Mini-ITX Linux PC For Work (Parts from UK)
January 15, 2016 10:06 AM   Subscribe

Please can you help me spec out a PC? I have a Silverstone Mini-ITX case that I would like to re-use, with a 450W power supply. I'd like 32-64GB memory and a decent processor (although the case doesn't have room for much in the way of a cooling fan). The board must have whatever PCI slot is necessary for a (small) Nvidia graphics board (which is for both display and GPU programming).

I will re-use existing disks, and need at least 4 SATA connectors. Also, 2 ethernet ports.

The idea is to be able to run multiple VMs (often containing things like Oracle, so each VM needs a fair amount of memory), and also do development work and some numerical processing (not huge amounts of data). It will run Linux.

Everything needs to be bought in the UK - probably by mail order. If possible, things shouldn't be too cutting edge, as I need to maintain this in Chile (where the latest hardware tends to be only gaming-oriented). Otherwise, money isn't much of a problem - I just don't know much these days about release cycles, sockets, etc, and what is available in this form factor (I've always used gaming CPUs and non-ECC memory, but perhaps I need to switch to something more server-oriented, if it exists in Mini-ITX form?).
posted by andrewcooke to Computers & Internet (8 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: Luckily for you, Mini-ITX.com is based in the UK and has a pretty extensive selection.

I'm not up on the latest hardware so I can't recommend any particular boards. A while ago, a friend pointed out some Intel Xeon Mini-ITX boards to me, with ECC memory support and a lot of SATA connectors. I'll try to dig those up (doesn't look like they're on Mini-ITX.com).
posted by zsazsa at 11:29 AM on January 15, 2016 [1 favorite]


Looks like the boards I was told about are based on the Intel Atom C2000-series "Avoton" processors. They're ECC capable.
posted by zsazsa at 11:48 AM on January 15, 2016


Response by poster: i was hoping more xeon than atom... i'll have a look what there is. thanks.
posted by andrewcooke at 12:05 PM on January 15, 2016


Best answer: While there are some xeon options for mini-itx. The Intel Avoton C2750 Octa-Core Processor in the ASRock C2750D4I is your best bet. Add some RAM and you're good to go.
posted by zinon at 1:14 PM on January 15, 2016


Response by poster: anything that has faster single core speed? that's almost equivalent to the 6 year old phenom i currently have in he same box :(

(although the atom is 84% more efficient!!)
posted by andrewcooke at 1:46 PM on January 15, 2016


Best answer: i think this board could be what i want? the D1540 seems to be a significant step up from the phenom/c2750.

review.
posted by andrewcooke at 3:19 PM on January 15, 2016


Best answer: If you want faster single-core speed, a socketed Core i5/i7 (or Xeon, if you want) would give you a lot more and be more readily available. These are some Mini-ITX boards with Intel's latest socket (1151) and 2 ethernet ports. Consumer-level Mini-ITX will probably limit you to two RAM slots and thus 32GB -- possibly 64GB w/ two 32GB DIMMS, but the boards aren't explicitly rated for that. There are plenty of fast socket 1151 4-core+ processors. I don't know about availability in the UK, but I assume some of those boards or equivalent models will be available.
posted by whatnotever at 9:43 AM on January 16, 2016 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: i finally went with the supermicro board linked above. now surfing the web on an 8-core xeon with 64gb memory and fairly decent GPU, quietly sitting in a shoebox. details [self link].
posted by andrewcooke at 1:15 PM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]


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