Using an old dual CPU server as a gaming PC?
 

This is just fascinating me. Apparently only for people who can build
stuff. That's what I was looking for. Otherwise, everybody would be
doing it.

https://youtu.be/epIlB49SNTI?t=474

There he is self-critical about his system, but if you zoom in and look
at the specs, you will notice it's running at 2.5 GHz. There are cheap
Xeon CPUs available running much faster than that.

This is thrilling... But must avoid the pitfalls. Lots of research
ahead. Wish I could do it with my Q9550s. But it looks like basically
the same thing, except having to buy them again.

Using an old dual CPU server as a gaming PC?
 

On Fri, 29 Jan 2016, John Doe wrote:

This is just fascinating me. Apparently only for people who can build
stuff. That's what I was looking for. Otherwise, everybody would be
doing it.

https://youtu.be/epIlB49SNTI?t=474

There he is self-critical about his system, but if you zoom in and look
at the specs, you will notice it's running at 2.5 GHz. There are cheap
Xeon CPUs available running much faster than that.

This is thrilling... But must avoid the pitfalls. Lots of research
ahead. Wish I could do it with my Q9550s. But it looks like basically
the same thing, except having to buy them again.

I don't get the question. A server is arranged for serving, which may not
be good for games. At the very least, you aren't likely to have good
video in there, I gather that's important to gamers, and there may not be
the space inside to put in a good video card.

I gather those Xeon CPUs can be quite the energy hogs (not all, but it is
osmething to watch), so you may be better off with a more recent CPU
that's faster and uses less current.

YOu can also get better CPUs, more cores, and if your gaming needs can
take advantage of that, then surely you're better off.

A server likely has lots of space for RAM, but can you fill it up with
more at this point, or has memory moved on so old RAM will now be
expensive (because it's scarcer?) If you can find a server at a decent
price, with lots of memory, that may change things too.

Of course, it may depend on price. If it's a giveaway, then it may come
out ahead (not leading edge specs, but decent for the price), but once you
start paying for it, you have to pause.

Michael

Using an old dual CPU server as a gaming PC?
 

Michael Black wrote:

John Doe wrote:

This is just fascinating me. Apparently only for people who can build
stuff. That's what I was looking for. Otherwise, everybody would be
doing it.

https://youtu.be/epIlB49SNTI?t=474

There he is self-critical about his system, but if you zoom in and
look at the specs, you will notice it's running at 2.5 GHz. There are
cheap Xeon CPUs available running much faster than that.

This is thrilling... But must avoid the pitfalls. Lots of research
ahead. Wish I could do it with my Q9550s. But it looks like basically
the same thing, except having to buy them again.

I don't get the question. A server is arranged for serving, which may
not be good for games. At the very least, you aren't likely to have
good video in there, I gather that's important to gamers, and there
may not be the space inside to put in a good video card.

Yes, there are likely to be some peripheral trade-offs in going for the
price to raw gaming performance ratio. And potentially having to
physically modify hardware. I'm still researching it.






--


I gather those Xeon CPUs can be quite the energy hogs (not all, but it
is osmething to watch), so you may be better off with a more recent
CPU that's faster and uses less current.

YOu can also get better CPUs, more cores, and if your gaming needs can
take advantage of that, then surely you're better off.

A server likely has lots of space for RAM, but can you fill it up with
more at this point, or has memory moved on so old RAM will now be
expensive (because it's scarcer?) If you can find a server at a
decent price, with lots of memory, that may change things too.

Of course, it may depend on price. If it's a giveaway, then it may
come out ahead (not leading edge specs, but decent for the price), but
once you start paying for it, you have to pause.

Michael

Using an old dual CPU server as a gaming PC?
 

No soundblaster slot... does it even have on-board audio ?

Crap I say ! ;)

Using an old dual CPU server as a gaming PC?
 

This is not for someone that couldn't engineer himself out of a wet
paper bag.

It should stick to doing HAUL videos like some girls on YouTube.

--
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No soundblaster slot... does it even have on-board audio ?

Crap I say ! ;)

Using an old dual CPU server as a gaming PC?
 

Forget building stuff. I sacrificed weeks of allowance $240 (US) and
ordered a used server (SR2625URLXR) plus 2 low-end Xeon CPUs and 12GB
RAM. The SR2625UR was one of two finalists in my choice of (legacy) LGA
1366 motherboards. Like the following one, but including everything
except a storage device to make it work. I think they are throwing in
the power cable(s) too.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/380455758115?

That one requires adding (legacy) CPUs, memory, storage, and maybe some
other stuff.

