Question about Windows 2003 Server, please advise!

[duckdown]

Hi all..

Eventually, I am going to go the MCSE route, which requires good knowledge of Windows Server 2003, so I figure I might as well go ahead and install it now so I can start getting famliar with all of the aspects of it.. But my question is this..

I've got an AMD64 powerhouse, and Windows Server 2003 X64 edition, but I still enjoy my gaming.. If I lose XP and install 2003 X64 edition can it still handle my games? Will I be able to enjoy all the games I currently enjoy on XP?

Also, if the answer is no to that, that the games wont function properly on X64 edition, should I go ahead and do regular Windows 2003 Server (32bit) ? It obviously can play games like any other 32 bit Windows, right?

Thanks for the help!

 

[BeanDip]

Ya never know until you try.

Windows 2003 Server is not designed to play games. It can use the same hardware as XP but the system architecture is designed for file and application sharing.

It probably would play the games but I don't know how the performance will be.

I would stick with XP for games and pick up another box for the server. Besides you are wanting to go for MCSE which requires you to understand networking between client and server.

 

[bsobel]

You can turn DirectX on and most things will work. However some things (like UPnP support) that your game may want to use is not available on 2003.

 

[n yusef]

Dual boot Server 2003 and XP. If something won't work in 2003, reboot into XP.

 

[Red Squirrel]

also all hardware accelaration related stuff is turned low by default, but those are all tweaks you just need to find out about and do them. there's some tuts online about converting it to workstation. But I would recomend running it on a seperate box so you can play with stuff like terminal services, domain controller, IIS*puke*, etc. I tried it on my workstation, and had the same results as XP - startup BSOD. So I'm guessing it's built almost exactly like XP so whatever made XP not like my machine (probably an unsoported software I use, or hardware) did the same to 2k3...

What you can also do is get VMware and run it in a VM on your machine, then you can even run other OSes to do a whole network.

 

[FiLeZz]

Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
also all hardware accelaration related stuff is turned low by default, but those are all tweaks you just need to find out about and do them. there's some tuts online about converting it to workstation. But I would recomend running it on a seperate box so you can play with stuff like terminal services, domain controller, IIS*puke*, etc. I tried it on my workstation, and had the same results as XP - startup BSOD. So I'm guessing it's built almost exactly like XP so whatever made XP not like my machine (probably an unsoported software I use, or hardware) did the same to 2k3...

What you can also do is get VMware and run it in a VM on your machine, then you can even run other OSes to do a whole network.

This is the best option for playing games and working with server 2003.

 

[Valkerie]

2003 is very hard to utilze sound cards, let alone full graphics capabilities

 

[Vegito]

VM are much easier.. i have 1 file server running 4-6 vm for testing and stuff..

i would just buy another pc and have at least 2 with 1 running vm ..

 

[Smilin]

Use virtual machines


Virtual PC is very affordable.

 

[imported_BikeDude]

Originally posted by: Valkerie
2003 is very hard to utilze sound cards, let alone full graphics capabilities

Uhm, this is just plain wrong.

I've used 32-bit Windows 2003 for playing games since it first arrived. nVidia Soundstorm, Soundblaster Audigy, HDA Mystique, onboard sound... All worked for me. Just use the XP drivers.. The kernel is identical to XP, so the device driver won't mind.

Lately certain titles will test for XP in the installation, but hack the .msi file and they'll run just fine (e.g. Rome: Total war's installer). Apart from that: No problems.

Windows 2003 is tuned differently, but nothing the op shouldn't know about anyway if he is pursuing a MCSE. It's not rocket science...! Crank up video and sound acceleration (30 secs), adjust system cache if you feel like it (and don't have the memory to support it) and just press play. As a bonus, you don't have to search around forever in order to disable all those annoying "features" of XP. (I did that again last week -- yuck!)

64-bit Windows 2003 poses a greater challenge (to me atleast). At the moment the 64-bit soundcard driver I use doesn't support surround sound (nor spdif output). My Hauppauge USB2 PVR thingy comes with no drivers at all, so that's another head-ache.

 

[Bozo]

Played Doom3 and other games on Server 2003 without problems.
It can be set up to look and run like XP. I don't have the link anymore, but if you search you should find an article on how to set up Server 2003 as a work station.

Bozo