[tim19889]

Hi all, I'm planning on building my very first server ever. I want something that I can use to run at least 10 virtual machines on at one time, in order to set up a test environment for my Microsoft studies. I'll need something with at least 22GB of memory. I will also want to put a semi-high end graphics card in this thing, as I will want to use it for playing some games as well. I'm planning on buying three SATA drives for it to set up RAID 5 (something I've never done before that I want to learn to do). For all that I want to do, what kind of power supply do I want to get for this thing? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[JMPC]

We'd really need a list of all the hardware to begin to determine a suitable power supply. With an i5 or i7, 32GB of RAM, 3 hard drives and a video card like a 660ti you would want something 650W or higher. Good quality is important.

 

[Tyree]

As above ^
We can't recommend a power size without knowing what the PSU will be required to power.
A top quality (SeaSonic or XFX) 650W PSU will cover almost all GPU's.

 

[tim19889]

Thanks for the replies. I'm thinking about either going with two Xeon processors or two i7s. Not sure exactly what graphic card I'll go with yet. When I have some more specific specs to give you I will post back here . By the way, do you think I'll be able to achieve what I want with a budget of $1000, or is that a little (or a lot) on the low side for what I want to do?

 

[Tyree]

If your going to be running a server 24/7 I'd just get a 650W to help insure good power.

 

[Fjandr]

Since you don't have specifics listed with regard to what you're powering, I'll stick with general notes as well.

If you're running dual processors you'll want to ensure that you have the appropriate auxiliary power connectors available (usually an 8-pin EPS connector in addition to the standard 4-pin 12V CPU connector). Another issue to be aware of is balancing the load on the 12V rail(s). A PSU with multiple rails can present a problem to high-draw dual processor boards which also utilize GPUs requiring auxiliary power connectors. Fewer rails typically make it easier to balance the load on the supply.

 

[Tyree]

Using a top quality PSU (SeaSonic or XFX) will eliminate the concerns posted above.