Grade: A Grade Refurbished Desktop
Brand & Model: Dell Optiplex 9020 SFF
Processor: Intel i7-4790 3.60GHz
Screen: N/A
Memory: 16GB DDR3
Storage: 500GB Sata Hard Drive
Optical Drive: DVD RW
Graphics: AMD RADEON R7 250 2GB
Input Device: UK Qwerty Keyboard & Mouse
Operating System: Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit & Libre Office
Wireless: No
Bluetooth: No
Ports: 6 X USB 2.0 Ports, 4 x USB 3.0 Ports, Serial Port, Mouse & keyboard Ports RJ-45 Network Port, VGA port, 2 x Display Ports
Warranty: 12 Months
https://itzoo.co.uk/collections/pc-base-units/products/dell-optiplex-9020-sff-desktop-computer-i7-4790-3-60ghz-16gb-windows-12

For just under £300. Had a code for 10% off.
240GB SSD for £59

I'll swap the graphics card for what I'm currently using.

That's pretty good value!

I thought so too. It came up on HUKD a week or two ago but sold out when I happened to find it searching for something else. Signed up to their mailing list and more came in stock.

Cheaper but better spec (older generation processor but faster) than similar workstations on the Dell Outlet I was seriously considering so I'm happy.

Quick look around suggests that the 'standard' offers on this are nearly all i5, nearly all 4/8GB tbh, and nearly all more expensive - so a genuine bargain there.

Looks that way. And it's already been delivered, quick turn around. Should last me a good few years.

Now to figure out how to split stuff for an SSD + HDD windows and Linux dual boot.

I'm toying with the idea, heretical though it seems.

To quote the official teh-devil-on-your-shoulder 
 

Although, now that I re-read that quote, he must have been typing with his phone. Unless, perhaps, doing 'eeet' would empoverish me to the extent that I'd starve.

Well, excitement wasn't quite as long lived as I'd hoped.

Probably won't fit a 3.5" and 2.5" drive, may have to ditch the optical drive, which isn't really an issue.

Bigger problem is the x16 slot is on the left, rather than right, which means my double width card probably won't work in x1 slot :C

Replacing the 3.5" drive with a slimmer 3.5" drive means I can now fit the SSD in.
Turns out the GFX card works fine in the other slot.
All good!

That's just how it sounds in Arnie's Austrian accent. Now - get to tha choppa!

It was the "don't eeet" that puzzled me.

Incidentally, I followed the advice and did "eeeet".

So now I have a little 120GB Western Digital SSD in my server along with shitabytes of storage all duplicated overnight.


So all the faffing around with water coolers and cpus and drives was quite fun after all and along the way I learned how Macrium Reflect Free edition has become much better of late. Now it's a really robust backup solution with scheduling and everything. And you can do something really cool that I've wanted for ages: you can schedule a clone so that if your boot drive goes bang, you can just change the boot order and carry on with the clone as though nothing happened. And I found out (again) how flaky peer to peer networking is with Microsoft and how hard it is for people who know a bit about networking to get it right. Unfortunately, I also found out that the mobo in my desktop PC that I thought of as a bit elderly and limited, is actually rather wizzy and has things like an M.2. slot I never knew about, and USB3 headers and all sorts of things I can't afford to go on playing with. Hey, Ho.

That's the thrill of own build/customizing, will the parts actually fit together?

The thrill of small form factor being smaller than I expected.

Smallest I've gone is mini-tower, and I have to keep sides off and my hdd outside the case to cope with overheating.

Are you in an equatorial country?

It gets pretty hot here, believe it or not.

How small is a small form factor? We have some teeny little boxes in work but I think they are mostly used to access servers over a remote desktop connection.

Can you just stick the SSD in there dangling around? Don't think I ever fixed mine in properly, it's just sitting bottom of the case.

Depends on the age and manufacturer.

The Ultra SFFs have no expansion and are the type of things you can VESA mount. I've got one at work (HP Elite Desk 800 G2 Mini) and it's a nice little unit, Core i7 6700, 8GB, 240GB SSD.

Normal SFFs usually have a couple of half height PCI/PCI-E slots. Maybe space for another drive in there. But not much room for expansion. Ideal for an office environment.

Are gaming enthusiasts a problem where you work?