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First Server Build Advice

That_Random_Nerd
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Go to solution Solved by leadeater,

For the motherboard have a look on ebay for Intel S5520HC, it's a workstation focused dual socket Xeon motherboard in a standard SSI EEB form factor so should fit every case that takes E-ATX but do check the measurements of both.

 

For RAM again look on ebay for Samsung ECC Registered, costs slightly more but allows you to surpass the UDIMM limitation if you need to without buying complete new set of RAM wasting what you have.

 

Make sure you put in a minimum of 3 RAM sticks per CPU, 6 in total, for optimal triple channel configuration. I would account for 8GB of RAM per VM, although 6GB or 4GB might be enough for some you can always reassign more to the VM doing UE4/Blender.

 

If you can do a proof of concept with any parts you already have since multiple GPU accelerated VMs for standard desktop usage doesn't always work optimally, might even pay for buy some super cheap $5-$10 GPUs and just test out what you are wanting to do in a full configuration but using cheaper parts. Not as a performance test but a usability and connectivity test.

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Hello, I am new to the forums having just joined yesterday and have been posting stuff about various aspects until taking into account the advice/answers I have received and the various other planning/researching i have decided on using a dual xeon x5860 build where each is a clocked at 3.33 GHz and can boost to 3.60 GHz each with 6C/12T. Now the reason I have decided to build a server instead of a PC is the use case. The server, yes I know a server is just a specified PC but I will be referring to it as a server for simplicity, will need to be able to host virtual machines initially for a home theater setup with the capability to serve all the functions of a family computer and a storage server with the capability to add another family pc virtual machine in the future if needed. However, It will also be used for content creation in UE4 and blender which I do as a hobby and gaming on the side, although gaming is not a focus merely a side thing. I plan to use an AMD RX 550 passed through to the Family PC and a Nvidia GPU either 1070 or the 1170 depending on when the market finally calms down. I would need to run the Nvidia GPU in a 16x pcie 2.0 slot but the AMD one can easily be run in a 8x slot as it is only there because of the lack of integrated graphics. So, i am telling this to you because I need help with the motherboard and ram choices that would be necessary for this use case. I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations/suggestions based on the motherboard and RAM or any useful resources for finding a mobo rather than just going through all the LGA 1366 MOBOs on amazon, ebay, newegg, etc. then searching up the specs. Sorry if that went a little bit wrong and thanks for taking the time to read this even if u do not leave a response or anything. Also feel free to correct me if I have made any leaps in logic or mistakes.  

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For the motherboard have a look on ebay for Intel S5520HC, it's a workstation focused dual socket Xeon motherboard in a standard SSI EEB form factor so should fit every case that takes E-ATX but do check the measurements of both.

 

For RAM again look on ebay for Samsung ECC Registered, costs slightly more but allows you to surpass the UDIMM limitation if you need to without buying complete new set of RAM wasting what you have.

 

Make sure you put in a minimum of 3 RAM sticks per CPU, 6 in total, for optimal triple channel configuration. I would account for 8GB of RAM per VM, although 6GB or 4GB might be enough for some you can always reassign more to the VM doing UE4/Blender.

 

If you can do a proof of concept with any parts you already have since multiple GPU accelerated VMs for standard desktop usage doesn't always work optimally, might even pay for buy some super cheap $5-$10 GPUs and just test out what you are wanting to do in a full configuration but using cheaper parts. Not as a performance test but a usability and connectivity test.

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4 hours ago, That_Random_Nerd said:

Thanks

Hope you don't mind but I read the original post before the edit, I agree using the bare metal OS for the Blender work will be much better. You can use Windows Hyper-V role to run the VMs or another tool like VirtualBox or VMware Workstation, generally most of them are good and the only thing you have to check is direct GPU passthrough.

 

The motherboard I listed is quite common on ebay, I've brought about 4 of them now. I like it since it does have the x16 PCIe slot.

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Just now, leadeater said:

Hope you don't mind but I read the original post before the edit, I agree using the bare metal OS for the Blender work will be much better. You can use Windows Hyper-V role to run the VMs or another tool like VirtualBox or VMware Workstation, generally most of them are good and the only thing you have to check is direct GPU passthrough.

 

The motherboard I listed is quite common on ebay, I've brought about 4 of them now. I like it since it does have the x16 PCIe slot.

ok, thanks. Ya, at first i was looking at some weird model of it that was very similar but was only wired to a PCIe 8x slot in the physical 16x slot. Sorry if it came across as rude, was not the intention. and the ram would u recommend using 3 sticks per cpu or more. Then will the Ram on both total ie 3 2GB sticks per cpu would give me 12GB of ram in the OS or would it only give me 6? I know i will need more that's just as an example

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4 minutes ago, That_Random_Nerd said:

ok, thanks. Ya, at first i was looking at some weird model of it that was very similar but was only wired to a PCIe 8x slot in the physical 16x slot. Sorry if it came across as rude, was not the intention. and the ram would u recommend using 3 sticks per cpu or more. Then will the Ram on both total ie 3 2GB sticks per cpu would give me 12GB of ram in the OS or would it only give me 6? I know i will need more that's just as an example

Nah didn't think it was rude at all.

 

Correct it's 3 sticks per CPU meaning 12GB. It's not a requirement but more of a best practice to do it since the CPUs are triple channel so you get the maximum memory bandwidth when the CPU has 3 sticks of ram, in the correct slots. The minimum possible is 1 stick of RAM per CPU to make it boot with 2 CPUs installed.

 

Edit:

Basically add RAM in sets of 3 each time you expand the memory. So a single CPU should have 3, 6 or 9 sticks of ram giving at total of 18 sticks of ram in a dual socket configuration.

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Just now, leadeater said:

Nah didn't think it was rude at all.

 

Correct it's 3 sticks per CPU meaning 12GB. It's not a requirement but more of a best practice to do it since the CPUs are triple channel so you get the maximum memory bandwidth when the CPU has 3 sticks of ram, in the correct slots. The minimum possible is 1 stick of RAM per CPU to make it boot with 2 CPUs installed.

ahhh, thanks. and finally will any cooler that supports LGA 1366 work? I was thinking about using Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO for example. Lots of questions sorry

 

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