I have several PCs in the house for various jobs but it has recently dawned on me that I dont really need them (all) and could scale down.
I would like to part fund a couple of new laptops by selling off some of the HW below but I cannot decided what I would be better off keeping/losing.
Please tell me what you would keep (I need at least a server and a test machine), which HW you would use for the job and why.

I have:
Server 1 (storage/backup)
- Dell Poweredge Dual Xeon 1.8ghz Server (w/ 1GB or 2GB ram) ~ 1TB storage

Server 2 (test server)
- Pent D 3gz w/ 1GB Ram

Work PC1 (dual 19" TFTs)
- PentD 2.66 @ 3GHz w/ 2GB ram, X1900PRO Gfx ~ 600GB storage

Work PC2 (1* 19" TFT, 1 * 15" TFT)
- Pent4 2.8gz w/1GB ram, 9700 gfx ~ 160GB storage

Test PC (17" TFT)
- CeleronD 2.8ghz w/ 512mb ~ 120gb storage

Media Center (HDMI to TV)
- PentD 3.2gz w/1GB ram, X800XT PE gfx ~ 1.2TB storage

Laptop (15" TFT)
- Pent4 M 1.8gz w/ 768mb ram

What I think I need (would like)
1 server/machine for:
- running MySql/PHP/Apache
- file sharing
- Media storage (~1TB)
- Transcoding / Streaming Media to Xbox 360
- Backup

2 Laptops for:
- Office / Development work

1 PC for testing.

n.b. The Media Center PC is being replaced by my Xbox360 so that is not a problem.

Unfortunately money is part of the equation and unless a complete sell off would cover all new equipment, its not going to be an option.

I cannot decide whether Id be better off keeping the PowerEdge as the server or using one of the PentD machines as a server; the server has to be capable of transcoding DivX (ideally MKV) to WMV.
I also cannot decide whether Id be better off keeping a PentD or the Pent4 machine as the test machine.

Ergh, any thoughts ?

My advice to you would be to try and find yourself a girlfriend  

Quote from: mrtMy advice to you would be to try and find yourself a girlfriend  

dont be silly, then hell have loads of hardware and no money to shell out on the laptop to replace it all with.

Matt

Give me all that, and you can have my girlfriend

lol, this is work stuff (mainly)

Besides, if I cannot stream media to my 360 any cosy nights in will be ruined

Quote from: bytejunkie

Quote from: mrtMy advice to you would be to try and find yourself a girlfriend  

dont be silly, then hell have loads of hardware and no money to shell out on the laptop to replace it all with.

Matt

Do girlfriends count as hardware or software?... :/

Quote from: Serious

Quote from: bytejunkie

Quote from: mrtMy advice to you would be to try and find yourself a girlfriend  

dont be silly, then hell have loads of hardware and no money to shell out on the laptop to replace it all with.

Matt

Do girlfriends count as hardware or software?... :/

They count as both  

ok, to try and get this back on topic...

Does anyone know if a PentD @ ~3ghz w/ 2GB ram would be sufficient to do an on-the-fly transcode of a MKV to WMV ?

Quote from: Nimrodok, to try and get this back on topic...

Does anyone know if a PentD @ ~3ghz w/ 2GB ram would be sufficient to do an on-the-fly transcode of a MKV to WMV ?

I am 90% certain it will.  Done one at the weekend on a P4 2.something machine with 1GB of RAM and no stuttering.  

Wont get you a girlfriend though  

Cant you use the same PC for running Apache & Transcoding?
Not as if your going to be doing both the same time is it?

Infact, you might be better off just buying a Freecom Wireless Media Player & Putting a 500gb HDD in there. They are small & Portable - Or maybe just get A Laptop that has TV-Out & capable of playing anything you can chuck at it ;-D

Media Storage - Just plug into your Server or maybe get a NAS Box or somthing..

Screw it..

1x Server
1x Laptop for Office Work
1x Laptop for Development Work
1x Laptop as a Media Centre

1x PC for Testing

The media center is going and doesnt need to be replaced. Im already able to stream/transcode DivX to the 360 (WMV) from the Poweredge but it seems to struggle with MKVs so Im toying with using one of the PentD machines as my "server"; rather than the Dual Xeon rig.
I intend to use 1 server for everything, rather than having two that get limited use at the moment.

As an aside, does anyone know a laptop supplier who still offers WinXP as an option ?

Can you not buy a lappie from Dell and say that you do not want an operating system?  Or do they not do that anymore?  You can then install what you want then?  Vista Premium has a nicer Media Center already part of the package.  Just upgraded mine and am very happy with it.

It looks to me like Dell have stopped that option. Every laptop I have looked at on there has not had a choice, its Vista Home Premium or Vista Home Premium.

I think I may have found a Siemens laptop from PCWorld :puke: that has XP but I need to double check that.

I thought the dell thing was where you clicked "No" to the user license agreement on first boot, then sent them back the discs etc and they send you £50.  Might be worth checking with their customer services, as I was under the impression it wasnt an option shown on the website.  

I have to justify my duo of Alpha servers in the spare bedroom to the Mrs about once a week.

They are the size of small fridges though