If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#11
|
|||
|
|||
Using an old dual CPU server as a gaming PC?
|
#12
|
|||
|
|||
Using an old dual CPU server as a gaming PC?
" wrote:
Xeon CPUs are used in high performance servers and in high performance desktops. Usually the latter one should have a high performance graphics adapter too while no one would spend much money on a server's graphics adapter. So you might want to look for a used high performance desktop. Yes, I just realized that the racked motherboard I'm looking at has no PCIe slots (without installing some adapter). Trying to find a suitable rack might be difficult since they don't expect PCIe x16 cards. But maybe I can find a rack without a mobo, or an inexpensive rack in which the mobo can be swapped. Workstations might be more expensive. I'm still researching it, galore. I need a comprehensive list of dual socket LGA 1366 motherboards that include a PCIe x16 slot. I wrote: This is just fascinating me. Apparently only for people who can build stuff. That's what I was looking for. Otherwise, everybody would be doing it. https://youtu.be/epIlB49SNTI?t=474 There he is self-critical about his system, but if you zoom in and look at the specs, you will notice it's running at 2.5 GHz. There are cheap Xeon CPUs available running much faster than that. This is thrilling... But must avoid the pitfalls. Lots of research ahead. Wish I could do it with my Q9550s. But it looks like basically the same thing, except having to buy them again. |
#13
|
|||
|
|||
Using an old dual CPU server as a gaming PC?
Paul wrote:
wrote: Xeon CPUs are used in high performance servers and in high performance desktops. Usually the latter one should have a high performance graphics adapter too while no one would spend much money on a server's graphics adapter. So you might want to look for a used high performance desktop. He has the system in hand, so is going to make it work. U can hear the Dremel grinding on the chassis now... :-) I was close to jumping off a cliff. But as it happens you were right in a prior reply when you said that was a bad motherboard choice. The specifications on Intel's website confused me. I have seen lots of pictures of the S5520UR and obviously it has no PCIe slots. And can't find any adapter. As mentioned in a prior post, a dual socket LGA 771 system could do. Apparently it uses quad channels for memory. But I want the six memory channels and access to newer CPUs provided by the LGA 1366. |
#14
|
|||
|
|||
Using an old dual CPU server as a gaming PC?
Searching eBay for (1U server) produces roughly 2500 (USA) results.
Searching for (2u server) produces roughly 3000 (USA) results. Many of the results are for multiple items sales (a batch of used servers). I get the impression (and hope) that many of the PCIe riser cards are just right angle adapters. -- I wrote: This is just fascinating me. Apparently only for people who can build stuff. That's what I was looking for. Otherwise, everybody would be doing it. https://youtu.be/epIlB49SNTI?t=474 There he is self-critical about his system, but if you zoom in and look at the specs, you will notice it's running at 2.5 GHz. There are cheap Xeon CPUs available running much faster than that. This is thrilling... But must avoid the pitfalls. Lots of research ahead. Wish I could do it with my Q9550s. But it looks like basically the same thing, except having to buy them again. |
#15
|
|||
|
|||
Using an old dual CPU server as a gaming PC?
Here's an apparently awesome deal for anyone who does SCSI...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/221303378690? New 1U Super Chassis 815S-560V SCSI 12 x 13 E-ATX W/560W For $88 (US, shipped). But there's only one left as of this post. |
#16
|
|||
|
|||
Using an old dual CPU server as a gaming PC?
On Friday, January 29, 2016 at 6:35:50 AM UTC+2, John Doe wrote:
This is just fascinating me. Apparently only for people who can build stuff. That's what I was looking for. Otherwise, everybody would be doing it. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF3...p6fntR6h8oJcTg There he is self-critical about his system, but if you zoom in and look at the specs, you will notice it's running at 2.5 GHz. There are cheap Xeon CPUs available running much faster than that. This is thrilling... But must avoid the pitfalls. Lots of research ahead. Wish I could do it with my Q9550s. But it looks like basically the same thing, except having to buy them again. |
#17
|
|||
|
|||
Using an old dual CPU server as a gaming PC?
