(Renewed) HP ProLiant DL360p Gen8 1U RackMount 64-bit Server with 2×6-Core E5-2640 Xeon 2.5GHz CPUs + 64GB PC3-10600R RAM + 8×300GB 10K SAS SFF HDD, P420i RAID, 4×GigaBit NIC, 2×Power Supplies, NO OS

I would purchase from this seller again. In terms of CPUs, memory, and hard drives, the server arrived in perfect condition. The server was clean on the inside and out, but it had clearly been used (of course. ) ) There are no dents, bends, or flaws. It came with a Server 2012R2 evaluation copy installed, with all 8 drives striped into a RAID0 array, making it easy to check for issues. br>br>The BIOS was up to date, but most of the other system firmware was out of date, so I updated it with HP site downloads. br>br>iLO is functional on the machine, but it is not licensed. You'll need an iLO license key if you want to use iLO to run a remote console for longer than a few minutes. The iLO remote console also works properly after being added to the server. It's worth noting that the key is required for the remote console but not for other iLO features. br>br>This is a 1U rack form factor machine with a bank of eight small fans in the front to force air through the case, so don't expect it to be quiet. The chassis is crammed with temperature sensors (all of which can be found on the iLO website). ) When the machine is idle, the fans run at approximately 20% speed, similar to a small desk fan. The fans run at around 55% to 60% when it is booting up, which is "ready for takeoff" mode when it is booting up. It's not something you'll want to keep in your office. It may be necessary to install it in a different room and connect it to the network from there. It had redundant, hot-swappable power supplies. br>br> With one caveat, it's ideal for server use. There are no power cables attached to the power supplies. They connect to the motherboard via a single connector, similar to a hot-swappable hard drive, so there are no loose power cables to connect to an added PCI card. br>br>There is a "slim line SATA" port to connect a DVD-ROM drive. Some power can be tapped from a ROM drive (5V, 1. 25A). 5A. ) However, due to the case's layout (1U height) and the way it manages heat (one row of fans up front), anything that obstructs or modifies airflow in the case will cause it to be very sensitive. As a result, cable management that doesn't obstruct airflow is essential. I tried adding a full height USB3 card with an external cable for port power to the server, but the fans switched to 50%. Two PCIe slots are available on the server. br>br> one eight-fold half-sheet There are two 16x full height slots and one height slot. It's great for SAS cards and 10Gb network cards, but I wouldn't put a video card in it (no external power connectors other than that SATA port. ) It might work if the video card doesn't require a power supply connection, but I'm still worried about the fans going into "blow out your eardrums" mode. br>br>The raid card it uses, the p420i, can use both SAS and SATA drives in the same virtual disk, but not in the same virtual disk. It's also capable of reading SSDs. I replaced the OS drive with a 1TB Mushkin Reactor MLC sata drive I had on hand. (Yes, consumer-grade drives don't have nearly the write cycles of enterprise-grade SSDs, but it'll suffice as the OS drive, especially given the 1TB size vs. the space requirement of a running OS. ) Of course, if you're moving a production server to a data center, there are some additional considerations. )br>br>There are two modes of operation for the p420i card. HBA and RAID are two different types of storage systems. It can only do one of these things at a time. The physical drives are not visible to the user in RAID mode; only the RAID virtual drives are. The OS can see all of the drives in HBA mode. However, in HBA mode, I was unable to get the machine to boot from a drive in the drive array. It was visible, but the machine said it couldn't boot from it, so use the machine's RAID functionality for all of the drives in the front bay, not storage spaces. (You can get around this by booting from an INTERNALLY mountable SD card. ) For added security, the server is set up to do so. I didn't give it a shot because I didn't have a suitable SD card on hand. )br>br>The evaluation version of the operating system was password protected when it was first installed on the machine. I had to call to get the password, which was no problem because the phone was answered right away by someone who could give me the password. )br>br>Overall, the machine is exactly what I expected, and all of the parts were as described. There were two power cords included with the package. My call to the seller's customer service department was promptly and competently answered. This vendor is someone I would purchase from again.

Marley Glenn

| Mar 16, 2021

The best factor here is unquestionably the price, which is why I chose this option; however, I have had no luck with the server, which is why I gave it two stars. For about two weeks, the server was fine, but then the health light came on, and the iLo began to display some power-related errors. I contacted the vendor, who gave me a few pointers on how to reset the hardware. Nothing worked after I followed the advice and did a lot of Googling. They asked for the server, which I had sent them the week before. I got it today with no explanation as to what had been done, but the problem remained. The health LED was not working this time, but I could see it blinking. So it was actually worse in some ways. I just finished emailing to see what other options are available, in the hopes of learning what happened to the server and what the next steps are. br>br>Apart from the fact that I couldn't use the server, the price was reasonable. The vendor is still talking to me, but I'm not sure where this is going.

Aila Reynolds

| Oct 17, 2021

This is most likely the best deal for getting a home lab system up and running. This is my first HP Intel-based server, and I am very impressed. It is very well designed, on par with the Dell PowerEdge systems that I have worked with. br>br>This is my first HP Intel-based server, and I am very impressed. br>br>This package includes reasonably powerful processors, ample memory, and enough drives to set up a RAID 5 array with a hot spare, giving you around 1. I'm using XCP-based virtualization and have 5TB of space to set up multiple VMs. NG (XEN) for the time being, but there should be no problems with others. There are numerous memory slots available for you to expand your memory. br>br>Idle power consumption is around 125 Watts and rises to 150-200 Watts when the computer is turned on. With multiple virtual machines running, the cost is around $10-$20. In my area (Florida), if I run it 24 hours a day, I can earn $14 per month. It's not a big deal because I don't use it all the time. br>It's only loud when you first turn it on; after that, the noise is tolerable; however, I wouldn't put it next to my bed. )br>br>Overall, it's a great deal, it's powerful, and it's ready to help you get started with virtualization. If you're considering using it as a home media server, consider the power consumption (and heat) involved.

Layne Short

| Oct 14, 2021

This is precisely what I'm looking for. I was able to set up the RAID array and boot order the way I wanted after booting into BIOS and HP's configuration menu. Within the server, I installed ESXI on a thumbdrive. This will make a great home lab for a low price, and you can upgrade the RAM and hard drives for a reasonable price in the future if needed. br>br>When I first got the computer, I ran diagnostics from BIOS and found no errors. The RAM, disks, CPUs, fans, power supplies, and other components are all in good working order, and the server is spotless. I am extremely pleased with my purchase.

Beckett Jenkins

| Aug 24, 2021

The vendor called me right away to fix the problem. Aside from that, the gear was in excellent condition. Everything started working right away, and I'd order from the same vendor again. I am very happy with my purchase. I ended up installing ESXi on a USB stick inside the chassis and running it from there. I was able to set up the raid 50 and primary data store on all of the HDDs.

Scarlett Gonzalez

| May 29, 2021

However, some of the components aren't exactly as they're supposed to be. The server's components did not match the requirements. Although the total HD storage space was the same, the drives listed in the description were not. Furthermore, the power supply did not match the images and consumed more energy than I desired. Everything else was in order, and it was able to run smoothly.

Aisha Haas

| Sep 06, 2021

After the first month, I had to replace one of the fan units because it had also failed. Aside from that, everything has been running smoothly! For $250, it's still a good deal on something that would easily cost ten times as much new.

Allison Gutierrez

| Dec 03, 2021