Can you suggest a choice for a server?
Can you suggest a choice for a server?
Hi There,
Me and my GF are both Programmers, and I’m really into web development. We’re reaching a stage where we need a home server to deploy to, also for use as a NAS and possibly as a server for any project we make publicly accessible. We’re thinking about using services like Firebase or Amazon, but we want to maximize our chances of earning money. Likely we should go with Linux (Red Hat) or a VM on Docker.
I’ve been checking out refurbished server configurator sites offering older models (like the 2014 ones) (https://www.bargainhardware.co.uk/), but I’m unsure if it’s worth investing 500-600 in something that old or better is to build something up-to-date with affordable consumer products.
Or maybe we should explore a completely different approach—any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I wouldn't choose an old server; you'd likely get better value by getting a used consumer build, adding necessary components, or using lightly used parts from EBay or local swap meets. Many people have unused computer equipment lying around. Talk to family and friends to find out what's available.
I see what you mean, but my instincts say it would be much simpler to purchase this and then acquire these.
SAS drives are available at a lower cost.
Thank you for your understanding. I think an older Ryzen or Threadripper setup might be more practical.
For a publicly accessible host, it's better to use an AWS server. This keeps your local network secure.
Well mostly because I preferred a one-size-fits-all approach for web development and home NAS, I wanted a lot of cores. Also, old SAS drives are quite affordable and easy to swap out in the bay compared to consumer cases. Plus, I have a lot of experience with platforms like Firebase, but again, I still need a network NAS without worrying about traffic limits.
I think I might end up building a consumer-grade workstation and using it as a server, but it would require a lot of effort for newer applications.
Development and testing boxes available locally. Public web hosting options exist via AWS or similar providers. Ensure no internal network interference. "Local" refers to any suitable box.
But my wallet could fail 😭💸 if Amazon and Google claim all my funds
And your ISP might appear to have issues with the traffic for a public web server. Not to mention the security concerns.
A complicated solution is seldom the ideal one. It seems Google keeps my wallet longer, but its API is quite costly—even on the free tier, it feels like my energy is being drained.
Old SAS storage devices are acceptable if you locate any spare ones. Reused drives are not suitable.
The likelihood of a disk failure needing a hot swap is minimal, according to my view.
I spent two decades as a software developer before transitioning to server ownership for fifteen years. I possess relevant expertise.
With 128GB of ECC RAM, you should be well-suited for a VM host capable of handling NAS tasks.
The Dell model in question features 12 cores plus hyperthreading, achieving the advertised "24 cores."
This level of efficiency could also be achieved with a more powerful 6-core 7600X processor, I believe.
The X5650 offers a single-threaded rating of 1300 and multithreaded performance of 5700, totaling 11,400.
A Ryzen 7600X provides a single-threaded rating of 4183 and multithreaded performance of 28,600.
Doubling the performance from a six-core CPU is possible, but CPUs can only be oversubscribed by RAM.
RAM remains the critical constraint.
Avoid being misled by outdated server hardware—those X5650 chips were introduced in 2010.