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2012-05-17, 13:43
(This post was last modified: 2012-05-17, 13:44 by wsume99.)
Why go with a Sempron when you can have a G530 for close to the same price and get lower power consumption and the power to run add-ons if you want to move in that direction? I can speak from experience given that my first server had a Sempron chip and I switched to a Intel E5500. The E5500 actually uses less power than the Sempron did. A SandyBridge would do even better. Don't get me wrong - a Sempron will be just fine - but I think the G530 is probably the best choice for what you are after. It is cheap, low power, and gives you the most flexibility.
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I would probably go G530 just because they are roughly the same price and the passmark is 870 (Sempron) vs 2200 (G530).
It may be more than he needs right now, but the G530 should provide similar power consumption (or maybe better) and more options for the future.
As for motherboards... I would just go with the cheapest LGA1155 that fits your HDD set up and has the right video outs that you want. Unless you want SATA 3 you can probably find an acceptable board for ~$50.
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Refurb drives? Anyone ever buy any?
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It only has a 90 day warranty. I've seen new 2TB HDDs on sale recently for $110. I don't think it's worth saving $20 for a much shorter warranty on a device that has already been found defective once. I think you'd be better off buying a used HDD for $90 that is still under the original warranty. But that's just my opinion.
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Heard so many bad reviews on them Samsung F4 drives... on the unraid forums.
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the samsungs are just rebranded Seagate drives, right?