Attempting to assemble a working server PC
Attempting to assemble a working server PC
Hi! So here I am trying another attempt to build a home server to function mainly as a file server. So far here is what I am using for the hardware: AMD Phenom II x4 965 Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 rev.4 Visiontek Red Label Performance EX 8GB(2x4GB) DDR3-2133 Scythe Mugen 3 Rev.B cooler EVGA GeForce GTX 550ti 2GB Vantec 6-Port SATA II 150 PCI Host Card w/RAID OCZ ZS 650W 80 Plus Bronze PSU Enermax OSTROG w/Window (Modded) 2x Silverstone CFP52B 5.25" to 3.5" Bay Converters OCZ Agility 3 60GB SSD Originally I was using a Gigabyte GA-880GM-D2H motherboard but decided to switch because of the 2TB drive capacity limit. So basically I had Windows 7 Ultimate installed on the ssd but then wiped it to install Windows Server 2008 R2 which turned out to be a major pain especially with the Internet Explorer Enhanced Security. I had tried to install NAS4Free and FreeNAS, but I can't get them into a graphical OS, just some really long boot sequence stuff. I've tried like 8 times. I basically want to make something that will store my files and backups, stream content to various devices in my house, function as a HTPC and a backup gaming rig every once in a while. I heard that Server 2008 R2 was better than 2012 R2 in some aspects so that why I chose it as the server's OS. I intend later to upgrade the CPU to either a Phenom II x6 1090T or an FX-8310 and the GPU to a GeForce GTX 750 Ti (PNY XLR8 OC or EVGA FTW) So my first question to you is "Did I make the correct decision going for Windows Server 2008 R2 rather than the 2012 version?
Consider using a lightweight VM solution with limited resources. You might need to adjust your expectations since meeting the minimum 4GB requirement for ESXi isn't feasible with only 2GB available. Headless operation could be the best approach given these constraints.
i own an extremely old poweredge (2900) and boosted its ram to 24gb. i don’t run on esxi; i chose xenserver and have taken good care of it. some vms are quite demanding—like the mc one with a lot of gigs, web with several due to plex, windows uses the most, and the database vm is around half a gig and barely does anything. outside of windows, everything runs via command line.
I'm looking for an older Dell PowerEdge model that matches your needs. It should have two quad-core Xeons, more than 16GB RAM, and ideally two SATA ports available. You want a system that supports ESXi or XenServer while keeping things organized in virtual machines.
It's a dream come true. I like Xen more than Esxi because if I had three identical systems, I could cluster them without needing costly licenses. I found one on eBay from the high school I graduated from—lol, the district tech guy gave it to me as a gift and said have fun. He even mentioned I could get it around my birthday!
I hope I can secure a license via school and really want to build a proper server setup.
I understand your point. It's great to have everything running smoothly. The university I attend provided me with two static IP addresses, which I thought was a smart move. This allows me to operate freely within legal boundaries without overloading the network. They don’t mind as long as I don’t excessively use bandwidth on campus. Thanks to them—I’ve stayed clear of any issues. But I can’t say that same thing about one of our CSci professors, who had her server compromised and caused networking problems across the entire college campus.