Energy efficient server/NAT/music rig - which setup to go with?

2009-01-13 15:25:14

#1

Freezer7Pro: I don't come here a lot anymore.; +1,447|6435|Winland

I'm setting up a little file server/NAS at home, and I was gonna go with my old P3 1GHz computer, that'd be more than fast enough for that sort of thing, and uses almost no power at all (~20W full load), but today I got an old-ish P4 Northwood rig from my school, that's about five times faster, but uses a little more power. So, here's the deal:

1GHz Pentium 3, 512MB SDR, 55W power consumption, ATA100, 1x speed.
+ Less power consumption
+ Better brand mobo
- S-l-o-w-e-r
-OR-
1.8GHz Pentium 4, 512MB DDR, 70W power consumption, ATA133, 5x speed.
+ Faster. Much faster.
+ More PCI slots, can add a SATA card if needed.
- Higher power consumption
- MSI mobo.

It wouldn't be as much of a matter, if it weren't for the fact that this will go between my gaming rig and modem, and it has to be completely integrated, so I can't hook it up to my main/secondary UPS, thus, it'll run on it's own, which won't have all that great capacity. I'll get a theoretical maximum runtime of 6h with the P3, but only about 4:45 with the P4. In ideal conditions. In real life, the runtime will probably be around 3:30 for the P4 and 4:30 for the P3. That's cutting it really close to my gaming rig, which has about 3:30.

The idea of any hi-fi system is to reproduce the source material as faithfully as possible, and to deliberately add distortion to everything you hear (due to amplifier deficiencies) because it sounds 'nice' is simply not high fidelity. If that is what you want to hear then there is no problem with that, but by adding so much additional material (by way of harmonics and intermodulation) you have a tailored sound system, not a hi-fi. - Rod Elliot, ESP

2009-01-13 15:27:13

#2

.Sup: be nice; +2,646|6691|The Twilight Zone

More CPU power is always better for a server imo

https://www.shrani.si/f/3H/7h/45GTw71U/untitled-1.png

2009-01-13 15:27:57

#3

JoshP: Banned; +176|5927|Notts, UK

just carry on pimping your UPS's so you can run it for longer

2009-01-13 15:37:25

#4

max: Vela Incident; +1,652|6805|NYC / Hamburg

I trust freezer is using a multimeter or similar to measure power

_{once upon a midnight dreary, while i pron surfed, weak and weary, over many a strange and spurious site of ' hot xxx galore'. While i clicked my fav'rite bookmark, suddenly there came a warning, and my heart was filled with mourning, mourning for my dear amour, " 'Tis not possible!", i muttered, " give me back my free hardcore!"..... quoth the server, 404.}

2009-01-13 15:45:35

#5

Freezer7Pro: I don't come here a lot anymore.; +1,447|6435|Winland

jamiet757 wrote:
Freezer7Pro wrote:
I'm setting up a little file server/NAS at home, and I was gonna go with my old P3 1GHz computer, that'd be more than fast enough for that sort of thing, and uses almost no power at all (~20W full load), but today I got an old-ish P4 Northwood rig from my school, that's about five times faster, but uses a little more power. So, here's the deal:

1GHz Pentium 3, 512MB SDR, 55W power consumption, ATA100, 1x speed.
+ Less power consumption
+ Better brand mobo
- S-l-o-w-e-r
-OR-
1.8GHz Pentium 4, 512MB DDR, 70W power consumption, ATA133, 5x speed.
+ Faster. Much faster.
+ More PCI slots, can add a SATA card if needed.
- Higher power consumption
- MSI mobo.

It wouldn't be as much of a matter, if it weren't for the fact that this will go between my gaming rig and modem, and it has to be completely integrated, so I can't hook it up to my main/secondary UPS, thus, it'll run on it's own, which won't have all that great capacity. I'll get a theoretical maximum runtime of 6h with the P3, but only about 4:45 with the P4. In ideal conditions. In real life, the runtime will probably be around 3:30 for the P4 and 4:30 for the P3. That's cutting it really close to my gaming rig, which has about 3:30.
I am not sure where you are getting your watt usage specs for these cpus, but I think I should point out because most people on this forum are idiots that when the specs say 55W or whatever, that does not mean is uses 55W of energy, that means it needs a cooler that can disipate at least 55W of HEAT.

