The Anatomy of a Server - Heat Sink and Cooler Fan, Memory
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Any CPU you buy should include a heat sink and cooler fan, whether it comes with your CPU or you purchase it separately. Typically, although the heat sink and fan are two different components, they do come as one package. Don’t run the processor without it. This is to keep the processor running cool and extend its life; without one, you will burn up your CPU quickly.
Memory Random access memory (RAM) also comes in a few flavors (see Figure 10). The most popular types include synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM, pronounced “es-dee-ram”), which is a 168-pin dual in-line memory module (DIMM). The single in-line memory module (SIMM) was the DIMM predecessor. The DIMM effectively doubled the amount of memory chips there were typically on a SIMM. While the last of the SIMMs were either 30-pin or 72-pin circuit boards that you’d plug into the motherboard, the more microchips on the DIMM effectively increased its size to 168-pin, and 184-pin for double data rate (DDR) modules. The most common modules used are the SDRAM 168-pin DIMMs and the 184-pin DDR modules. Anything else is much too old, and could potentially cause compatibility problems with Windows 2000 or Server 2003.
Figure10 The evolution of RAM, from the top down, is the 30-pin SIMM, the 72-pin SIMM, the 168-pin DIMM, and the 184-pin DDR module.
It’s a universal fact that the more memory your system has, the better the performance. You can pick up a single 256MB 168-pin DIMM for less than $30 at OfficeMax (www.officemax.com), Memory4Less.com (www.memory4less.com), and Crucial Technology (www.crucial.com). I also picked up a 512MB PC133 module at TigerDirect.com (www.tigerdirect.com) for less than $50, and prices will continue to drop.
 This chapter is from Build Your Own Server, by Tony Caputo (McGraw-Hill/Osborne, 2003, ISBN: 0072227281). Check it out at your favorite bookstore today.
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