Dell PowerEdge SC440 with Dual Core Server $199

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annaconda

[H]F Junkie
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Apr 13, 2005
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Dell Small Business has the entry level PowerEdge SC440 with Dual Core Pentium processor E2160 1.8Ghz 512MB/80GB CD (no OS) for $199 after $449 instant savings. Shipping is $20. Exp 2/13

Faster Core 2 Duo E4500 2.2Ghz CPU +$50
 
Before anyone asks simple questions about the specs, upgrades, etc., check out http://www.poweredgeforums.com/ , they answered some questions I had over the el-cheapo SC servers I got from Dell, primarily video card and memory upgrade paths.

Some tidbits about this machine (from their site):

SC440:

The SC440 will not do Hardware Raid.

It does have 4 SATA ports and will handle 4 Sata hard drives.

The SC440 will take Windows 2003 Server, 2000 Server and Windows XP Home, XP Pro and MCE 2005. All of the Drivers are found on the green Dell Server installation disk. Use the Windows 2003 drivers, they all work.

The SC440's 16x PCI-E slot is DIFFERENT than the old SC420's. While it can be modified to fit a 16x PCI-E video card, the slot will only run in 1x speed. That is not a typo. It will not run anyother speed with a video card attached.

The SC440 power supply does NOT have an extra power connector for a PCI-E video card.

The SC440 Will work without any problems with a Intel QUAD CORE QX6700 cpu. I have done it and verified it. It will also take the Core Duo 2 e6300-6700 and the Xeon 3020-3070 CPU's- 775 pin.
Click to expand...

Some other sites say the PCI-e x4 slot can be used to run a video card at x4 speeds, you might have to cut notches in the video card connector. Some other sites say that ALL the PCI-e slots on this board run at x1 speeds.

My "old" SC420 is starting to croak on me, I might replace it with one of these for my WHS box at home.
 
Specs for those curious in default config:

Dual Core Intel® Pentium®E2160, 1.8GHz, 1MB Cache, 800MHz FSB
No Operating System
512MB DDR2, 667MHz, 1X512MB Single Ranked DIMMs
No Keyboard Option
80GB 7.2K RPM Serial ATA 3Gbps 3.5-in Cabled Hard Drive, Primary
Onboard SATA Controller - No RAID
No Floppy Drive
No Mouse
On-Board Single Gigabit Network Adapter
48X CD-ROM Drive
Electronic Documentation and OpenManage CD Kit
Onboard SATA, 1 Drive connected to Onboard SATA Controller - No RAID
1Yr BASIC SUPPORT: 5x10 HW-Only, 5x10 NBD Onsite
No Installation Assessment
 
This is not a good deal. I just configged up a system on newegg with better specs (read: pci-e x16, antec psu, and 160gb hdd) for $230. Plus you don't have to deal with sh*tty f*ckin' Dell.

Shopping Cart

Qty. Product Description Savings Total Price
1 POWMAX MM3800 Beige SGCC Steel MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811145077
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate
$13.00

1 HITACHI Deskstar 7K160 HDS721616PLA380 (0A32728) 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822145124
Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy
$48.99

1 Antec earthwatts EA380 ATX12V v2.0 380W Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16817371005
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$34.99

1 SUPER TALENT 512MB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Desktop Memory Model T6UA512C5 - Retail
Item #: N82E16820609084
Return Policy: Memory (Modules, USB) Return Policy
$10.99

1 MSI 945GCM5-F LGA 775 Intel 945GC Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813130121
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$46.99

1 Intel Pentium E2160 Allendale 1.8GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80557E2160 - Retail
Item #: N82E16819116036
Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy
$74.99

Subtotal: $229.95

EDIT: I guess Dell includes a CD-ROM drive for that price. Whoop de doo! Newegg has one for $12. Why anyone who knows how to build PCs would fall for Dell's crap is beyond me.
 
Ah, just the mention of Dell draws the flames to the moth. :p

Frankencomputers aren't the best solution to every problem.
 
ordovician said:
This is not a good deal. I just configged up a system on newegg with better specs (read: pci-e x16, antec psu, and 160gb hdd) for $230. Plus you don't have to deal with sh*tty f*ckin' Dell.

