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Infectedgti
Contributor
Contributor

Looking for hardware for ESXi 6.5/6.7 lab

Hi,

I'm trying to create a lab. For the moment, I want only one ESXi (6.5 or 6.7) and I need at least 32G RAM. I already have a Synology for LUN.

Do you have somes recommendations for a "cheap" lab ?

Thank you.

6 Replies
cyberpaul
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hi,

you could look for a refurbished (used) server. They are usually pretty cheap and come with some warranty. I know a great guy in Holland - send me a private message if that's within your reach.

Recently I chatted with a guy from Germany, who buys some very cheap used hardware from a local university. That could be a good reason to get in touch with your alma mater 🙂

Best of luck, Pavel

daphnissov
Immortal
Immortal

Either used servers or one large on to do nested. Some of the Supermicro stuff is good as well as the smaller HPE towers.

TheJohnBailey
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Consider looking at refurbished, off-lease Dell PCs.

Although it only goes to 16GB, I was able to use an Optiplex 990 (Core i5 CPU) to load ESXi 6.5.  I was able to load 6.0 on Optiplex 390s with Core i3 CPUs.

For example, the Dell Precision T5400 PC Desktop can handle 2 quadcore CPUs and 32GB RAM.  Sometimes these are available for as little as US$300 on eBay.

Best wishes and keep us informed!

Infectedgti
Contributor
Contributor

Hi, which one of Supermicro ?

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nettech1
Expert
Expert

If you are looking to run a 6.5 / 6.7 lab, most of the refurbish systems you find may not be compatible with the latest versions.  Please be prepared to run in to the unexpected if you purchase a refurbished and it's not on the HCL

VMware Compatibility Guide - System Search

https://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/pdf/vi_systems_guide.pdf

Thanks

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Ralf_Strauss
Contributor
Contributor

I have bought a HP Z620 on Ebay. The syszem can handel up to 128 GB Memory. I am running ESXi 6.7 on it. Runs great.

Greets  Ralf

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