Workstation for multiple virtual machines

[sevvvvv]

Budget- 1500$

Plan to run multiple windows7 vmware machines (10+) with 4gb ram each (bots crypto trading)
24/7 uptime

Minimum 64GB Ram (possible expand to 128GB in future)
is DDR3 still worth it? i know its way cheaper

What kind of CPU should I use? AMD RYZEN?

Hard Disk i think about a 2TB seagate + 256 GB SSD to run host windows

Graphics card any cheap/decent one does the job.

PSU what is a good one to run 24/7 safely.

Thanks

 

[kanewolf]

For 10+ VMs, I would probably get a used workstation like a Z820 or Z840. Then use ECC RAM (since bit errors in crypto trading sounds like a bad thing).

 

[william p]

You could actually do this for a few $100 if the surplus workstation market interests you.
I would suggest looking at a Dell T5500. Single or dual 4-6 core HT Xeons. So up to 24 threads. They use DDR3 ram in triple channel which keeps it relevant. UDIMMs allow large capacity and they're cheap. 4x PCIe16 slots. There are lots of low power, or high speed CPU options. Single CPU barebones <$200.
Here's vendor where you can play with configurations and prices.
http://www.ebaystores.com/PC-Servers-and-Parts-Inc_W0QQ_sasiZ1
These are designed for 24/7 use. Spare MB or PSU trade for about $40 each.
I'm sure there's newer stuff that's better but it's pretty good bang for the buck.

 

[sevvvvv]

thanks for the answers, yes it might be better to get an old workstation with xeon,ddr3 and quadro as they seem very cheap. will look more into this website you gave me and pickup some nice deals

 

[william p]

There are many other vendors. But that one seems to have the broadest selection. The T5500 requires an add on riser card for 2 CPU operation so the price is a little higher if you need that capacity.

 

[sevvvvv]

I dont think I will need Dual Xeon´s just for running the vm´s with a web based bot running on each of them but for a few more bucks may be worth it .
Most budget will go for RAM . 128gb ram ddr3 so i dont need to buy more in future

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/183291396534?ul_noapp=true

seems like a nice deal right here

 

[Peter Martin]

It all depends on how many cores you give your VM’s

 

[william p]

One area that you will want to get up to speed on is PSU options. I will give you a head start on that, but there's a Dell workstation owners club that can be helpful because most IT guys just go by the Dell manual. the enthusiast will know more about upgrades and modded setups.
https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/dell-workstation-owners-club.243124/page-8#post-3884991
1- Workstation PSUs are multirail. each 12V, rail will have it's own color codeed wiring and overload protection. That's good thing. But you need to watch what your doing when you add devices to stay within the limits of each rail.
2- Dell would provide different sized PSUs depending on what options were selelcted, or anticipated in any system. Single CPU/GPU machines might not get the same PSU as a 2CPU/2GPU machine. The closely related T7500 is worth some study here because it supported more powerful GPUs and had PSUs to match. They are 100% modular in these. But if you don't get the matching harness you won't have the added connectors to use the power.
3- Aftermarket single rail PSUs will work. On these computers Dell ran the primary CPU wire behind the MB making harness swaps difficult. It can be moved on top of the MB if desired.
4- Studying the owners manual on these, will be time well spent. Particularly the PSU options and power connectors. But ther were many other options also.
https://downloads.dell.com/manuals/common/precision-t5500_setup%20guide_en-us.pdf But there are RAID and SAS storage options out there also.
https://downloads.dell.com/manuals/all-products/esuprt_desktop/esuprt_dell_precision_workstation/precision-t7500_service%20manual_en-us.pdf

 

[sevvvvv]

Since right now i dont have my office ready with good internect connection,I was recommended by a partner to try a dedicated server to run my bots. around 100$/month with xeon/64gb ram/1gbps/unlimited traffic.
might be a good optin to run 24/7 without worry about hardware and bills for now.