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Is there any way to make an "external storage server"(?)

You can find incredibly cheap DDR3 nowadays (as in, 30$ for 16GB of new DDR3 ECC). Would it be possible to get an old server motherboard, stuff 64GB of RAM in there and then somehow have that RAM registered as a drive in my main PC I can install Windows to, etc.? My current motherboard has gigabit Ethernet.

Ryzen 7 3700X / 16GB RAM / Optane SSD / GTX 1650 / Solus Linux

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I am aware that RAM doesn't persist if something shuts down

Ryzen 7 3700X / 16GB RAM / Optane SSD / GTX 1650 / Solus Linux

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Not quite sure what you are looking for. Wouldn't it be cheaper and faster to just get an m.2 drive and an m.2 caddy (I have one and it writes at approx 320MB/s through USB type C connection), as external storage.... and it cost approx £45 IIRC all-in, for 240GB of storage at the time.... is cheaper now that prices have dropped a bit too.

Sorry if I got the wrong impression of what you want.

Please quote my post, or put @paddy-stone if you want me to respond to you.

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  • PCs:- 
  • Main PC build  https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/2K6Q7X
  • ASUS x53e  - i7 2670QM / Sony BD writer x8 / Win 10, Elemetary OS, Ubuntu/ Samsung 830 SSD
  • Lenovo G50 - 8Gb RAM - Samsung 860 Evo 250GB SSD - DVD writer
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  • Panasonic 55" 4k TV
  • LG 29" Ultrawide
  • Philips 24" 1080p monitor as backup
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  • ESXI/test build  https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/4wyR9G
  • Main Server https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/3Qftyk
  • Backup server - HP Proliant Gen 8 4 bay NAS running FreeNAS ZFS striped 3x3TiB WD reds
  • HP ProLiant G6 Server SE316M1 Twin Hex Core Intel Xeon E5645 2.40GHz 48GB RAM
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  • Gaming/Tablets etc:-
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  • Unused Hardware currently :-
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Just now, paddy-stone said:

Not quite sure what you are looking for. Wouldn't it be cheaper and faster to just get an m.2 drive and an m.2 caddy (I have one and it writes at approx 320MB/s through USB type C connection), as external storage.... and it cost approx £45 IIRC all-in.

Sorry if I got the wrong impression of what you want.

I mean making a RAMDisk on some other PC, then somehow getting my main PC to recognize that ramdisk as an actual drive and being able to install Windows on it, etc.

Ryzen 7 3700X / 16GB RAM / Optane SSD / GTX 1650 / Solus Linux

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Just now, NunoLava1998 said:

I mean making a RAMDisk on some other PC, then somehow getting my main PC to recognize that ramdisk as an actual drive and being able to install Windows on it, etc.

Ahh I see. But, the M.2 drive shows as a bootable device too if that's your ultimate goal? this way you wouldn't be constrained by the network speed too, the ramdisk would be relatively slow as you'd be writing through the network to it.

Sorry I can't understand what you'd be gaining by having a ramdisk over network?

Please quote my post, or put @paddy-stone if you want me to respond to you.

Spoiler
  • PCs:- 
  • Main PC build  https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/2K6Q7X
  • ASUS x53e  - i7 2670QM / Sony BD writer x8 / Win 10, Elemetary OS, Ubuntu/ Samsung 830 SSD
  • Lenovo G50 - 8Gb RAM - Samsung 860 Evo 250GB SSD - DVD writer
  •  
  • Displays:-
  • Philips 55 OLED 754 model
  • Panasonic 55" 4k TV
  • LG 29" Ultrawide
  • Philips 24" 1080p monitor as backup
  •  
  • Storage/NAS/Servers:-
  • ESXI/test build  https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/4wyR9G
  • Main Server https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/3Qftyk
  • Backup server - HP Proliant Gen 8 4 bay NAS running FreeNAS ZFS striped 3x3TiB WD reds
  • HP ProLiant G6 Server SE316M1 Twin Hex Core Intel Xeon E5645 2.40GHz 48GB RAM
  •  
  • Gaming/Tablets etc:-
  • Xbox One S 500GB + 2TB HDD
  • PS4
  • Nvidia Shield TV
  • Xiaomi/Pocafone F2 pro 8GB/256GB
  • Xiaomi Redmi Note 4

 

  • Unused Hardware currently :-
  • 4670K MSI mobo 16GB ram
  • i7 6700K  b250 mobo
  • Zotac GTX 1060 6GB Amp! edition
  • Zotac GTX 1050 mini

 

 

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Given the right hardware and knowledge... It's possible. But not very practical.

