Dell Poweredge T30 with E3-1225 worth it?

[Makaveli6103]

I found a deal to get this system with 8GB ECC for $350. It looks like it has plenty of space to upgrade but cannot find much info on this server since it is new. Would you guys recommend this? The only thing I am hesitant about is the power supply and how easy it will be to swap out for a better one.

 

[anodos]

I found a deal to get this system with 8GB ECC for $350. It looks like it has plenty of space to upgrade but cannot find much info on this server since it is new. Would you guys recommend this? The only thing I am hesitant about is the power supply and how easy it will be to swap out for a better one.

I believe it's a good choice, but I believe you're basically limited to 4 drives.

 

[Makaveli6103]

I believe it's a good choice, but I believe you're basically limited to 4 drives.

Was thinking about transferring the motherboard to a new case so I can add a controller to add more drives.

 

[Dice]

Was thinking about transferring the motherboard to a new case so I can add a controller to add more drives.

That ...ramps up budget quite a bit and changes the appeal of the T30 quite a bit.

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

The T30 (and its predecessor, the T20) are great little servers if your needs are modest, i.e. no more than four 3.5" drives for storage (the 2.5" bays are great for boot devices). If you're expecting your storage to outgrow four 3.5" drives, it may not be the best choice.

I am hesitant about is the power supply and how easy it will be to swap out for a better one ... Was thinking about transferring the motherboard to a new case

This will end in tears, due to short leads and proprietary connectors.

 

[mkrohn]

I'm in an R710 that after replacing the raid controller and getting the drive bays I'm in about $250. I really wished I'd have gone C2100 as 6 drive bays quickly became too small. If you have a decent place to put a real server I'd say find an older 5600 Xeon or E5-2670 based setup.

 

[Makaveli6103]

I'm in an R710 that after replacing the raid controller and getting the drive bays I'm in about $250. I really wished I'd have gone C2100 as 6 drive bays quickly became too small. If you have a decent place to put a real server I'd say find an older 5600 Xeon or E5-2670 based setup.

Cool thanks for the info

 

[Linkman]

Through May 4th, I believe, the 8GB RAM / Xeon E3-1225 model of the T30 is only $349 with the promo code 349T30. If that price might change your calculations.

<edit> Oops, should have read more carefully, as it appears the OP already knows about that price. </edit>

 

[bigphil]

The Dell T20 and T30 are awesome little servers if you can get the Xeon version for a good price. That said, you can do a mod to get 6 3.5" drives in there and you can also buy a 24 pin to 8 pin power supply adapter if you want to upgrade to a different power supply. The internal layout is the same on both servers, so these mods should still work. Links below.

Power supply adapter
HDD cage mod