Windows Server 2008 Standard x64 (OEM) (Shop Here)
$946 / $675 / £527
TOTAL
$9104 / $7625 / £5878
As it turns out, this above configuration is overkill. I do not need top-of-the-line specifications right now. I do not have an extra $9104 / $7625 / £5878 to spend building this system. I decided to look around.
The most important resource I found is a large enthusiast community willing to lend a hand or offer advice on components. This community is equally eager to hear and see the final product and receive updates on its evolution. Using information and advice from the community and combining it with the requirements, I put together a parts list I felt was a little more appropriate.
The sensible parts list below is what I finally settled upon;
The above configuration is not as I had once imagined, but it is sensible in many regards. It brought the price back into a range I can afford. The dual-socket Asus DSAN-DX motherboard allows me to upgrade to dual processors when the extra processing power is required. Eight gigabytes of memory in two sticks leaves me with four extra memory slots to fill later. There are so many reasons why this is a good configuration for me, right now.
The CPU: Intel Xeon E5405 Quad-core
I considered the L5410 because it offered a lower TDP and faster clocks in a quad-core offering. I compared the L5410 to the lowest model 5400 series quad-core – the E5405 – instead and found the E5405 to be a viable alternative.
After a quick comparison of the two chips, I realized just how much they had in common. Who needs to pay a premium for a measly 333MHz and a slightly lower TDP? I found the relatively low TDP of the E5405 is perfect as it is only 4W more than the L5410s' rating. Upon realizing the low TDP of the E5405, I opted to include the passively cooled version to reduce system noise.
