Hello,
Cliff notes for those who don't want to read all of this:
Need some advice on a rack mount PC that will allow me to upgrade at will as newer and better motherboards, graphics cards, etc. are released (or in the event of a catastrophe).
Now the rest for those who have a few minutes to read my novel:
First off - thanks to all of the responders on this forum, it is a GREAT resource!
I feel like I'm operating in somewhat of a gray area here though, so I want to explain my needs to hopefully get some good suggestions and feedback.
I have been a slave to a few Apple Macbook Pro's for the last 7-8 years and am at the point where it's time for me to upgrade again. I looked at the Apple website and tallied up my total for my new laptop and it's over $3,000! So I started looking at building a desktop instead; however, I do have a need to take the unit with me to events throughout the year as I am both a DJ and a musician in addition to my other creative endeavors that require me to heavily use Adobe CC products (which can be somewhat demanding and have begun to "task" my not-that-old Macbook.
So, I started looking at rack mount PC's. I want to build my own for ease of upgradability in the future, I don't mind spending $3,000 on it now, but with a Macbook, I need to do that every couple years to keep up with the demand of my products vs. me spending $3k now on a self built PC, allowing me to only spend a few hundred every couple years to update. Not to mention, $3k spent on a homebuilt now gives me MUCH better capabilities vs. the Macbook.
So here is where I've started (please steer me straight!):
ARK 4U rack mount case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811182566
My questions:
Can I use the same motherboards, graphics cards, and power supplies for this vs. using a standard form factor case (e.g., ATX or Micro ATX)? In addition to using this for work use and for Adobe applications, I also occasionally dabble into my inner gamer so will use it for that as well!
I haven't seen 2.5" bays on any rack mount cases, does this mean that installing a SSD boot drive isn't possible on them? I want to install a SSD boot drive, and then possibly either another SSD or a 7200RPM drive for full back-up in the same machine since I do use it professionally! I currently carry an external drive with me in case of emergencies with my Macbook.
Anything else I should consider? Am I overlooking something or being foolish...I have also considered just building a Micro ATX PC and purchasing a carrying case with foam inserts to carry that with me...then I know what I'm getting into for sure! (I plan on purchasing a smaller screen for portable situations - I already have a nice monitor for home use)
Cliff notes for those who don't want to read all of this:
Need some advice on a rack mount PC that will allow me to upgrade at will as newer and better motherboards, graphics cards, etc. are released (or in the event of a catastrophe).
Now the rest for those who have a few minutes to read my novel:
First off - thanks to all of the responders on this forum, it is a GREAT resource!
I feel like I'm operating in somewhat of a gray area here though, so I want to explain my needs to hopefully get some good suggestions and feedback.
I have been a slave to a few Apple Macbook Pro's for the last 7-8 years and am at the point where it's time for me to upgrade again. I looked at the Apple website and tallied up my total for my new laptop and it's over $3,000! So I started looking at building a desktop instead; however, I do have a need to take the unit with me to events throughout the year as I am both a DJ and a musician in addition to my other creative endeavors that require me to heavily use Adobe CC products (which can be somewhat demanding and have begun to "task" my not-that-old Macbook.
So, I started looking at rack mount PC's. I want to build my own for ease of upgradability in the future, I don't mind spending $3,000 on it now, but with a Macbook, I need to do that every couple years to keep up with the demand of my products vs. me spending $3k now on a self built PC, allowing me to only spend a few hundred every couple years to update. Not to mention, $3k spent on a homebuilt now gives me MUCH better capabilities vs. the Macbook.
So here is where I've started (please steer me straight!):
ARK 4U rack mount case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811182566
My questions:
Can I use the same motherboards, graphics cards, and power supplies for this vs. using a standard form factor case (e.g., ATX or Micro ATX)? In addition to using this for work use and for Adobe applications, I also occasionally dabble into my inner gamer so will use it for that as well!
I haven't seen 2.5" bays on any rack mount cases, does this mean that installing a SSD boot drive isn't possible on them? I want to install a SSD boot drive, and then possibly either another SSD or a 7200RPM drive for full back-up in the same machine since I do use it professionally! I currently carry an external drive with me in case of emergencies with my Macbook.
Anything else I should consider? Am I overlooking something or being foolish...I have also considered just building a Micro ATX PC and purchasing a carrying case with foam inserts to carry that with me...then I know what I'm getting into for sure! (I plan on purchasing a smaller screen for portable situations - I already have a nice monitor for home use)
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