Hi
Just wondering what motherboard\cpu people are using for a home server i am planning to run xc-png hypervisor

kiwi191 - 2021-02-04 09:44:00

I've had home labs for well over 12 years. Buy a 2nd hand server, don't make one yourself if you want a proper experience. Having some form of integrated lights out/DRAC/iLO/LOM functionality is worth its weight in myrrh.

joys_teddy - 2021-02-04 10:45:00

I don't know what an xc-png hypervisor is, but I am using an old HP T510 thin client as a DNS server (pi-hole) at home. It works really well, completely solid state and uses almost no power.

It cost me only $15, but unfortunately it only had a 1GB SSD in it which was a pain as the linux kernel is quite big now.

Try getting one with a bigger SSD. I didn't want to spend any money on a $15 machine, but managed to use a file system with compression and managed to get everything on there easily enough.

Try give your local e-waste recycling facility a call.

I got mine from Ecotech Services Ltd in Christchurch.

tygertung - 2021-02-04 10:56:00

tygertung wrote:

I don't know what an xc-png hypervisor is, but I am using an old HP T510 thin client as a DNS server (pi-hole) at home. It works really well, completely solid state and uses almost no power.

It cost me only $15, but unfortunately it only had a 1GB SSD in it which was a pain as the linux kernel is quite big now.

Try getting one with a bigger SSD. I didn't want to spend any money on a $15 machine, but managed to use a file system with compression and managed to get everything on there easily enough.

Try give your local e-waste recycling facility a call.

I got mine from Ecotech Services Ltd in Christchurch.

Got a 16gb card out of a t610 that I have no use for if it's any use. Also got a complete working t610.

namtak - 2021-02-04 12:23:00

According to:

https://xcp-ng.org/docs/requirements.html#xcp-ng-system-requ
irements

"One or more 64-bit x86 CPUs, 1.5 GHz minimum, 2 GHz or faster multicore CPU recommended."

and the T610 has"

"AMD T56N (dual core)
1.65GHz
AMD A55E"

And they have either 2 GB or 4GB of ram, and can take 16 GB

So it might be just fast enough for the OP, depending on what he or she is actually planning on doing with it.

Perhaps the OP could take the server and I could take the RAM?

I was able to get it running with the 1 GB card, but it was a real pain, and a bigger card would be nice.

tygertung - 2021-02-04 13:31:00

If I had a bigger card, I could also use the machine for a web server perhaps? It has a lot of spare capacity as the DNS server uses almost no resources.

tygertung - 2021-02-04 13:32:00

You want more than two cores for virtual machines.

spyware - 2021-02-04 15:43:00

VMware workstation on my existing desktop PC. Can't get much cheaper than that. $0 hardware, $0 power. Never tried that hypervisor, have stuck with esxi.

bitsnpieces2020 - 2021-02-04 16:05:00

https://www.computerlounge.co.nz/shop/components/processors/
amd/amd-ryzen-3-3100-b450m-a-16gb-dd4-2666-rgb-combo

4 cores/8 threads, maybe add some more memory. Maybe a bit lite if you want to run Plex though.

spyware - 2021-02-04 16:15:00

Oh is it for Virtual Machines is it? Yes, a thin client would be well underpowered for that.

tygertung - 2021-02-04 16:41:00

My observation is that each virtual machine must be a little bit slower than the speed of the hardware the server is built on, due to the context switching.

So if you want a bunch of slow virtual machines then use a slow $15 thin client or something free, but if you want a bunch of good concurrent virtuals then use a fast intel multicore with lots of memory and probably an array of disk that you can easily expand (because you will run out of disk, and being able to add more quickly without having to tear it all down will save the users a lot of pain)

gyrogearloose - 2021-02-04 17:10:00

Dell r720 is what I'm using. And if you want to go free why not use Proxmox?

bronzeblood - 2021-02-04 19:38:00

gyrogearloose wrote:

My observation is that each virtual machine must be a little bit slower than the speed of the hardware the server is built on, due to the context switching.

So if you want a bunch of slow virtual machines then use a slow $15 thin client or something free, but if you want a bunch of good concurrent virtuals then use a fast intel multicore with lots of memory and probably an array of disk that you can easily expand (because you will run out of disk, and being able to add more quickly without having to tear it all down will save the users a lot of pain)

Why not AMD Ryzen?

tygertung - 2021-02-04 20:21:00

There should be a whole bunch of ex lease servers on TM or other places for cheap, no need to buy a brand new one.

tygertung - 2021-02-05 16:21:00

Proxmox - you can make a cluster of machines all running VMs very easily.

Try and pick up an old Supermicro server or similar. CPU will be fine but ensure you have at least 16GB of RAM for a hypervisor and VMs.

Be very aware just how loud something like a 1U server is though. A set of SAS drives and cooling fans mean that they are too loud to keep in the same room. I used earplugs when setting up the one at work in my lab before it got put into the rack in the server room

gblack - 2021-02-09 07:16:00

Im running a Ryzen 3700x w/32 gb ram as a testing/non production hypervisor (Hyper-V) under my desk at work, handles load very well (obviously not that cheap though)

Edited by csador at 11:39 am, Tue 9 Feb

csador - 2021-02-09 11:37:00