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Looking to build a $250 PC for server hosting
Colonellooo
Leeberator
EDIT: I bumped my budget to $300 and am trying to order all the parts I can from Newegg. Does this build work?
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Dog51848/saved/cxFV3C
Also what does this mean? The list is telling me this. "Some Intel H81 chipset motherboards may need a BIOS update prior to using Haswell Refresh CPUs."
Hi everyone I'm considering building a server computer for me and my friends to use for whenever we decide to play Minecraft. This isn't urgent though because I don't plan on building this for a few months. My main question is it possible to do this with a $250 or less budget?
What is this computer going to be used for?
Hosting 1-3 Minecraft servers 24/7.
What is your budget?
$250
Where do you live? If in the US, do you have a nearby Microcenter?
US and no.
What is included in the budget?
Just the PC itself. No need for monitors, keyboard, etc.
Will you be overclocking?
No
Will you be reusing any parts?
No
What OS do you want?
To save money I'll learn how to use Linux most likely.
Any specific case preferences?
If possible I'd like it to be fairly small. I'd prefer this not take up the size of a typical desktop tower since it's just a server.
Any other special features that you want in the build?
An SSD
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Dog51848/saved/cxFV3C
Also what does this mean? The list is telling me this. "Some Intel H81 chipset motherboards may need a BIOS update prior to using Haswell Refresh CPUs."
Hi everyone I'm considering building a server computer for me and my friends to use for whenever we decide to play Minecraft. This isn't urgent though because I don't plan on building this for a few months. My main question is it possible to do this with a $250 or less budget?
What is this computer going to be used for?
Hosting 1-3 Minecraft servers 24/7.
What is your budget?
$250
Where do you live? If in the US, do you have a nearby Microcenter?
US and no.
What is included in the budget?
Just the PC itself. No need for monitors, keyboard, etc.
Will you be overclocking?
No
Will you be reusing any parts?
No
What OS do you want?
To save money I'll learn how to use Linux most likely.
Any specific case preferences?
If possible I'd like it to be fairly small. I'd prefer this not take up the size of a typical desktop tower since it's just a server.
Any other special features that you want in the build?
An SSD
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I would beg to differ.
http://www.cpu-world.com/Compare/192/Intel_Core_i3_i3-2120_vs_Intel_Xeon_E3-1220.html
Not to mention servers will use ECC memory which has advantages in the long term. Building a desktop is great, but if you're going to get serious into hosting some servers get the right tool for the job. To each their own though I know a lot of people who run servers from desktops just fine.
FYI go linux all the way. Strongly recommend CentOS or Ubuntu, very easy to learn as well.
http://www.cpu-world.com/Compare/192/Intel_Core_i3_i3-2120_vs_Intel_Xeon_E3-1220.html
Not to mention servers will use ECC memory which has advantages in the long term. Building a desktop is great, but if you're going to get serious into hosting some servers get the right tool for the job. To each their own though I know a lot of people who run servers from desktops just fine.
FYI go linux all the way. Strongly recommend CentOS or Ubuntu, very easy to learn as well.
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You just compared an old i3 and an old consumer-grade Xeon chip. Regardless, you're not finding a modern Xeon E3 server-grade system for $300. The best you'll get is something in the same family as the Xeon 5160 (which has half the computing power of a Pentium G3258). I managed to find a dual-socket 1U server with two Xeon 5160s and 16GB ECC DDR2, but it put me back $350 and only has the same amount of computing power as a $50 Pentium G3258! That's definitely not worth the money nor the cost of the extra power it consumes (160W vs 53W just for the CPUs).
(From http://cpubenchmark.net/)
ECC memory is definitely not needed for hosting a few Minecraft servers (in fact you really shouldn't need it unless you're hosting something that absolutely cannot fail due to a memory issue). If it is needed though, the i3 I included in my build supports it (though the board does not - the cheapest board that supports ECC memory is over $150).
As for the OS, I personally use Windows Server because it's the most familiar to me and I know how to lock it down and set up automated secured backups. Linux is great, but I do not have the time to learn how to automate things with it.
(From http://cpubenchmark.net/)
ECC memory is definitely not needed for hosting a few Minecraft servers (in fact you really shouldn't need it unless you're hosting something that absolutely cannot fail due to a memory issue). If it is needed though, the i3 I included in my build supports it (though the board does not - the cheapest board that supports ECC memory is over $150).
As for the OS, I personally use Windows Server because it's the most familiar to me and I know how to lock it down and set up automated secured backups. Linux is great, but I do not have the time to learn how to automate things with it.
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Don't build a computer, buy an actual server machine. Trust me it's a world of difference. For $300 you can get a decent second hand server machine, keep an eye out on Kijiji or whatever you use.
