Resurrection of the Original BosaikNet Server

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notipa
Posts: 116
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2015 11:18 pm

Resurrection of the Original BosaikNet Server

Post by notipa »

I've acquired the nearly complete original BosaikNet server used for hosting in May and June 2015. It was not treated well following its replacement, and it required quite a bit of scrubbing, sanitation, and dusting to remove dust and spiders (both dead and alive). Most of the screws were missing (the system was used for parts for both the i7-4790K and Ryzen 1800X builds), so I had to buy some in order to complete the build. While the system is now bootable, there's a number of serious problems that keep it from achieving Windows (we're targeting Server 2008R2) installation:
  • The system hangs or reboots at random. I suspect a RAM problem.
  • When shut down via power button, the system immediately turns back on. Only the switch on the back of the power supply allows the system to stay off.
  • Likely related to the previous problem, the power supply is notorious for failure. I'll be replacing it with something beefier (in the 600W ballpark) in order to support a better GPU.
  • Idle temperature is close to Tcase, as the cooler doesn't mate properly with the processor. This has been an issue since day one, and the continuous operation above Tcase (temps around 67-71C in operation, Tcase=63C) may be the cause of the random crashing behavior.
  • The northbridge heatsink is held to the board by thoughts and prayers.
I also plan some upgrades:
  • Since the cooler is busted, it should be replaced by something that can reliably handle a 130W+ TDP with a 63C Tcase.
  • 8GB RAM would be nice, but it isn't particularly cheap.
  • When one rolls around on eBay for a nice price ($50), I'll scoop up a Pentium D Extreme Edition for that sweet hyperthreading. This event very rarely happens, as a Pentium D 965 is worth more than a Core i7-8700K.
  • The GPU is already overkill for hosting servers, but I intend on having it also play games in its new life. Additionally, the server is loud. A new low-end GPU wouldn't bottleneck the system and can reduce noise significantly.
  • There's no exhaust fan, but there's room for a 120mm fan + a filter. This would help with the ridiculous TDP of the Pentium D.
Since we all know you want to know, here's a complete PCPartPicker list of the initial guts.

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notipa
Posts: 116
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2015 11:18 pm

Re: Resurrection of the Original BosaikNet Server

Post by notipa »

It's alive!

Both the power supply and processor had to be replaced. The CPU cooler is also in need of replacement due to poor performance, but that does not impact the computer's functionality (yet). Thermals were helped by using a newer Pentium D with a lower TDP (940 to 945 == 130W to 95W).

Current specs:
  • CPU: Intel Pentium D 945, 2C2T 3.4 GHz
  • GPU: NVidia GeForce 8400GS
  • RAM: 4x1GB PC2-6400
  • Disk: Samsung 80GB SATA + TBD storage drive
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