Wait. How is a G4 Cube, which was first introduced in July 2000, already over a decade old?
okay... i think i got it sometime around spring '01... but iirc the dell > 10 yrs old.
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building a pc, any input? (pls don't hate me)
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okay... i think i got it sometime around spring '01... but iirc the dell > 10 yrs old.
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There is nothing wrong with building a custom server but I will agree with the others that the case you have picked out isn't very attractive. Also if you want a fun project you should consider running Linux on your server. You will have a great learning experience and you will be running a fantastic OS. Also you might check out FreeBSD, I have never used it but my boss at work swears on it.
There is nothing wrong with building a custom server but I will agree with the others that the case you have picked out isn't very attractive. Also if you want a fun project you should consider running Linux on your server. You will have a great learning experience and you will be running a fantastic OS. Also you might check out FreeBSD, I have never used it but my boss at work swears on it.
Well, I am too late to see the picture of the case, so unfortunately, I can't comment on it.
I'd just like to ask if you really need the extra LAN / WLAN / Bluetooth cards. I don't know how you've set up your home network, but for most cases, a single, fast ethernet connection to a WLAN router should be sufficient and easier to manage than three net interfaces on the PC.
I'd just like to ask if you really need the extra LAN / WLAN / Bluetooth cards. I don't know how you've set up your home network, but for most cases, a single, fast ethernet connection to a WLAN router should be sufficient and easier to manage than three net interfaces on the PC.
I dont see why you can't just buy a cheap second-hand server off eBay like I did. Home servers dont need to be the most powerful things in the world, my PIII 866 works just fine as did my K6 233 before that. I think you just want to spend some money
Personally, I would upgrade the Cube (better CPU from Sonnet, more RAM, maybe bigger HD) and use that.
Personally, I would upgrade the Cube (better CPU from Sonnet, more RAM, maybe bigger HD) and use that.
there really isn't a home network setup at all (except airport express for internet). i just connect the computers with a cat6 cable whenever i need to access stuff on the dell. thus, the dell has two NICs for mbp and cube. and i'm thinkin about doing the same with the proposed system since i don't know much about networking
i'd learn how to setup a wireless file sharing network when i get a chance tho.why? amd is chosen for energy efficiency and affordability. also, i've always wanted to have an amd cpu before i got the dell pII.
I think you just want to spend some money
i think that's part of it, on top i thought i'd be bored during this winter break. i've looked into buying a pIII tower too, but i was kinda reluctant cos it'd easily cost $60-100+ for a system that's got < 512mb ram (my pII450 has 768mb). in addition, the expandability of a pIII logic board isn't much different than a pII. a slightly less expensive way is to upgrade my cpu to a pIII running 100mhz FSB, but the cost will still be greater than the value of the dell.
that was and still kinda is my plan - hdd will be upgraded 1st, then cpu and graphics board (ram is already maxed out). but the thought that the logic board/power brick/etc will die is holding me back from putting too much time/money on the cube.
If it's going to be a server, why bother with a new graphics card?
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well, you said you want compatibility with mac os x and leopard. intel is the way to go. (yes, i know some have os x running on amd, but come on, intel is better for os x)
Be sure to check out some of the flashed nVidia and Radeon cards available on eBay - there are options that way outperform the "official" Mac cards for cubes. Some eBay sellers even specialize in it.
Unless you're trying to mimic a Mac, hardware-wise, to install hacked OSX, I wouldn't bother with a video card since this sounds like a server box. Also, AMD offers several lower-power desktop processors (45W), which I would make sure to get since the thing will be running continuously. Not sure if the CPU you chose is 45W or the typical 62W, but it's worth looking into.
Newegg is THE place to get parts. Just can't express my happiness with them enough.
Newegg is THE place to get parts. Just can't express my happiness with them enough.
lots of conflicting goals is the first thing i see. 24/7 file sever is fine, and would even function as a back up computer, but would have no need of an external video card. onboard is cheaper, and way more power efficient. also, you listed outgoing tech as part of the original problem, however your list has lots of older/harder to replace items listed, so right back to square one. anyway, from your list;
case: who cares. build it out of plywood as long as it has good airflow!?! something with room for drive/swap carriers would be my choice as this is a file server, and could be expanded later.
mobo/cpu: good socket AM2 processor, but the mobo you listed is socket 939 unless there is a new version that i can't find. google doesn't like me today... also lots of RMA'ed dfi boards here. not my favorite brand.
drives: lots of random drives. no backup. why not move to RAID since you are starting over? find a mobo that would handle RAID 5, create partitions for your separate projects, and add more to the array as needed?
power supply: nice. have one. depending on how many drives you are planning on pushing, you might need more power. definitely need more power if you plan to stick with the external video card idea AND push all the drives.
misc pci stuff: file server, wifi why? onboard gig-e, extra card why? never seen a file server with bluetooth, but ok if you insist. loose the cards and save lots of power is my only point.
missing: floppy since you said xp, and would need to load RAID drivers. hint, hint, go with RAID, hint.
apple os: good luck, but you might want to stick to intel bases products to make your life easier if you plan to give it a go.
best of luck with the winter project!
