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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Desktops > Xserve SAS Question

Xserve SAS Question
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l008com
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May 6, 2012, 10:20 PM
 
I just picked up a 2008 Xserve for an absolute steal. I'm pretty psyched. But I'm also a little confused. It has two drive modules, each containing a SAS drive. Then the third bay is a dummy. Are there separate drive modules for SAS and SATA, or can you put either drive in the same module? (NOTE when I say module, I mean the trays, technically a "module" is the tray with pre installed hard drive, but that's NOT what I mean).

I may very well end up using SAS drives for the primary drive, and a SATA drive for the backup disk. I haven't really decided yet. But knowing if I have to buy three new trays vs one, will influence that decision.
     
l008com  (op)
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May 7, 2012, 12:16 AM
 
And I now have another question. I know for a fact this is an Early 2008 Xserve. And I know that early 2008 Xserve's use 800 MHz DDR2 RAM. So why is this machine running it's RAM as 667 MHz? Or at least, why does it think it is??



     
mduell
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May 7, 2012, 12:55 AM
 
The trays should be the same, SATA and SAS have the same screw pattern. I doubt you can mix SAS and SATA drives. And expect the potential for wonky behavior with non-Apple drives; we tried it and gave up and bought the real deal.

I'd guess it's the late 2006 dual quad 3.0 model...
     
l008com  (op)
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May 7, 2012, 12:58 AM
 
Nope it's definitely Early 2008. I even searched it's serial number. I even had it's original invoice from Apple, it was purchased in early 2009. Once I'm done zero-ing the drives, I'm going to pop it open. Maybe the previous owner installed the wrong kind of RAM, and maybe the machine is smart enough to use the ram at a slower speed. Although I just searched around, including in the official service manual, and I couldn't find any mention of this at all.
     
l008com  (op)
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May 7, 2012, 01:06 AM
 
Yup it has the wrong RAM in it. It has 8 x 2 GB 667. To craigslist!
     
olePigeon
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May 7, 2012, 01:22 PM
 
There's no reason why you can't install both SAS and SATA.
"…I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than
you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods,
you will understand why I dismiss yours." - Stephen F. Roberts
     
Waragainstsleep
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May 7, 2012, 03:19 PM
 
You can indeed run SATA and SAS in the same Xserve. I've never looked at the connector on a SAS drive, is it the same as SATA? If not the trays are obviously different.

Using non-Apple drives is a gamble. You might have issue or you might not. Apple doesn't test other firmwares, they just write their own. You are more likely to have issues if you RAID 3rd party disks. A single should usually be ok.
I have plenty of more important things to do, if only I could bring myself to do them....
     
olePigeon
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May 7, 2012, 03:50 PM
 
SAS and SATA are keyed a little bit differently, but from what I understand, they use the same cables and drive tray.
"…I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than
you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods,
you will understand why I dismiss yours." - Stephen F. Roberts
     
Waragainstsleep
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May 7, 2012, 05:44 PM
 
Checking out the prices of Intel Xserves on eBay, I'm tempted. Nice 8 core video converter to populate my monster iTunes library.
I have plenty of more important things to do, if only I could bring myself to do them....
     
seanc
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May 7, 2012, 06:50 PM
 
There's a notch in the middle of SATA power and data connectors, there isn't in SAS.
     
l008com  (op)
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May 7, 2012, 07:17 PM
 
I got this 2008 model for $600 and it included two power supplies. Those Xserves always get you on the little stuff though. Like $50 for a 3rd hard drive carrier, $50 for a rail kit etc.
     
Waragainstsleep
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May 7, 2012, 08:40 PM
 
I'm guessing that ECC FB-DIMMS aren't as cheap as iMac memory either. Still, there is some serious computing power to be had for a low price. A 3.0GHz 8 core must score pretty well against current Macs in terms of video encoding which is mostly what I'd do with mine. If only because it can do 8 at once (in theory).

The downs for me is that the good deals are in the US, freight for something that size is significant and the scumf***ers this end (Thats Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs to you) will tax me on the cost of the courier as well as the item itself.
I have plenty of more important things to do, if only I could bring myself to do them....
     
l008com  (op)
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May 7, 2012, 08:42 PM
 
There's one more thing. An Xserve is very similar audibly, to a vacuum cleaner. So unless you have someplace far, far away to lock it up in a rack, it's not going to be a great machine. You may be better off building up a fleet of mac minis for encoding.
     
Waragainstsleep
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May 8, 2012, 04:45 AM
 
I already have 3 Xserve G4s, an Xserve RAID and a 3U Promise RAID. Intel Xserves are quieter than my loudest G4, which is more like a jet engine than a vacuum cleaner.
I have plenty of more important things to do, if only I could bring myself to do them....
     
l008com  (op)
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May 8, 2012, 04:59 AM
 
My new intel Xserve goes from vacuum to jet when I launch BOINC.
I've never had a G4 Xserve, but I remember my MDD G4 tower was awfully loud. I think my G5 tower was too. But my 1st gen mac pro is silent, even with its 8 core CPU upgrade.
     
Waragainstsleep
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May 8, 2012, 11:46 AM
 
The PSU fans in the G4 could hit something like 9000rpm. Noisy.
I have plenty of more important things to do, if only I could bring myself to do them....
     
   
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