Joined on 12/21/06
SBS 2008/ Exchange 2007
Pros: Very please with the price/performance. We are running Small Business Server 2008 x64 with Exchange 2007 on it. It handles it nicely with 30 users. The GUI RAID software that comes with it is great! Running it under RAID 10. Had a bad drive, swapped it out and did not have to reboot to configure. Did it all from the console under windows. The Doctor III health software is nice too, give nice temp, power & fan details. Not seeing any issues with temp. See Other Thoughts for my hardware list.
Cons: Handles only 1 CPU, No eSata port. Could of used that for backups. But you get what you pay for.
Overall Review: 1 - AMD Opteron 6128 Magny-Cours 2.0GHz Socket G34 115W 8-Core Server Processor 1 - Patriot Signature 12GB (3 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) ECC Registered Server Memory Model PS312G13ER3K-E 4 - Western Digital VelociRaptor WD3000HLFS 300GB 10000 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive, Running Raid 10 SBS 2008 x64/ Exchange 2007
Product missing - defective
Pros: Average quality.
Cons: Some cartridges are defective. I don't think they test them before they ship. some are shipped incomplete. As of today this is the third time i have have to contact the vendor about missing items.
Quick delivery
Overall Review: I was happy with the quick delivery.
Works as advertised
Pros: This little board works great. It doesn't have a bunch of extras that slow things down. So the over all performance is reasonably quick depending on the CPU and Memory you mate to it.
Cons: The on-board video is a bit wonky. I had to switch cables through the DVI, HDMI finally to the D-sub port (VGA port) to get it to a display when I first booted the board. After I got it to display, I went to the bios, edited and saved the bios. I didn't have any further video issues using DVI or HDMI after that.
Works! Good for NVR
Pros: It's a simple basic case, that looks clean. I build Network Video Recorders using this case because it is inexpensive and looks professional. Most mid-size video cards & PCI will fit. If the cards are over 9 inches long, you will have issues getting things to fit. There are 2 fans that pull in air to cool the drive area and 2 in the back that vent out the heat from the case. If you are not running a system that generate much heat, you can just unplug a fan in the front and in the back of the case to help cut down on the noise. An ATX Plus Gold power supply fits. Same as what you would find in most PCs.
Cons: The screw holes for the top cover can strip out easy if you crank down on the screws. Don't use power tools to tighten the screws! Installing drives can be awkward due to the location of the drive mounting screws. Recommend a long screwdriver. Fans are a bit loud, but nothing beyond a normal case. If you need access to the hardware inside the case regularly then this case is not a good option.
Overall Review: There is nothing spectacular about this case, other then it works.
Drive Thinckness an issue
Pros: Its small and easy to use.
Cons: Warning!!! The thickness of the drive matters. The HGST Travelstar 1TB won't fit in this case. The 7mm is the largest thickness that a drive can be in order to fit in the case.
Defective
They ship product that is missing and/or defective. I don't think they test their products. Had to contact them 3 times this year about their failures.
My goto for toner
I have had good experiences with 2S. They ship quickly. The toner I have gotten has worked without issue.
No Problems
Ships promptly, products I have purchased from them have been in good condition. Pricing is very competitive. Have enough history with them to be comfortable with using them again.