[SunRescue] What should I look for?

[James Lockwood]

On Fri, 28 May 1999, Michael C. Vergallen wrote:

> Thing is that with the SCSI added and decent (256 MB RAM) memory when I
> chequed it came to about 5000 USD with a decent monitor.

SCSI card:       $75 (Symbios 53c875, fully supported)
256mb RAM:      $408 (MemoryX)
Decent monitor: $300 (a $300 GDM-20D10 makes a quite decent monitor IMHO)
U5 base:  $1800-2500 depending on discounts, less if you go used

Total: $2600-3300, less with a used U5 base.

This still leaves you with an extra 64mb to sell to another U5 owner later
if you want.

For comparison:

SparcEngine AXi mb & CPU: $1625 (MemoryX, includes SCSI, 300MHz/512k CPU)
256mb RAM:                 $440 (MemoryX)
Decent monitor:            $300 (darnit, I _like_ those 20D10's)
ATI 8mb framebuffer:        $75
Decent case & p/s:          $75
Keyboard/mouse/etc:         $50
9gb SCSI drive:            $350 (hey, it's gotta be better than IDE, right?)

Total: $2900

The 300MHz/512k CPU (running at 100MHz UPA) is comparable to the low-end
360MHz/256k CPU (running at 90MHz UPA).

If you get great discounts, the U5 is probably your best bet.  If you
don't get discounts or if you really need tons of expandability (or a UPA
slot) then the AXi is a better bet provided you don't mind brewing your
own.  There are resellers out there that will do system integration for
you, but you will pay for it.

> I've heard complaints about the E450 that it was not the fasted machine
> out their...however I've personaly not been able to play with one so I
> would not know. 

It's faster than any of the high-end Enterprise line (E3000 and up) when
they're configured with the same number of CPU's (due to the lower latency
of a single UPA switch).  Add to that the fairly good pricing and I can
see why it became one of the best-selling Sun servers of all time.

Sorry for drifting so far off-topic (Sun Rescue, after all).

-James