Can Anybody Link A Virtual Machine while I go download some RAM?

 

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4 minutes ago, NunoLava1998 said:

I mean making a RAMDisk on some other PC, then somehow getting my main PC to recognize that ramdisk as an actual drive and being able to install Windows on it, etc.

With gigabit etherbrt that drive will slow down to 120mb/s which is about HDD speed. If you were to install 10gbe ethernet on both machines that is 1.2gb/s, so only half as fast as M.2.

 

You see, that's pointless. 

Gaming HTPC:

R5 5600X - Cryorig C7 - Asus ROG B350-i - EVGA RTX2060KO - 16gb G.Skill Ripjaws V 3333mhz - Corsair SF450 - 500gb 960 EVO - LianLi TU100B


Desktop PC:
R9 3900X - Peerless Assassin 120 SE - Asus Prime X570 Pro - Powercolor 7900XT - 32gb LPX 3200mhz - Corsair SF750 Platinum - 1TB WD SN850X - CoolerMaster NR200 White - Gigabyte M27Q-SA - Corsair K70 Rapidfire - Logitech MX518 Legendary - HyperXCloud Alpha wireless


Boss-NAS [Build Log]:
R5 2400G - Noctua NH-D14 - Asus Prime X370-Pro - 16gb G.Skill Aegis 3000mhz - Seasonic Focus Platinum 550W - Fractal Design R5 - 
250gb 970 Evo (OS) - 2x500gb 860 Evo (Raid0) - 6x4TB WD Red (RaidZ2)

Synology-NAS:
DS920+
2x4TB Ironwolf - 1x18TB Seagate Exos X20

 

Audio Gear:

Hifiman HE-400i - Kennerton Magister - Beyerdynamic DT880 250Ohm - AKG K7XX - Fostex TH-X00 - O2 Amp/DAC Combo - 
Klipsch RP280F - Klipsch RP160M - Klipsch RP440C - Yamaha RX-V479

 

Reviews and Stuff:

GTX 780 DCU2 // 8600GTS // Hifiman HE-400i // Kennerton Magister
Folding all the Proteins! // Boincerino

Useful Links:
Do you need an AMP/DAC? // Recommended Audio Gear // PSU Tier List 

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1 minute ago, FloRolf said:

With gigabit etherbrt that drive will slow down to 120mb/s which is about HDD speed. If you were to install 10gbe ethernet on both machines that is 1.2gb/s, so only half as fast as M.2.

 

You see, that's pointless. 

That is true; i'll probably just buy 32GB of DDR4 RAM and use that to speed up my current SSD

Ryzen 7 3700X / 16GB RAM / Optane SSD / GTX 1650 / Solus Linux

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30 minutes ago, NunoLava1998 said:

That is true; i'll probably just buy 32GB of DDR4 RAM and use that to speed up my current SSD

What exactly do you think will happen? What is slowing you down? 

Gaming HTPC:

R5 5600X - Cryorig C7 - Asus ROG B350-i - EVGA RTX2060KO - 16gb G.Skill Ripjaws V 3333mhz - Corsair SF450 - 500gb 960 EVO - LianLi TU100B


Desktop PC:
R9 3900X - Peerless Assassin 120 SE - Asus Prime X570 Pro - Powercolor 7900XT - 32gb LPX 3200mhz - Corsair SF750 Platinum - 1TB WD SN850X - CoolerMaster NR200 White - Gigabyte M27Q-SA - Corsair K70 Rapidfire - Logitech MX518 Legendary - HyperXCloud Alpha wireless


Boss-NAS [Build Log]:
R5 2400G - Noctua NH-D14 - Asus Prime X370-Pro - 16gb G.Skill Aegis 3000mhz - Seasonic Focus Platinum 550W - Fractal Design R5 - 
250gb 970 Evo (OS) - 2x500gb 860 Evo (Raid0) - 6x4TB WD Red (RaidZ2)

Synology-NAS:
DS920+
2x4TB Ironwolf - 1x18TB Seagate Exos X20

 

Audio Gear:

Hifiman HE-400i - Kennerton Magister - Beyerdynamic DT880 250Ohm - AKG K7XX - Fostex TH-X00 - O2 Amp/DAC Combo - 
Klipsch RP280F - Klipsch RP160M - Klipsch RP440C - Yamaha RX-V479

 

Reviews and Stuff:

GTX 780 DCU2 // 8600GTS // Hifiman HE-400i // Kennerton Magister
Folding all the Proteins! // Boincerino

Useful Links:
Do you need an AMP/DAC? // Recommended Audio Gear // PSU Tier List 

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9 minutes ago, FloRolf said:

What exactly do you think will happen? What is slowing you down? 

