Hey guys! I'm not sure if this is the proper category to post this question (first time on these forums), but;
Should I buy my own server (keep it in my home) or rent a server in my area?
I only need the server to run CPU intensive maths and code so I just need what is going to be powerful yet cost effective. Nothing to break the bank preferably lol thanks in advance guys. I hope to stay pretty active on this forum!
I was just about to write "if you have to ask, renting is probably better". But I have just no idea what it would cost. Also it depends on how intensive those tasks are and if they are using specific things like AVX2 or so. And is time a factor? At some point it is probably close to impossible to buy the CPU horsepower needed.
It really depends on how demanding the work load is. I managed to buy an oud server of ebay with two 4-core zeon which runs like a beast for only £50. But it does use a decent amount of electricity.
I would say,assuming an old server would be powerful enough, if your electricity costs are high, rent, if they are low buy an oldie.
But look at what second hand stuff you can get cheaply and work out the running costs from your electricity costs and see how they match up.
Hope this helps
Ed
I think this is the wrong question.
running something in your home isnt the same as colo or renting. You've no guarantee of uptime etc.
The math compute stuff, CPU only? no GPU? is it periodic or 24/7? is it short or long term? Just how demanding is it?
If its short term periodic just use amazons cloud compute stuff or similar, it will be cheaper probably, definitely faster.
If its long terms 24/7 you probably need uptime? rent or colo don't run at home if its critical computing unless you can support it.
Remember that time costs you money as well. Doing number crunching on a stanalone machine can be time consuming, where you should scale enormously on a "cloud" system and have it done in days or hours instead of weeks or months.
Check out linode for renting, Tek Syndicate has a discount for registering.
depends how much (in hours) you plan to run it.
if its not much, check out amazon web services.
if its a llot, yes build your own server, 8 core Xeons are cheap af atm.
Depends on how long you're plannig on using it. Do some math (no pun intended) on what would be the hardware and running cost. Space, setup and reliability are some other factors to consider for sure. I think that's what you should do to do the better choice for you.
I now use Azure servers when I want to do something that needs more grunt than my main PC can provide.
I get £65 credit a month due to my MSDN subscription. If I had to pay I would probably use digital ocean. The key is to find a provider who only bills you for the uptime of your VM.
Since I got rid of my dual proc Xeon Z800 my electric bill dropped over £40 per quarter.
Hope that helps...