Purpose Built Rackmount computer (not a server) advice

[Lostclipboard]

Hi all, I'm based in Canada and I'm looking for some advice on a rackmountable computer - should I go with a pre-built machine or build one myself. My budget is around $3500 CAD. I need to upgrade my computer that is used for a lighting console. The programs I use are GrandMA onPC and Hog 4. I work between film and corporate events so it needs to be portable, hence being a rackmount - ideally 2U. The video card needs to have 3 outputs, ideally 4. The CPU I'm looking at would be the Ryzen 7 3700 along with 32GB of RAM. It needs to have dual gigabit ethernet ports and at least 4 USB3 ports. I would go with an SSD for storage.

I have found a prebuilt machine from Polywell: https://2.polywell.com/h370l2g-act-2u This comes in around $3000 CAD. Doesn't quite have everything I'm looking for but they can upgrade it for me.

 

Should I go with the pre-built or build it myself? Thoughts?

 

 

[emosun]

18 minutes ago, Lostclipboard said:

The programs I use are GrandMA onPC and Hog 4

if the machine is only a lighting console do you need 32 gigs of ram and a ryzen 7?

[Jarsky]

I wouldnt say a 'rackmount' is portable...no more so than an ITX machine. But it is good for larger events where you could be mounting it into a rack if thats going to be the situation. You need to keep in mind though that most audio/lighting rack setups are closer to network racks in depth, and often wont fit excessively deep chassis. So you'll probably want to limit rackmount choices to cases that are under 550mm in depth. 

 

If you want to build your own, you can look at cases on Newegg from the likes of Rosewill, Athena and iStarUSA. 

If you require a GPU, you can either look at half height graphics cards, or some cases will support a full height card on a riser cable. So you'll need to make that decision when looking at what case to go for. 

 

 

[brob]

Not knowing your particular needs, I have not included a case suggestion. The PSU depends on case, so I haven't made any suggestions.

 

Cooling is problematic in rack mount cases, especially 2U. Poor cooling means higher noise levels. I did include a relatively low profile cpu cooler. A better cooler would be preferable.

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($399.05 @ Vuugo) 
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Shadow Rock LP 51.4 CFM CPU Cooler  ($54.99 @ Amazon Canada) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte B550 VISION D-P ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($418.99 @ Newegg Canada) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory  ($265.98 @ Newegg Canada) 
Storage: Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($249.99 @ Best Buy Canada) 
Video Card: PNY Quadro P620 2 GB Video Card  ($378.70 @ Amazon Canada) 
Total: $1767.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-11-30 03:23 EST-0500