Just about everything you'll find now is going to be compatible.
 
Are you looking at putting this server into action after your exams? If so, then I would go with the absolute best you can afford. Also, it all depends on what you're planning on doing with the server. Web server, game server, application server, email server...everything is different, and each requires special attention to certain pieces of hardware. Some servers require large amounts of cpu strength and lots of RAM, while others can work with very little cpu/RAM but need incredibly fast harddrive access times and 64bit/66mhz PCI throughput. It all depends on what you need.
 
If you're not going to do anything special with this server after your exam, then just go to ebay and purchase an old PII/III 450 server, or something similiar. I have seen great machines for as little as $300. If I were you, I would purchase something used, with dual cpu, and SCSI harddrives...Cause a large percentage of the servers you're going to work on will have similiar hardware. The more practice you have installing 2K Server on a SCSI Raid system will be more beneficial to you than installing on a UDMA66 IDE drive. Not to mention, getting 2k to see and/or boot from some old 16x SCSI CDrom drive is alot of fun. So learning how, when, and which SCSI/Raid drivers to load up will be good to practice. Also, you have no idea the amount of SCSI Ultra160 systems I have seen that were running super slow at 80MBps, instead of 160MBps, simply because the first tech didn't know anything about SCSI termination, and/or he thru a 80MBps SCSI device in the wrong chain.
 
You can learn how to operate and 'fool-around' in 2K on just about any system. But learning how to get an entire 2K network up and running from scratch, with a box full of parts is going to help you much more.
 
Many guys will probably disagree with me, but those are just some of the things that I wish I had learned earlier. Or atleast earlier than learning how to do it properly while cramped up in a customers dark server closet with no connection to the net. It's not fun when you have to drive back to the shop to download a 500k DOS driver, just so you can boot their junk-*** server...And since the company has an all digital phone system, you can't hook up your laptop and download the driver via 56k.
 
All in all, I would recommend you practice on a system more common to Win2k Server, instead of trying to practice on a hot-rodded gaming pc.

Definitely look for something used, as brand new SCSI and dual processor stuff is mucho dinero.

Thanks for your response. I didn't even get as far as scsi. I figured I'd get a low budget system to run w2k server to practice for the exam and I'll get a monster system later to network all my systems together. I couldn't find the mobo I was going to purchase on the HCL for w2k server. I have an opportunity to purchase a system this weekend for about $450-$500 (1.5 xp amd,512mem, 40 gig hd mobo ecs k7s5a)Not On HCL!! w2k server warns about purchase not on the list. What do you think?

i think i would not have anything to do with amd or via HCL or not
 
get yourself a intel chipset and processor and leave via for all the penny pinchers. If you are using this computer to study you don't want to have random bluescreens and lockups that via is so famous for. VIA sucks they have allways sucked and they will probably continue to suck far into the future that is unless everyone realizes they suck and they go out of business or something.

four and twenty,
what is via hcl? I was referring to hcl(hardward compatibility list) in w2k server.

Quote:
i think i would not have anything to do with amd or via HCL or not

get yourself a intel chipset and processor and leave via for all the penny pinchers. If you are using this computer to study you don't want to have random bluescreens and lockups that via is so famous for. VIA sucks they have allways sucked and they will probably continue to suck far into the future that is unless everyone realizes they suck and they go out of business or something.

somone has a problem with VIA...sheesh.

Anyway, slimjen,

What you are looking at now is great or half way good. Get what you feel comfortable getting. INcluding a Case, PSU , Good MOBO and ram and HDD and CPU, your gonna easily hit your budget mayeb a tad over. Just be wise to if the sales guy at your local PC shop or whatever is being wise. Search on the net for some reviews...whatever you get should work fine for you...heck if you need any help...there's plenty of it in INternet Forums like this.

Mike

Oh and as far as the HCL for WIN XP, yes I would TRY to stay within in specs on that one...it at least eliminates that factor if having to troubleshoot to an extent. Win 2000, it is a little more forgiving.
 
as a matter of fact. The Highpoint Drivers for my controller on my board are NOT HCL. And they Show it. Because of THAT driver, System restore will not work. If I remove that driver, SR works. It has to do with ONE file in that driver package. If I delete that one fiel SR works again...no one has fixe dit as far as I know...
 
Mike

i was beginning to give up and just throw w2k server on any system and hope for the best. I gather that w2k server will just about work on most systems than not. i will probaly go with the ecs k7s5a or p4s5a for a low budget system to practice on. i am shooting on trying for my cert exam the end of the month. practice practice practice
thx again

Slimjen, which certification ?? And exactly which exam ??

VIA based server. LOL. What a stupid idea. They can't even use ATA/133 cards properly never mind a RAID array. Also u have instability. I would never use VIA in a server.

Quote:
VIA based server. LOL. What a stupid idea. They can't even use ATA/133 cards properly never mind a RAID array. Also u have instability. I would never use VIA in a server.

Hey this is a forum for Help not bashing..there are other topic areas to do your VIA debates and bashing in. Please try to help or keep your comments to yourself.

thank you.

Mike

I agree.
 
First, as this is a test system, I think that it would be a real waste of money to buy oodles of potentially expensive hardware for a practice test. If you have the money, great, but more than likely not. For a real business server, yes, Via would probably be inappropriate, although Dell has made some servers featuring Via chipsets.
 
I've been using many Via board with excellent stability, and one has the infamous 686B/SBLive! combo with it, and is a dual processor board. I overclock, I use RAID, I use HighPoint, Promise and CMD controllers, both AMD and Intel chips, Creative sound cards, a number of USB devices, mixed RAM, loaded motherboards, and I am very satisfied with what I am getting from Via. I know I'm not the only one here, either. Like any computer, if you think about what you're doing a little bit, you're much less likely to run into troubles.
 
I'm not saying Via is perfect, but they have done much to improve, and they are 2nd in chipsets to Intel. Via has a bad history, and does have problems still today, but at the same time, NOT EVERYONE HAS THOSE PROBLEMS TO DEAL WITH ALRIGHT! I'm very sick, and very tired of hearing "Don't buy Via because they suck" comments.
 
[/Rant]

Brian, I agree...All of my Via systems run perfectly. In fact, a couple of them run better than my Intel based systems.
 
Still, I would choose the Intel over the Via, but only due to my personal preference. Via is just fine....Inexperience is the real problem.

I was just saying that VIA isn't a good choice for a server.
 
If he's just using server for an experiment, install a copy of VMWare and run 2k server under VMWare.

Want a SERVER? 440BX or a ServerSet chipset.
 
 
No one in here will argue that the 440BX is probably the single BEST chipset EVER made. And if they do, there'll be enough people to agree with me to make the naysayer's opinion moot.
 
They're STABLE. the only drawback to them is the fact that some things haven't been able to grow with the times, AGP4x, a 133fsb(although Abit did have one, it was just an Oced 440BX).
 
I have a Soyo 6BA+ 3 440BX motherboard. I've gotten it up to a 153 FSB! It's only got a P2 350 in it...but it makes a great server.
I'll stick 2k Server on there, and it'll stay up until the license runs out 6 months from now, or the power goes out!
 
 
If you're looking into the Newere P3s...the ServerSets are really REALLY nice. They're not performance boards in any way, shape, or form. But they're fantastic as servers.