- May 18, 2001
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Looking into building a new home server vs. just using an old dell desktop.
Option 1 - old Dell desktop:
The desktop is an old P4 dell and I was afraid of power usage but it idles around 70W.
My concerns otherwise are the low number of USB ports and the lack of SATA (all PATA baby!). I could obviously add a USB add on card and a SATA controller but those would be maybe a ~$40 upgrade.
Another worry is that I would probably put this server in the attic where it can get pretty hot in the summer - a toasty P4 with Dell cooling might not be the best solution.
Sell value of the whole desktop is maybe $35.
Option 2 - new server:
Of course it's always fun to build a new system, eg around one of those AMD APU's which seem pretty low wattage. I would also look for a board with plenty of USB connectivity and SATA is now of course standard, though I am probably looking at $200+ for the build and I am not sure if the power savings are even that much ...
Option 1 - old Dell desktop:
The desktop is an old P4 dell and I was afraid of power usage but it idles around 70W.
My concerns otherwise are the low number of USB ports and the lack of SATA (all PATA baby!). I could obviously add a USB add on card and a SATA controller but those would be maybe a ~$40 upgrade.
Another worry is that I would probably put this server in the attic where it can get pretty hot in the summer - a toasty P4 with Dell cooling might not be the best solution.
Sell value of the whole desktop is maybe $35.
Option 2 - new server:
Of course it's always fun to build a new system, eg around one of those AMD APU's which seem pretty low wattage. I would also look for a board with plenty of USB connectivity and SATA is now of course standard, though I am probably looking at $200+ for the build and I am not sure if the power savings are even that much ...