Server vs. Workstation build

[DizzlyDood]

I've been using an old old PC as a workgroup server for sometime. The PC had XP and I had IIS running some services on it (FTP and such). I've looked around at low end servers and I think I can build a better system purchasing parts off clearance websites. I don't need anything high end, but I do have a free copy of server 2008 I plan using.

I've never built a rig specifically for server purposes. From what I know there isn't much difference between a low-end server mo-board and a workstation one. Aside from missing some PCI-E slots for graphics and maybe onboard sound. Just curious if anyone has any experience in this that can help with some info/tips.

 

[AdmnPower]

You can pretty much use any hardware you want for a server. I'd recommend dual core at the very least. I run a couple of single core servers and if you're trying to use them for multiple services they can get kind of slow. Lots of ram is a good idea as well.... the more services you plan to run the more ram you'll need. Finally, fast hard drives are a good idea for a file server. If you are planning on storing large files you might want to make sure you have all SATA 3 hard drives and a gigabit nic in it. Even if your other computer only run 100 megabit that will allow you to support several concurrent 100 megabit transfers at once. Provided you have a gigabit switch.