Nothing at all. I just want impressive numbers. I'd probably be fine with an A400.

Ryzen 7 3700X / 16GB RAM / Optane SSD / GTX 1650 / Solus Linux

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51 minutes ago, NunoLava1998 said:

Nothing at all. I just want impressive numbers. I'd probably be fine with an A400.

Okay then go waste your money on 32gb of ram instead of a decent gpu or cpu. Much wow. 

Gaming HTPC:

R5 5600X - Cryorig C7 - Asus ROG B350-i - EVGA RTX2060KO - 16gb G.Skill Ripjaws V 3333mhz - Corsair SF450 - 500gb 960 EVO - LianLi TU100B


Desktop PC:
R9 3900X - Peerless Assassin 120 SE - Asus Prime X570 Pro - Powercolor 7900XT - 32gb LPX 3200mhz - Corsair SF750 Platinum - 1TB WD SN850X - CoolerMaster NR200 White - Gigabyte M27Q-SA - Corsair K70 Rapidfire - Logitech MX518 Legendary - HyperXCloud Alpha wireless


Boss-NAS [Build Log]:
R5 2400G - Noctua NH-D14 - Asus Prime X370-Pro - 16gb G.Skill Aegis 3000mhz - Seasonic Focus Platinum 550W - Fractal Design R5 - 
250gb 970 Evo (OS) - 2x500gb 860 Evo (Raid0) - 6x4TB WD Red (RaidZ2)

Synology-NAS:
DS920+
2x4TB Ironwolf - 1x18TB Seagate Exos X20

 

Audio Gear:

Hifiman HE-400i - Kennerton Magister - Beyerdynamic DT880 250Ohm - AKG K7XX - Fostex TH-X00 - O2 Amp/DAC Combo - 
Klipsch RP280F - Klipsch RP160M - Klipsch RP440C - Yamaha RX-V479

 

Reviews and Stuff:

GTX 780 DCU2 // 8600GTS // Hifiman HE-400i // Kennerton Magister
Folding all the Proteins! // Boincerino

Useful Links:
Do you need an AMP/DAC? // Recommended Audio Gear // PSU Tier List 

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20 minutes ago, FloRolf said:

Okay then go waste your money on 32gb of ram instead of a decent gpu or cpu. Much wow. 

My CPU and GPU is already decent for my needs

Ryzen 7 3700X / 16GB RAM / Optane SSD / GTX 1650 / Solus Linux

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Theres no external protocol that can handle RAM speeds, the best I can think of is a 100gbit network card in a 16 lane pcie 3.0 slot...

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8 hours ago, NunoLava1998 said:

My CPU and GPU is already decent for my needs

If theyre already decent for your needs, then what makes you think you need a Ram drive when you already have an SSD and Optane? 

Instead of buying 32GB of Ram to make a ram drive, why not just get an NVME drive? 

 

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Desktop: Ryzen9 5950X | ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Hero (Wifi) | EVGA RTX 3080Ti FTW3 | 32GB (2x16GB) Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB Pro 3600Mhz | EKWB EK-AIO 360D-RGB | EKWB EK-Vardar RGB Fans | 1TB Samsung 980 Pro, 4TB Samsung 980 Pro | Corsair 5000D Airflow | Corsair HX850 Platinum PSU | Asus ROG 42" OLED PG42UQ + LG 32" 32GK850G Monitor | Roccat Vulcan TKL Pro Keyboard | Logitech G Pro X Superlight  | MicroLab Solo 7C Speakers | Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 LE Headphones | TC-Helicon GoXLR | Audio-Technica AT2035 | LTT Desk Mat | XBOX-X Controller | Windows 11 Pro

 

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8 hours ago, Jarsky said:

If theyre already decent for your needs, then what makes you think you need a Ram drive when you already have an SSD and Optane? 

Instead of buying 32GB of Ram to make a ram drive, why not just get an NVME drive? 

 

My drive is NVMe..

Ryzen 7 3700X / 16GB RAM / Optane SSD / GTX 1650 / Solus Linux

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