I can get a decommissioned server for free...

[DocCharly65]

I hope I am at the right place here with my question:

Yesterday my boss and our admin offered me a decommissioned server (and a second one for spare parts):
Primergy RX300 S4 server
2 x Intel Xeon E5420 2.5Ghz
12 GB Ram
500 GB HDD SCSI
Windows Server 2008

Does it make sense to move one of my Terragen Pro licenses to this machine?
I can use one of our empty offices (at home this machine would be much too loud and use too much power) 

To buy any new parts for it makes no sense of course. All parts are high end standard and high priced.

Also it's interesting to know, if I must change the OS. I can get a Windows 7 / 8 or 10 License but it would be ideal, if I could just install TG3 and it works with Windows Server 2008. Maybe we would have trouble finding drivers.

Instead of the onboard graphics I could use one of my spare graphiccards if necessary (low profile AMD 6450 or something like that)


If it makes no sense, the server will be thrown away.
Of course the server should be at least 2-3 times faster than my old Acer x3300 (Phenom II) and should not be much slower than 60-70% the speed of my i7  ---  all only for Terragen use - nothing else planned to do with it.

Any suggestions?

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[N810]

I suppose you'll have to make or modify a case for it ? 

[Dune]

Sounds really good. I remember vaguely from the benchmark site that this is fast. Did you check the site? If so, just put it in a cardboard box and let it work!

[DocCharly65]

N810, It's only photographed for this forum with open case. there's a kind of plastics windchannel part over the processorss and the RAM and the complete case is closed with a aluminium sheet. No design - just a over 80 cm deep 19" shelf... not for showing - just a render-machine (is my plan)

Dune, I have checked here: http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Xeon+E5420+%40+2.50GHz&id=1233

Difficult to compare...
The Xeon E5420 2.5Ghz has a benchmark of 3495 but there are 2 of them in the server with each 2 cores. Hope that the double is calculated ok:  6990
My Core i7 4770 has a benchmark of 10193 but has just 2 real cores.

12GB Ram and scsi-drives is also not too bad

But I don't know anything about Terragen 3 supporting this kind of "real working-machine" or if it can bring increased renderspeed?

But one thing is for sure: It will stay in that room I can get in my company! Can you see the 8 fans? One of them is as loud as my vacuum cleaner.
We tested the server today. When running on 100% or booting, you cannot talk any more! 

[Kadri]

...
But one thing is for sure: It will stay in that room I can get in my company! Can you see the 8 fans? One of them is as loud as my vacuum cleaner.
We tested the server today. When running on 100% or booting, you cannot talk any more! 

Wow!

[WAS]

I have the Xeon X5450 in my current rig, and even on on CPU at 4 cores it has great results with TG. Preview hangups where I need to reset but I'm not sure that's related.

[Oshyan]

If it's free, it's definitely worth keeping. It's not going to be as fast as a modern machine (the CPU came out in 2007 I believe), but being a dual CPU and since you don't have to pay for power (using it at your office), it's basically free rendering power. Terragen should run fine on it, graphics card doesn't matter for pure rendering (TG will start with onboard graphics), and it should work on Server 2008 as well, I believe (although it's not officially supported).

Unfortunately there are no benchmark results for any of the CPUs from that series except the X5460 which is about as fast as my i7 2700k at default 3.4Ghz clock speed (~10 minute benchmark result), but is 600Mhz per CPU faster than the E5420. Still I think you can expect decent results, useful for rendering animation frames on I'm sure.

i7 4770 has 4 real cores btw.

- Oshyan

[DocCharly65]

Thanks Oshyan, thats good news. I'll give it a try.