/bMPN4C

My Laptop : Lenovo Z575 with 6 GB RAM (1866 MHz), Crucial MX300 525 GB & Western Digital 2 TB (Removed optical drive)

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1 hour ago, domandric034 said:

While a rackmount case would be nice, the key deal on this challenge is a cheap file server...  That case would end up increasing the cost of the build by about $400.00.  

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@domandric034 @WMGroomAK

The purpose of the Thread is just to bring awareness as to how much cheaper and better a server can be built when built yourself. I myself have built my own home server for astronomically less than what any company would charge me and I'm working with my cousin to get my Uncle to let us upgrade the business server more appropriately and cost effectively. Assistance with that project isn't necessary.

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6 hours ago, Windows7ge said:

4. Nothing proprietary such as a Sinology NAS or hardware that will only fit inside a specific case.

damn, a pi zero with 64GB storage would of beat everyone else out.....

oh well....

****SORRY FOR MY ENGLISH IT'S REALLY TERRIBLE*****

Been married to my wife for 3 years now! Yay!

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17 minutes ago, samiscool51 said:

 

damn, a pi zero with 64GB storage would of beat everyone else out.....

oh well....

Funny idea but that's why I made that a rule. I knew people would pull a move like that but it's not really a competition. It's more about bringing awareness to people that if they need a file server they could build it themselves for much cheaper than anything store bought.

 

A long time ago this use to be a similar case with premium desktop computers but manufacturers found ways to get the cost down to where building your own computer doesn't save you much if anything anymore. However when it comes to servers those same manufacturers slap a huge premium on top of the hardware cost due to the business popularity and demand for servers. I know businesses got to make money but when they're slapping you with 50%, 75% on top of the cost to build it yourself they're just robbing you.

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Dell/HPE etc make most of their money on HDDs/SSDs and RAM. There are a lot of nice extras you get by buying a new server from them which includes very good hardware support and replacement.

 

If you want to save a good amount of money but keep extra protection of hardware support just buy a base server with the CPUs you require with no HDDs and 1 stick of ram then kit the rest out yourself.

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Here's a good example of what I mean about the HDDs, these are HPE server LFF disks in NZD

 

Quote
737394-B21 HPE 450GB SAS 15K LFF SCC HDD $1,725.00 $1,725.00
765424-B21 HPE 600GB SAS 15K LFF SC HDD $2,260.00 $2,260.00
793669-B21 HPE 4TB SAS 7.2K LFF SC 512e HDD $2,054.00 $2,054.00
793699-B21 HPE 6TB SAS 7.2K LFF SC He 512e HDD $2,733.00 $2,733.00
793703-B21 HPE 8TB SAS 7.2K LFF SC He 512e HDD $3,432.00 $3,432.00
819201-B21 HPE 8TB SAS 7.2K LFF SC 512e HDD $3,432.00 $3,432.00
857644-B21 HPE 10TB SAS 7.2K LFF SC 512e HDD $4,625.00 $4,625.00
793665-B21 HPE 4TB SATA 7.2K LFF SC 512e HDD $1,622.00 $1,622.00
793667-B21 HPE 6TB SATA 7.2K LFF SC 512e HDD $2,507.00 $2,507.00
861594-B21 HPE 8TB SATA 7.2K LFF SC 512e HDD $3,309.00 $3,309.00
857648-B21 HPE 10TB SATA 7.2K LFF SC 512e HDD $4,460.00 $4,460.00

 

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@leadeater That's a valid argument. Buy something bare bone and upgrade it yourself. I think that's a good compromise and it might be the better of two options for people who want to maintain a service warranty and hardware support. However I believe for people who have the knowledge to build and manage a server themselves should do so as it'd be much more cost effective unless a very expensive component fails like a processor which would be unlikely.

 

If the extra features that come with a server from Dell/HP/etc are useful for a specific companies application then more power to them but I've been in and out of small sized companies spending way too much money on these servers. One company in particular purchased a Poweredge T310 a number of years ago. When the RAID controller went haywire it crashed the array and with no successful recovery they ended up shilling out about the equivalent cost of the server to a 3rd party repair shop. Had they built their own and used software RAID it may have not been such an abrupt end and huge bill for a failed recovery.

 

Although to be honest it didn't help that the machine never got any maintenance until something went wrong and was stored on a carpeted floor. The RAID probably failed from the RAID card getting too hot from not enough air once it was filled with dust.

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23 minutes ago, Windows7ge said:

@leadeater That's a valid argument. Buy something bare bone and upgrade it yourself. I think that's a good compromise and it might be the better of two options for people who want to maintain a service warranty and hardware support. However I believe for people who have the knowledge to build and manage a server themselves should do so as it'd be much more cost effective unless a very expensive component fails like a processor which would be unlikely.

