Server Build

[Ajam155]

Hi there,

 

I was wondering if I could get some advice on a server build, never done one before and was first of all wondering, could I use a old case with normal PC parts that I can pick up to host a server from? If not what kind of stuff should I be looking at getting, this will be for hosting several game servers from.

 

Thanks

[Electronics Wizardy]

How many game servers? What games?

 

You can use normal desktop hardware for a server, just depends o nthe needs.

 

Do you have a budget? Storage needed?

[Windows7ge]

You can use desktop parts if you like. There's a few key features you'll need if you plan to use virtualization but they're fairly common among desktop parts. What did you plan on using?

[Akolyte]

Hey Mate,  if you want some advice for setting up a game server, it's actually very preferable using desktop-grade equipment for game servers, because many game servers performance are drastically improved with a fast processor. 

 

If you want to run any of the following game servers: 

1. Ark
2. Rust
3. Minecraft
4. Conan Exiles

You should consider getting over 8GB of RAM for it, as the above servers can easily consume 6GB - 10GB of RAM when modded.  Also consider a backup solution, game servers aren't mission critical, but mods, assets and configuration files can be. If you think you'd have heavily customised servers you should consider implementing both a local and cloud backup. 

 

If you would like to set-up a game server to run 24x7 as a dedicated game server, you should also look into getting a secure and stable network set-up.  

 

You can find quite affordable network equipment (ubiquiti is good and affordable) and set-up VLANs, Firewalls and IPS, because despite the fun of running game servers, attackers are definitely out there, and usually attack services associated with game servers, if you ever want to recruit remote administrators or host a website/forum. 

 

Most of the time attackers will use generic exploits that are detected by most IPS systems, in my experience many home routers do not pick these attacks up.  These exploits usually will only affect you if you use outdated software or have poor security policies and configurations, it's still better safe than sorry. 

 

Remember, if an attacker gets into your server and it's not isolated from your network, they can wreak havoc. 

 

I wouldn't worry too much about any Windows Licensing, because generally the majority of good game servers run on Linux well, and you'll find less resource consumption out of the box.