Need to decide on LOW power server mobo/CPU

L

Lope

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Usage:
* Web server
* Home file server
* 1 or 2 proxies
* Torrents
* HTTP/FTP downloads
* Maybe a few VMs and random programs (prob not CPU intensive, more of a memory requirement)
* Skype USB cordless phone

Choices are: (from cheapest to most expensive)
Biostar 3100+ with C7 (lowest power, about 14W guessing)
Atom 1.6Ghz Mobo (faster than the C7, but 29W)
Intel G31 chipset with E3300 Celeron underclocked (similar idle power to Atom system)
Sempron LE-1150 2Ghz underclocked (Similar power usage to Atom/Celeron)

Then gonna run a 2.5" laptop HDD in the server. At some point I might get a SSD or an 4/8GB CF etc for the primary drive so the HDD can spin down if not downloading.
I'm very tempted to get the Biostar. But skype is a CPU eater of note. When having a skype conversation on a Asus EEE 701 2GB surf the CPU is nearly maxed out, without USB, and the PC can't even use a web browser simultaneously. (700mhz Celeron IIRC)
Seems like I'm looking for trouble getting the Biostar or the Atom. I probably need one of the latter 2.
Any ideas?
 
If you are planning to use it for all those tasks at a time, maybe look at something a bit more powerful...but yeah, I could be wrong. Let's see what the others say.
 
Im a little confused why you are so fanatical about the power consumption? Is it because its going to run 24/7 and you are worried about costs?
Get an atom, they are easy to come by and do a fairly good job for their heat/power/price.
 
Rocket-Boy: I like efficient stuff, I'm a dirty hippie.
It will be on 24/7 and I'd rather not waste. Eskom prices are just going to keep rising.
The only reason to go for the atom really is that its cheap. But if I got the atom, I'd go dual core. Then I might as well get a decent CPU. An atom is a crippled CPU without real power or cost benefits. (not to the user anyway)
 
Did some calculations...
I compared benchmarks of my Core2Duo to the via C7, comparing GIPS and checked my CPU usage running uTorrent inside a VM, downloading at 330KB/s. Protocol encryption enabled. My E4400 running at 1.8Ghz (speed step) is 6.5x faster than the C7 @ 1.6ghz.
Basically on the C7 1.6Ghz it would be going up to 71% CPU usage running that torrent inside a VM. And thats only one activity. Add a skype call to that and its gonna choke.
I'm definitely going for a mobo/CPU with some number crunching capability.
Now I must decide Sempron or Celeron.
 
I have an E5200 (45nm) and G31 mobo that I want to sell. The E5200 would be a lot more powerful and you can use speedstep to reduce it to 1.2Ghz when idle. Almost a year old. Would prefer to sell as a whole system though.

Intel pentium E5200 - dual core 2.5ghz box cpu with stock cooler (R400)
Hynix 2x2048MB, 800Mhz, DDR2 (R500)
Coolermaster eXtreme power plus 460w (R350)
Foxconn G31MXP mobo (R350)
Coolemaster Elite 331 case (R350)

R1800 for everything.
 
SaiyanZ said:
I have an E5200 (45nm) and G31 mobo that I want to sell. The E5200 would be a lot more powerful and you can use speedstep to reduce it to 1.2Ghz when idle. Almost a year old. Would prefer to sell as a whole system though.

Intel pentium E5200 - dual core 2.5ghz box cpu with stock cooler (R400)
Hynix 2x2048MB, 800Mhz, DDR2 (R500)
Coolermaster eXtreme power plus 460w (R350)
Foxconn G31MXP mobo (R350)
Coolemaster Elite 331 case (R350)

R1800 for everything.
Click to expand...

YGPM.
 
Thanks for the offer, but I'm a hardware dealer.
I'm quite glad to see the E3300 supports speed step and Idle states. (I just thought of that this morning)
http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=42771
How low can you set the FSB on a foxconn board?
I remember with speed step, the multiplier can't go too low... (it only changes by about 4)
like my CPU, the C2D E4400 2ghz overclocked to 3ghz speed steps down to 1.8Ghz... won't go lower.
 
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Lope said:
Did some calculations...
I compared benchmarks of my Core2Duo to the via C7, comparing GIPS and checked my CPU usage running uTorrent inside a VM, downloading at 330KB/s. Protocol encryption enabled. My E4400 running at 1.8Ghz (speed step) is 6.5x faster than the C7 @ 1.6ghz.
Basically on the C7 1.6Ghz it would be going up to 71% CPU usage running that torrent inside a VM. And thats only one activity. Add a skype call to that and its gonna choke.
I'm definitely going for a mobo/CPU with some number crunching capability.
Now I must decide Sempron or Celeron.
Click to expand...

C7 is really junk. Had a unit in the office and was so under performing. For the same project Atoms outperformed them.

On my netbook (Aspire One N270 Atom) I run XP in Virtualbox with no problem. But when taking price into the factor, I would rather go for a proper CPU (as do the others on this thread).
 
Yes, Atom is about 40% better than the C7 but the atom board/CPU uses about double the power of a C7 board/CPU.
Atom when compared with similarly priced intel CPUs it just sh*t power-consumption & performance.
 
Not sure if this helps:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/d510mo-intel-atom,2616.html

Efficiency Analysis: Core i3 Trumps Atom On The Desktop

Atom was designed to be a low-cost, low-power solution, but its value in the desktop space is debatable if you consider performance. We pit the cheapest Core i3 against Intel's Atom on a performance-per-dollar and a per-watt basis to see which is better.
Click to expand...
 
interesting... similar power usage go G31, but probably at least double the cost
 
interesting... similar power usage a G31 cpu/mobo, but probably at least double the cost. i wonder when 32nm celerons are coming out...
EDIT: it seems there won't be any celerons coming out in 32mn for 775 socket.
Gonna go with the MSI or Gigabyte board... MSI has gigabit, but people tell me gigabyte has more undervolting/underclocking options. i couldn't tell from looking at their manuals.
 
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