Message-ID: <5064B34D.2000105@boreham.org>
Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:13:01 -0600
From: David Boreham <david_list@boreham.org>
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To: pgsql-performance@postgresql.org
Subject: Re: hardware advice
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On 9/27/2012 1:56 PM, M. D. wrote:
> I'm in Belize, so what I'm considering is from ebay, where it's 
> unlikely that I'll get the warranty.  Should I consider some other 
> brand rather? To build my own or buy custom might be an option too, 
> but I would not get any warranty. 
I don't have any recent experience with white label system vendors, but 
I suspect they are assembling machines from supermicro, asus, intel or 
tyan motherboards and enclosures, which is what we do. You can buy the 
hardware from suppliers such as newegg.com. It takes some time to read 
the manufacturer's documentation, figure out what kind of memory to buy 
and so on, which is basically what you're paying a white label box 
seller to do for you.

For example here's a similar barebones system to the R720 I found with a 
couple minutes searching on newegg.com : 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816117259
You could order that SKU, plus the two CPU devices, however many memory 
sticks you need, and drives. If you need less RAM (the Dell box allows 
up to 24 sticks) there are probably cheaper options.

The equivalent Supermicro box looks to be somewhat less expensive : 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816101693

When you consider downtime and the cost to ship equipment back to the 
supplier, a warranty doesn't have much value to me but it may be useful 
in your situation.