Server for hosting webapps (BUILD RECOMMENDATION)

[MarkovicO]

Hello,

 

I am planning to build a small server based on the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X CPU—which we can source for approximately 400–450 euros—to host containerized web applications for our business clients. The server will need to be equipped with between 64 and 128 GB of RAM, as we intend to allocate roughly 1–4 GB per client while hosting between 20 and 50 web applications concurrently.

Given these requirements, I would appreciate your advice on whether a standard desktop configuration would be sufficient or if it would be smarter to invest in server-grade hardware. Although we do not require rack-mounted equipment (a standard case is acceptable), I am seeking guidance on the most reliable and efficient setup for our needs.

Additionally, what considerations should be made for future expansion, such as increasing the number of hosted applications or adding more resources?

 

Thank you for your insights.

 

Best regards,
Ognjen Marković

 

[Kilrah]

Entirely depends on what those apps are and need and how they're used. I run 60 containers on my old 7700K with 32GB of RAM and it's mostly idle and at 30% RAM use.

[MarkovicO]

2 minutes ago, Kilrah said:

Entirely depends on what those apps are and need and how they're used. I run 60 containers on my old 7700K with 32GB of RAM and it's mostly idle and at 30% RAM use.

Our gym management solution includes a web app for gym staff and a mobile app for users. The system shouldn’t be under heavy load since users mainly make purchases or check in, while the staff handle finances, client registrations, and store management.

Would you recommend using ECC RAM over non‑ECC RAM? If so, which DDR5 ECC RAM module would you suggest?

 

[digitalscream]

How important is it to be always-up? The problem with using desktop hardware is the lack of resilience, it's just not designed to run 24/7.

 

If I was building such a thing, I'd firstly be concerned with the lack of redundant power supplies. Next would be resilience in the storage - mirroring for the boot drive and at least RAID5/RAIDZ1 for the storage drives. I'd also be planning to add another one, and putting CloudFlare load balancing in front of it.

 

To my mind, these things are far more important than the performance specs.