Server Advice

[Scratch]

I have been running a gaming server for app 2 years current hardware is as follow: Server 1
Motherboard SuperMicro H8DMRI-2 AMD Opteron DualCore DualProc Sata [2Proc] Processor AMD Opteron 2212 [2GHz] Processor AMD Opteron 2212 [2GHz] RAM slot 1 Generic 1GB DDR2 [1GB] RAM slot 2 Generic 1GB DDR2 [1GB] RAM slot 3 Generic 1GB DDR2 [1GB] RAM slot 4 Generic 1GB DDR2 [1GB] RAM slot 5 Generic 1GB DDR2 [1GB] RAM slot 6 Generic 1GB DDR2 [1GB] RAM slot 7Empty RAM slot 8Empty Drive Controller LSI LOGIC \ SAS3442X \ SAS controller Hard Drive 1 Fujitsu MAX3073 SAS MAX3073RC Hard Drive 2 Fujitsu MAX3073 SAS MAX3073RC Hard Drive 3Empty Hard Drive 4Empty Remote Mgmt Card SuperMicro AOC-SIM1U-3B-plus IPMI-KVM

Server 2

Motherboard SuperMicro X7DBR-E Intel Xeon DualCore DualProc SATA [2Proc] Processor Intel Xeon-Dempsey 5050-Dual Core [3GHz] Processor Intel Xeon-Dempsey 5050-Dual Core [3GHz] RAM slot 1 Generic 1GB ECC FB-DIMM DDR2 [1GB] RAM slot 2 Generic 1GB ECC FB-DIMM DDR2 [1GB] RAM slot 3 Generic 1GB ECC FB-DIMM DDR2 [1GB] RAM slot 4 Generic 1GB ECC FB-DIMM DDR2 [1GB] RAM slot 5 Generic 1GB ECC FB-DIMM DDR2 [1GB] RAM slot 6 Generic 1GB ECC FB-DIMM DDR2 [1GB] RAM slot 7 Hynix 2GB ECC FB-DIMM DDR2 [2GB] RAM slot 8 Generic 2GB ECC FB-DIMM DDR2 [2GB] Drive Controller LSI LOGIC \ SAS3442X \ SAS controller Hard Drive 1 Fujitsu MAX3073 SAS MAX3073RC Hard Drive 2 Fujitsu MAX3073 SAS MAX3073RC Hard Drive 3 Seagate Cheetah ST3300655SS Hard Drive 4Empty Remote Mgmt Card SuperMicro AOC-SIMSO-plus IPMI-KVM

I currently run the game on the first server with the database on the second. I pay monthly hardware rental and bandwidth as well as Staminus and FDC servers with DDOS protection for our forums and auth server for a total of 4 servers

I am looking at building a gaming network with multiple pay-to-play and freeware games on it hence the addition of the 300GB Cheetah on the second server. What I am wishing to get some advice on is would it be practical for me to build my own server...and if so would it be a single platform with Dual Quads and 32GB ram or Dual Dualcores with 16MB of ram on 2 platforms and large HD's (1TB) or multiple smaller HD's then have it hosted at a local datacenter?

Any info would be greatly appreciated and I do have time with which to do this

[Dizz]

If you want to save a bundle you could use a Motherboard with a P45 chipset which support up to 16GB of RAM & pair it with a single quad-core CPU.


You would of course be sacrificing Error Correction with your RAM but in practice if you don’t overclock you RAM you should be fine.


We still have some Dual Xeon Workstations but have begun a transition to P45 based Motherboards with Quad-core CPUs & we are more than pleased with the results so far.


Regards, Dizz

[Scratch]

16GB on a P45 Board with Q6700? What Ram would you be using and what just an Asus P45?

[Dizz]

First up I don’t want you to get the impression that we use 16GB of RAM in our New P45 Workstation, we don’t! Proprietary Hardware amongst other reason dictates that we will continue to use WinXP for a least another year. Hence, we only use 4GB of RAM (2x2GB), which leaves 2 slots free so that when we migrate to either Vista or Windows 7 we can upgrade to 8GB of RAM (4x2GB).


My suggestion that you consider the P45 chipset is because you implied in you post that 16GB of RAM is as low as you wish to go.


To this end, OCZ has the “OCZ DDR2 PC2-6400 "P45 Special" Platinum 8GB Edition”
OCZ Technology | Products | Memory | OCZ DDR2 PC2-6400 "P45 Special" Platinum 8GB Edition


If you like the idea, I would advice you too search through the QVL lists for each of the P45 Motherboards you are considering too see if this RAM has been Qualified.


I hope this helps; Regards, Dizz

[Scratch]

OMgood lord I think I just drooled

yes 16GB would be my lowest as the games we will be installing are memory intensive and with a few hundred players online at a time we need responsive servers as we serve a worldwide audience some of whom have questionable ping rates lol

Also if I am understanding properly, any 64bit operating system will allow functionality of all 16GB's rather than having to install winserver which is cost prohibitive?

BTW thnx for your help