IBM eServer xSeries 335

The IBM eServer xSeries 335 has a solid combination of features and top-notch management tools, though its performance was not at full steam. The performance degradation was due, in part, to its inclusion of the 3.06-GHz Xeon processor with 512K of L2 cache instead of the more recent, more popular Xeon with 1MB of L3 cache. Yet the eServer is still a competent system.

The server is an object lesson in doing things IBM's way—which is not a drawback. For example, there are no video port or PS/2 connectors, which all the other servers have, and which are important for accessing servers locally. But IBM offers C2T (Cable Chaining Technology), which connects each pair of IBM servers in a daisy chain with a single cable, eliminating the need for separate keyboard, video, and mouse cables; thus there is no need for the additional ports.

Unfortunately—and surprisingly— the eServer's power supply is not redundant, as on the Dell and HP servers; the eServer has only one power supply. It does have five user-replaceable fans, which (as on the Dell unit) will compensate if one should fail.