A Question For Buyers

[maximum octopus]

Does this look like a good deal to you?

I have been curious about the idea of buying and/or building myself a rack-mount unit.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

I realize that it is late at night and only the night owls are around but I was just wondering what everyone thought about it.

[maximum octopus]

Nobody has any opinion on this? Nobody has thought of building or buying a pre-built recording pc?

This is not my auction. I am not trying to sell something. I just wanted to know if the people here ( since they seem to have some sense of this stuff )have ever considered buying a pc that was already set up for recording.

[thajeremy]

looks like a good deal to me. I bought my Dell specifically for recording. 3.2 ghz P4, 2 - 160 gig HD's, 1 gig DDR2 and the tower alone was over $1600.

[maximum octopus]

Originally Posted by thajeremy

looks like a good deal to me. I bought my Dell specifically for recording. 3.2 ghz P4, 2 - 160 gig HD's, 1 gig DDR2 and the tower alone was over $1600.

How long ago did you buy it? Do you think there is a chance of coming up with something better for the same money now etc?

My only concern is whether or not the person who built it really knows about recording (Sata/Pci issues and PCI timers and such).

If it is just a bunch of stuff packed into a box it really doesn't provide much of an advantage. The 74 gig Raptor looks good for tracking though. I know those are still going for a ton. That is probably a 3rd of that system.

[Creamyapples1]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...SubCategory=14

I'd say you could build one, with slightly better specs for less.





http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148094
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827152058
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131492
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145505
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819116171
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811219006
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814170082

[djhead]

I know for a fact you can build one cheaper. But thats a nice rig. I f I wasn't broke, I'd buy it. As it is, I am buying a rack case barebones, and transferring my desktop into it.

[Creamyapples1]

"barebones" = more than just a case.

[xstatic]

I don't think you really can build one for cheaper than that. Rack mounted cases are not cheap for one, it aslo includes a molded Gator case (those are fairly cheap though) and decent specs. I think once you add in all the stuff (Windows XP, rack case, portable rack, RAM, 2 hard drives, processor, motherboard, DVD +-RW, video card, power supply etc...) that you would be very hard pressed to put it together for that much. You could probably do it for a similar price, but once you factor in all the extraneous expenses, (shipping, time etc...) is it really worth it?

[maximum octopus]

Originally Posted by Creamyapples1

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...SubCategory=14

I'd say you could build one, with slightly better specs for less.





http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148094
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827152058
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131492
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145505
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819116171
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811219006
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814170082

678 by my reckoning, but it does not have the separate 10,000 rpm tracking drive the way you have it laid out though. Add that and you are looking at 838 without that hard case that looks more like a problem to me since it wouldn't fit in a rack. Hmmmm.......

[maximum octopus]

Ya know. I didn't even notice that top link where you totaled them all up.


I am just going to sit over here in this corner and eat some humble pie.......

[xstatic]

The list compiled at Newegg uses cheap RAM, and a case that I would be very weary of using. The reviews are not so good on it, and it is a little too cheap for my taste given what most rackmounts cost. Also, the case listed does not include a power supply. A decent power supply should cost nearly $100 on its own. Also, the links above do not include an OS (another $75 or more).

[Creamyapples1]

but the most important part and point is, it's brand new, you know where it HASN'T been. And the case is fine, I'm using two of them and they fit in my rack just peachy.

[antispatula]

I'm into analog so don't know about computers, but I wouldn't buy something that expensive from somone with only 11 feedback, even if they're all positive.

[maximum octopus]

Originally Posted by xstatic

The list compiled at Newegg uses cheap RAM, and a case that I would be very weary of using. The reviews are not so good on it, and it is a little too cheap for my taste given what most rackmounts cost. Also, the case listed does not include a power supply. A decent power supply should cost nearly $100 on its own. Also, the links above do not include an OS (another $75 or more).

So i take it your estimation is that this would be a good deal?

[xstatic]

Given that the sale goes through fine, I would say yes. Of course that is assuming all is in good shape etc... I was not saying that you should just go buy it. Other good points have been made here. You don't know the seller and it is used. Where I disagreed is the statements made that you could build a better computer for less. Personally, you can't even build the SAME computer for that price, much less a "better" one. As for whether or not this is a deal you should take? I don't know. First, you don't know the seller. Second you don't know for sure the condition of everything and whether or not it has been abused or anything. Third, the seller does not list what kind of power supply or RAM (brands and models) are in this computer. It is amazing how many people put great parts in their computers and then slap a cheap ass power supply in. Many people have no clue as to just how important that not just a durable reliable power supply is, but one that actually supplies proper voltage and is well regulated. Those are just a few things to consider before you decide to buy that specific computer.

As far as the cheaper case listed in an above post.... I do not have ACTUAL: experience with this case, but I can convey my personal experiences with buying a few cases each year. EVERY time I have bought a sub $100 case I have regretted it. I use my tower so much and upgrade so often that I am constantly in and out of cases changing equipment. There is a reason I still opt for a tower as opposed to a rackmount as well. ALL of the cheaper cases I have bought have fallen apart much faster, overheat easier, are louder, and in general just do not take to expansion as well. With Racknmounts, space is a bit more at a premium so expansion is limited even more so than conventional cases and needs to be addressed before you purchase a given rackmount case. My experience here is that the cheaper ones are even tighter fits and things like mounts are not as secure. Air flow is not always as nice and once again they tend to be louder as well as vibrate more which is NOT good on many of your parts. With a rack mount costing only $70 this would throw up a big red flag to me. Sure it may be one of those rare bargains, but generally a well built rack mount runs in the neighborhood of $200 and up. Just some things to think about

[Creamyapples1]

The case I linked is very well constructed, to a point that even the 5.25" bays are constructed of the same gauge steel that the rest of the case is. And there is more space than my Chemning Full ATX tower. The case also includes a support bar across the middle (side to side) with adjustable "arms" with rubber padding to secure your PCI/AGP cards, so if you do move around alot, your cards won't shimmy loose. The biggest beef with the case anyone has had is the limited space for harddrives. The harddrives, according to the manufacturer, are to be mounted in the 5.25 bays, obviously this poses a problem if you are running to rom drives and have two harddrives, but there is more than enough room in the front of the case (behind the twin 120mm mounts on the front panel) to mount a HD rack (similar to the ones in my chemning tower) All in all, if you utilized that space, you could mount 6+ more harddrives, and the only "work" needed would be to drill a couple of guide holes in the bottom and screw in the HD mount.

I took my case a step further and added isolation matting, rubber gaskets (silencers) on the PSU, 40mm and 120mm fans and it's surprisingly quiet. The airflow is also pretty nice, with 2 120mm in the front, 2 40mm on the back and 2 80mm on the top. No complaints from me.

P.S. from my list, Take out the 6600GT and replace with an average card and your price will shrink just a tad.

EDIT - Also, keep in mind, this is a 4U Case. By today's standards, the smaller units are selling for more, because that's what people are wanting, less space, etc. For comparison, look up a 2U, 3U and 4U, all made by the same manufacturer, you'll find that the less spaces it takes up, the more it will cost.