 

If the extra features that come with a server from Dell/HP/etc are useful for a specific companies application then more power to them but I've been in and out of small sized companies spending way too much money on these servers. One company in particular purchased a Poweredge T310 a number of years ago. When the RAID controller went haywire it crashed the array and with no successful recovery they ended up shilling out about the equivalent cost of the server to a 3rd party repair shop. Had they built their own and used software RAID it may have not been such an abrupt end and huge bill for a failed recovery.

 

Although to be honest it didn't help that the machine never got any maintenance until something went wrong and was stored on a carpeted floor. The RAID probably failed from the RAID card getting too hot from not enough air once it was filled with dust.

One of the reasons I say buy a base server is if you are looking to build something rackmount with redundant PSUs you can get that cheaper from Supermicro as a basic sever than building it yourself. Sometimes you can get things like CPUs cheaper that way too, sometimes not. Also if you need rackmount getting something from Supermicro means it'll actually fit standard racks unlike Norco as an example.

 

Another factor is an insurance company is more likely to pay out properly on a HP/Dell/Supermicro server that has a full CTO quote etc if something happens.

 

As you pointed out it really does come down to what the requirements are and what level of internal support ability the company has to maintain that type of system and build it in the first place.

 

One thing I do object to with these types of price comparisons is building the custom systems out of very nonequivalent components that are not rated for server usage, however if that is all you need then go for that.

 

@domandric034 @WMGroomAK system builds are what I would call a fair and equivalent build to a basic HP/Dell/Supermicro server. If I see anything based around an ASRock/Asus etc motherboard that is an instant step down in my opinion as those really aren't server motherboards and have issues with RAID cards and network cards.

 

Also even software RAID can fail in much the same way as described, all you need is for the HBA to overheat and start writing garbage to the disks and it'll break even ZFS.

 

Edit:

Also nothing beats used servers on ebay, those are all excellent and cheap options and will run for many more years. Large businesses replace servers when the warranty expires not because it has no more service life left in it.

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@leadeater yea, all of our work servers are custom made, my other tech friends say it's a stupid idea to custom build a server due to no-one testing the hardware config, i backup my statement saying it's cheaper and more customizable in the long run as the system can be upgraded without much effort and an OEM server with custom MB's and stuff.

****SORRY FOR MY ENGLISH IT'S REALLY TERRIBLE*****

Been married to my wife for 3 years now! Yay!

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@leadeater

Rack mount opens more options for redundant PSU compared to any redundant desktop ATX PSU's. I didn't make this thread to push corporations away from buying pre-built servers but rather small businesses who think they need to spend big dollars on a fancy servers that they could build themselves for much cheaper or as you have proposed buy something bare bone or even something used.

 

23 minutes ago, leadeater said:

One thing I do object to with these types of price comparisons is building the custom systems out of very nonequivalent components that are not rated for server usage, however if that is all you need then go for that.

 

The inadequacy of the hardware is something I cannot argue. Again though I'm not arguing companies who need enterprise grade equipment just that the little guys are throwing their money at something that comes with a large premium which I find absurd. Smaller companies are less likely to utilize the warranties services that come with the hardware. I find them seeking out third party repair shops when something stops working so I believe they should get their monies worth.

 

31 minutes ago, leadeater said:

If I see anything based around an ASRock/Asus etc motherboard that is an instant step down in my opinion as those really aren't server motherboards and have issues with RAID cards and network cards.

Even if it's true that the hardware or software support on the boards isn't to the quality control of Dell's or HP's proprietary equipment or Supermicro's the cost to acquire their boards would put you in the same situation where you end up paying a huge amount of money for not all that much different performance and the only real difference being compatibility and expected longevity of the parts which isn't always an issue.

 

45 minutes ago, leadeater said:

Another factor is an insurance company is more likely to pay out properly on a HP/Dell/Supermicro server that has a full CTO quote etc if something happens.

Again, if insurance is a must then a verified server may be the better option. In that situation I'd pick up something used like you proposed.

 

36 minutes ago, leadeater said:

Also even software RAID can fail in much the same way as described, all you need is for the HBA to overheat and start writing garbage to the disks and it'll break even ZFS.

Not just that but ZFS unlike a hardware RAID card has no protection if the server suddenly loses power. With hardware RAID it keeps the last chunk(s) of memory in cache and writes it when power is restored. In ZFS that protection isn't there which can cause corrupt data to be written to the array after sudden power loss which can lead to other issues. A UPS is a must when using ZFS...which I forgot to factor into my cost. Regardless every kind of RAID has its pros and cons.

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12 minutes ago, Windows7ge said:

The inadequacy of the hardware is something I cannot argue. Again though I'm not arguing companies who need enterprise grade equipment just that the little guys are throwing their money at something that comes with a large premium which I find absurd. Smaller companies are less likely to utilize the warranties services that come with the hardware. I find them seeking out third party repair shops when something stops working so I believe they should get their monies worth.