Watts are a measure of energy, and that spec is not how much power it uses, but how much heat it gives off.

I'm using the load meter on the UPS to measure the power consumption. It's quite accurate, actually. It measures in percent of 400W.

So, for example, if you have 10% load, you have a 40W load connected. I then calculate the runtime based on the Wh rating of the batteries (84Wh a piece, four in parallel, 336Wh, 12V/34Ah) and a 20% loss in the conversion.

I got the 20W consumption of the P3 from putting my multimeter on the 12V rail and measuring amps. The mobo hardly eats any power at all, so it's quite accurate.

The idea of any hi-fi system is to reproduce the source material as faithfully as possible, and to deliberately add distortion to everything you hear (due to amplifier deficiencies) because it sounds 'nice' is simply not high fidelity. If that is what you want to hear then there is no problem with that, but by adding so much additional material (by way of harmonics and intermodulation) you have a tailored sound system, not a hi-fi. - Rod Elliot, ESP

2009-01-13 15:47:43

#6

TopHat01: Limitless; +117|6142|CA

Go with the P4. If the power consumption difference isn't that big, I don't see the reason not too.

+More PCI slots are usually good thing, too.

Last edited by TopHat01 (2009-01-13 15:48:25)

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2009-01-13 15:50:57

#7

FatherTed: xD; +3,936|6738|so randum

TopHat01 wrote:
Go with the P4. If the power consumption difference isn't that big, I don't see the reason not too.

+More PCI slots are usually good thing, too.

Small hourglass island
Always raining and foggy
Use an umbrella

2009-01-13 15:54:22

#8

Freezer7Pro: I don't come here a lot anymore.; +1,447|6435|Winland

TopHat01 wrote:
Go with the P4. If the power consumption difference isn't that big, I don't see the reason not too.

+More PCI slots are usually good thing, too.

Thing is, that extra performance would barely ever be used, and it gives a quite large impact on the runtime.

The idea of any hi-fi system is to reproduce the source material as faithfully as possible, and to deliberately add distortion to everything you hear (due to amplifier deficiencies) because it sounds 'nice' is simply not high fidelity. If that is what you want to hear then there is no problem with that, but by adding so much additional material (by way of harmonics and intermodulation) you have a tailored sound system, not a hi-fi. - Rod Elliot, ESP

2009-01-13 15:58:02

#9

GC_PaNzerFIN: Work and study @ Technical Uni; +528|6652|Finland

P3 because.... MSI is...

3930K | H100i | RIVF | 16GB DDR3 | GTX 480 | AX750 | 800D | 512GB SSD | 3TB HDD | Xonar DX | W8

2009-01-13 16:02:48

#10

FatherTed: xD; +3,936|6738|so randum

GC_PaNzerFIN wrote:
P3 because.... MSI is...

If it's for something non high-end, i don't see a problem with MSI

my last prebuilt was MSI, and while it wasn't amazing it still did its job fine

Small hourglass island
Always raining and foggy
Use an umbrella

2009-01-13 16:04:21

#11

Finray: Hup! Dos, Tres, Cuatro; +2,629|6026|Catherine Black

C)

2009-01-13 16:12:13

#12

GC_PaNzerFIN: Work and study @ Technical Uni; +528|6652|Finland

FatherTed wrote:
GC_PaNzerFIN wrote:
P3 because.... MSI is...
If it's for something non high-end, i don't see a problem with MSI

my last prebuilt was MSI, and while it wasn't amazing it still did its job fine

Considering freezer's experience with MSI... I think he doesn't want to see any MSI _ever_... I have seen tons of issues related to MSI products and I don't want anyone to run in such troubles...

Last edited by GC_PaNzerFIN (2009-01-13 16:14:28)

3930K | H100i | RIVF | 16GB DDR3 | GTX 480 | AX750 | 800D | 512GB SSD | 3TB HDD | Xonar DX | W8

2009-01-13 16:16:05

#13

Freezer7Pro: I don't come here a lot anymore.; +1,447|6435|Winland

GC_PaNzerFIN wrote:
FatherTed wrote:
GC_PaNzerFIN wrote:
P3 because.... MSI is...
If it's for something non high-end, i don't see a problem with MSI

my last prebuilt was MSI, and while it wasn't amazing it still did its job fine
Considering freezer's experience with MSI... I think he doesn't want to see any MSI _ever_... I have seen tons of issues related to MSI products and I don't want anyone to run in such troubles...

