timbo343 Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 Just saw this on Hot UK Deals... Hp gen8 Microserver now £99 AFTER £80 cashback £4.95 delivery - Hot UK Deals
rickjames Posted June 1, 2015 Posted June 1, 2015 Bingo. Was gonna bite the bullet and go for one at £119.99 after cashback, but will do this now I imagine. Where do people get their RAM for this? Intentions for it would be to install Server 2012 and run several Hyper-V VMs
abillybob Posted June 1, 2015 Posted June 1, 2015 Bingo. Was gonna bite the bullet and go for one at £119.99 after cashback, but will do this now I imagine. Where do people get their RAM for this? Intentions for it would be to install Server 2012 and run several Hyper-V VMs You'll struggle running Hyper-V Vm's off this with it's specs. The processor in these are very mediocre. I have an older version HP MicroServer N40L and that can just about manage RemoteApps.
Steve21 Posted June 1, 2015 Posted June 1, 2015 Bingo. Was gonna bite the bullet and go for one at £119.99 after cashback, but will do this now I imagine. Where do people get their RAM for this? Intentions for it would be to install Server 2012 and run several Hyper-V VMs Older model I got but I just got it off ebuyer for mine. Steve
Arthur Posted June 1, 2015 Posted June 1, 2015 (edited) The processor in these are very mediocre. At least it can be upgraded, unlike the previous models. Edited June 1, 2015 by Arthur
Davit2005 Posted June 1, 2015 Posted June 1, 2015 Was going to go HP as have both N36 & N40 but since firmware download policy decided on a Lenovo ThinkServer TS140 with Xeon E3 processor. Unfortunately I think cash back offer has ended on these TS140 servers now. Finding it uses around same sort of power consumption as the N40L but the expand ability on TS140 is a lot better although don't thing processors can be swapped
Davit2005 Posted June 1, 2015 Posted June 1, 2015 (edited) The N40L is quiet enough to be in my bedroom on the odd occasion, the Lenovo TS140 seems just as quite if not quieter. Edited June 1, 2015 by Davit2005
Arthur Posted June 1, 2015 Posted June 1, 2015 What's the noise levels on these like? www.hotukdeals.com/deals/hp-gen8-microserver-179-94-now-99-after-80-cashback-4-95-delivery-184-89-delivered-2217762?p=25243355
Arthur Posted June 1, 2015 Posted June 1, 2015 What's the noise levels on these like? www.silentpcreview.com/article1377-page6.html The first MicroServer boasted a modest noise level of 23 dBA@1m when empty and could be made even quieter by replacing the fan. The Gen8 is far louder, measuring 29 dBA@1m, primarily due to the large exhaust fan spinning at a high speed throughout testing. There is no option in the BIOS or software that can slow it down. The fan's unique wiring and the fail-safes built into the Gen8 also make it resistant to speed modification. From what we can tell, the stock fan doesn't have any obvious acoustic flaws, so it would probably sound fairly smooth when slowed down. However, extensive research and hands-on experimentation failed to enable any kind of fan slowdown that did not trigger shutdown of the entire system. (Editor Mike Chin described his frustrations with the Gen8 fan in his notes at the end of this review). With four hard drives (which vary from 13 to 17 dBA@1m individually out in the open) installed, the SPL increased by only 1 dB. The drives also introduced some vibration to the enclosure as one would expect but it was a moderate amount. Resonance effects were only noticeable at short distances and keep in mind our combination of test drives vibrate a bit more than say the WD Red and NAS HDD series which are the most popular consumer NAS/server drives. AUDIO RECORDINGS These recordings were made with a high resolution, lab quality, digital recording system inside SPCR's own 11 dBA ambient anechoic chamber, then converted to LAME 128kbps encoded MP3s. We've listened long and hard to ensure there is no audible degradation from the original WAV files to these MP3s. They represent a quick snapshot of what we heard during the review. Each recording starts with ambient noise, then 5~10 second segments of product at various states. For the most realistic results, set the volume so that the starting ambient level is just barely audible, then don't change the volume setting again while comparing all the sound files. HP ProLiant MicroServer Gen8 idle, no hard drives (29 dBA@1m) idle, four hard drives (30 dBA@1m) The discussion thread "MicroServer Gen8 is noisy" in HP's own forums started 08-15-2013 has 134 posts and remains active today, even though it was marked as "solved" (by a HP mod?) on 12-04-2013. The problem is described thus: If using AHCI or Legacy controller mode, fan noise will occur. There is no possibility in lowering the fan speeds in this modes to a lower value. It is going