Here are two screenshots of the used system's BIOS.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/275322...in/dateposted/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/275322...n/photostream/

I will cut a big slot through the case in order to fit my GFX 960. And
add a hard drive or SSD. I have doubts it will be fast as expected,
it's too cheap and easy.

Apparently the RAM is six pieces of 2 GB each. Hopefully that takes
advantage of the six channel capability (FWIW, theyz buzzwords to me).






--

I wrote:

This is just fascinating me. Apparently only for people who can build
stuff. That's what I was looking for. Otherwise, everybody would be
doing it.

https://youtu.be/epIlB49SNTI?t=474

There he is self-critical about his system, but if you zoom in and
look at the specs, you will notice it's running at 2.5 GHz. There are
cheap Xeon CPUs available running much faster than that.

This is thrilling... But must avoid the pitfalls. Lots of research
ahead. Wish I could do it with my Q9550s. But it looks like basically
the same thing, except having to buy them again.

Using an old dual CPU server as a gaming PC?
 

John Doe wrote:
Forget building stuff. I sacrificed weeks of allowance $240 (US) and
ordered a used server (SR2625URLXR) plus 2 low-end Xeon CPUs and 12GB
RAM. The SR2625UR was one of two finalists in my choice of (legacy) LGA
1366 motherboards. Like the following one, but including everything
except a storage device to make it work. I think they are throwing in
the power cable(s) too.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/380455758115?

That one requires adding (legacy) CPUs, memory, storage, and maybe some
other stuff.

Here are two screenshots of the used system's BIOS.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/275322...in/dateposted/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/275322...n/photostream/

I will cut a big slot through the case in order to fit my GFX 960. And
add a hard drive or SSD. I have doubts it will be fast as expected,
it's too cheap and easy.

Apparently the RAM is six pieces of 2 GB each. Hopefully that takes
advantage of the six channel capability (FWIW, theyz buzzwords to me).

Think carefully about your in-case cooling and how that works.

Chopping a slot is trickier than it looks.

Expanding the entire headroom of the chassis, reduces the
air velocity over top of stuff. If the CPU coolers rely
on the velocity of that air, then modifying the chassis
dimensions could affect things.

If you take the top off, it's possible you might need
a different style of CPU cooler. I don't have a picture
of the inside of that chassis, to guess.

Paul

Using an old dual CPU server as a gaming PC?
 

Paul wrote:

John Doe wrote:

Forget building stuff. I sacrificed weeks of allowance $240 (US) and
ordered a used server (SR2625URLXR) plus 2 low-end Xeon CPUs and 12GB
RAM. The SR2625UR was one of two finalists in my choice of (legacy) LGA
1366 motherboards. Like the following one, but including everything
except a storage device to make it work. I think they are throwing in
the power cable(s) too.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/380455758115?

That one requires adding (legacy) CPUs, memory, storage, and maybe some
other stuff.

Here are two screenshots of the used system's BIOS.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/275322...in/dateposted/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/275322...n/photostream/

I will cut a big slot through the case in order to fit my GFX 960. And
add a hard drive or SSD. I have doubts it will be fast as expected,
it's too cheap and easy.

Apparently the RAM is six pieces of 2 GB each. Hopefully that takes
advantage of the six channel capability (FWIW, theyz buzzwords to me).

Think carefully about your in-case cooling and how that works.

Chopping a slot is trickier than it looks.

Doing stuff in the real world is always trickier than it looks.
Shakespeare couldn't emphasize that statement enough.


--


Expanding the entire headroom of the chassis, reduces the
air velocity over top of stuff. If the CPU coolers rely
on the velocity of that air, then modifying the chassis
dimensions could affect things.

If you take the top off, it's possible you might need
a different style of CPU cooler. I don't have a picture
of the inside of that chassis, to guess.

Paul

Using an old dual CPU server as a gaming PC?
 

"X-Plane depends most heavily on single thread CPU performance, but it will
also take advantage of multiple cores or distinct processors..."

That should be a great starting benchmark.

Using an old dual CPU server as a gaming PC?
 

Hi,

Xeon CPUs are used in high performance servers and in high performance
desktops. Usually the latter one should have a high performance graphics
adapter too while no one would spend much money on a server's graphics
adapter. So you might want to look for a used high performance desktop.

John Doe wrote:
This is just fascinating me. Apparently only for people who can build
stuff. That's what I was looking for. Otherwise, everybody would be
doing it.

https://youtu.be/epIlB49SNTI?t=474

There he is self-critical about his system, but if you zoom in and look
at the specs, you will notice it's running at 2.5 GHz. There are cheap
Xeon CPUs available running much faster than that.

This is thrilling... But must avoid the pitfalls. Lots of research
ahead. Wish I could do it with my Q9550s. But it looks like basically
the same thing, except having to buy them again.