Max VM host offers great value with strong performance—seeking feedback
Max VM host offers great value with strong performance—seeking feedback
I've been using an Intel Core™ i7-5820K with six cores and 96GB RAM for a while now. It's working well for running VM instances in VMware Workstation. I'm trying to run more VMs, so I'm considering building a lightweight sidecar machine to host them without breaking the bank (under $1500). I've checked used HP Zxxx and Dell Txxx workstations, but they're still expensive and outdated for that price. I thought about assembling something simple with off-the-shelf parts to get fast DDR4 RAM and an NVMe drive. I'm aiming for a high core count (8+), quick memory, an onboard NVMe using a 2/4TB stick. I've been looking at: CPU options like i9-10850K or Ryzen 3700X, memory in 128GB sticks split into four 32GB modules, and NVMe drives—maybe PCIe 3.0 is enough if the board supports it and offers good value. The case should be basic, no RGB, just functional. It won't need to be visible publicly. Power supply should cover the CPU, a simple graphics card if needed, motherboard, and the NVMe drive. Any advice would be appreciated.
Storage configured at 2TB NVMe with 64Gb RAM (32GB each) and the ability to expand later. Here are my current configurations: Intel i9-10850K - PCPartPicker Part List Type Item Price CPU AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor $304.99 @ Newegg Motherboard Asus PRIME B550M-K Micro ATX AM4 Board $93.61 @ Amazon Memory Team Elite 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR4-3200 CL22 RAM $279.99 @ Newegg Storage Team MP33 2 TB M.2-2280 NVMe Drive $182.99 @ Newegg Case Rosewill FBM-X2 MicroATX Mini Tower $54.99 @ Amazon Power Supply EVGA GD (2019) 500W 80+ Gold Certified ATX $47.99 @ Amazon Prices cover shipping, taxes, rebates and discounts Total $1029.54 Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-05-10 23:00 EDT