Help Deciding Between Used Servers

OK so one of the motherboards I'm looking at is the Super Micro X7DWN+ looks like there is a few available for cheap, hopefully they don't all disappear after making this post 

Supermicro X7DWN+

http://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/xeon1333/5400/x7dwn_.cfm

Can’t direct link the manual pdf but the link is on the right side

VT-d reference is on page 69

There are some negatives with that board, like I said previously it only has two PCI-X and its Enhanced Extended ATX so it probably isn't going to just drop into the AIC case but there should be more width available after removing the blowers on the sides and the internal hard drive cage. Yes I will then be limited to 18 drives but it also opens up the possibility to run newer controler cards on the PCI-E slots, IBM M1015 for example.

This is the link where I got the idea that VT-d should work:

http://software.intel.com/en-us/forums/topic/303715

Sound like it should work?

If it does I'll have to dive in head first as I would like to pick up all my parts at the same time from my holding area in the states.

There is good info on av-forums about modding both kinds of Tams servers.

I have been reading every page, at page 20 and read the last few.

unfortunatenly moding  the Aic  case might prove to be difficult, I think some one on hard-forums already tried it

 

 

 

There is good info on av-forums about modding both kinds of Tams servers.

 

I prefer the easy route, just unplug fans until you can stand the noise and then monitor the temps. If they are acceptable, you're done. These things have way more fans than we need unless you are running old hot drives in a permanent parity sync

 

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Well fans are easy.

But most of the noise is psus not fans in this cases.

I have replaced all fans in mine and it still sounds like a jet.

Well I went ahead and bought the Super Micro X7DWN+

http://www.ebay.com/itm/221237355419?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

$30, 4 hours left , 18 left. Chances are they will get re-listed but I didn't want to take the chance of missing it. But it also might have been a waste, only time will tell.

Hopefully my order with TAMS goes through (awaiting invoice) 

Well I went ahead and bought the Super Micro X7DWN+

Let's hope they work seamlessly. 

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Continued in my build thread here: http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=31026.0