Server? Desktop? So many choices!

[Narwhal990]

Job:
A simple Server or Desktop capable of hosting a small Minecraft server and capable being a multimedia hub for downloading content to and downloading from it.

My Idea:
A powerful desktop
Processor: Core 2 Duo
Ram: 4gb
Graphics: Cheap and BAD (No monitor will be attached)
OS: Windows Server 2012 (I have a copy) or CentOS or Ubuntu Server
Price: Hopefully under $250

Please tell me your thoughts, should I go for a server? Or use a desktop as a server? Build it myself or are there computers like this? Which ones? Perhaps upgrade a slightly worse PC's hardware. Thanks, Peter.

 

[dragonlord12832]

if you want to keep it under 250, then you will need to use a desktop. . .

 

[diellur]

You won't get a C2D now, unless you go onto eBay. You can get a Sandybridge or Ivybridge Pentium, a S1155 mobo and RAM for $250 I'd have thought...the key is how much processing power a Minecraft server will require, and finding the best CPU for the job.