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The servers you can buy for $300 aren't that great. You'll get an old Xeon rack server if you're lucky, and it'll match or slightly beat the performance of something as cheap as a $50 modern Pentium.
OP, since you raised your budget to $300, I advise this:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i3-4170 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($105.98 @ Micro Center)
Motherboard: MSI H81M-E33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($45.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($32.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Sandisk SSD PLUS 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($38.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Rosewill FBM-02 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $298.82
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-26 22:08 EST-0500
OP, since you raised your budget to $300, I advise this:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i3-4170 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($105.98 @ Micro Center)
Motherboard: MSI H81M-E33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($45.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($32.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Sandisk SSD PLUS 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($38.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Rosewill FBM-02 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $298.82
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-26 22:08 EST-0500
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I bumped my budget to $300 and am trying to order all the parts I can from Newegg. Does this build work?
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Dog51848/saved/cxFV3C
Also what does this mean? The part picker is telling me this
"Some Intel H81 chipset motherboards may need a BIOS update prior to using Haswell Refresh CPUs."
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Dog51848/saved/cxFV3C
Also what does this mean? The part picker is telling me this
"Some Intel H81 chipset motherboards may need a BIOS update prior to using Haswell Refresh CPUs."
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Here i made a part list for a pretty good pc, 8gb ram really fast processor with 6 cores for just $289 http://pcpartpicker.com/p/8TVgvK
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If OP was hosting heavily multi-threaded servers or multiple virtual machines, this would be good. However, he/she is hosting Minecraft servers, which rely on one main thread and a couple of secondary threads. Intel is the best choice.
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Instead of spending $250 on a host server, just use a host website. It's much easier and cheaper.
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No, it wouldn't. One time purchase of a server, vs constant payment for server. Eventually you'd spend more on paying for a server.
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One word, eBay. Look on there and you can get used dell poweredge servers for under $250. Might have to install Linux on it and teach yourself all about it, and how to use it, but if your willing to learn, check on there. PS, real world servers are really loud because of the amount of heat needing to be dissipated by fans, so its not something you would want in the same room you sleep in.
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Those have pretty old Xeons. I assume you're talking about the PowerEdge 1950, which can be maxed out with dual Xeon 5160 CPUs. Each of those CPUs has half the performance of a Pentium G3258 (so a dual-socket setup would only be as good as a G3258 and use 3x the power). Will a PowerEdge 1950 host several servers? Yes; I've hosted a network on one. Is it worth the money? No; you can build something with newer (and more efficient) parts with a better upgrade path for the same amount of money.
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There are all sorts of different models including some newer ones. 2950's and such for $200 or so. Not necessarily saying best option, but it would work, and it teaches the owner some useful real world skills.
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The 2950 isn't a newer model; it's the 2U version of the same model. There's better options for cooling to allow for slightly better CPUs, but even then they still are only about as good as a modern Pentium (though one quad-core Xeon X5492 has about the same performance as a dual-core Pentium - at the expense of using almost 100W more power than the Pentium).
I would think OP would learn more from building a server PC than from buying an old rack server.
I would think OP would learn more from building a server PC than from buying an old rack server.
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If this is for a minecraft server then I HIGHLY suggest you get a VPS as you won't have to worry about internet issues. If you do wish however to continue on this path then just go grab some craptop, strip the OS off of it, and use it to run the server.
Let's face the facts here, you aren't going to even get a decent PC for $250, that's almost nothing. Which is why I suggest that you just buy a cheap VPS, they have much better gear than you will be able to afford and they (if you pick the right one) don't charge outrageous prices. Note: If you do get a VPS then I suggest you get something from Superior Networks or RamNode, both of which I have used and have had 0 issues with and are very cheap.
Let's face the facts here, you aren't going to even get a decent PC for $250, that's almost nothing. Which is why I suggest that you just buy a cheap VPS, they have much better gear than you will be able to afford and they (if you pick the right one) don't charge outrageous prices. Note: If you do get a VPS then I suggest you get something from Superior Networks or RamNode, both of which I have used and have had 0 issues with and are very cheap.
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Sorry, but you're not getting a server hosting computer for just $250...
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Thanks for the list! Also as for my internet speed currently it's 14 download and 15 upload. But I do plan on upgrading to a better plan next week. Also no I don't know anyone with a .edu address.
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How much will upgrading your net speed cost? Chances are you could pay for a VPS instead.
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Not very much probably only an extra $5-10. Before I upgrade I plan on calling my provider though because I believe they said there was a way to increase it's speed without upgrading.
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(The guy above me is so wrong on the hardware side, just saying. You can't even overclock modern i3s, though you may be able to get small overclocks on Skylake ones on specific motherboards in the future.)
