What specs for a dedicated game server?

[nomad147]

If I want to run a dedicated game server with counterstrike, quake3, tribes2 etc what specs would I need?

Cheers

 

[Migroo]

It depends upon how many people you want to host at a time

I'd say:

- CPU: This doesnt have to be too high, as long as it can run the game well you should be OK. Say something in the 500 mhz range.
- Ram: Get 256mb
- Hard Drive: Doesnt matter as long as it can hold the data for the games and anything else you want on there

Thats pretty much it really. You want a really stable machine if its a dedicated server, since I am paranoid I would stick to low-heat devices, like budget CPUs and slower spinning hard disks (5200rpm).

Hope this gives you some idea.

 

[flood]

lots and lots of ram!

My CS server (Hosts 10 games, 180 players):

Name: Potato
CPU: 2x AMD XP 1600
Motherboard: Tyan Tiger MP
Memory: 1024 MB of Crucial PC2100 Registered, DDR
Video Card: Matrox Millenium (MGA)
Hard Drive: IBM 75gxp 15.0 GB @ 7200 RPMS
Monitor: none
Storage Interface: IDE

Internet Provider: Broadband 10mb
Internet Connection Type: OC3+

Internet Connection Speed: 10mb
Operating System: Windows 2000
Other Components: (3) Netgear FA311


Of course, if you are running just one instance of hlds/q3/whatever, then a 450 will be just fine.
Keep in mind that cpu power is important, but memory bandwidth is too. Go for a 100mhz+ fsb if possible.

 

[Migroo]

WOW flood5!!

I'm sure nomad was just thinking about hosting one game at a time maybe (assumption..)

 

[SaturnX]

RAM is the key, the more ram the better, as long as the CPU and harddrive can handle it those are fine, 500Mhz and a few gigs is good.

--Mark

 

[DrZone]

not to high on the Mhz but have sufficient ram in there. And it also depends on the type of game.

Oh, and dont forget about the OS. If it's dedicated, go for Linux or Win2k - the only choices.

 

[mindiris]

Keep the CPU speed reasonable (500-866 is just fine, more if you want tons of players and servers), and 512MB should be plenty (more if...). A fast disk might be useful (initial loads and all), but more memory is better the rest of the time.

 

[Daovonnaex]

<< lots and lots of ram!

My CS server (Hosts 10 games, 180 players):

Name: Potato
CPU: 2x AMD XP 1600
Motherboard: Tyan Tiger MP
Memory: 1024 MB of Crucial PC2100 Registered, DDR
Video Card: Matrox Millenium (MGA)
Hard Drive: IBM 75gxp 15.0 GB @ 7200 RPMS
Monitor: none
Storage Interface: IDE

Internet Provider: Broadband 10mb
Internet Connection Type: OC3+

Internet Connection Speed: 10mb
Operating System: Windows 2000
Other Components: (3) Netgear FA311


Of course, if you are running just one instance of hlds/q3/whatever, then a 450 will be just fine.
Keep in mind that cpu power is important, but memory bandwidth is too. Go for a 100mhz+ fsb if possible. >>

How are you getting OC3?!

 

[Heisenberg]

As above, RAM is the most important. I have a server set up on a 400Mhz PII for several games (UT, RtCW, etc.) on linux and it runs fine. For a lot of people (8-10+) I would say at least 256M of RAM. If you can, I would use linux also. Much more stable and less of a resource hog than Windows. Not running X will help a great deal on resources also.

 

[ChrisIsBored]

Internet Provider: Broadband 10mb
Internet Connection Type: OC3+

Internet Connection Speed: 10mb
Operating System: Windows 2000
Other Components: (3) Netgear FA311


An OC3 line straight to your server eh? Must be nice.... :disgust:

 

[flood]

<< How are you getting OC3?! >>

 

[Daovonnaex]

<<

<< How are you getting OC3?! >>



>>

Really, how?

 

[flood]

<<

<<

<< How are you getting OC3?! >>



>>

Really, how? >>

 

[Daovonnaex]

<<

<<

<<

<< How are you getting OC3?! >>



>>

Really, how? >>


>>

Theft, right?

 

[flood]

PM me

 

[CyBOrz PaCe]

Taking this topic from a different angle.

I have a friend running a single CS game on a AMD Athlon 700 everything else is fine he has a good fast cable connection. Problem is he only has 256MB of ram. Everybody in the server pings around 300 to 400. I ping around 300. In most other CS servers I get a ping of 30 to 60.

Can his problem be the lack of Ram?? or is the issue somewhere else?

If not the Ram for him, what does a lack of Ram cause?

Thanks

CyBOrz

 

[Goosemaster]

I am AT COLLEGE AS WELL..busted Flood

Flood is very fortunate however. I believe my school also has an OC3, but unfortunately many services are blocked.

WEbpages are out. Firewall prevents incoming data without an outgoing request to match(there are exceptions but few)

They also block such ip-blockable services as morpheus.

Fortunately gnetella and many other clents still work.
Once i hit an ASTOUNDING....

17Mbits/s

and that is no lie....I always have bandwidth monitrs running. THe admin would get suspicios(yeah right..he'd find and kick my a_s after only ten minutes of network flooding hell)


On a regular basis downloads hover aroung the 600KB/s - 1MegabytePS depending on the site. Hotline gets about 3megs/sec

At max speed. I once downloaded an entire divx movie in about12min. I have no idea how fast that was going.

 

[Draco]

<< As above, RAM is the most important. I have a server set up on a 400Mhz PII for several games (UT, RtCW, etc.) on linux and it runs fine. For a lot of people (8-10+) I would say at least 256M of RAM. If you can, I would use linux also. Much more stable and less of a resource hog than Windows. Not running X will help a great deal on resources also. >>




Sure RAM is important 256mb or more is recommended, but let's be real here. The most important thing with a game server is it's connectivity. You could have a Quad Xeon with 2gb of RAM and it's still going to be a crappy server on a cable modem. T1 or better for connectivity. For a 16 player server your going to want at least 784k of bandwidth upstream and 512k downstream. More is always better. Connect the server with 100MBs full-duplex nic's on a switched connection.