Dell C6105 for lab use

[JOSEPHLB]

Looking to setup a "studying" lab to prepare for my MCSA/MCSE. I've been seriously looking at the AMD based C6105, three-node setup to be of potential use for a lab to where I can setup numerous Windows 2012 VM's on Hyper-V.

Is the C6105 still a viable solution or is it junk? Appears there are a few horror stories on the C6100/6105.

 

[andrewbedia]

I think the generally accepted opinion is if you don't have space for individual servers, get a blade server. if you do, then do not buy a blade server. not worth the headache.

 

[TuxDude]

I would not consider the C6105 to be a blade server. IMHO blades have shared IO/switching in the rear of the chassis, while these C6000's only share PSUs and fans. Blade enclosures also have significantly higher power and cooling requirements, often more than would be easily available in a typical home. Expansion will still be very limited in the C6000, but if it meets your lab needs and the price is right then why not.

 

[lundrog]

It should be fine. a example of another lab.

Homelab Build : Dell dcs6005 / 6105 FreeNAS and ESXi Lab ~ HeathReynolds.com

 

[spyrule]

I'm currently using the C6005 (slightly earlier gen of the 6105) for doing exactly what your using it for. I also happen to have an Xpenology NAS that I run NFS/iSCSI on for further testing.
Also, the C6105 is NOT a blade server, it is referred to as a Cloud Server. There is a HUGE difference between a true blade server, and a cloud density server.

Here is a link to a thread that discussed why true blade servers are NOT useful for home use:

https://forums.servethehome.com/index.php?threads/ibm-bladecenter.4172/