Shopping Cart

Qty. Product Description Savings Total Price
1 POWMAX MM3800 Beige SGCC Steel MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811145077
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate
$13.00

1 HITACHI Deskstar 7K160 HDS721616PLA380 (0A32728) 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822145124
Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy
$48.99

1 Antec earthwatts EA380 ATX12V v2.0 380W Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16817371005
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$34.99

1 SUPER TALENT 512MB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Desktop Memory Model T6UA512C5 - Retail
Item #: N82E16820609084
Return Policy: Memory (Modules, USB) Return Policy
$10.99

1 MSI 945GCM5-F LGA 775 Intel 945GC Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813130121
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$46.99

1 Intel Pentium E2160 Allendale 1.8GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80557E2160 - Retail
Item #: N82E16819116036
Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy
$74.99

Subtotal: $229.95

EDIT: I guess Dell includes a CD-ROM drive for that price. Whoop de doo! Newegg has one for $12. Why anyone who knows how to build PCs would fall for Dell's crap is beyond me.
Click to expand...

Don't forget the cost of the optical drive....(which is usually another $15 for a cd-rom or cd burner)

I on the other hand would just go with one of the many eMachine refurbs from Tigerdirect then this Dell deal because you not only get a legit copy of Windows, but also typically a DVD burner and in most cases functional PCI Express slots and a flash card reader. (not all models, but most) and most of the time they are between $199-$250. Granted they don't have many dual cores at the moment (if any in that price range), but it will be just a matter of a few months on those. 8 core systems are supposed to push out quads by the end of the year. So, I wouldn't get too hyped over the Dell deal. I have already picked up two of the 3.2GHz systems (not Celerons) and they run pretty stable and crunch out some good BOINC results.
 
Well we can make better computer for the same price for sure, but people who don;t want to this deal is for them. Not to mention Dell's 1 year warranty.
 
Good deal for someone who wants to set up a cheap VMWare Server box.

Just get another few GB of RAM and a couple more 80GB HDDs, then install your favorite Linux using mdadm RAID 5, then install VMWare Server on that.
 
I got in on this deal 3 years ago when the had the last PowerEdge's for $199, Been a BEAST of a file & print server for me (Added 3.5tb of storage to it). These are great little boxes that are quiet and serve their purposes VERY well.

$199 is a hard deal to pass up.
 
pxc said:
Ah, just the mention of Dell draws the flames to the moth. :p

Frankencomputers aren't the best solution to every problem.
Click to expand...

LOL....
on another note,my 2 year old SC420 is still running strong.....I think It may have rebooted 2 times in the last 2 years..and that was only because of power failures.....:)

These are great machines at this price...and no Frankencomputers machine will beat it....


ordovician said:
. Why anyone who knows how to build PCs would fall for Dell's crap is beyond me.
Click to expand...

Sigh.....so many noobs come here and bash Dell......I just don't understand it.
 
Crosshairs said:
LOL....
These are great machines at this price...and no Frankencomputers machine will beat it....
Click to expand...

A properly built custom system with quality parts can be just as reliable when small servers like this are concerned.

It's just a matter of preference.

Enterprise level hardware is a different story completely.
 
Child of Wonder said:
A properly built custom system with quality parts can be just as reliable when small servers like this are concerned.

It's just a matter of preference.

Enterprise level hardware is a different story completely.
Click to expand...

No kidding.
 
ordovician said:
This is not a good deal. I just configged up a system on newegg with better specs (read: pci-e x16, antec psu, and 160gb hdd) for $230. Plus you don't have to deal with sh*tty f*ckin' Dell.

Shopping Cart

Qty. Product Description Savings Total Price
1 POWMAX MM3800 Beige SGCC Steel MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811145077
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate
$13.00

1 HITACHI Deskstar 7K160 HDS721616PLA380 (0A32728) 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822145124
Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy
$48.99

1 Antec earthwatts EA380 ATX12V v2.0 380W Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16817371005
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$34.99

1 SUPER TALENT 512MB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Desktop Memory Model T6UA512C5 - Retail
Item #: N82E16820609084
Return Policy: Memory (Modules, USB) Return Policy
$10.99

1 MSI 945GCM5-F LGA 775 Intel 945GC Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813130121
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$46.99

1 Intel Pentium E2160 Allendale 1.8GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80557E2160 - Retail
Item #: N82E16819116036
Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy
$74.99

Subtotal: $229.95

EDIT: I guess Dell includes a CD-ROM drive for that price. Whoop de doo! Newegg has one for $12. Why anyone who knows how to build PCs would fall for Dell's crap is beyond me.
Click to expand...

