Asus' TS500
offers reliability, speed and efficiency at a low price for a mid-range
tower server. However, case design is not ideal, and the system
strangely requires a PS2 keyboard and mouse.
Small to medium business owners are generally well provided for by a
simple tower style server connected to other computers and devices by a
small switch. More complicated multi-server arrangements are
unnecessary complications. And yet, such businesses still deserve the
security of more massive and complicated systems.
Tower servers can provide the simplicity of a stand-alone unit while
still allowing for a great amount of power, flexibility and of course
reliability. RAID, dual CPUs and redundant power supplies are all
possible with the added benefit of plenty of free space for expansion
cards.
Test Procedure
After a subjective assessment of the native pre-installed operating
system, we installed MS Windows Server 2003 in preparation for
benchmarking. Test software used was SiS Sandra 2008, Cinebench 9.5 and
Intel Sungard 2.5. Sandra provides general information about the system
while Cinebench and Sungard are multithreaded applications used to
assess the machine's overall computational power. We also measure power
consumption and consider the build quality of the machine.
Design and Features
Businesses don't have to have astronomical IT budgets to benefit from
fast reliable servers in convenient packages. The Asus TS500 is a
mid-range, tower type server with plenty of features and room to grow.
The large lockable black case has silver front trim. Larger than a
standard PC it can still be comfortably situated under a desk in the
back office or beside the "IT guy". Furthermore, this machine can be
attached to rails and mounted in a rack if business expansion later
warrants the purchasing of a rack.
Aside from a slot that allows for a case lock, there is a second
lock at the front which blocks access to the drive slots and power
switch. This ensures that data is relatively secure from on-site
attacks or carelessness. At the same time, the machine is engineered
such that authorised personnel can readily remove drives and open the
case to access other components as necessary. Access to all components
is easy once the case is open.
The processing power comes from a dual quad-core Intel Xeon 5410
2.33GHz CPU. Aside from top of the line 45nm dual- or quad-core
processors, the machine also ships with older 65nm processors if
desired. The mounting of CPU cooling systems was a little unusual. Each
system was oriented in opposite direction such that the fan on one blew
toward the back of the machine and the other blew towards the front. It
seems unlikely that this represents the most efficient way to promote
airflow through the case.
Provided to the lab with 4GB of RAM, the TS500 supports up to
24GB across six slots. Permanent data storage is also well catered for.
The optional PIKE 1078 SAS RAID module supports up to eight
hot-swappable drives. (The machine as tested came with 3x 500GB
drives). This controller supports RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50 and 60.
Alternatively four- or eight-port controllers supporting only RAID 0, 1
and 1E are available.
This capacious machine takes standard 3.5-inch drives. This
measurement also brings to mind that a 3.5-inch floppy drive is also
included — a useful addition given that RAID drivers still insist on
loading from this medium. Finally there was an Asus branded DVD RW
optical drive.
"All appliance inlets shall be removal of all powers from the
product together." This little gem was printed on a sticker on one of
the power supplies and highlights the need for manufacturers to work
more closely with local distributors when producing documentation for
equipment.
The final step in any translation process should be to have the text
read by a native speaker. One can only guess at what the instruction is
meant to convey. The Asus website is also poor so perhaps local
suppliers are the best source of troubleshooting information. The
printed manuals, on the other hand, are of a much higher standard.
Asus also provides server management software called ASWM with the
device. Administrators can remotely monitor server health via a web
interface. Temperatures, fan speed, network activity and drive usage
data is logged and can be displayed graphically to enhance system
troubleshooting. Both Windows and Linux versions are supplied.
The TS500-E5 also comes in a PA4 design which includes a single power supply and different PCI slot configuration.
Verdict
The TS500 is built for both reliability and speed. Hot swappable
hard-drives and power supply reduce costly maintenance downtime. For
the most part the machine appears to be well engineered. Energy
consumption was remarkably low peeking at only 228.4W and idling at
148.5W. Obviously adding more drives will increase power consumption
figures. Annoyingly, USB keyboard and mouse did not operate when
plugged in initially and so PS2 devices were used; it's hard to believe
the device would be sold with anything but USB input devices.
The tower form-factor lends itself to expansion and flexibility via
the five PCI/PCI-E slots. The capacity to take the latest processors
further enhances the longevity of this product. Memory and drive
capacity also have excellent expansion potential.
Performance scores were remarkable for a server in this price range
and achieved with such low power consumption. The score achieved with
Sungard was particularly good. The new 45nm processors and chipset
certainly prove their worth.
Source : http://www.zdnet.com.au/
