Which processor will be best for my server?

[BoomLiam]

I am planning on upgrading my server which my friends and members of my small community use in order to connect to play games (Minecraft for now, it's a simple, easy game to host), talk on TeamSpeak, and use the online website/forums. The current system has an Intel Pentium D @ 2.80GHz (Dual core) and it is able to run everything, only the Minecraft server does experience frequent 'hiccups' and crashes. 

 

The main reason for the upgrade is to increase the load that the server can handle, lower power consumption and increase the reliability of the server's up-time.

 

I am considering a few processors at this stage, I want to go Intel as they have greater reliability and lower operating power:

• Intel i3-4330 @ 3.50GHz (Dual core, 4 threads) - £94.00
• Intel i5-4440 @ 3.10GHz (Quad core, 4 threads) - £120.00
• Intel Xeon E3-1225 V3 @ 3.20GHz (Quad core, 4 threads) - £166.74

All processors will be going on this motherboard as they all use the same 1150 socket and the motherboard is cheap and mATX (Though I realise the motherboard may need more attention, if up-time is a concern, I would like to hear your thoughts on this decision too)

 

I will be using non-ECC RAM as well as an SSD.

 

The maximum loads on the Minecraft server are not expected to exceed 20 players at any one time (This is down to network restrictions and other reasons)

I want the TeamSpeak to be able to comfortably support around 50 people at any one time, possibly across 2 virtual servers.

The forums may hit peak loads of around 100 users, running on IP.Board Version 3.4.6

I do also plan on running an e-mail server if I am able to get it working, which may require a Virtual Machine to be ran in order to run the Linux operating system which will manage that, though I am still in the planning phase of this.

 

Although many people may feel renting a server would be easier, I prefer having full control over everything, and renting a server to host all of these different things is not cheap.

 

Thank you for reading and I look forward to hearing your feedback!

[Gung Pow Chicken]

I'd personally get the Xeon.

[Flyguygamer]

Get the xeon. 

[Enderman]

I would go 4 core 8 thread if I were you...

But if you can't afford it just get the xeon.

What kind of Minecraft server are you running? And what OS?

For the best uptime, use bukkit with AutoSaveWorld to do regular backups and restarts. Linux will also be more stable than windows, and should give the best performance for your servers.

Also there are some java startup optimisation codes that will enable some garbage collection and other useful features to keep the server running smoothly over long periods of time.

 

Using a UPS is highly recommended for 24/7 servers.

[NVIDIAFANBOYEXTREME]

Xeon are built for servers so get the Xeon.

[BoomLiam]

I would go 4 core 8 thread if I were you...

But if you can't afford it just get the xeon.

What kind of Minecraft server are you running? And what OS?

For the best uptime, use bukkit with AutoSaveWorld to do regular backups and restarts. Linux will also be more stable than windows, and should give the best performance for your servers.

Also there are some java startup optimisation codes that will enable some garbage collection and other useful features to keep the server running smoothly over long periods of time.

 

Using a UPS is highly recommended for 24/7 servers.

The Minecraft server will likely be vanilla with a whole load of plugins (ASW is currently one of the plugins I have and it's the best plugin I've ever got, great for recovering the server as it crashes a lot) 

I am looking at Windows Server 2012, though this is only because I have never tried Linux, I might have to teach myself...

And I will look into a UPS for later, but for now my power is very stable and over the year I have been hosting on this server, it has had no down-time related to power. Though one thing I was curious of is does a UPS save power consumption anywhere... somehow? Or is it JUST redundancy and cleaner power?

[Enderman]

The Minecraft server will likely be vanilla with a whole load of plugins (ASW is currently one of the plugins I have and it's the best plugin I've ever got, great for recovering the server as it crashes a lot) 

I am looking at Windows Server 2012, though this is only because I have never tried Linux, I might have to teach myself...

And I will look into a UPS for later, but for now my power is very stable and over the year I have been hosting on this server, it has had no down-time related to power. Though one thing I was curious of is does a UPS save power consumption anywhere... somehow? Or is it JUST redundancy and cleaner power?

No, a UPS just cleans the power and will keep the PC powered on enough time to save and properly shut down rather than crash. You need dual PSUs for redundancy, which is useless if your power fails (unless you have one PSU plugged into a different house/region of your city...)

If your power is stable and the server does regular saves every few minutes it should be perfectly fine without a UPS.

[BoomLiam]

No, a UPS just cleans the power and will keep the PC powered on enough time to save and properly shut down rather than crash. You need dual PSUs for redundancy, which is useless if your power fails (unless you have one PSU plugged into a different house/region of your city...)

If your power is stable and the server does regular saves every few minutes it should be perfectly fine without a UPS.

Alright, well not having to worry about a UPS will certainly save me some money. I want the server to be as cheap as possible, I don't have much money and it's only a hobby really, but it can certainly go places and I hope it does

[Enderman]

Alright, well not having to worry about a UPS will certainly save me some money. I want the server to be as cheap as possible, I don't have much money and it's only a hobby really, but it can certainly go places and I hope it does

Good luck

[-iSynthesis]

I am planning on upgrading my server which my friends and members of my small community use in order to connect to play games (Minecraft for now, it's a simple, easy game to host), talk on TeamSpeak, and use the online website/forums. The current system has an Intel Pentium D @ 2.80GHz (Dual core) and it is able to run everything, only the Minecraft server does experience frequent 'hiccups' and crashes. 

 

The main reason for the upgrade is to increase the load that the server can handle, lower power consumption and increase the reliability of the server's up-time.

 

I am considering a few processors at this stage, I want to go Intel as they have greater reliability and lower operating power:

• Intel i3-4330 @ 3.50GHz (Dual core, 4 threads) - £94.00
• Intel i5-4440 @ 3.10GHz (Quad core, 4 threads) - £120.00
• Intel Xeon E3-1225 V3 @ 3.20GHz (Quad core, 4 threads) - £166.74

All processors will be going on this motherboard as they all use the same 1150 socket and the motherboard is cheap and mATX (Though I realise the motherboard may need more attention, if up-time is a concern, I would like to hear your thoughts on this decision too)

 

I will be using non-ECC RAM as well as an SSD.

 

The maximum loads on the Minecraft server are not expected to exceed 20 players at any one time (This is down to network restrictions and other reasons)

I want the TeamSpeak to be able to comfortably support around 50 people at any one time, possibly across 2 virtual servers.

The forums may hit peak loads of around 100 users, running on IP.Board Version 3.4.6

I do also plan on running an e-mail server if I am able to get it working, which may require a Virtual Machine to be ran in order to run the Linux operating system which will manage that, though I am still in the planning phase of this.

 

Although many people may feel renting a server would be easier, I prefer having full control over everything, and renting a server to host all of these different things is not cheap.

 

Thank you for reading and I look forward to hearing your feedback!

Dont underestimate an opteron...

[BoomLiam]

Dont underestimate an opteron...

I realise the AMD side do have power, but they require a different type of Motherboard all together, and being as they're server grade only, they cost a metric butt-tonne. I only want to spend £35 on a motherboard....