You forgot the warranty
You forgot the optical drive
You forgot the resale value
You forgot the support
You forgot ECC memory
You forgot a server motherboard
You forgot that this is a tested platform
You forgot that if this machine breaks tonight, tomorrow morning I have another one at my door.
 
so then this "should" work with the x3210/q6600 quads? Hmmm, I've been wanting to build a Home Server for a while now, this just might be the ticket. Too bad all the DDR1-2700 ECC server ram I have wont work in it, hehe, have a ton of it. Thankfully even the DDR2 ecc ram is pretty cheap these days.
 
Mtnduey said:
so then this "should" work with the x3210/q6600 quads? Hmmm, I've been wanting to build a Home Server for a while now, this just might be the ticket. Too bad all the DDR1-2700 ECC server ram I have wont work in it, hehe, have a ton of it. Thankfully even the DDR2 ecc ram is pretty cheap these days.
Click to expand...

Yes, this should work.
 
Sigh.....so many noobs come here and bash Dell......I just don't understand it.
Click to expand...

Crosshairs: Noobs at what, exactly? Posting on this forum? I don't have time to post often, because I work for a living. I am perfectly entitled to my opinion, and have every right to voice it. You should not insult me for that. You seem personally offended that I would "bash" Dell. I never meant to offend you or anyone else who is in love with Dell, I just wanted to point out that the components can be purchased for the same price. Some enthusiasts may not keep up on the prices of components these days, and may mistakenly think that the Dell is a cheaper option, which it is not. I know plenty of enthusiasts who would much rather build their own system, as long as the Dell is not cheaper.

I personally have plenty of experience, mostly negative, with Dell. I posted that original comment from a Dell Vostro laptop I bought recently. For the most part, I love this laptop. Dell CAN have decent deals and hardware, but they can also be VERY scheissty.

Case in point: They sent me this very laptop without a wifi card in it. There was no "no wifi card" option when I configged it; they all come with one default. I spend 3 days with tech support. The first guy told me that it was a bug in the records, and that they'd send the card to me for free, and gave me a number to call. I called, and the 2nd guy said the laptop was never configged with a wifi card. I told him that there was an error in the records, and he insinuated that I was lying. After showing him on the website that it was impossible NOT to configure the laptop without a wifi card, he still told me I'd have to buy it for like $40. I told him where to shove it, and ebayed it for $10.

Dell also initially refused to provide BIOS support for another older laptop I had bought from them a few years ago because I had installed linux on the system. After a huge hassle that took over a month, they admitted that I was not the cause of the problem with my "unsupported operating system" and that their hardware was to blame. Which it was. Last I checked, reinstalling the OS, whatever OS it may be, does NOT void your warrantee. They apparently like to argue this.

Also, in my experience, Dell's desktop power supplies tend to be "barely adequate," and often need replacement sooner than they should. Your results may vary (don't flame for this statement)

So, Crosshairs. please don't jump to conclusions and insult someone on a personal level. I can't help but be bitter after what Dell has pulled on me. There are plenty of others out there that feel the same way.

To the people who talk about a warantee and support: Have you ever tried getting support from Dell? I wonder sometimes. You also forget that the shipping cost to send your broken computer to Dell can often (nearly) pay to replace the part that broke. (like the power supply...)
 
ordovician said:
To the people who talk about a warantee and support: Have you ever tried getting support from Dell? I wonder sometimes. You also forget that the shipping cost to send your broken computer to Dell can often (nearly) pay to replace the part that broke. (like the power supply...)
Click to expand...


Actually, this is through dell Small Business / Poweredge server support., their Warranty and tech Support is MUCH better than on the home systems. Even with a $200 server, they treat you pretty well and you typically get much higher level technical support resources.

