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I have a Dell PowerEdge SC430 which is now 8 years old. I want to replace this server with a new one, but it was suggested to me so get a Desktop tower with the same specs because it's going to be quieter to operate. I'm planning on getting a server tower which would hold 4 hard disk drives (Two 1 TB and two 2TB) and 32GB of RAM. It would run CentOS and be on in my home 24/7 either in the basement or the den. In either case I might be just a few feet away from it. The Dell PowerEdge SC430 which only has two 80GB internal drives and 4GB of RAM is quiet, but I don't know if going to be that quiet with something like a PowerEdge T620.

Besides the possible noise factor of a server tower, what is the real advantage of buying a server over a desktop and using it as a server if it has the same specs in terms of number of hard disks it can hold, amount of RAM and CPU processing speed? Thanks!

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  • This is quite broad question. Generally, you would expect server hardware to be more reliable for long operations.
    – ek9
    Commented May 6, 2014 at 7:24

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Main disadvantage of using desktop tower is memory limitations for desktop MB. 32Gb - maximum for most MB and most desktop MB does not support ECC RAM modules. It's not good for 24/7 server applications to use regular non ECC RAM.

At work i use desktop machine with 32Gb of non ECC RAM and Slackware64 14.1. It needs reboot some times.

Have you checked Dell PowerEdge T series? We've used them in remote offices of our company. It's quiet enough devices with true server appliance.

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You can expect dedicated server hardware to be much more reliable than a low-cost tower which is likely to have consumer grade hardware inside. Also, most people buying towers are not so likely to worry about the noise and they may well be just as noisy as a server.

Really, the only way to control the noise to any degree would be to build your own machine. That way, you could buy exactly the components you want and apply as much sound deadening as you like.

A further consideration for sound is what kind of floor or shelf it is on. My old tower is pretty quiet to run thanks to me replacing various fan's over the years BUT it is in the loft on a floor that seems to act as a sounding board! So if it is processing anything at night-time, the buzz is noticeable in the bedrooms below.

The other thing to think about is cost. The PC you are considering is fairly meaty and will likely cost a fair bit in electricity to keep running (which is why I've switched from using my tower as a server to using a dedicated NAS). You are more likely to be able to get a server than a tower that uses less power.

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If I were you I'd spec up a tower yourself and ideally, build it myself. Just ensure that you do the standard "just in case" measures such as mirroring the hard drives and ensure you've got good cooling.

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