Yep. MSI is nothing but ass. I still don't get why people still buy so much from them.

The idea of any hi-fi system is to reproduce the source material as faithfully as possible, and to deliberately add distortion to everything you hear (due to amplifier deficiencies) because it sounds 'nice' is simply not high fidelity. If that is what you want to hear then there is no problem with that, but by adding so much additional material (by way of harmonics and intermodulation) you have a tailored sound system, not a hi-fi. - Rod Elliot, ESP

2009-01-13 16:16:50

#14

GCFC: Davide Santon; +45|6167|NY/CT

go for the p4

2009-01-13 16:21:30

#15

ghettoperson: Member; +1,943|6887

Given that P3's are more powerful than P4's clock for clock, you're not going to lose out on much performance by using the P3. My vote goes for that.

2009-01-13 16:22:51

#16

jaymz9350: Member; +54|6815

Personally I would just use the P3. For a home fileserver you won't need the extra performance the P4 offers.

2009-01-13 16:22:52

#17

Freezer7Pro: I don't come here a lot anymore.; +1,447|6435|Winland

GCFC wrote:
go for the p4

Any particular reason?

ghettoperson wrote:
Given that P3's are more powerful than P4's clock for clock, you're not going to lose out on much performance by using the P3. My vote goes for that.

The P4 is about five times faster than the P3.

The idea of any hi-fi system is to reproduce the source material as faithfully as possible, and to deliberately add distortion to everything you hear (due to amplifier deficiencies) because it sounds 'nice' is simply not high fidelity. If that is what you want to hear then there is no problem with that, but by adding so much additional material (by way of harmonics and intermodulation) you have a tailored sound system, not a hi-fi. - Rod Elliot, ESP

2009-01-13 16:23:46

#18

CrazeD: Member; +368|6911|Maine

Freezer7Pro wrote:
1GHz Pentium 3, 512MB SDR

I have a box of similar spec as a web/mail/ventrilo server. It seems to do fine, never exceeds available resources.

https://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a283/crazed_rider/p3box.jpg

Note that the higher CPU usage on the right is just from the VNC program, which is only on when I need to do something.

2009-01-13 16:29:11

#19

SpIk3y: Minister of Silly Walks; +67|6377|New Jersey

Maybe I missed something, but why exactly does this have to run off a UPS instead of being plugged into an outlet?

2009-01-13 16:32:28

#20

Freezer7Pro: I don't come here a lot anymore.; +1,447|6435|Winland

SpIk3y wrote:
Maybe I missed something, but why exactly does this have to run off a UPS instead of being plugged into an outlet?

So that it remains up when the power goes? A UPS works like this: WALL - UPS - LOADS. If you remove WALL, the UPS goes CLICK-BRRR, and the loads keep on running. Which is kinda critical for something that'll shut off my network if turned off.

The idea of any hi-fi system is to reproduce the source material as faithfully as possible, and to deliberately add distortion to everything you hear (due to amplifier deficiencies) because it sounds 'nice' is simply not high fidelity. If that is what you want to hear then there is no problem with that, but by adding so much additional material (by way of harmonics and intermodulation) you have a tailored sound system, not a hi-fi. - Rod Elliot, ESP

2009-01-13 16:33:07

#21

ghettoperson: Member; +1,943|6887

Freezer7Pro wrote:
ghettoperson wrote:
Given that P3's are more powerful than P4's clock for clock, you're not going to lose out on much performance by using the P3. My vote goes for that.
The P4 is about five times faster than the P3.

How so?

2009-01-13 16:36:30

#22

Freezer7Pro: I don't come here a lot anymore.; +1,447|6435|Winland

ghettoperson wrote:
Freezer7Pro wrote:
ghettoperson wrote:
Given that P3's are more powerful than P4's clock for clock, you're not going to lose out on much performance by using the P3. My vote goes for that.
The P4 is about five times faster than the P3.
How so?

