| Do I need a brand new server, or can I buy a preowned one? |
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There are many factors that will influence whether you buy a brand new server or scour the small ads for a cheap but reliable rack server. Old servers can make a lot of sense to those starting out on a budget, but there are some things we'd recommend you investigate before spending any money. CPUs CPU speeds are ever increasing A server like the PowerEdge 2850 is a popular choice on the second hand market. However, CPU performance has increased dramatically over the last few years; for the same power footprint and cost, Core-based processors from 2009 massively outperform those from earlier years. Another consideration is power - older Xeon processors are very power hungry. For example, a dual core Xeon from 2006 such as the 7030 could use a massive 165W on full load, almost double that of a 2009 quad core Xeon E5540; the newer processor runs significantly faster too. The older processor could put £50 per month on your bill. Imagine if your server had two of them! Hard DrivesOlder hard drives may be approaching the end of their life; they may not be easily replaceable, and the cost of replacement SCSI drives is eye-watering. We'd always advise having a spare drive to hand if you use RAID - you can always courier it to the datacentre for installation by remote hands. Warranty and MaintenanceWe're happy to allow you access to the rack 24/7, but - let's face it - swapping a faulty fan module at 4am is nobody's idea of fun. New equipment will come with a satisfying hardware warranty and installation support, usually for a three year period, meaning someone else does the miles while you get to stay in the office. If buying an older server that is still covered by warranty, check whether the warranty is transferable. Older equipment may also prove expensive to repair when manufacturer-specific items need replacing, such as fans and power supplies. Older servers will also be practically impossible to upgrade to a newer architecture (eg. P4 to Core) as most of the hardware will be custom-made for the case. Memory may also be hard to source and server chipsets generally demand certain types of memory which may be difficult to source second-hand. Rack MountingAs rails are mandatory with A1isp or, indeed, most hosting providers, you should always ensure your chosen server is delivered with rack rails. These can often be £70 or more when supplied new, and sometimes vendors choose to sell them separately. SummaryWith global energy prices rising, the power consumption of a colocated server is often overlooked. Modern CPUs are extremely powerful, and hard drives are rapidly increasing in density. You should carefully balance the extra cost of hosting older servers against the hardware cost of buying new. That said, for a new project or your first step after a shared or rented server, a preowned server will be perfectly adequate for most web/database applications; once your business grows then buying a new server is easy to justify. |
