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Using an old dual CPU server as a gaming PC?



 
 
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  #12  
Old February 2nd 16, 04:17 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
John Doe[_9_]
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Posts: 410
Default 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.




  #14  
Old February 2nd 16, 09:56 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
John Doe[_9_]
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Posts: 410
Default 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  
Old February 2nd 16, 10:18 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
John Doe[_9_]
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Posts: 410
Default 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  
Old February 2nd 16, 02:25 PM posted to alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
[email protected]
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Posts: 1
Default 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  
Old February 2nd 16, 06:04 PM posted to alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Paul
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Posts: 13,364
Default 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  
Old February 2nd 16, 06:17 PM posted to alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
John Doe[_9_]
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Posts: 410
Default 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  
Old February 2nd 16, 08:37 PM posted to alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Paul
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Posts: 13,364
Default 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  
Old February 3rd 16, 08:09 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
John Doe[_9_]
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Posts: 410
Default 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.
 




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