John Doe wrote:
I get the impression (and hope) that many of the PCIe riser cards are just right angle adapters. That's a good bet. You could probably do an image search on PCIe risers and see what shows up. ******* I hope the servers in these Ebay deals are complete. There could be stuff missing, if they tried to part them out. I'd prefer to see an internal photo of the things. An external photo just tells me I'm getting a boat anchor. Paul |
#18
|
|||
|
|||
Using an old dual CPU server as a gaming PC?
Paul wrote:
John Doe wrote: I get the impression (and hope) that many of the PCIe riser cards are just right angle adapters. That's a good bet. You could probably do an image search on PCIe risers and see what shows up. Thanks. I hope the servers in these Ebay deals are complete. There could be stuff missing, if they tried to part them out. I'd prefer to see an internal photo of the things. An external photo just tells me I'm getting a boat anchor. Lots of them have internal pictures. Many of them tell what specific motherboard is inside, at least by researching the server part number. Ordering stuff over the Internet is always somewhat risky, and eBay is the rule. One thing I've noticed, apparently servers can be noisy and consume much idle current. But some have fixes for that. |
#19
|
|||
|
|||
Using an old dual CPU server as a gaming PC?
John Doe wrote:
One thing I've noticed, apparently servers can be noisy and consume much idle current. But some have fixes for that. Absolutely. A 40mm fan spinning at 6000 RPM, is not a quiet fan. Four of those fans sitting next to one another, with the fan frequencies being slightly off, is very hard to take. If the server motherboard doesn't have any "extensions" standing out (has a purely rectangular profile), you may be able to find a desktop-style case to take a 12"x13" motherboard. There are a few big enough to do that. But such cases, brand new, are not cheap. The case would cost twice as much as your Ebay server purchase. You would then switch the CPU coolers to taller cooling solutions, with conventional (blow-down) fan cooling. Note that, for Xeons, the cooling solution extends below the motherboard. Sometimes, there are standoffs that fit under the motherboard. And when you select a computer case, the tray has to have holes to line up with the standoffs. This gives more mechanical support for the heatsink assembly above the motherboard surface. At least a few people get a 12"x13" motherboard, then discover the holes or mechanism on the motherboard, doesn't have matching stuff on the tray to make the whole thing work. I'm not up on all the details. This illustrates the concept well enough, to at least show there's a bit of detail down there. Each generation can have different twists and turns. http://www.orbitmicro.com/support/re...heatsinks.html With a cooling redesign, you can reduce the noise level to about twice the noise of your current desktop. The idea is to get those 40mm fans out of the picture. They're evil. Computer cases suitable for 12"x13" should not be available used for cheap on Ebay. As anyone that owns one, is likely to hold onto it, or try to recover the purchase price of the thing. Nothing stops you from building a "ghetto" computer case. You could also look for the open-frame computer cases that sites like Anandtech use, where there is no metal facade on the outside of the computer. At one of the places I worked when I was younger (before graduation), the computer fans were so loud, you could hear them through *two* locked doors. Some computer cooling solutions have piercing audio characteristics. You would be very sorry to have one of those in your house. You'd just have to turn it off. Paul |
#20
|
|||
|
|||
Using an old dual CPU server as a gaming PC?
Apparently the Intel SR1560SF 1U system's will work with some
reconstruction. Brand-new on eBay from at least two different sellers for about $145 total (minus CPU and RAM). The only obvious downside besides being LGA 771 instead of 1366 is having only two USB ports. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
dual head card plus gaming | [email protected] | Matrox Videocards | 0 | December 29th 06 04:28 PM |
Dual CPU gaming question | kenada | General | 10 | November 3rd 05 10:49 PM |
Dual core gaming | GSV Three Minds in a Can | General | 2 | October 24th 05 10:34 PM |
Dual Core cpu 2 SLi 6800 GTs, will this be gaming bliss ? | The Other Guy. | General | 6 | January 9th 05 06:07 AM |
Dual Monitor & Gaming Video Card | Sam Carleton | Nvidia Videocards | 1 | February 19th 04 11:12 PM |