HP ProLiant ML330 G6 review

The iLO2 advanced upgrade adds KVM-over-IP remote control and support for virtual media, but the power meter and capping features aren't available on this server as HP doesn't see many SMBs needing them. However, if you want the iLO2 chip to have a dedicated network port you can add an extra module that does just that.

HP's Systems Management Homepage provides local and remote browser access to the server when the OS is running and provides a status report on all server components, plus colour-coded alerts. You also get HP's Insight Control Suite (ICE), which can access systems running an Insight agent and provide reports on system operations, asset management, remote firmware upgrade tools and alerts when critical components go bad.

For system cooling the review system has two fans at the front and a large one at the rear, but we found it to be virtually silent. If the server has been fully loaded up with hard disks and the extra processor you can reposition the lower of the two front fans and add a third redundant fan assembly.

Processors are looked after by large passive heatsinks, and the plastic shroud covering the lower part of the board has a recess to accommodate the heatsink on the mezzanine card should you decide to add one. The Xeon E5504 represents the entry point of Intel's new quad-core processors, so maximum memory speed is 800MHz and it doesn't support the Hyper-Threading or Turbo Boost technologies.

HP offers a number of power options. The review system is fitted with a single, cold-swap 460W supply. You can go for redundancy but make sure you specify this first as the server uses a different bay that accommodates a pair of 750W hot-plug supplies. For the latter, the ML330 has HP's common power slot bays which reduce costs as all new ProLiant servers use the same modules.

The review system is fairly basic so power consumption is low, with our power meter recording a draw of only 4W in standby and 79W with Windows Server 2008 in idle. With SiSoft Sandra thrashing all four cores this peaked at only 109W.

The ML330 G6 may be a big box but its starting price is low enough to make it a good choice as an entry-level server. It has plenty of room to grow with demand and small businesses unsure of their future expansion plans will find it an interesting alternative.

Author: Dave Mitchell