# Used PC workstation/server for sample farm



## LLGen (Jan 16, 2018)

Hi all,

While waiting for Apple to create the new Mac Pro, I'm in need of offloading a big chunk of my template (running in vienna). In looking to add a current and beefy PC with tons of memory into the equation I started running the costs, and then I thought why not grab some late-model, off-lease workstations/servers? While the CPUs will not be nearly as fast on single core speeds as the current Intel offerings, the multicore is still great, and the cost of RAM (even if it's DDR3) is a huge savings.

Is there any real downside to grabbing something like:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-Z420-Workstation-Xeon-E5-2690-2-9ghz-8-Core-128gb-2tb-Win10-Pro/372086037145?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

Or this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-Z420-Workstation-E5-2690-V2-3-0GHz-10-Core-128GB-2TB-Quadro-2000-Win10/232592288890?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

Thanks for your thoughts!


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## wickedw (Jan 17, 2018)

There's no downside that I can see. Even if the CPU's are the v1 versions of them, they're still really good. Obviously newer models are faster but I think that these will perform fine for what you want them to do. They also contain a ton of memory which is great for offloading your sample libraries. 

I think this is a great option. SSD's would be nice though.


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## LLGen (Jan 19, 2018)

Cool. Thanks for responding, wickedw. Yeah, SSDs are a definite for OS and samples.

In looking through listings, Ivy Bridge seems fairly common. Apples to apples, any opinions or friendly links to data on whether a 10-core 3 GHz V2 of Xeon would best, or at least equal, the single-core performance of the little 2012 I7 mac minis I have for satellite sample playback in VEP?

The processing overhead in VEPro has been fine on the mac minis, actually, even with playing newer, processing-demanding synths. Just want to make sure that I'm not taking a step back on what settings I can deal with when I play a track in live.

Thanks again.


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## chimuelo (Jan 19, 2018)

You’ll want a solid 3.6GHz to run hungry soft synths.
Ivy Bridge CPUs or their Xeon counterparts are fine CPUs.
I benched a new 3.8GHz Xeon E3 1275 v6 last week w/ the C236 chipset and it’s as powerful as a 4GHz i7700k/Z270.
Even though the CPU says 3.8 it’s stock @ 4GHz in Task Manager.

If manufacturers don’t get around to making Z370 Server variants I’ll build another rig with the Xeon and an Asus server board.
I like my RAM DIMMs perpendicular to the mobo faceplate for 1U chassis designs.

Fans are good enough to avoid fancy CPU coolers as they across the board hitting CPU and DIMMs.


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## Symfoniq (Jan 19, 2018)

I actually just picked up one of these refurbished HP Z420 workstations with Xeon E5-1650v2 from NewEgg last week. I'm sorry to report that I just returned it.

The unit I received was like-new and ran fine. The problem was the noise. The CPU coolers on these systems are quite loud (in my admittedly subjective opinion--your standards for "loud" might be different from mine, but my primary workstation is). Easy to fix, right? Wrong! HP uses a proprietary 5-pin CPU fan header. You can't simply remove the stock CPU fan and replace it with, say, a Noctua. And the CPU cooler fan isn't the only problem: The proprietary power supply (with proprietary motherboard connectors) has its own fan that also makes some noticeable noise. Even adding a SSD is a headache: the drive trays don't support 2.5" drives, and the $10 3.5" to 2.5" adapter that looked like it would work, didn't. HP's own, proprietary adapter that is guaranteed to work costs about $100.

All that to say that if you plan to put this system in a server closet where you can't hear it, it might be fine. But it's too loud to use under my desk next to my primary audio PC. Moreover, these refurbished HP workstations aren't as affordable as they look once you consider the proprietary nature of many of the parts. They are well made, but the trade-offs were too great for me to keep mine.


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## LLGen (Jan 20, 2018)

Thanks, everyone, for responding.

Thanks, Chimuelo. I bet that newer v6 chip is a peach. Alright, I will look at higher clock speed as a factor, as well. Frankly, the last... and only, real PC experience I have are these old XP machines from my gigastudio days! (I know it shows. Thanks for taking it easy on me.)

Would you say that with the several generations older Xeons (v2, and a few v3) in the workstations I'm looking at, strictly for running VIs in VEPro, that there's enough of a positive difference with the realtime single-core speed of a 3.7GHz quad or 3.5GHz six-core that it betters the heft, but slightly lower speed, of say a 3.0GHz 10-core?

I know it's an age-old debate as to where the sweet spot is for audio. On the Mac side, most composers I know find the 3.5/6-core or 3.0/8-core in the "new" 2013 to be the sweet spot for realtime playing and enough heft with the number of cores for playback/processing. But that's for their main DAW writing rig. I will eventually get the next _something_ from Apple with a high clock speed + cores + expandability (whenever that is actually made).

Great information, Symfoniq. Thanks so much for the details. Sorry that the machine didn't work out for you. For me fan noise won't be an issue as I have a machine room to plop everything in. But the proprietary formats is something to consider. A drive sled converter at $100 really is a bit, well, much. I'll have to dig a little deeper when enquiring about the machines.

Thanks again, all!


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## Michael Antrum (Jan 26, 2018)

Why can’t you get a cheap, non proprietary 2.5 to 3.5” frame adapter that will give your ssd the same mount points as a normal 3.5” drive ?

That’s what I do.

You can even get an enclosed box which features all the normal 3.5 mount points into which you can insert a 2.5” drive.


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## Symfoniq (Jan 26, 2018)

mikeybabes said:


> Why can’t you get a cheap, non proprietary 2.5 to 3.5” frame adapter that will give your ssd the same mount points as a normal 3.5” drive ?
> 
> That’s what I do.
> 
> You can even get an enclosed box which features all the normal 3.5 mount points into which you can insert a 2.5” drive.



I did. I bought the one from Crucial. The screw holes on the adapter didn't line up with the holes in the HP Z420 case. It's possible another brand of adapter would work, but you're in for some experimentation.


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