About the plans for 2 servers connected to each other...

[Agran Harper]

Well, I can't (and won't) blame you for not knowing the difference of a gaming rig and what we need for our server, despite the fact that we don't use a real server-dedicated machine but rather "just" a regular computer. Let me do the math for you, Silverleaf. I'm taking the average prices from the local computer stores I visit (I frequently assemble PCs for others and advise them). :

1. CPU: Quadcore, 3,2Ghz. 169 Euro
   ((AMD Phenom II X4 955, AM3 Socket)). I do not favor the i7 CPU, for it and the related motherboards cost too much and offer not that additional performance you would expect from that price. Judging from what we need (a computer that has to run a program from 2001 / 2002) then its more muscle and less fancy finess?.
   
   
   
2. Mainboard: 150 Euro
   (( either ASUS M4A79T Deluxe or MSI 790FX-GD70. I havn't put much thought behind the Mainboard, I'm just doing a simple window shopping with gut feeling )) Both Motherboards are capable to run 16Gigs of 1600 chips.
   
   
   
3. RAM: 2x2GB + 2x2GB: 86+86 Euro
   (( DIMM DDR3 4GB PC3-12800 CL9, Kit Kingston (KHX1600C9D3K2/4G) )) x2
   That is a total of 8 GB RAM, naturally.
   Purchasing RAM up to 16 gigs is questionable. It only runs freelancer server, a database (what was that? 3 gigs big?) and... nothing. Cannot see a reason to go beyond 8 GB, but if it demands; our high mark is 16.
   
   
   
4. Graphic Card: 40 Euro / n.A.
   (( passive cooled Sapphire Radeon HD4350 )). Sadly there is no onboarch graphic chipset on either of the motherboards. As being a server machine, it just stands there and won't need to output any visual. Also, the graphics card should draw the least possible amount of power, thats why it is passive cooled. People would freak out if they knew how much power just the cooling fans need. If anyone has an old graphics card that is passively cooled; even better. Older cards use less power, even passive.
   About n.A: We could even set up a remote access program and completely ignore the graphics card, using the already existing server to operate the other computer. This way we use even less resources (yes, graphic cards nowadays feed not only on power) and even less power.
   
   
   
5. Power supply: 50 Euro
   (( any 550W will do, perhaps even 500, but better be save than sorry)). We save tremendous amounts of power because we don't have a GPU in use that actively sucks away energy. With a nonexistant graphics card, we save even more, as mentioned.
   
   
   
6. Cooling: 55 Euro
   (( Zalman CNPS 9700 )). Just because of the architecture and full copper. There might certainly be better heat sinks out there, but this is my personal favorite. Since its a server machine that does not have to have any looks, we can lay the tower sideways, so the cooling unit does not exert much force to the socket. The harddrive can be mounted "sideways" into the upright ATX tower, so it would lie down flat as well, if the tower is tilted.
   
   
   
7. Harddisk: 60 Euro
   (( Seagate Barracuda ES.2 250GB, 32MB Cache, SATA II, 8ms)). We don't need size, we need speed. Even if we excessively use ramdrives; loading into ram gets faster with a quicker HD. Most of the time, the harddisk is the slowest thing anyways. Due to Ramdrives, we don't need any expensive RAID setup nor SCSI. Way. Too. Expensive.
   
   
   
8. The rest: 35 Euro
   (( any cheap ATX Tower, a used DVD drive, a used mouse, and a used keyboard)).
   Because there is no overclocking and no raid drive and no graphics card that has to be stressed, additional fans are not mandatory.
   
   
   
9. Operating System: varies
   WinXP 64bit pro: 120 Euro
   Win2003 64bit: 500 Euro ((couldn't find a single-client retail anymore))
   
   
   
10. Total: 851 Euro (XP) or 1231 Euro (2003)
    Current change: 1.4 USD = 1 Euro
    

That is nowhere near the 3000 bucks mark, and not even remotely close to the millions. If we could find a cheaper version of 64bit W2003, for 1 installation only, that would throttle the price down to 200 Euros perhaps.

Note: given more time, I can make a better fitting system if I dig more into the specs and the necessity and whatnot. I just window shopped loosely.

I do not favor overclocking, and we are able to split the work anyways. 4 cores, 4 servers, each only needing to run a part of Sirius. The current server runs overclocked on 4Ghz to have a single instance of FLserver support 200 players. With 3,2Ghz per core, that should be enough to fuel the parts needed.

The only thing that is needed to make all that happen, is the green light that the FLhook coding succeeded. So Cannon, if you read this; enslave those of us who know C++ to help you code or demand whatever help you need. I sadly know nothing about C++, as FLHook uses, else I would have already volunteered to help.

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To hunt the prey is life,
to lose the prey is death,
to hunt the loss is insane...