I had a drive fail in my PE and they not only gave me a choice of which replacement drive I was to recieve (Wanted a WD Drive), they shipped it overnight and sent a pre-paid label for my old one. All for a $200 server. They treat their server customers great.
 
Dell small business service and support is pretty good the times I have dealt with it.
 
Actually, this is through dell Small Business / Poweredge server support., their Warranty and tech Support is MUCH better than on the home systems. Even with a $200 server, they treat you pretty well and you typically get much higher level technical support resources.
Click to expand...

The Vostro is a small business line of laptops, so I was dealing with the same support you are referring to. Still a negative experience.
 
The level of tech support and service I get from dell is great. I have no clue who you people are talking to when you call Dell, lol. I love how if a machine thats still in warranty goes down, they send me another the next day, with a prepaid label for the defective machine.

Though, I know Dell can't please everyone... nobody can.
 
Yeah, no clue who you guys talk to at Dell. I call in, give my expres service tag, give them the symptoms and what I've tried to fix it. They say "OK, give me your address and I can either have a tech come out or just send you the part(s)".

I always opt for the parts. I think the longest I've been on the phone with Dell was maybe 10 minutes.
 
I've had outstanding support from Dell on multiple occasions. Servers, laptops, & desktops.
Most of the calls through biz support, but some not.

The one thing I will poke Dell in the eye for is their jacking people around on things like the repeated video card fiascoes.
Posting great prices on items and then not delivering. :rolleyes:

Their support is awesome though, none better in my experience.
 
Service with dell isnt so bad.. and when it isnt I love it =)... $400 in concession coupons for small headaches were all worth it hehe:p
 
ordovician said:
To the people who talk about a warantee and support: Have you ever tried getting support from Dell? I wonder sometimes. You also forget that the shipping cost to send your broken computer to Dell can often (nearly) pay to replace the part that broke. (like the power supply...)
Click to expand...

We run a large datacenter, almost all of our hardware is Dell. No questions asked exchanges or replacements and no shipping we need to pay, if its something like a broken PSU, they don't ask for it back.

I think you are confusing Dell Home with Dell Business.
 
ordovician said:
The Vostro is a small business line of laptops, so I was dealing with the same support you are referring to. Still a negative experience.
Click to expand...

Actually, you are slightly wrong. The latest Small Business mini-catalog I just got shows that the Vostro line (desktops and laptops) is not North American based tech support, whereas the rest of their SB line seems to be NA based support. Big difference.
 
Ockie said:
We run a large datacenter, almost all of our hardware is Dell. No questions asked exchanges or replacements and no shipping we need to pay, if its something like a broken PSU, they don't ask for it back.

I think you are confusing Dell Home with Dell Business.
Click to expand...

+1

Same here, Dell's server support is top notch.
 
ordovician said:
Crosshairs: Noobs at what, exactly? Posting on this forum? I don't have time to post often, because I work for a living. I am perfectly entitled to my opinion, and have every right to voice it. You should not insult me for that. You seem personally offended that I would "bash" Dell. I never meant to offend you or anyone else who is in love with Dell, I just wanted to point out that the components can be purchased for the same price.
Click to expand...
It wasn't directed at you, just Noobs in general that come here and bash Dell..

This is the hot deals forum,and many of us here think this is a pretty hot deal...

There are plenty of other forum that can be used for Dell bashing.:)
 
Ockie said:
We run a large datacenter, almost all of our hardware is Dell. No questions asked exchanges or replacements and no shipping we need to pay, if its something like a broken PSU, they don't ask for it back.

I think you are confusing Dell Home with Dell Business.
Click to expand...

Hmmm... For the most part, Dell is pretty good when it comes to support and sending replacement parts...but I have been ready to jump through the phone and strangle the Dell enterprise rep on more than one occasion. I always get super-pissed after I've done everything they've requested (run diags, update fw, swap whatever, etc..) and then they ask me for a DSET report. I literally go apeshit. This only occurs when the problem is not "pin-pointable" and you just have to replace parts one by one until it's fixed. The worst part is, these Dell reps actually believe the bullshit that comes out of there handbook and therefore their mouth. Brainwashing at it's finest.

I work in a datacenter with 5000+ servers running in a mixed production/pre-implementation/DR environment. I have to go through the equivalent (if not worse) of airport security to get inside, so when Dell asks me to just run back in there for a DSET, I flip my lid.

