Dell Precision WorkStations 670

[Toasty]

Just picked up 2 of these (complete) systems with:

• Dual 3.4GHz Xeon Processors w/ 2M cache
• Planar Xeon Paxville XC837 mobo
• 2Gb 400MHz RAM
• 500Gb hard drive
• FX3450/256Mb video
• Sound Blaster Audigy II (Viola 2) w/1394
• DVD ROM 16X
• DVD +/-RW 16X
• 1.44 floppy

Included keyboards, mice, Dell 1905FP monitors, HDMI cables, and power cords. $160 each.

Good Deal?

Uses? Recommendations?

I've installed Win7, x64 on both and they seem happy.

.

[Wizard]

Re: Dell Precision WorkStations 670

Post the type of Xeon CPU please.

PS, if it based on P4 core, it is not good deal, If xeon is based on core 2 CPU then that's very good deal, hence the reason for asking for CPU Xeon type.

Cheers, Wizard

[Topcat]

Re: Dell Precision WorkStations 670

I have a 470 and a 670, the 470 is basically a 670 in a desktop style case instead of a tower. Both are great machines (recapped of course). You scored a good deal IMO, they are still worth some money, even by today's standards.

I too have tested them both with XP64 and 7. While 7 runs perfectly fine on them, I think XP was way snappier. They are also linux friendly.

I'm sure his CPU's are single core at that speed. Dual core Xeons on the socket 604 platform never reached those speeds, are expensive, and hard to find. I'm not even sure if the board supports them.

[Toasty]

Re: Dell Precision WorkStations 670

@ Wizard -

From Dell site, system configuration page:

C8510 Processor, 80546K, 3.4G, 2M, XNI 800, N0

from quick web search:

INTEL XEON 3.4GHZ 2Mb L2 Cache 800MHz FSB SOCKET-604 MICRO-FCPGA 90NM

------------

@Topcat -

I do not have XP in 64bit (yet). Thought it was a waste to put 32bit on and have one CPU idle. Could be raining TORRENTially any time now though...

?? Do I need a Dell XP x64 to use COA's ??
They are for XP Pro, but no mention of x64.

Caps are UCC polys at vCore and MCZ's (0543) everywhere else.

.

[Topcat]

Re: Dell Precision WorkStations 670

^
X32 will see both processors, it just wont see anything above 3GB of memory. Mine has 12gb of RAM, so x64 was required. I have an OEM of x64 that I hacked a Dell OEMBIOS into, so it activates off the BIOS string...just like x32 does. Its an OEMBIOS from a Dell copy of x64, I just implemented it into an OEM copy to keep from having all teh dell bloat embedded at install. It's not hard to do.

The polies won't be a problem, but keep an eye on the rubies. I have seen a lot of 670's cook their Rubycon lytics, as well as Nichicon. This tends to be a factor if the previous owner didn't keep it breathing well and it overheated.

[lti]

Re: Dell Precision WorkStations 670

I didn't know there was any "Dell bloat" on their Windows discs. The few discs I have seen were just a Microsoft OEM disc with the modified activation program. That is what my parents' Dimension 4550 that needs to be recapped uses.

[Topcat]

Re: Dell Precision WorkStations 670

I've seen some with bloat and some without....I guess this particular one had bloat....but not anymore! I think HP was the worst for bloat on recovery discs. I did a recovery on an HP P4 (don't remember the model number), and windows XP Pro + their bloat was spread across SIX cd's.

[lti]

Re: Dell Precision WorkStations 670

I could see HP having bloated recovery discs. My HP laptop has XP home and requires four recovery discs, and it came from the factory with a 20GB hard drive and 256MB of RAM. That Dell has a Windows disc, a driver disc, and a bunch of software CDs. It doesn't have a recovery CD.

[ratdude747]

Re: Dell Precision WorkStations 670

the multi cpu thing is actually not an X64 thing but a home vs pro thing. home is single cpu only, pro sees any number of cpus.

the dell discs ive seen were also bloatless... just as described. in fact, one can even slipstream them just like a retail disc (i have an sp3 copy i use).

[Uranium-235]

Re: Dell Precision WorkStations 670

the multi cpu thing is actually not an X64 thing but a home vs pro thing. home is single cpu only, pro sees any number of cpus.

the dell discs ive seen were also bloatless... just as described. in fact, one can even slipstream them just like a retail disc (i have an sp3 copy i use).

shomewhat....

its actually a licensing issue, but its limited by PHYSICAL CPU's. Having a 6 core processor, windows xp home will see all 6. but if you have a second physical processor, home will only see the first

not sure if there is such limitations on nt6

[ratdude747]

Re: Dell Precision WorkStations 670

shomewhat....

its actually a licensing issue, but its limited by PHYSICAL CPU's. Having a 6 core processor, windows xp home will see all 6. but if you have a second physical processor, home will only see the first

not sure if there is such limitations on nt6

thats what i was trying to say. I was speaking in hardware terms ( I consider a 6 core as 1 cpu not 6).

[Wizard]

Re: Dell Precision WorkStations 670

CPU is either L or E series.

Also there are multiples of 3.4GHz xeons. This is reason why I do not go by the speed. I was asking about the actual number off the CPU's top.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...icroprocessors

Cheers, Wizard

[Toasty]

Re: Dell Precision WorkStations 670

SL7ZD

Irwindale

RK80546KG0962MM

[Wizard]

Re: Dell Precision WorkStations 670

Still based on P4 core. Not great deal. I hope you did not invest too much on it.

I bought up a C2D Optiplex 745 complete (2GB, 80GB swapped for 320GB from my parts pile) cpu is 2.1GHz but is much farther ahead than a fastest P4 even Xeon. This was for my coworker's old 2.4GHz P4 replacement. Went well and much better. Cost me 170.

Cheers, Wizard