SUGGESTIONS for Game Server????? Please!

[sparker11]

My old machine is a PIII-600Mhz w/256 megs of RAM. I'd like to make it a game server (if possible) for me and my friends.

I have a Cable Modem and a Router which works great.

I need the following for the OLD computer.

NIC Card
Video Card
Hard Drive
KVM Switch or monitor (leaning towards KVM Switch)


ANY SUGGESTIONS???? A BIG ONE IS THE VIDEO CARD ... I'D LIKE TO HOST SUCH THINGS AS STAR WARS: JEDI II AND Castle Wolf ... I'd like to get off CHEAP as possible.

Thanks in advance!!

[muisejt]

If it's going to be a dedicated server (meaning you only run the game server and not play the game at the same time) then any video card will do since it won't be rendering the graphics

[!shira!]

Originally posted by muisejt
If it's going to be a dedicated server (meaning you only run the game server and not play the game at the same time) then any video card will do since it won't be rendering the graphics

if this is true then go for as cheap a card as you can

you won't be able to actually play those games on that machine (you CAN host them) since the CPU is so slow

it'll work as a server though, if it has a vid card then stick with that

[sparker11]

Sorry, it will be a dedicated server (I'm looking to use an KVM (aka A/B switch) to set it up, then go to my current machine (Athalon 1800+).

Won't it still have to be at least a TNT2 to load the game up (just to get to the main menu)? Thought I tried it a while back w/a OLD video card and it kept saying my video was bad!).

Again, thanks for the responses.

[killacomie12]

1. just get a pci gf2 mx or somthing of that crappiness.
2. i have a kvm swith on my server, i got it from new egg for 50 its great no problems with it.
3. If possible Max out your mobo with RAM. cause everybody hates a server with low ram.
4. If you have a linky and your going to try to host cs games forget about your idea. or go figure out how to work ics(its REALLY easy 3 clicks and your done)
5. Get a cheap 20gig 7200 drive or spend 100 bucks and get a ultra scsi raid with like 4 disks 3 disks on a seperate channel and have the fourth disk as parity. It would be fast...

[FaTs]

For the NIC buy a $10 Realtek they are one of the best for pings/Gaming.

[Raptor2150]

How'd you figure that? Is there some site that benchmarks nic cards for gaming? (Not trying to be sarcastic, really curious who would do that).

Anyways, definitely go for as much ram as you can spend for. Depending on the game the video card may or may not have to render anything at all. At lot of 3rd party people have put together programs that run as a dedicated server but never have to even load the game.

[sparker11]

Great comments! Thanks for the input eveyone!

Funny, I'm looking at the same KVM (I think http://www.newegg.com/app/Showimage....107-201-02.JPG) .. it's $48 at newegg and includes the cables. I JUST sold 256 Megs of RAM (doh) because I thought I was getting ready to sell it all.

Anyway I have a 20 Gig 7200 Hard Drive, KVM and NIC. I'm looking for that cheap video card (someone also recomended a TNT2) and some used RAM cheap.

Thanks again!!!

[FaTs]

Originally posted by Raptor2150
How'd you figure that? Is there some site that benchmarks nic cards for gaming? (Not trying to be sarcastic, really curious who would do that).

Anyways, definitely go for as much ram as you can spend for. Depending on the game the video card may or may not have to render anything at all. At lot of 3rd party people have put together programs that run as a dedicated server but never have to even load the game.

Personal experience. I've used 3com, Intel, SMC and Realtek and i've found realtek was great for gaming. I'm didn't mean to say they where the best for gaming but, that they offer the best bang for your buck IMHO