Cheapest set-up with 12-16GB RAM?
I am trying to put together a system capable of running at least 12GB RAM for the minumum of cost.
FYI - The system will run Linux (probably Fedora) and VMWare. We intend to grab a VM Ware image off our ESX SAN and boot it on this new system. In principle we know it works as we have managed it on a 2GB PC but it just has no grunt to run. Hence the 12GB+ system.
Thought this would be easy, but the availability and cost of 4GB sticks of RAM makes it too expensive to get a cheapish mobo with 4x4GB RAM slots. The cheapest I have got so far is to get an i7 mobo even though this, and the required CPU, is expensive, because the 6x2GB sticks of RAM are much cheaper. Total system build now is £700 excl Monitor.
Anyone had similar issues with putting together a large RAM based system and come up with a cheaper solution?
Many Thanks
Re: Cheapest set-up with 12-16GB RAM?
How about a server motherboard? Core i7 will be your best bet for running VMWare, it will also be the fastest. Some socket 771 board might run alot of ram, but you must buy 4gb sticks which is expensive. I would rather go core i7 as it will be faster and not too much more expensive. And for any spare cpu power you can always fold ; )
Re: Cheapest set-up with 12-16GB RAM?
Surely it's going to have to be either a server board or i7?
Although to be honest by the time you've finished with FB-DIMM on a server board, you probably may as well have just gone for the i7.
Re: Cheapest set-up with 12-16GB RAM?
Perhaps go AMD?
http://www.tyan.com.tw/product_board...l.aspx?pid=595
Something like this you can easily go 16GB with 2GB ECCREG sticks which is far cheaper than FBDIMM (And use less power)
It won't be as fast as i7 though. As you've said i7 is capped to 12GB of ram.
Make sure you get ECC DDR3 ram though.
Re: Cheapest set-up with 12-16GB RAM?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
arthurleung
As you've said i7 is capped to 12GB of ram.
Asus, Gigabyte and MSI have i7 boards supporting the full 24GB or RAM. I'm sure there are others too.
Re: Cheapest set-up with 12-16GB RAM?
24Gb ram is coming soon to X58, already supported for certain motherboards and the sticks will arrive soon. I would just buy an i7, much more powerful.
