2024-03-30 10:31:56 +00:00
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#import "template.typ": conf
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#show: doc => conf(
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title: [ Selecting hardware for a (home) server ],
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doc,
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2024-03-29 23:27:58 +00:00
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)
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= Introduction
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I see a lot of people worryingly mistaken about what a server needs
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\(specifically, a home server). Some think that a bland and incredibly
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ignorant '20% budget for CPU, 30% for GPU, and the rest for the rest'
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plan for selecting hardware is good enough \(at least, before choosing
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specific items) - you can’t exactly be #emph[wrong] when choosing
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hardware, but this is very, #emph[very] far from right.
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= Requirements
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Server hardware needs to be low-power and resource-efficient - so as not
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to waste any money unnessarily, obviously. Your budget will strongly
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impact the specifications you can get your hands on, but I would think
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that even \$200 is enough for a decent home server - depending on what
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you want to do with it. Keep in mind that you could always repurpose an
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old laptop or desktop lying around; it’s cheap, and you get what may be
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a surprisingly decent machine.
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== Power consumption
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The difference between low #emph[peak] and low #emph[idle] power should
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be noted in particular. Running costs can get very high if you don’t
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work to moderate power consumption, and probably wouldn’t be something
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you would ignore when it comes to home servers.
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== Usage of the server
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Naturally, how a server will be used will affect pretty much everything
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about the hardware chosen for it. For example, if you’re looking to
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stream games remotely, you’d go for a \(perhaps powerful) dedicated GPU
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and would likely invest in some high-speed internet solution. As
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indicated by the above example of the GPU, you need to be #emph[very]
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specific with what you choose - do you #emph[need] a powerful GPU or do
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you not? After all, one of the last things you would want, ever, is
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money going to waste on something you don’t need, or failing to buy
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something that meets your expectations.
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= Conclusion
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I only gave two points of interest when selecting a server - looking at
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the numbers alone, this might seem like hardly anything to consider at
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all. My reasons for this are:
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- Power comumption is one factor that people often forego thinking
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about, and an extremely important one at that.
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- Building on top of the previous point, you \(probably) aren’t stupid.
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Knowing \(albeit at a very basic level) what to look out for should be
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enough.
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- It would be extremely difficult for me, or anyone else for that
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matter, to provide a #strong[truly] complete solution to everyone’s
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needs for a home server.
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Well, that’s it. I wish you luck in selecting your hardware.
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