Server manufacturers often charge far more than market price for RAM. When pricing a new server check with www.crucial.com or www.kingston.com and see if the cost of RAM is significantly less for the particular model of server that you are looking to purchase. Physically adding RAM to a server is just as easy as adding it to a PC and the memory configuration tools at those websites will make sure you are selecting the correct type of RAM and in the correct quantity. I prefer Crucial because you can purchase direct from them, they have a lifetime warranty on all of their products, and you are guaranteed that their memory is compatible. Most of the HP and Dell servers I have purchased in the last few years come with Crucial brand RAM, so why pay $400 to HP or Dell for the same stick of RAM that you can get for $300? Multiply that savings times the number of RAM modules that you need and it can really add up. This is especially helpful when looking at a Smart Buy server from HP which typically comes with the smallest amount of RAM that the server can accommodate. The downside to this tip is that the manufacturer warranty does not cover customer installed RAM, so don’t expect HP or Dell to replace memory that you added. RAM failure may cause the server to be down or degraded to the point that it unusable, so it is important to know how quickly it can be replaced. Consider your server’s warranty and the timeframe that the manufacturer is required to provide you with a replacement part. In the case of a Next Business Day warranty, you will be able to order a replacement and install it in the same timeframe as HP or Dell. RAM is solid state and very rarely fails, so this is a low risk cost saver.
Server manufacturers almost always charge far more than market price for hard drives and purchasing your own can save $100 or more per drive. Purchasing your own hard drives also allows you to choose which brand and model of drive you prefer, especially if Dell or HP doesn’t offer the best capacity and speed choice for your needs. HP and Dell use the same hot swap trays for many different server models and it is pretty easy to find the trays from several online vendors. Installing your own drives is as simple as purchasing the drive and hot swap tray, mounting the drive in the tray, and sliding it into the server. Making the best choice of drive and getting the correct tray for the best price may be more than the average computer enthusiast should attempt, so you may want a consultant to help you make your purchase. The downside to this tip is manufacturer warranty coverage. HP or Dell will not replace drives installed after the server is delivered, with one exception. HP extends warranty coverage to HP brand drives that are added to a server if they are purchased from an authorized HP reseller. HP brand drives are available from many authorized resellers and they are cheaper than buying direct from HP, but this is generally not as cost effective as purchasing bare drives and trays separately. One additional benefit of purchasing bare drives is that the warranty period offered by the drive manufacturer is usually better than the coverage you get from Dell or HP, and the warranty follows the drive rather than the server that the drive is installed in. For example, say you purchase server class Seagate brand drives which come with a 5 year warranty. You will get an additional 2 years of warranty coverage over the standard 3 year server warranty and you may be able to use those drives in a different server down the road. This is a great cost saving tip because most servers come with some form of RAID configuration. RAID allows one or more drives in your server to fail without data loss or the server going down. This lessens the downside of having drives not covered by Dell or HP since it gives the owner time to replace the failed drive without server down time. Most drive manufacturers offer an advance exchange service with server class hard drives, so a replacement drive can be obtained as soon as the next business day. I strongly recommend that you or your consultant make sure that the drive manufacturer you choose does offer an advance exchange service and that you make use of it if a drive does fail. I will mention one last benefit for those hardcore techies. All vendors buy drives in bulk, so a server from HP or Dell will most likely come with drives that were manufactured at the same time. If that run or batch has a flaw then your chances of getting more than one bad drive is significantly higher. To help minimize this, purchase your bare drives from multiple vendors and cut down your chances of getting drives from the same batch.
While not a cost saver, please consider this tip if your server’s uptime is critical. You could take the money you saved on RAM or hard drives and buy your own spare parts. If you saved 25% on 4 hard drives, then you could use that money to buy a 5th drive and have it on hand in case of a drive failure. If you need 3 GB of RAM and can purchase 4 GB from Crucial for the same price, get the 4 GB. Or put that money toward next year’s budget earmarked for more RAM or drives when they will be even cheaper.
Avoid refurbished servers. I have purchased and had no problems with refurbished computers from both Dell and HP. Often refurbished equipment is perfectly good equipment that is returned due to buyer’s remorse or overstock returned to the manufacturer, but I discourage small businesses from purchasing refurbished servers. Refurb servers are usually not priced competitively enough to be cost effective versus a new server. The processors are often a model or two behind what is currently the best bang for the buck. Most importantly, refurbished could mean that the server was a lemon and it might continue to be a lemon. Repeated server failures and the associated downtime will cost a small business a small fortune, especially when the server is critical, so don’t take the risk!
Next up : Should you purchase a Server Warranty?
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