Hardware Question - two server options
 

I have two servers for this project available to me.

1: Older duel core Xeon that runs at 3.2Ghz (8 - 12 Gigs ram)
2: Newer 2x 6 core Xeon that runs at 1.8Ghz (20+ Gigs ram)

I'm certain either will do, but I would rather make the best long term decision.

Sounds like the newer model would be the best choice. Out of curiosity, how many characters simultaneously logged in are you expecting to support?

An embarrassingly low number. Less than 5 initially.

I suppose the ideal would be to have a server managed by a few people with a clear/unique vision and support for 50 - 100 concurrent users. But then I haven't even installed it on a server yet and delved into its possibilities.

If you have low numbers, maybe it would be better to use the weaker machine for now, and then upgrade when the time comes. It would be a hassle, but at least you wouldn't waste resources.

For reference, I can easily support my 3 characters on a dual-core Celeron E3300 2.50 Ghz with 2 GB RAM running Windows 7. I have even used > 100 bots on raids on this machine with only occasional lag.

The more powerful machine could then be used for some other project.

At least that is how I see it.

Either machine will work fine. The memory really only comes into play if you setup static zones, or have a lot more than the default of 5 dynamic zones available at a time. Either of those servers would support at least 100 players I imagine.

Thank you for the feedback.

To be honest I run my server on 1,8 get single core and 3gigs of ram with 50 dynamic zones setup and that setup works good. Either option is good the more ram the better but unless your expecting over 100 people online at a time I wouldn't stress over it