I'll put together a build for you, but I need to know two things:
1. What is your Internet speed? (test it at http://beta.speedtest.net/)
2. Do you or does a family member have a .edu email address? If so, you can get a copy of Windows Server 2012 for free through Microsoft DreamSpark.
Here's what I put together. The Pentium will be enough for a few servers, and the H81 platform will allow you to upgrade to a Xeon E3 CPU and 16GB of RAM later down the road. I included a 1TB hard drive, but you could swap it for a 250GB Samsung 850 EVO SSD for about $30 more. You could use a 120GB SSD and not pay much more than the hard drive, but 120GB is low, even for a server.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Pentium G3220 3.0GHz Dual-Core Processor ($49.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI H81M-E33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($44.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Avexir Core Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.98 @ OutletPC)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1100 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($27.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $252.83
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-14 09:30 EST-0500
I'll put together a build for you, but I need to know two things:
1. What is your Internet speed? (test it at http://beta.speedtest.net/)
2. Do you or does a family member have a .edu email address? If so, you can get a copy of Windows Server 2012 for free through Microsoft DreamSpark.
Here's what I put together. The Pentium will be enough for a few servers, and the H81 platform will allow you to upgrade to a Xeon E3 CPU and 16GB of RAM later down the road. I included a 1TB hard drive, but you could swap it for a 250GB Samsung 850 EVO SSD for about $30 more. You could use a 120GB SSD and not pay much more than the hard drive, but 120GB is low, even for a server.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Pentium G3220 3.0GHz Dual-Core Processor ($49.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI H81M-E33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($44.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Avexir Core Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.98 @ OutletPC)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1100 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($27.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $252.83
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-14 09:30 EST-0500
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I'm like 80% sure that the internet connection at your house couldn't even carry 1 minecraft server flawlessly.
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What he says! Use this http://canihostaminecraftserver.com/ to calculate how much you could run. UPLOAD speed is the most important.
also 250$ of hardware won't do the trick.
If you want something to run 'OK' you will need like 8GB ram = 50$
then like a good i3 dualcore with hypertreading + big cooler to overclock it to 4-5ghz = 200$
Oh damn... budget gone...
we don't have a motherboard, PSU, SSD yet. = another 150-200$ if you go for cheap parts
also 250$ of hardware won't do the trick.
If you want something to run 'OK' you will need like 8GB ram = 50$
then like a good i3 dualcore with hypertreading + big cooler to overclock it to 4-5ghz = 200$
Oh damn... budget gone...
we don't have a motherboard, PSU, SSD yet. = another 150-200$ if you go for cheap parts
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If you are killing a 2GB server (which i presume costs 5 per month), I doubt you can get a computer for 250$ that can run 3 of thouse, especially if you plan on running em on windows not linux.
Also you do realize that you have to have a pretty good internet connection to host such things
Also you do realize that you have to have a pretty good internet connection to host such things
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Don't forget that many ISPs such as Charter and Comcast don't allow you to run ANY type of server on a home internet plan, only a business plan.
$5 is really cheap for 2GB though. It's probably more like 512MB, maaaaaybe one gig.
Look into getting a VPS, I have one for about $30 a month, dual core CPU and 4GB RAM, full control of the machine... Runs a 2GB MC server as well as a 1GB temp server, in addition to two Source engine servers. Really good performance considering the specs and such. Obviously I can't say the name of the host, but just look up reviews and pick one that fits your budget and has good service from what you find in the reviews.
$5 is really cheap for 2GB though. It's probably more like 512MB, maaaaaybe one gig.
Look into getting a VPS, I have one for about $30 a month, dual core CPU and 4GB RAM, full control of the machine... Runs a 2GB MC server as well as a 1GB temp server, in addition to two Source engine servers. Really good performance considering the specs and such. Obviously I can't say the name of the host, but just look up reviews and pick one that fits your budget and has good service from what you find in the reviews.
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A server with 1 GB RAM would cost 3$ as cheapest. However most hosts have it for 5$ and some for even higher.
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Depending on how long you're going to keep your server it might be cheaper to just rent a server (small servers cost like only 2-5$ a month)
12/14/2015 1:48 am
This reply was removed by the poster or a moderator.
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I've never used Linux before, what does that do?
Currently we are renting a server. We're paying $5 a month right now but we're running out of space and we have so many plugins the server lags quite a bit sometimes. To upgrade to the amount we'd like it would be about $15-20 a month and I'd rather just build my own server machine at that point. Thanks for the suggestion though!
NewSuperMarioDepending on how long you're going to keep your server it might be cheaper to just rent a server (small servers cost like only 2-5$ a month)
Currently we are renting a server. We're paying $5 a month right now but we're running out of space and we have so many plugins the server lags quite a bit sometimes. To upgrade to the amount we'd like it would be about $15-20 a month and I'd rather just build my own server machine at that point. Thanks for the suggestion though!