It's twice the clock frequency, supports a fucktonne of new instructions, uses 4x the bus speed, has double the L2, faster RAM, etc etc. Benched it about 4.7 times faster.

The idea of any hi-fi system is to reproduce the source material as faithfully as possible, and to deliberately add distortion to everything you hear (due to amplifier deficiencies) because it sounds 'nice' is simply not high fidelity. If that is what you want to hear then there is no problem with that, but by adding so much additional material (by way of harmonics and intermodulation) you have a tailored sound system, not a hi-fi. - Rod Elliot, ESP

2009-01-13 16:47:39

#23

Freezer7Pro: I don't come here a lot anymore.; +1,447|6435|Winland

jamiet757 wrote:
Freezer7Pro wrote:
SpIk3y wrote:
Maybe I missed something, but why exactly does this have to run off a UPS instead of being plugged into an outlet?
So that it remains up when the power goes? A UPS works like this: WALL - UPS - LOADS. If you remove WALL, the UPS goes CLICK-BRRR, and the loads keep on running. Which is kinda critical for something that'll shut off my network if turned off.
But if the power goes out, will your internet not also go out? What will you do without the internatz?

I will tell you what, you will not be posting on bf2s.

My phone line is connected directly to the phone central. The phone central has a diesel generator.

The idea of any hi-fi system is to reproduce the source material as faithfully as possible, and to deliberately add distortion to everything you hear (due to amplifier deficiencies) because it sounds 'nice' is simply not high fidelity. If that is what you want to hear then there is no problem with that, but by adding so much additional material (by way of harmonics and intermodulation) you have a tailored sound system, not a hi-fi. - Rod Elliot, ESP

2009-01-13 18:43:28

#24

jaymz9350: Member; +54|6815

Freezer7Pro wrote:
ghettoperson wrote:
Freezer7Pro wrote:

The P4 is about five times faster than the P3.
How so?
It's twice the clock frequency, supports a fucktonne of new instructions, uses 4x the bus speed, has double the L2, faster RAM, etc etc. Benched it about 4.7 times faster.

That may be true but when they would both spend most of the time just idling it's a moot point. If you are worried about the longevity on your UPS after power outage then it seems the P3 makes the most sense to me (based on your provided calculations).

For most cases the P4 would win hands down but IMO it's just a waste of energy in this case.

2009-01-13 21:03:47

#25

Morpheus: This shit still going?; +508|6237|The Mitten

Freezer7Pro wrote:
jamiet757 wrote:
Freezer7Pro wrote:

So that it remains up when the power goes? A UPS works like this: WALL - UPS - LOADS. If you remove WALL, the UPS goes CLICK-BRRR, and the loads keep on running. Which is kinda critical for something that'll shut off my network if turned off.
But if the power goes out, will your internet not also go out? What will you do without the internatz?

I will tell you what, you will not be posting on bf2s.
My phone line is connected directly to the phone central. The phone central has a diesel generator.

BUT WHAT IF THE PHONE LINE GOES???!?!?!?!?!!??!?!?!?!???!?!?!?!?

But seriously, go with what can handle being up 24/7 (or close to it) and is more reliable (AKA not MSI.)

EE (hats

P3	17%	17% - 7
P4	35%	35% - 14
Neither, stop thinking about UPSes, you big fat nerd.	46%	46% - 18
Total: 39

BF2S Forums Energy efficient server/NAT/music rig - which setup to go with?

Poll

jamiet757 wrote:

Freezer7Pro wrote:

TopHat01 wrote:

TopHat01 wrote:

GC_PaNzerFIN wrote:

FatherTed wrote:

GC_PaNzerFIN wrote:

GC_PaNzerFIN wrote:

FatherTed wrote:

GC_PaNzerFIN wrote:

GCFC wrote:

ghettoperson wrote:

Freezer7Pro wrote:

SpIk3y wrote:

Freezer7Pro wrote:

ghettoperson wrote:

ghettoperson wrote:

Freezer7Pro wrote:

ghettoperson wrote:

jamiet757 wrote:

Freezer7Pro wrote:

SpIk3y wrote:

Freezer7Pro wrote:

ghettoperson wrote:

Freezer7Pro wrote:

Freezer7Pro wrote:

jamiet757 wrote:

Freezer7Pro wrote:

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