Affordable Server HW Recommendations (brand new / no eBay) reddit / selfhosted ---------------------------------------------------------------------- salanalani · 2023-12-18 01:11 Not sure what to buy as server to run Proxmox with below self-hosted services (as LXCs), since this will be for an office, I can’t go with used server or buy from eBay (tbh I never tried buying such used servers to begin with), they require standard warranty from the manufacturer: + UniFi Controller + NGINX Proxy Manager + Remote Desktop service (like MeshCentral) + TrueNAS for 10TB shared storage + Web Server / Wordpress + NVR system like Shinobi + SSO service like Keycloak + Dashboard (like Dashy) Server requirement: + Preferably Desktop or Tower version (but rack version is OK too) + Has at least 4 x 3.5” bays for HDD + Capable of running 24/7 + Can passthrough Storage Controller / HDD to TrueNAS + This will be serving ~10 users + Quite, compact, and affordable (below $1.5k) A lot of recommendations when I search for server for small business leads to HP or Dell servers, but they are very expensive ($2.5k and above) and could be overkill for what I need. I haven’t experience this before so looking for recommendations from the community. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LuckyHedgehog · 2023-12-18 01:37 If you are looking for parts to build a PC vs pre-built you could ask the folks at /r/buildapc I recently built a TrueNas server with a Jonsbo N1 case and an Asus mini ITX motherboard. You can get an i7 or i9 for all of the functionality you're looking for, along with 64-128GB of ram. The case is nice because it has 5 hot-swappable HD slots and is still fairly compact ---------------------------------------------------------------------- salanalani · 2023-12-18 01:48 I’ve built many gaming PCs, but those are consumer level, is it expected to run 24/7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LuckyHedgehog · 2023-12-18 01:54 Are you suggesting that building a PC means it cannot run as a 24/7 server? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- salanalani · 2023-12-18 02:02 I am asking… if it will be good reliable option. For example, most servers I see using Xeon and ECC RAM, so perhaps they were built with better power efficiency and more protected from crashes/failures? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- agentnumber2 · 2023-12-18 02:07 Look at Lenovo SR250 v2's. The rackmount version is either 4x 3.5" drives or 8x 2.5". The 7D7QA021NA is 6 core/12 thread, 16GB of RAM and takes 3.5" SATA drives. I bought 10 of them this year for clients and they are excellent for a reasonable cost. In Canada, the model listed above is $2,000 CAD (https://www.pc- canada.com/item/lenovo-thinksystem-sr250-v2-7d7qa021na-1u-rack- server/7d7qa021na). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- kihaji · 2023-12-18 02:08 Since you keep saying TrueNAS, why not just buy one of their hardware solutions. https://www.truenas.com/systems-overview/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- agentnumber2 · 2023-12-18 02:12 You can also look for the ST250's if you want a non-rack version. I like the SRs for redundant power supply capability, but that's a personal preference for my customers ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PracticalComplex · 2023-12-18 02:30 Server hardware with full support and warranty is definitely going to be pricy no matter how you slice it. Might be worth seeing if a refurbished model might be suitable - especially if you don’t need absolutely cutting edge. I know there are sellers on eBay who are companies that specialize in refurbishing server hardware and some even have more extensive warranties you can purchase. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- vermyx · 2023-12-18 02:39 The difference between consumer and “server” level hardware is redundancy. RAM tends to be ECC, you have the option of having two power supplies in the server, two RAID cards, etc. I have had desktops running 24/7 that died after 9 years of service, and have had servers die after 2 years. You can buy a redundant power supply, motherboards that have ECC memory options, and purchase multiple raid cards for your PC. The question is HOW much redundancy you want as a good chunk of server costs is in redundancy. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LuckyHedgehog · 2023-12-18 03:32 I guess it depends on the workloads you are expecting, and the price you are looking to pay for those workloads. Going with an i9 13900k (~$600 right now) for example gets you 24 cores, and it also supports ECC ram. For comparison, the Xeon Gold 5200R (also 24 cores) is about $1200 on Amazon right now, though I admit I am not quite sure if this is a fair comparison. [This other thread on reddit](https://www.reddit .com/r/intel/comments/12623qu/what_xeon_processor_is_equivalent_to_int el_core/) was asking for a comparable Xeon and the Xeon W7-2495X seemed like a close comparison, but that had an MSRP of $2k+. [Here is a comparison between the two](https://technical.city/en/cpu/Core-i9-13900K-vs-Xeon-w7-2495X) that was mentioned in that thread Xeons also do not have integrated graphics, so if you are not looking for multiple users to have full fledged work stations the i9 integrated graphics might be enough. Otherwise you're looking at adding in a GPU to cover whatever GPU-bound work is required, which could easily blow your $1500 budget whether you're doing pre-built or not. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- salanalani · 2023-12-18 03:34 Thank you, this is helpful ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ElevenNotes · 2023-12-18 05:55 HP Microserver?