Can I reuse the parts in my dual quad server and make a usable workstation? [closed]

"You can certainly reuse one or both RAID arrays. You could also reuse the RAM if you buy the right system board.

I, personally, would buy a whole new PC minus the RAM and hard drives and just cannibalize those components. Both Xeons draw 80 watts, so there's quite a bit of heat in the case if you use them both. That means either big fans or liquid cooling.

Mind you, multiple server-class hard drives (like your RAID 5 array) will also generate lots of heat. There's some benefit to the idea of just putting the system in a closet and using long cables as Wil mentioned, or just putting the whole thing in a rack in a data center somewhere and remote-controlling it from a low-power silent PC like the Acer Revo. You could keep using the same monitor and keyboard, too.

A buddy of mine is a computer consultant doing DBA work and programming, and he does most of his work by Remote Desktop on his server, using whatever PC is available, from his laptop to workstations at his customer locations.

Probably not suitable for gaming, though."

"Have your tried cleaning the case out with compressed air? We run a ton of these dual-processor dual-core Xeons and they run very quietly. The only time they don't is when they get extremely dusty, at which point they sound like 747s taking off. Extreme dust causes components to run hotter, which makes the computer raise the fan speed.

A thorough cleaning of all the fans and boards usually works wonders, making them silent again."