The last time I bought new computer equipment was in 2002, and with the new core 2 duo chips out from Intel, it was time for me to get some new stuff. I ended up buying parts for two rackmount machines, and a new switch. Most of the gear was ordered from Newegg.com.

I knew I wanted a rackmount GigE switch from Netgear, but I was a bit confused on which one to purchase. The website has two rackmount units listed, the GS516T and the JGS516. I really couldnt figure out the differences on the offical website, but newegg’s site had a good picture that easily made up my mind. The GS516T has two fans on the back of the unit, and the JGS516 does not. My Netgear 10/100 switch has two fans on the back as well, and they are quite loud, so I got the Netgear JGS516.

The two rackmount machines I built were identical, so the second build was easy after I figured out all the kinks of the components. Here are the main components of the new computers: 2u rackmount chassis, Asus P5LD2-VM motherboard, Intel E6400 2.13ghz cpu, 4x 1gb DDR2 memory and a 3 in 2 HDD cage.

For those that dont know what a 3 in 2 HDD cage is, its a cage that fits in two 5.25″ slots, and provides space for three 3.5″ drives. There are several companies that make HDD cages, but I bought the ones made by AMS because it has individual power buttons for each drive. Theoretically, if the motherboard or SATA addon card supported hot swapping, I could drop a new drive into the cage, press the associated power button, and it would be available. I’ve been looking for something like this for some time now, and it has been working out so far. My only complaint on the cage is that it feels a little cheap because of the plastic components in the front.

Overall, I am happy with the new computers, they are bloody fast comparing to my old ones.