Cheap Server Comparison

(comparing apples to oranges... do you like apples? or oranges?)

Raw Data

System	Processor	3DMark CPU	Apache Bench	Price	Config Price
SuperMicro	Atom D525	891, 970	2129	$329	0 RAM, 0 HD
Scott's WS	Q6600	3547	7492	-	-
Dell SC440	E2180	-	2883	-	-
Dell T110	X3430	4300	13097	$329	2 RAM, 250 HD
Dell R210	X3430	4300	13097	$599	4 RAM, 250 HD

Features

System	Rack	Low Noise	Low Power	Idle Watt	Full Watt	Speed	8GB Max	> 1HD Max
SuperMicro	*	*	*	31	33
Dell SC440		*		59	87		*	*
Dell T110		*		65?	90?	*	*	*
Dell R210	*					*	*	*

Considerations

• If your criteria is low noise, low power, and rack mount -- the SuperMicro fills that bill.
• If performance or expansion of RAM or Disk is a priority, then SuperMicro may be a concern.
• The SC440 is quieter than the SuperMicro, and I assume the T110 is comparable.
• The Intel Xeon X3430 is a very good performer for a cheap price.
• The Dell T110 has very good performance, very quiet, very cost effective, but it is not rack mountable.
• The Dell R210 has very good performance, not quiet, cost effective, and rack mountable.
• The 3DMark CPU and Apache Benchmarks scores of the X3430 should be noted.

Typical Power Consumption

• The Dell SC440 has idle power of 60-80 Watts, I assume the T110 is comparable.
• The Atom based server has idle power of 32 Watts. (Debian 6.0 can't change the cpu freq on Atom)
• I understand Atom under a full load increases slightly, other processors increase much more.
• Each hard drive adds about 5 Watts.

Scott's Thoughts on the SuperMicro

• The SuperMicro can run Xen and has the "VT extensions" on the Atom D525 for good virtualization support.
• I think getting something that can only take 4GB RAM and one hard drive is pretty limiting. It works fine for a web server.
• From a power point of view the SuperMicro is green, but at a cost. Only one hard drive would push any RAID usage to another system. You could stack twice as many users on a 8GB system. The Intel Xeon X3430 that comes in the $329 Dell T110 is roughly 4 times faster than the Atom D525. So as far as power density, a Dell T110 would get 4 times the speed/customers for 2 times the electricity and a cheaper purchase. Fewer computers would be needed.
• If being in a rack is desirable, it is hard to find a rack mount computer that is quiet. I suspect the SuperMicro is as good as it gets. If quiet is not an issue, a Dell R210 would be able to handle ~4 times the customers in a 1U form factor for less than double the cost.
• I'm not a Dell fanatic, they just seem to always have great deals. The R210 is normally $2000, if you enter their online store correctly it's only $600.
• If you wanted to stick a box in a Co-Lo facility, the R210 would be a better choice -- a lot of speed in a 1U. Local Co-Lo hosting is $50/month for each 1U.
• The Atom system doesn't seem to be as well tested. Running a cutting edge OpenSuSE 11.4 RC1 distro -- it failed to shutdown properly and left corrupt video ram.
• Apache Test: On quad Atom processor, 2129.  On 2 virtual Atom processors, 1199.  On 4 virtual Atom processors, 2109.