Form Factor or Reckmount?

[iahoo]

Dear My friends
As i need to a software in anywhere whether at my office or home, i want to buy a stock server for 24/7 on. This software just needs a CPU with a power extent to Core i7 third generation. Some sellers suggest HD 360 G7 based on my budget but i found a Mini server i.e HP 8300 with a Core i7 third generation and 8 Gig Ram. Notwithstanding that sellers said me that this type servers aren't suitable for my purpose but i need to have a Xeon server instead. Although I don't know why they say so but i have some serious questions on this Mini server:
1-Is it suitable for my purpose at all?
2-Is it suitable regarding electricity cost?
3-Can i use a SAS HDD on it?

 

[pricklypunter]

Welcome to the forums

There is not enough information in your post to make any kind of sensible recommendation for you. Tell us what you are planning to use this for, what you want to be able to achieve and do with this "Server"

 

[iahoo]

Thank u.
At the whole, my question that whether is it good idea to use this Mini Pc as a server in the manner with always on compatibility

 

[pricklypunter]

Without knowing what you plan to use it for, I can't say if it would be a good idea or not. Servers and Desktop hardware are built to achieve different goals. A proper Server build will have parts designed for reliability and long service life with moderate maintenance required, and will have additional hardware to allow proper management. Consumer hardware is generally not built with that in mind, albeit that it could potentially run purpose designed Server OS. Being able to run a Server OS and also being reliable at doing so, are two different things however

If I was pressed to answer your question, given the limited information you have provided, I would have to say no, it is not a good idea to use a consumer Desktop machine as a Server. It does not have the hardware or the software built into it that would generally be required.

To touch upon the other option mentioned in your op, I can't say if the HP G7 would be a good fit for you either, again because I have no idea what you are planning to use this for. It may be way overkill, or not have the legs for it, I simply don't know

 

[Markess]

Even without knowing specifics of your use case, I can comment on some of your questions on the HP 8300.

The HP 8300 isn't a mini-server. Its a desktop PC. They came in multiple versions, including "Small Form Factor" (SFF) and "Ultra Slim". The focus of this product line is desktop computing, and not 24/7 availability. They have no features common to servers that support reliable 24/7 operation. So, while its possible to keep these on 24/7 functioning as a server, that was never the manufacturers intent when they designed it. As @pricklypunter says, its not a good idea to use a consumer desktop PC as a server for a variety of reasons.

Concerning SAS Drives: As manufactured, you cannot install a SAS drive in these. You'd need to install an add-on SAS Controller. Only the Mini_tower and SFF versions have expansion slots for add-on cards though. The Ultra Slim version does not.

Concerning Xeon CPUs. I don't think you necessarily need a Xeon over a Core CPU (i5, i7, etc). But, if you want 24/7 operation, its better to have a system designed with 24/7 operation in mind, and most of those happen to have Xeons in them (at least the ones with Intel CPUs).