Setting up a New Workstation
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My old HP dual-core Athlon observatory computer was just too old and slow so I searched online for an affordable replacement and settled on a refurbished HP Z420 workstation advertised with a 6-core, 12-thread 2.5GHz Xeon processor, 32GB of RAM and a 2TB HDD, for just $300. I was pleasantly surprised when I received a Z420 with an 8-core, 16-thread 2.6GHz Xeon at no extra charge. I only needed to add a 240GB SSD ($30) for the OS and the HP serial port option ($5) to have a "real" serial port for the EQ-8 mount.
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It already has the no-tools case, extra case fans and ducting for improved cooling, a dual-port DVI video card, USB 3.0 ports, and a 600-watt PS. For the OS I installed Linux Mint and added all the Astronomy related programs including K-Stars, Ekos, INDI, INDI-EQMOD, and Star Tools.
I picked up the dual Dell 23" monitors and stand for cheap at a store that sells estate items, and they are a great match for the workstation. The keyboard came from Saitek and has red backlit keys. |
Page created 12/28/2021
Last update 12/28/2021
Last update 12/28/2021
