Server Help

[Stanlee]

So I'm looking into buying some servers in the future, so I was wondering how these looked. Please help me out, and don't hate :]

http://www.compusa.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5017686&CatId=3375

http://www.compusa.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5017688&CatId=3375

http://www.compusa.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5017690&CatId=3375

http://www.compusa.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5017691&CatId=3375

Don't look at the prices, this is more of a spec's thing.
If I built my own server would it be cheaper?
Please enlighten me with good server deals and spec's.
Thanks :D

[iSmokedYourNuts]

i say save ur money for a car. maybe you'll get something better than venom's truck :p

[ChicagoMikey]

As I already have an ideal on what you will be using the servers for, I will give you some input:

The thing with buying servers is collocating them in a data center. Hardware is so cheap right now that most of the time, it would cost about the same as renting a server. You will be billed for Space + Power + Bandwidth.

Here are some places I checked out for collocation that have premium networks for game servers:
http://steadfast.net/ (Chicago Data Center)
http://www.colocrossing.com/
http://www.gigenet.com/ (Where rG has their servers)

[Stanlee]

Thanks Mikey, I'll look into all of those locations.

[Smith6612]

Just to point out, you can easilly build a rack server for a bit cheaper than what is found above and have it colocated. Personally if I were to build a server, I would want to put it in a datacenter nearby my home and at a datacenter that would allow me to grab the server or perform hardware work on it upon stopping in. Otherwise, the cheaper route may just be to rent a dedicated box from a datacenter, or even cheaper, run off of a VPS for the time being until you can afford a full sized server.

As for bandwidth, it's dirt cheap. A single Gig-E line in a datacenter running maxed out shouldn't cost any more than $50 tops worth of data.

[kar]

Don't look at the prices, this is more of a spec's thing.
If I built my own server would it be cheaper?
Please enlighten me with good server deals and spec's.
Thanks :D

building one is cheaper in most cases

[aimbotfriend]

Cheaper to rent. You still have to pay for tech support if your co-location crashes. Not worth it. $100 a month X 12 for a decent server. If you're running game servers, pay per slot until you're a bigger community who has a good source of donations coming in.

[Ninja]

www.gameservers.com

They have good, cheap servers, the only problem is that the control panel is all FTP and it can be hard if you are a beginner...

[stephen]

game servers isnt really that cheap, its not bad for a game server but for dedicated its not worth it. Also FTP is very easy if you cant do ftp dont bother trying to start cause thats the least hardest part to starting and managing a server.

And for the buying a blade versus renting one. Its far better to rent one that way if any hardware goes wrong on it they will replace it free (well most do anyways), plus with licensing fees for certain services. Its all one big cost at once.