Taking old server components and repurposing them for today's budget gaming setup is a viable option.
Taking old server components and repurposing them for today's budget gaming setup is a viable option.
I need another PC soon and came across some old Xeon based servers on eBay. I was thinking about whether it would be more cost-effective to purchase a server and install a GTX 760, then assemble a $250 new system using older components, or to buy the server directly and avoid upgrading my current case and GPU. If I build a fresh rig, I’d have to upgrade my main system and GPU, raising the total to around $620, whereas buying the server would cost about $410. Of course, a modern i3 build would perform better in gaming but might lag in rendering, editing, and photo editing. The extra ~$200 seems justified for the server, though I expect only about $100 of that would go toward a new case. It doesn’t matter much to me how it looks, but upgrading is definitely not my goal. Any general advice would be appreciated.
No way. That system is really outdated. It needs a much bigger IPC than what's usually considered the minimum for today's games. You'd do better with a modern i3, which would definitely handle that Tigerton Xeon well in both rendering and graphics tasks.
No way. That system is really outdated. It needs a much bigger IPC than what's usually considered the minimum for today's games. You'd do better with a modern i3, which would definitely handle that Tigerton Xeon well in both rendering and graphics tasks.
The processor was introduced in 2007. A server-grade system built with just nine years of technology is unsuitable for gaming. Initially, only one of those four processors would be used, and only half of its cores would be active. These cores are far from the speed of today’s i3-6100 or i5-6500 models. The server lacks storage drives, has likely operated continuously without interruption, and its power supply may not include all necessary connectors. It probably doesn’t even have an ATX PSU, and the case size often doesn’t match standard enclosures. Even for tasks like rendering, editing, or photo editing, a modern i3-6100 or i5-6500 would outperform this setup.
Every day, people attempt exactly what you’re aiming for, only to fail repeatedly and seek assistance online. You have a rare chance to avoid making the same error. There’s a good reason why it’s so affordable—don’t squander your investment.
What I mentioned along with what he added ^^ = that's exactly how it is.
A few aspects not only affect performance but also make it sound like a jet could quickly heat a room, while it doesn't accommodate a graphics card.
Windows 10 supports only two physical CPUs. To run applications requiring more, you’d need a Windows Server with an x4 processor. That would require purchasing a used server with a suitable CPU at a reasonable cost. This situation is quite challenging. Additionally, if you’re using Adobe software, keep in mind that only certain programs utilize more than eight cores (physical or virtual). With my setup of two 2670s, I achieve only 55% utilization in half of the applications compared to 100% on a 6700k. Building a used system turned out to be more economical. If you repeat this process, you’d likely opt for another 6700k system, but constructing it was enjoyable since I’ve never built a dual Xeon setup before. Unless your software can fully utilize all cores at full capacity, it’s not worth the effort.