to be BIOS/iLO safe ranges. The solution is "to configure the B120i in RAID mode. That would mean configuring at least one disk as a RAID-0 array." The end result, reportedly, is that the fan speed drops from about 37~39% to 22%. Never mind why fan control is tied to the storage controller. The procedure to run RAID requires switching the B120i built-in storage controller in Gen8 to RAID mode, then installing the RAID driver once you boot into the OS from another drive. For those accustomed to the user-friendly BIOS of consumer boards, this seemingly simple procedure in Gen8 is absurdly complex, perhaps to chide you for not obtaining some server tech certification? Getting the storage controller into RAID mode did indeed drop the fan speed immediately to a lower speed, a little under 1200rpm as measured with our calibrated strobe . It improved the overall noise quite significantly, to a measured 19 dBA@1m SPL. With our standard four drive array in place, the overall SPL was just over 20 dBA@1m, which is actually a bit better than the original Microserver. The overall noise reduction in RAID mode compared to ACHI is around 10 dBA, or roughly half the subjective noise. If you have no wish to run hardware RAID (whether because you prefer one of the Linux distributions with its own file management system, or you prefer leaving the drives as individual volumes) then running one drive as RAID 0 is a viable option, though it can increase complexity. The drop in fan speed and noise is most definitely worthwhile if you are a SPCR enthusiast... or even if you just want your server to be reasonably quiet without burying the box deep in a big closet. See also: Using a Standard 4-Pin PWM Fan in the HP Microserver Gen8
DMcCoy Posted June 1, 2015 Posted June 1, 2015 AHCI/RAID fan speed was fixed in a later bios version, AHCI will be around 10% (vs 6% RAID with driver) without HP software agents. Also the Celeron isn't actually too bad, about 60% faster than the N45l 1
Arthur Posted June 1, 2015 Posted June 1, 2015 (edited) AHCI/RAID fan speed was fixed in a later bios version That's good to know. I hate noisy computers. The first thing I'll do when I get mine is to update the BIOS and iLO using the latest SPP... ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softlib2/software1/cd-generic/p67859018/v108240/ Edited June 1, 2015 by Arthur
adamholt1 Posted June 2, 2015 Posted June 2, 2015 Ordered mine. Use as a test machine as well as a good storage device! Can't go wrong for 100 quid can you!!
timbo343 Posted June 2, 2015 Author Posted June 2, 2015 Maybe this mighy be useful with the microserver too - teheeheehee, its free too. http://www.hotukdeals.com/freebies/hp-proliant-microserver-gen8-for-dummies-ebook-2218117
DrCheese Posted June 2, 2015 Posted June 2, 2015 Can these do RAID 5 & take 6TB disks? I'd turn this into a media NAS
Dos_Box Posted June 2, 2015 Posted June 2, 2015 We brought two of these the other year at a base level spec and upped the processor to a Xeon and RAM to 16GB. They are very fast and quiet workhorses with a bucket load of features. just be warned, you only get 12 months free support, but tbh, there isn'tanything we can find wrong wth them at the current formware levels as the Gen8's are a mature product now. Very recommended. Just be warned that if, like us, you intend to put in SSd's for a boot drive you will need very specific adaptors as not all 2.5 to 3.5 bay align the drive correctly. This thread here is worth a read: HP Microserver Gen8 Processor FAQ - Gen 8 - HomeServerShow Forums
sted Posted June 3, 2015 Posted June 3, 2015 Very recommended. Just be warned that if, like us, you intend to put in SSd's for a boot drive you will need very specific adaptors as not all 2.5 to 3.5 bay align the drive correctly. This thread here is worth a read: HP Microserver Gen8 Processor FAQ - Gen 8 - HomeServerShow Forums or if its never moved Velcro strips should do the job tbh
Dos_Box Posted June 3, 2015 Posted June 3, 2015 or if its never moved Velcro strips should do the job tbh Professionalism fail +1
sted Posted June 3, 2015 Posted June 3, 2015 Professionalism fail +1 meh ssds don't weight owt and sticky Velcro is more than strong enough to hold it in place under pretty much any situation that wouldnt destroy the box anyway lol
SHimmer45 Posted June 3, 2015 Posted June 3, 2015 i may have used to make temp mounts for disks out of cardboard box flaps. like the look of the microservers for storage / upping the processor for virtual labbing which xeon cpu did you settle on @Dos_Box
DrCheese Posted June 3, 2015 Posted June 3, 2015 or if its never moved Velcro strips should do the job tbh haha my SSD in my desktop at home is stuck on with blu-tac. Easy job (I was too lazy to bother with a convertor!)
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