Unless you're trying to mimic a Mac, hardware-wise, to install hacked OSX, I wouldn't bother with a video card since this sounds like a server box. Also, AMD offers several lower-power desktop processors (45W), which I would make sure to get since the thing will be running continuously. Not sure if the CPU you chose is 45W or the typical 62W, but it's worth looking into.
Newegg is THE place to get parts. Just can't express my happiness with them enough.
yeah i do like newegg as well. but i think intel is ahead of amd right now, and apple did choose them for a reason. and since they choose them, you should also
Not sure if the CPU you chose is 45W or the typical 62W, but it's worth looking into.
thx for pointing that out, i didn't even realize i picked a 65W brisbane. now i'd most probably get a BE-2400 2.3ghz brisbane 45W.
some of the components are conflicting - i.e. sli graphics card on non-sli logic board. but that's b/c they are both known for OS compatibility. while the logic board is an '06 product, it should suit me fine since it takes up to 4 sata and 2 ide drives iirc. but it does concern me that it can only take up to 4gb of ram and is socket 939 (which i supposed it can't take a brisbane 45W?). any other boards you'd suggest?
the random drives are mostly due to a mix of new sata drives and some old drives (two ide 750gb and 250gb) from dell. i must admit that raid didn't exactly come across my mind b/c i've never had a hdd failure.
but i might as well do it right this time.i think in this price range it's one of the better ones. i'm in no rush tho so hopefully better deals will come along.
wifi is needed for internet. i've never setup a proper network to connect the cube, dell, and my mbp. instead, the dell has two NICs for connections to cube and mpb. i'd like to setup wireless file sharing one day. usb bt dongle will only be plugged in when needed.
i was hoping to ditch the floppy drv completely this time... i guess i can reuse the one frm dell.
i keep hearing that, maybe i'll just forget about 10.5.1. i've always been kinda reluctant to use an intel chip, and amd's offering is much more attractive and suitable for my needs.
thx for the comments!
sli on non-sli is fine. socket AM2 cpu on 939 mobo is not. i got out of AMD about the time 939 died (typing this on 4800 x2 system), but found a decent gigabyte board listed on the newegg cpu page, HERE. like nvidia chipsets, this has onboard video, lots of ports, etc.
oh hell, now you went and did it. prepare for disaster! anyway, did i mention RAID as a part of your file server? couple good sata drives already, add a couple more and be done with it.
guessed as much, just looking for power savings. a cheap 4 port gig switch might be a good use of money and time. if the computer goes down, the rest continues to work. one extra black brick plugged in... wonder which uses more power, brick or pci card? no idea... sticking with the newegg theme, i've used several of THESE switches at customer sites with no problems, and decent price.
hold onto it even if you don't need it right now. did i mention RAID? only way to load drivers for XP. yeah, lots of fun right there.
looked up a few reviews on that cpu, and ran across THIS review which shows lots of potential, good overclock, stable at load, good temps. what i found interesting was the power usage chart near the bottom. AMD is better at idle (good for file server with little use), but Intel was better at load (good for crazy overclocked water cooled folding monster) which suits me running 100% load 24/7. anyway, you will end up with a really nice machine.
thx for the comments!
always fun to dream about new hardware! best of luck.
I'd say if you want a 24/7 file server, start from scratch and buy a low-end Dell Poweredge or an HP Proliant. They're pretty cheap these days, and the low-end ones are engineered to fit inside an office environment (i.e. they aren't too noisy). They're standards-based, easy to upgrade and over here at least have 3-years NBD support included out of the box. Throw in another disc for RAID1 or put in a RAID5 controller and run it with a few disks.
Unless you actually like building computers, why take the chance on a backup machine (which in many ways needs to be more reliable than your daily, since it's going to be looked at less often) built out of scrap?
Unless you actually like building computers, why take the chance on a backup machine (which in many ways needs to be more reliable than your daily, since it's going to be looked at less often) built out of scrap?