Supermicro actually has some very cost effective boards in their product range, I find a lot of people discount them purely from perception that everything they have is more expensive than ASRock/Asus etc when sometimes they are actually cheaper.

 

Hopefully no one has to actually use the warranty though, but if you do it'll save you ton. Even if you take it to a repair shop the first thing they check is warranty status and create a support case for you if still covered.

 

If you can get stuff with 5 year warranty for 10%-15% more than say a 3 year I recommend doing that, which is usually the difference between a Supermicro motherboard and an ASRock.

 

I do agree without your point behind this thread, just giving options and other factors to consider. I wouldn't say it's a smart idea to build a company file server using a $80 motherboard just like it's not a smart idea to dump a huge amount of cash in to a Dell server with only 1TB of storage.

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14 minutes ago, samiscool51 said:

@leadeater yea, all of our work servers are custom made, my other tech friends say it's a stupid idea to custom build a server due to no-one testing the hardware config, i backup my statement saying it's cheaper and more customizable in the long run as the system can be upgraded without much effort and an OEM server with custom MB's and stuff.

To my knowledge when something is made by a manufacturer and it will only fit in a specific system or work application it is referred to as proprietary.

 

Regardless of how adequate a file server's hardware is I've heard that true redundancy is having triplicate copies of all your data on three different systems. I follow this to an extent. I currently have a 3 Drive RAID5 as my current backup to my desktop's RAID0 and then periodically I'll create a cold storage drive where I update all the information from my archive to a single large capacity drive which I leave un-attached. One time I did end up having to recover using the cold storage drive because both my RAID's failed at once.

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The issue that usually never mention is

Support.

Sure you can get cheaper price initially, but can you provide support for the same DELL offers most company?
Specially support for servers line up, it's quite different.

 

If you asking what kind of support?
Anything, from simple call or just asking technical issues, 24/7 at least there's always someone prepare to answer your call.

 

I've never seen any custom server in a office.
Custom workstation? maybe, but not server(s)

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4 minutes ago, leadeater said:

I find a lot of people discount them purely from perception that everything they have is more expensive than ASRock/Asus etc when sometimes they are actually cheaper.

I don't build servers on a daily basis so you'll have to forgive me if I missed some budget Super Micro boards. I can tell general computer enthusiasts aren't Super Micros demographic.

7 minutes ago, leadeater said:

I do agree without your point behind this thread, just giving options and other factors to consider. I wouldn't say it's a smart idea to build a company file server using a $80 motherboard just like it's not a smart idea to dump a huge amount of cash in to a Dell server with only 1TB of storage.

I wouldn't build a server using a consumer motherboard either but paying $1,000 for 1TB of storage tells me people need more computer education. I also agree on your point of build your own (of buying a barebone) just gives you the options of using whatever equipment you desire. Dell or HP will only give you specific brands of equipment while maybe you wand Seagate or WD brand hard drives. Same with RAM or RAID controllers.

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5 minutes ago, Blebekblebek said:

The issue that usually never mention is

Support.

Sure you can get cheaper price initially, but can you provide support for the same DELL offers most company?
Specially support for servers line up, it's quite different.

 

If you asking what kind of support?
Anything, from simple call or just asking technical issues, 24/7 at least there's always someone prepare to answer your call.

 

I've never seen any custom server in a office.
Custom workstation? maybe, but not server(s)

That's why building a server isn't for everyone but for smaller companies with technicians who know their stuff it's a viable option to save the company some money and have a more powerful server as a result for cheaper.

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Server builds for small businesses and home are fine, but i really hope you arent trying to sell people that custom server builds are the way to go for the general mass of medium sized businesses or larger for which this enterprise gear is typically targeted at. The "warranties" (service agreements) aren't bull. We've had SAN bugs patched by firmware updates within days of lodging the issue and supplying logs. We get firmware/software updates if there are any bugs that arise with newer versions of ESXi - some go as far as to cause occasional PSOD's. With service agreements we can get something as simple as a HDD failure sorted often same day, and these large companies provide technical support in cases that you can't solve an issue. Also once you hit about 5-10 servers, a dedicated SAN for addressable block spaces (LUN's) starts to make much more sense. Additionally server hardware you generally have remote management (iLO, iDRAC, IPMI, etc...) so if your gear is colocated or racked in a server room its much easier to deal with. 

 

All that said though, I totally agree that for small businesses and home use - if you want new hardware and have the technical support or ability then custom built is the way to go as far as value for money. Bare in mind if you can't fix it and require an engineer, im going to charge you through the roof to fix it xD

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4 minutes ago, Windows7ge said:

That's why building a server isn't for everyone but for smaller companies with technicians who know their stuff it's a viable option to save the company some money and have a more powerful server as a result for cheaper.

sure it will be cheaper for your client, but your "maintenance" cost will be higher than what you sell.

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