How to Build a Server with Costs Considered
Whether you’re building a home server, a personal server, or a business server, you’ll likely begin the process by wondering roughly how much it costs to build a server.
There’s no hard and fast number we can give you when it comes to the cost of how to build a server. You have to determine your server needs, specifications, as well as your target budget before you get started.
In this article, we’ll discuss some of the common specifications as well as the price you can expect to pay.
See Also: Monthly Server PRICING LIST (PDF)
How much does it cost to build your own server?
For most business servers, you will generally be looking to spend $1000 to $2500 per server for enterprise-grade hardware. Keep in mind that when you choose to buy a server instead of renting one, you need to factor in costs outside of just the server purchase.
When considering the cost of building a server, you should factor in the following components:
Server Hardware
- CPU
- Hard Drive or hard drives
- Memory such as ECC RAM
- Chasis
- Motherboard
- Processor
- Power Supply
Server Software
- Operating System
- Other Server Software
Other costs to consider include:
- Server Maintenance and Replacement
- Power and Cooling Costs
- Hardware and Software Support
Let’s review these costs in more detail, with some examples to help you determine the cost you may expect to spend setting up a server.
See Also: (Live Webinar) Meet ServerMania: Transform Your Server Hosting Experience
Server Hardware Costs
You have two options when considering hardware costs. You can buy a pre-built server, which is generally cheaper but may not provide you with the exact hardware configuration you need. You can also purchase all of the components separately and assemble the server yourself. This obviously takes more time, but results in a more customized and generally cheaper server.
Here are some sample hardware costs:
| Item | Description | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Hard Drive | 2x 1TB SSD | $240 |
| Processor | Xeon D Processor | Included with Motherboard |
| Chasis | Supermicro 1U Chassis | $160.00 |
| Memory | 64GB ECC RAM | $329 |
| Power Supply | Power Supply | $100 |
| Motherboard | SUPERMICRO MBD-M11SDV-8C-LN4F-O Mini ITX Server Motherboard | $929 |
| Cell | Total Cost: | $1758 |
An equivalent server with ServerMania would be $185/month, however this price allows you to upgrade to a new server whenever your needs change without any up-front hardware costs. It also includes all power, cooling, networking, and support costs.
Software
Software costs are another factor to consider when reviwing server costs. For those looking to deploy Windows Server, this can be fairly expensive to acquire on your own. ServerMania offers a flexible monthly licensing cost with each of our leased servers.
Time to Build the Server
Any time you spend on building servers is time that you could be spent focusing on something else. Wasting time is wasting money, and if you have a poor performing server, you’re going to waste a lot of time. Allocate a few days to source hardware, build the server, and install all of the required software. You can also deploy a server with us in a few clicks and we’ll have it ready for you in as little as 8 hours.
Upkeep and Maintenance
Upkeep is where the price of building a server can get out of hand. You have to maintain the server, stay up-to-date with the most recent updates, and make sure everything is running smoothly.
When you rent a server, you receive access to our 24×7 support team to assist with that hard drive issue or unlikely drive failure in the middle of the night without having to pay a penny.
Alternatives to Building A Server
As you can see, building a high performing server can be an expensive proposition. Generally speaking, for any server you want to rely on for an important personal or business task, you’ll want to host a rented server in a data center rather than building your own. Not only will the server be connected to better networks and redundant connections, but you benefit from our buying power to receive a server that is powerful for a fair monthly price.
When you consider the setup cost of a server and combine it with the ongoing cost of maintaining the server, the option of building a server becomes less realistic.
Want to learn more? Take a look at our dedicated server configurations or consider booking a server consultation.
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