Web Server build - help!

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freebsdrules

Active Member
Aug 16, 2017
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Hi all-

I'm looking to build/buy a used rackmount server that will host a very lightly hit website. Important things to me are: price, form factor (as little as possible but still rackmount), and power usage (again, as little as possible). What would you all suggest?

Thanks!
Peter
 

Monoman

Active Member
Oct 16, 2013
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homelab or production?

is used/second hand ok or does it need to be new with support contacts?
 

freebsdrules

Active Member
Aug 16, 2017
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homelab or production?

is used/second hand ok or does it need to be new with support contacts?
This will be production but in my home. It will essentially host a personal website for a business I want to slowly start/build. Used/second hand is preferred to save money and I'll be the support (with the help of the interwebs!). Thanks!
 

dandanio

Active Member
Oct 10, 2017
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Raspberry 3 will be enough... Front it with nginx, backend it with whatever you like and CDN it with some free CDN out there and voila. A webserver!
 

T_Minus

Build. Break. Fix. Repeat
Feb 15, 2015
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Keep your eye on ebay and get a SuperMicro 1U E3 based system.

E3 v1/2 -- Get a v2 CPU and motherboard, often you can even get them with the 1U chassis which will also have a power supply for well under $200 shipped with a v1 CPU or $150ish-225 or so depending which V2 CPU you get.

Add in a couple affordable SSD like S3500 and RAM and off you go.

You can also find E3 v3/4 chassis+motherboard for 150-250 depending on ebay, and CPUs ~$150 for E3-1265L / E3-1230 etc...

For the money the performance of these for a webserver is really really hard to pass up.

Alternatively you could piece together motherboard + cpu + ram and then buy a cheap half-length 2U chassis off amazon for under 100$ shipped, throw in a $40 ATX style PSU and off you go that way too. I have a couple E3 v3 sytems setup like this at home where sound level is a concern, the 1U will be louder no question about that.

E3 v2 and v3/4 will have great idle power usage, and overall low power usage in general.
 

freebsdrules

Active Member
Aug 16, 2017
185
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Keep your eye on ebay and get a SuperMicro 1U E3 based system.

E3 v1/2 -- Get a v2 CPU and motherboard, often you can even get them with the 1U chassis which will also have a power supply for well under $200 shipped with a v1 CPU or $150ish-225 or so depending which V2 CPU you get.

Add in a couple affordable SSD like S3500 and RAM and off you go.

You can also find E3 v3/4 chassis+motherboard for 150-250 depending on ebay, and CPUs ~$150 for E3-1265L / E3-1230 etc...

For the money the performance of these for a webserver is really really hard to passup.
Thanks will use this to take a look. This sounds about right as I don't need anything too "beefy" but do still want a proper rack-mount server.

Will also check out Hiawatha, thanks!
 

fractal

Active Member
Jun 7, 2016
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I started with a 1U supermicro atom. Upgraded to a 1U supermicro i3 which was cheaper, faster and lower power. I did it when I decided to virtualize my web servers. Now I have 4 web sites in 1U, each on their own VM and drawing less power than the atom they replaced..
 

freebsdrules

Active Member
Aug 16, 2017
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Thanks all, ended up with this from a EBay and saved a considerable amount off the list price. I figure this should do for a long time.

Thanks again!

Supermicro Server
 
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