Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (
More info?)
In article <c4o61c$2jnl70$7@ID-81734.news.uni-
berlin.de>, ralphp@techie.com says...
> Howdy!
>
> "Rich" <sooperdooper_pooperscooper_@cox.net> wrote in message
> news:KvIbc.18579$Rh.9666@fed1read05...
> > "DaveW" <none@zero.org> wrote in message
> > news:9nIbc.66943$w54.404922@attbi_s01...
> > > You CANNOT use cheap 120GB drives and get 2 Terabytes of storage in a
> > > conventional PC. You'll lack adquate controllers and drive mounting
> > space.
> >
> > Shoot. Now what. What's the cheapest way to get 2tb out of a PC?
> > Any ideas?
>
> 200GB drives, a 3Ware 12 drive controller (to support the 12 drives
> you should use), and a case made for that setup.
Or go with 300Gb drives (they're reasonably priced, only
10-15% more expensive per gigabyte then the 200Mb
drives). 6x300 would get you up to 1.7Tb or so, you
could go 7x300 if you nix the hot spare (not
recommended).
> That's not CHEAP - there's NO cheap way to get 2TB. There's just
> expensive, more expensive, even more expensive, and "Sir, if you have to
> ask, you can't afford it."
>
Rough estimate, probably $3 per gigabyte, including
operating system and server hardware costs. (Which is
basically, 3x the raw cost per gigabyte of the drives.)
Server hardware will run you around $2000, operating
system $800, drives 8x$275 or $2200. Total cost of
around $5000 for 1.7Tb of storage ($2.80/Gb).
Plus, you need to back that system up... tape will
probably run you $6000 for the drive, $100 per tape
(complete guess). Call it $9000 for planning estimates?
Backing up to single IDE platters in an external
firewire or SCSI RAID box could probably be done for
around $1.50/Gb ($2000 for the enclosure, $2200 for the
8 drives again).
.... and we're back above $4/Gb, when raw drive costs are
only $0.75-$0.95 per gigabyte right now. At least it's
still cheaper then SCSI RAID (by 5x-8x?).