Value question:
I have installed a PowerEdge 2600 system that was shipped to me in September of 2003. The CPU specs are -2- PROCESSOR, 80532, 3.06GHZ, 512K, 533FSB.
Its currently running Windows Server 2003 and has run perfectly as a production web server for 11 years. I have no concerns about its performance level or capacities. Its running RAID, I have spare disk drives and a power supply on-premises so I am not really concerned about hardware failure or longevity. I am now considering redeployment of this machine and whether or not I should keep it or replace it with something more modern.
My specific questions:
1. Will I have any problems getting it to run Windows Server 2012 R2? Any other software compatibility I need to worry about with such old hardware?
2. Ought I be concerned about it's power consumption/electricity cost compared to more modern servers? It seems like it sucks a lot of juice.
3. Can my CPUs be upgraded at all if even to gain just a slight performance improvement?
4. Should I regard my PowerEdge 2600 hardware platform to be "that good" and "that industrial strength" that I should consider keeping it for another 4 year cycle rather than moving onto another box? i.e. would moving to another box of "equal stamina and strength" be so costly that it wouldn't be worth the investment?
Many thanks in advance,
Dan