Summary

• Understand server PC requirements for cases, cooling, and noise levels before building or buying one.
• Choose between rack systems and tower servers based on space, noise, and airflow preferences.
• Check CPU specs, RAM slots, and power consumption to ensure the server PC meets your needs and budget.

With processors boasting enough cores to take care of any virtualization task and a massive number of RAM slots, server systems make for amazing additions to any home lab setup. But if you’re used to building typical gaming or productivity-oriented PCs, you might be surprised at the different standards in the server machine landscape. So, we’ve compiled a list of the most important things you should be aware of before you build or even buy a new server PC.

7 Researching the case is more important than ever

Especially for the awkwardly-sized motherboards

While the case is obviously essential for your typical PC, you need to be even more selective when choosing a cabinet for a self-assembled server PC. Server systems, especially those armed with dual CPUs, can generate an exorbitant amount of heat, and you’ll need a case with amazing cooling provisions if you don’t want the PC to end up melting itself.

Plus, full-size server motherboards are usually much larger than their gaming counterparts, meaning it’s important to choose a case that can fit the mobo, CPU cooler(s), and other components. That said, if you’re buying a pre-built server PC, you probably don’t need to worry about the case. Speaking of pre-built systems…

6 Choose wisely between rack systems and tower servers

Both have their fair share of pros and cons

Leaving aside the high-end blade servers, you’ll usually find pre-built server rigs in two form factors: narrow rack systems and the more familiar tower chassis. Functionality-wise, they have some differences you should keep in mind before picking one out.

For instance, rack PCs occupy a lot of space, and the only way to reduce their footprint is to purchase a dedicated mounting rack. They also tend to be quite noisy, but they’re usually very affordable. Combine this with the fact that it’s easy to pile up multiple rack systems in a dedicated mount, and rack setups are better for cluster-based workloads requiring multiple systems.

Meanwhile, tower servers have a similar form factor as your average full-sized PC. While they can be a bit pricier than their server counterparts, tower rigs usually have better airflow and generate less noise. As such, tower servers are perfect when you want a single PC that doesn’t sound like a jet engine when you use it.

5 Server processor(s) can technically run games

You may not get ultra-high FPS, though

If you’re tempted to game on your server system, then it’s possible to run modern titles on the CPU. But contrary to what you’d expect from processors with multiple cores and threads, the performance will be less than stellar. Besides their vastly slow clock speeds, CPUs designed for use in servers have lackluster single-core performance.

Sure, some modern games might be good at splitting the workload across multiple cores to compensate for the lack of single-core processing power. But in the majority of titles, you’re likely to see unimpressive (and even downright atrocious) performance if you try to run games on server hardware.

4 Keep track of the drive bays

As well as the SATA ports

Converting a server PC into a high-end NAS featuring complex RAID configurations and a host of arrays is a pretty useful project. However, you should do some thorough research into the drive capacity of the system. If you’re assembling your own server PC, you should check out the number of drive bays, or else you’ll need to mod it with a dremel tool to fit all your 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch HDDs into the case. Likewise, make sure the motherboard has enough SATA ports for the drives to avoid spending even more on a PCIe-to-SATA card.

3 Double-check the CPU specs

To avoid spending more on a weaker CPU

If you thought PC components had terrible names, the naming schemes of server processors would like to have a word with you. While the names of AMD’s EPYC lineup make a modicum of sense when you have the naming convention chart open, Intel’s Xeon series has some of the worst nomenclature schemes in the history of computing.

For starters, we’ve gone from the E3/5/7 V1/2/3/4/5 processors to Gold and Silver chips to E- and W- CPUs. Heck, even in the same generation of Xeon CPUs, a larger number won’t necessarily mean a better processor. As such, you should conduct proper research into the specs of the CPU instead of picking the one with the highest number.

2 Ensure your motherboard has enough RAM slots

Pay heed to the ECC memory requirements

Multiple cores and massive amounts of memory are a godsend for virtualization-related workloads. So, if you’re planning to run a battalion of virtual machines on the server PC, you should check the number of RAM slots (and channels) available in the motherboard, as those with eight slots and quad channels allow for better scalability.

Furthermore, it’s a good idea to confirm whether the motherboard supports ECC memory. Besides its advantages in NAS workloads where you want the data to be as corruption-free as possible, some motherboards won’t function unless you have ECC memory installed. For those assembling their own server motherboards, you might want to check the specs sheet to ensure it supports non-ECC memory, otherwise, you’ll be left with an unbootable system.

1 Server PCs are electricity guzzlers

Dual processor setups, even more so

Unless you’re gaming 24/7 and utilizing the full extent of your cutting-edge graphics card and processor’s prowess, the idle power consumption on average consumer PCs isn’t quite high. However, server PCs lie at the opposite end of the spectrum. Sure, the newer processors from Team Blue and Team Red have better efficiency, but there’s no denying that server PCs can single-handedly bump your household's power consumption up a notch.

If you’re using the server as a NAS, the power consumption of HDDs can quickly add up as you start slotting in more drives. And for those with older dual CPU setups, you should be prepared to pay an absurdly high amount in electricity bills.

Server PCs are still a great investment for any computing enthusiast

While a server PC can involve a lot of micromanagement, it's worth buying if you’re even remotely interested in the world of computing. Depending on where you look, it’s easy to find outdated machines at bargain prices, and you can easily nab a solid workstation for under $300. And there’s an insane amount of cool projects you can build with a server PC, ranging from high-end video editing stations and professional NAS setups to locally-hosted AI servers and Kubernetes war machines.