Date: Tue, 8 Jun 1999 08:09:30 -0700 (PDT) From: jin@george.lbl.gov To: matt@portal.net.au, shashi@Shift-F1.com Cc: freebsd-hardware@FreeBSD.ORG, freebsd-isp@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Ideal Server configuration?? Message-ID: <199906081509.IAA27798@george.lbl.gov>
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} How many users are you planning on handling on the mail server? How many of } these would be connected at the same time? } } > Pentium II 450 MHz } > 256MB } > 4 SCSI 9.1GB each } > } > I intend to be under $1500 without the price of hard disks, if possible. } > } > What are the other factor in hardware that should be taken in account for a } > web server? } > e.g. compare along the following lines: } > 1. PII 450 vs PIII 450 } > PIII 450 vs PIII 500 } } certainly here, the price difference between PII/450's and PIII/450's } is very minimal. I'ld be using a PIII/450 or 500 PIII 450 vs PIII 500 is just price and CPU power. The bus is the same. If you have a cold room, use PIII 450 running on 110MHz bus clock, you will get better I/O then PIII-500 and have then same CPU power. We have tested this overclocking on our server for a month w/o any problem. } > 2. 256MB vs 512MB } > 3. L2 cache of 512K vs 2MB } } this realy depends on the number of users. Personally I've found having } more ram rather tahn more L2 cache is of benefit (if you can't have both) It also depends on I/O or computation load. For I/O based server, cache is no issue. For math app. oriented server, you need larger cache. } > 4. 2 18GB SCSI disks vs 4 9.1GB SCSI disks } } providing that you can cool them 4x9.1GB 7200rpm drives work well } } > 5. SCSI motherboard vs. separate SCSI adapter? Modern larger SCSI disk (bigger than 8GB) all work well. } I've been using Asus P2B-S with onboard Adaptec controllers and found they } work well. I've not found any difference with having the SCSI controller } off-board (Adaptec 2940UW) so you might as well save the $$ If you want two SCSI controllers, you may choose the Symbios Logic based SCSI, such as ASUS SC-875. The performance is same as Adaptec, but much lower price. } > I am trying to see the performance gain in each option, how much important } > each is. e.g. increasing the memory is always better than increasing the } > CPU speed, when it is already 450MHz (which is good enough). This implies that you have a server with more I/O loads. P-III-450 should be better choice. You must be wonder why not overclock 500 P-III on 110 bus. This is chip manufactory technical issue. It is hard to explain in a line. -Jin To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-hardware" in the body of the message
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