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Server manufacturers are only just starting to ship Pentium 4-based products and the Primergy Econel20 from Fujitsu Siemens is the first to be tested in the PC Magazine labs.
Aimed at small businesses, the Econel20 acquits itself well in terms of performance, although some compromises have been made to keep the price down.
The biggest limitation is that there's only room for one processor on what is, effectively, a desktop PC motherboard inside a compact tower case. This isn't a problem if all you want is file and print sharing, as the Econel20 performed well when compared to a Pentium III-based server.
However, it could be an issue if you wanted to run shared applications, such as a database or web server, for example, where a dual-processor set up would be better.
Space is also at a premium, so it was disappointing to find a plug-in graphics adapter rather than an onboard controller inside. The AGP AIT Radeon card is more than adequate and doesn't occupy any PCI expansion slots, but it has a large heat sink and could interfere with other adapters.
On the plus side, memory support is good, with 256MB of ECC protected Double Data Rate Ram fitted as standard, which is expandable up to 1GB.
An integrated 10/100Mbit/s Ethernet controller from Intel is also built in and we were impressed with the device's low noise level, an important consideration in a small, open plan office.
Moreover, despite its size, there's space inside the case for two hard disks. An 80GB Ultra ATA/100 drive is included as part of the base configuration.
A second disk will add £274 (ex. VAT) to the price. Optional plug-in Raid and SCSI controllers are also on offer, plus there's room for a 5.25in tape drive if needed.
As with most entry-level products, the Econel2 is delivered without an operating system, although the ServerStart software included can be used to install a variety of products.
In this respect, the Econel20 is certified for use with Windows and the leading Linux distributions. A server monitoring utility is also included and a three-year, on-site warranty (next business day) completes this well-configured package.
Price: £749 (ex. VAT).
Specifications:
Processor: 1.7GHz Intel Pentium 4
Maximum memory: 1GB of ECC DDR Ram
PCI slots: Three 32-bit 33MHz
Internal storage capacity: 160GB (two drives)
Software support: Windows NT 4.0/2000, Linux (Red Hat Linux and SuSE).
Contact: Fujitsu Siemens 01344 475555
www.fujitsu-siemens.com
See also:
Worth investigating if you're looking for voice and data integration. 23 Aug 2002
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