HP on the other hand has FANTASTIC server support. If you explain the situation and let them know you're competent, they will send you whatever it takes to get the server back up and runninng.

NOTE: To stay on topic, this is a great deal on the sc440. Having a next-day part warranty is a definite plus that you would not have with a custom built server.
 
havenoclu said:
Hmmm... For the most part, Dell is pretty good when it comes to support and sending replacement parts...but I have been ready to jump through the phone and strangle the Dell enterprise rep on more than one occasion. I always get super-pissed after I've done everything they've requested (run diags, update fw, swap whatever, etc..) and then they ask me for a DSET report. I literally go apeshit. This only occurs when the problem is not "pin-pointable" and you just have to replace parts one by one until it's fixed. The worst part is, these Dell reps actually believe the bullshit that comes out of there handbook and therefore their mouth. Brainwashing at it's finest.

I work in a datacenter with 5000+ servers running in a mixed production/pre-implementation/DR environment. I have to go through the equivalent (if not worse) of airport security to get inside, so when Dell asks me to just run back in there for a DSET, I flip my lid.

HP on the other hand has FANTASTIC server support. If you explain the situation and let them know you're competent, they will send you whatever it takes to get the server back up and runninng.

NOTE: To stay on topic, this is a great deal on the sc440. Having a next-day part warranty is a definite plus that you would not have with a custom built server.
Click to expand...
Can't you VNC/Remote in to the server and run your DSET? If not, that blows.
 
havenoclu said:
Hmmm... For the most part, Dell is pretty good when it comes to support and sending replacement parts...but I have been ready to jump through the phone and strangle the Dell enterprise rep on more than one occasion. I always get super-pissed after I've done everything they've requested (run diags, update fw, swap whatever, etc..) and then they ask me for a DSET report. I literally go apeshit. This only occurs when the problem is not "pin-pointable" and you just have to replace parts one by one until it's fixed. The worst part is, these Dell reps actually believe the bullshit that comes out of there handbook and therefore their mouth. Brainwashing at it's finest.

I work in a datacenter with 5000+ servers running in a mixed production/pre-implementation/DR environment. I have to go through the equivalent (if not worse) of airport security to get inside, so when Dell asks me to just run back in there for a DSET, I flip my lid.

HP on the other hand has FANTASTIC server support. If you explain the situation and let them know you're competent, they will send you whatever it takes to get the server back up and runninng.

NOTE: To stay on topic, this is a great deal on the sc440. Having a next-day part warranty is a definite plus that you would not have with a custom built server.
Click to expand...


Yeah, I know what that is like.:p
 
damn you annaconda! :p

I really want to order one of these.. is there anything to know about "small business purchasing" for non-business customers? (hope ya'll know what I mean?)

Also, with the Registered memory in this, is the extra $29 worth it for the extra 512mb of matched memory? I haven't the slightest in regards to registered RAM.
 
ordovician said:
This is not a good deal. I just configged up a system on newegg with better specs (read: pci-e x16, antec psu, and 160gb hdd) for $230. Plus you don't have to deal with sh*tty f*ckin' Dell.
.........
EDIT: I guess Dell includes a CD-ROM drive for that price. Whoop de doo! Newegg has one for $12. Why anyone who knows how to build PCs would fall for Dell's crap is beyond me.
Click to expand...

While you can build something around the same price you don't get the warranty and you don't get the windows server drivers. While the XP drivers will usualy work with server it can cause some issues.

ordovician said:
To the people who talk about a warantee and support: Have you ever tried getting support from Dell? I wonder sometimes. You also forget that the shipping cost to send your broken computer to Dell can often (nearly) pay to replace the part that broke. (like the power supply...)
Click to expand...

I deal with Dells warranty support every few months. The server support is very good.

For someone that wants to use this as a gaming system of something yes it is not want they need. For a smaller server setup it is a great deal.
 
I bit! Couldn't pass up the $199 (plus $20 shipping plus $10 tax), but oh well, it'd be very hard to build one of these from scratch, even with Internet prices. The CPU alone is a minimum $50.

And thanks OP anyway, even though I found it at SlickDeals first. ;)
 
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