It needs:
hyperthreading (pentium 4?)
mb w/ support for dual CPUs
support for RAID 0, 1, 0+1 (5 would be nice) SATA
4 hard drives (just $50 ones)
RAM 512->1GB
onboard video... sound is not needed
My dad wants a machine that he can use to learn about RAID, and to study different operating systems... and all that other server stuff....
Budget: $500... cheaper is better.
Recomendations? I don't know anything about multi CPU machines and all this RAID stuff and he wants a parts list... like yesterday... (help?)
putting another machine together...
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Disclaimer: It's late and I've had a long day, a lot of it in airports and airplanes. This is all off the top of my head with no current research into the topic.
Dual CPU setup like that is > $500. Sorry. You're not going to find a something that does what you want for that budget.
SATA RAID 5 is going to be a kind of rare just yet, too, since that's FIVE drives, not four.
4 * $50 = $200 just in HD. Even a cheap $100 Mobo and a single $200 CPU leaves you no budget for RAM. The math just doesn't work.
Now, having told you what you CAN'T do, let's refine our goals a little bit.
First of all, look for a dual-mobo CPU. (It will be Intel, not AMD). Newegg will be fine for that, with Anandtech for reference. You can probably find something for $200, maybe a little less. Now have a look at the least-expensive CPU you can put in it, and RAM too.
Now find a single-CPU mobo that uses the same CPU.
Odds are that the single-CPU board will have RAID, and the dual won't. Because most people getting dual-CPU and RAID will buy a RAID card. So you need to look for a IDE RAID card if you go dual, unless you get lucky. More bux. Silver lining: you could almost certainly get SATA this way!
You're going to have to decide which features you are willing to pay for and cut out the ones you won't. Pull up a few combinations and show Dad some options, and let him decide.
Dual CPU setup like that is > $500. Sorry. You're not going to find a something that does what you want for that budget.
SATA RAID 5 is going to be a kind of rare just yet, too, since that's FIVE drives, not four.
4 * $50 = $200 just in HD. Even a cheap $100 Mobo and a single $200 CPU leaves you no budget for RAM. The math just doesn't work.
Now, having told you what you CAN'T do, let's refine our goals a little bit.
First of all, look for a dual-mobo CPU. (It will be Intel, not AMD). Newegg will be fine for that, with Anandtech for reference. You can probably find something for $200, maybe a little less. Now have a look at the least-expensive CPU you can put in it, and RAM too.
Now find a single-CPU mobo that uses the same CPU.
Odds are that the single-CPU board will have RAID, and the dual won't. Because most people getting dual-CPU and RAID will buy a RAID card. So you need to look for a IDE RAID card if you go dual, unless you get lucky. More bux. Silver lining: you could almost certainly get SATA this way!
You're going to have to decide which features you are willing to pay for and cut out the ones you won't. Pull up a few combinations and show Dad some options, and let him decide.