Some quick questions about reviving a server

[qwazwak]

So I'm buying an old server and i'm looking to upgrade it a little. I'v just got a couple questions about what's possible, these are those questions/specs i know:

 

• The motherboard is an Intel "a19d4f0f667d613" server board
• The case is an INTEL SC5300 Pedestal Server
• 1st CPU is a XEON @3.4GHZ
• and has 4GB RAM
• This is what it looks like:

• 

  So my questions are:

  • Does that motherboard actually support 2 CPUs at once?
  • Can i use nonECC ram in that MB?
  • Would an SSD be worth it in this type of system
  • Should i care about/use PCI-X?
  • And lastly any other upgrades/changes i should make to it?

  ​but can it run crysis?

   

[pwn_intended]

1st, what is going to be the purpose of said server?

Secondly, that number you provided for the mobo is nothing useful, maybe the serial number, but intel requires you to know BOTH serial and part number to look things up.

Do you have any more info about the processor such as core count or generation?

Chances are that it COULD support non-ecc ram.

SSD is ALWAYS worth using in a machine that you will actually be using.

Upgrades/changes PCIE entirely depend on what you plan on using it for.

[royalcrown]

I don't know all the answers, but I can answer 2 of them.

 

As far as SSDs go, it depends on the workload your doing: Reading tons of tiny files is not the strong suit of any SSD as far as I know. General use and just dinking around, they rock. 

 

If you are buying it just to "have" a server then save your money and use what it comes with for storage.

 

PCI-X was mostly used as a connection between servers or banks of servers. If you only have 1 or planning on having one for awhile it's not an issue. If you want to link up a bunch of them then yes, it's good to have.

[qwazwak]

I don't know all the answers, but I can answer 2 of them.

 

As far as SSDs go, it depends on the workload your doing: Reading tons of tiny files is not the strong suit of any SSD as far as I know. General use and just dinking around, they rock. 

 

If you are buying it just to "have" a server then save your money and use what it comes with for storage.

 

PCI-X was mostly used as a connection between servers or banks of servers. If you only have 1 or planning on having one for awhile it's not an issue. If you want to link up a bunch of them then yes, it's good to have.

Ah ok. As for SSDs its going to be semi-general use server for minecraft/tf2/terraira/maybe a little extra not too sure. As for just buying it to have one, The body of it seems to have plenty of expansion for the future as it changes.

[royalcrown]

Ah ok. As for SSDs its going to be semi-general use server for minecraft/tf2/terraira/maybe a little extra not too sure. As for just buying it to have one, The body of it seems to have plenty of expansion for the future as it changes.

Cool, I would SSD it personally. I bought on just to have one, a dual CPU P3, so not meaning it as an insult.

[Cheddle]

snip

 

depending on what xeon it is - and how old it is - it really might just be a waste of time... unless you just want to have a bit of a mess about with some hardware for the fun of it :-)

 

if its a socket lga771 it would be "ok" but even a dual CPU lga771 xeon e5430 is only on par with an i5-4690 

 

dual lga1366 boards are where it really becomes something that can be very powerful as you can get 6-core 32nm xeons for those

 

anything older than that and I don't think it will support virtulization (for running VM's) therefore really limiting what you will be able to mess about with

 

the advantages to the "server" over a normal "desktop" as a server are:

 

• redundant power supplies
• usually has decent raid controller/drive bays
• usually has dual-networks
• usually has some kind of remote managment (i.e DRAC) for controlling server even when its turned off

[qwazwak]

Thanks for all the helps!
I already got it and worst comes to worst ill use it as a backup server

 

 

 

 

Cool, I would SSD it personally. I bought on just to have one, a dual CPU P3, so not meaning it as an insult.

Don't feel bad, i try to SSD everything as well