Should I use the server as a work PC?

Question

Computers

Hi, the idea arose a long time ago (and even saw examples) to organize not a PC for work, but a server.
Why not a regular PC? Much cheaper, for example, is a server: Dell PowerEdge T30 T30-AKHI-001
At a cost of 32,000 rubles, it has 8GB of RAM and an Intel Xeon E3-1225 v5 processor at 3.3GHz.
Any other PC will cost 2 times more, with such a characteristic. Yes, as far as I understand, servers have bad video memory. Those. Let's say you don't play games. But running a keycollector with 50 threads, photoshop, or, say, rendering a video on this can be no worse than on a PC with such parameters?

Answer 1

Well look...
We will add another 1000 rubles to the cooler.
It turns out 17226r for the same iron power. With the money you save, you can either send me a beer, or buy a plug in a PCIE slot so that at least some hardware acceleration is available for graphics and video.
Or to score on the GPU and buy a new motherboard and processor. For 30 thousand, you can even assemble a computer on Coffee Lake right now. i3 8100 is faster than "your" server processor, and cheaper. But on a motherboard with a 3XX chipset, you will have to go broke. But still cheaper than 30k.
What am I talking about... The one who told you that
does not understand the PC from the word at all. Don't listen to him.

Answer 2

for 32K you can assemble a good computer.
Of course, you can assemble a computer on the server hardware, but if you look into the future, I'm not sure that it will be cheaper and more reasonable. By the way, people assembled for themselves last year on the intel xeon e5645.
According to estimates, if you assemble a regular computer:
1) ryzen 5 1600 - 12K
2) a mother for it 5K
3) a good memory for 16GB - 6 thousand
power supply and case and screw - another 8 thousand.
Here is a modern computer for the best characteristics. Add a video card here by type - 1050 or 1050ti, and that's it.

Answer 3

It is worth it if you understand and understand the issue and understand that you need server hardware for your tasks. IMHO, it's better to buy branded hardware and if something doesn't make it outdated, then foresee the possibility of an upgrade. It is better to buy all the same not directly servers, but the so-called workstation. HP has the Z-series, Z400/420, Z600, Z800, and so on. Lenovo has S20, S30, D20, D30, etc.
I highly recommend choosing models that support register memory, it is much cheaper than usual.
If you want new hardware, then everything is sadder - the only thing that is acceptable for money is self-assembly, based on motherboards from China (I recommend a profile group for overlocking), processors and memory from the same Ali.
If the hands grow from the right place, you can assemble a monster for inexpensively, like this comrade. But, IMHO, this is already too much for home use.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBI3HC-op3I
PS Esicho I'm not a theorist, I bought myself a Lenovo s20 and upgraded it to x5870. The only puncture is memory. The description said that it supports ECC, but the description was written in a strange way

ECC Supported
Maximum Capability : 1600MHz, UDIMM : PC3-10600 (1333MHz), RDIMM : PC3-8500 (1066MHz)

As a result, I found several people on the forums with the same question, who said that RDIMM is still not supported, I had to buy a regular one.

Answer 4

why not

Answer 5

this server is very weak, there are 4 cores and only 4 threads per processor, this is worse than the new budget i3. Also, there is a 290-watt power supply ... even a video card will be dumb to stick. 32k is way too expensive

Answer 6

+ Server processors are more productive than desktop counterparts, for example: e5-1650v2 (6 cores) vs i7-6700 (4 cores) - in compiling C++ code 72 threads vs 8.
+ Cheapness of used hardware, on ebay for 11tr + 1500 for delivery - 128gb ddr3 ecc
+ A large number of SATA / SAS connectors
+ Support for a large amount of RAM
- Your server does not have a standard power supply (not atx), but it is possible to find a replacement
- There may be conflicts with hardware (with RAM, with a video card, with processors (when there are 2 or more of them)
- No sound card
- Few USB
- No overclocking (you need to take the CPU and memory immediately with a high frequency)
- Get ready to buy heatsinks on the sticker for cooling power circuits and microcircuits because they get very hot, because iron is not particularly designed for room temperature.
Almost every server has pci-e x16 (video slot). Depending on age, this is gen2 or gen3
Conclusion: you can buy either ready-made or try to assemble it yourself. There are alternatives on Ali, but get ready to look for a bigger case. Also, do not forget that delivery from Ali + 2000 is 3000 to the cost, on ebay - about 5000.
Supermicro used cheap you will not find, but they are with atx format, some even have two sockets.