Personal computing discussed
Moderators: renee, mac_h8r1, Nemesis
Omniman wrote:I'm trying to come up with a good machine I can use as a test lab server using either Hyper-V or VMware to spin things up and mess around. I'm leaning towards a used HP Z620 with dual 6 core Xeons loaded up with lots of ram off of eBay but I was curious if anyone else had a recommendation?
curtisb wrote:You make some good points, ludi, but I also assumed hr might be looking to gain some experience with full blown server hardware. The PowerEdge line actually runs pretty quiet as far as servers go (the VRTX line is actually designed to run under a desk). If that's not the case, you're right...any of the Precision T models from even the T3500 on up would be fine.
And for what it's worth, the K series CPUs have supported the full virtualization stack since Haswell. I didn't realize that when I got my 6700, or I would've got a 6700K.
techguy wrote:curtisb wrote:You make some good points, ludi, but I also assumed hr might be looking to gain some experience with full blown server hardware. The PowerEdge line actually runs pretty quiet as far as servers go (the VRTX line is actually designed to run under a desk). If that's not the case, you're right...any of the Precision T models from even the T3500 on up would be fine.
And for what it's worth, the K series CPUs have supported the full virtualization stack since Haswell. I didn't realize that when I got my 6700, or I would've got a 6700K.
Correction: since Devil's Canyon (i.e. Haswell refresh). While architecturally Haswell, since DC came out a year after initial Haswell release it cannot truly be said that all virtualization features are supported "since Haswell".
curtisb wrote:Keep in mind that if Dell still supports the server, you can request an asset transfer and put it back under a maintenance contract. He mentioned in a reply that his previous test server went into production, and if I thought there was a chance that might happen again I would definitely spring for server-level hardware.
I also wouldn't worry about RAID controller freak outs or power supply failures. Pulled OEM drives can be found pretty cheap, too. So can the drive trays. And I can count the number of server power supply failures I've seen in the past 20+ years on one hand. Plus...see above about putting it back under maintenance. And if it's really that big of an issue for a test bed, then get something current but not necessarily new. Dell has their Online Outlet where you can get current models of refurbs, repo'ed, or cancelled custom orders for cheaper than the full price...by a lot in some cases. They come with a one-year warranty, and you can add onto that.
I'll be honest, though. The vast majority of my experience is with Dell hardware. I've used and supported servers from HP, IBM/Lenovo, and others, and every time it reminds me of why I stick with Dell. I certainly understand that isn't everyone's experience, I'm just speaking of my own.
Omniman wrote:I'll have to check out some Dell hardware. I've only really worked with a HP's and IBM's.
ludi wrote:Omniman wrote:I'll have to check out some Dell hardware. I've only really worked with a HP's and IBM's.
The only pitfall with old Dell hardware is that when they end support at a certain year or OS version, they really do end it, and you are unlikely to see any further updates for system BIOS, auxiliary device firmware, drivers, etc. unless a show-stopping security vulnerability appears (e.g. the Intel AMT firmware issue that came up this year, and affected hardware as far back to 2007-ish). For a virtualization host, this is usually a non-issue. For an older laptop where some of the function keys stop working correctly after a new Windows version or point update is released, it's quite irritating.
curtisb wrote:They're all like that, though.
ludi wrote:I'm using an E6420 right now