Select components for a dedicated server of custom configuration
You can assemble and order a server of custom configuration.
Depending on the components, server assembly takes from one to five working days. Read more about building custom configuration servers in the Servercore blog article How we build custom servers: from configurator to testing.
When the server is ready for delivery, you will receive an email notification and will be able to connect to it.
If you need help with selecting components, create a ticket or contact us via other methods.
Select components
When ordering a server with a custom configuration, you select components in the server configurator. Not all components are compatible with each other. When setting up a configuration, incompatible components are automatically excluded after each new component is selected.
Processor
After a server is ordered, the processor cannot be replaced. If a different processor or a change in the number of processors is required, order a new server.
Intel and AMD processors are available for order.
In the configurator, processors are grouped by line and family. The processor name indicates the model, number of cores, base clock frequency, and additional designations.
Processor examples:
- Intel Silver 4510 (12x2.4 GHz HT);
- AMD EPYC 7443P (24x2.85 GHz SMT).
Processors may have additional designations:
Memory
DDR4 and DDR5 memory modules are available for order.
In the configurator, you can select:
- total memory capacity;
- or the size and quantity of modules. The configurator will automatically display the total ordered capacity. Use this option to select the number of modules based on the processor memory channel count.
The RAM name indicates the capacity, generation, and additional designations.
RAM example: 64 GB DDR4 ECC Reg.
RAM may have additional designations:
Volumes
Volumes are installed in the following order: NVMe ⟶ SSD ⟶ HDD. If you need a different installation order, specify it in the comments when placing your order.
In the configurator, volumes are grouped by type. The volume name indicates the capacity, volume type, and additional designations.
Volume example: 500 GB SSD NVMe M.2.
Read more about volume types in Servercore blog articles:
- SATA SSD, M.2, and NVMe: difference between form factors and data transfer protocols;
- SSD or HDD: what to choose and why they differ.
Volume types
SSD form factors
Volumes may have additional designations:
HBA and RAID controllers
RAID controllers are devices for organizing and managing disk arrays using RAID technology. Controllers manage RAID operations at the hardware level, offloading the system processor.
Disk controllers are needed when the number of disks exceeds the number of SATA ports on the motherboard and for additional data protection using hardware RAID. Read more in the Servercore blog article Hardware RAID: features and use cases.
HBA and RAID controller types
Network cards
Each custom configuration server is equipped by default with two 1 Gbps RJ45 network interfaces. The first interface is used to connect to the internet, and the second is for a private network — see more in the Dedicated Server Networks guide.
If you need more network interfaces or need to reserve a connection using MC-LAG, you can order additional network cards.
Network cards are available in the following slots:
- PCI-e (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) — a slot on the motherboard for connecting expansion boards, e.g., GPUs, RAID controllers, SSDs, network cards, etc.;
- OCP (Open Compute Project slot) — a slot on the motherboard for connecting mezzanine network cards. OCP is an alternative to PCI-e slots, which may be occupied by other boards.
Types of network cards
GPU
A GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) is a graphics processor designed for accelerated data processing. It is used for tasks such as:
- machine learning;
- data analytics;
- scientific computing;
- Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) deployment;
- video broadcasting;
- graphics processing, video rendering, etc.
Read more about the terms and choosing a video card for specific tasks in the Servercore blog article Can desktop video cards compete with server-grade ones.
For servers with (GPU), video cards are available as PCI-e devices. Up to 8 video cards can be installed in a single server.
In the configurator, the video card name indicates the model, capacity, and video memory type. GPU example: RTX A5000 24 GB GDDR6.
PCI-e devices
The trusted boot module is a certified hardware/software module that:
- helps prevent unauthorized access to the server during the operating system (OS) boot stage;
- monitors the integrity of the server's hardware configuration and files before the OS boots;
- blocks booting from removable media.
It is used for system certification to meet security requirements or to fulfill environment requirements for certified cryptographic information protection tools with a KS3 class.
PCI-e device example:
Motherboard
When ordering a server in the configurator, only motherboards compatible with the selected components are displayed. If only one motherboard is compatible, the field will be filled automatically.
Chassis
When ordering a server in the configurator, only available chassis compatible with the selected components are displayed. If only one option is compatible, the field will be filled automatically.
To ensure uninterrupted server operation, a chassis with two or more power supplies is recommended. If you might need to upgrade your server in the future, choose a chassis with a larger number of free drive bays.
Recommendations for component selection by task
Gaming servers
For servers that synchronize game processes, high processor frequency and large RAM capacity are important.
Servers with large databases
Large databases require a high-performance processor with scalability. A high volume of active database operations requires more processor cores. Server performance is affected by RAM, as it is used for data caching, query processing, and performing operations on them.
Servers for virtualization
Virtualization requires significant computing resources, especially in conditions of high virtual machine (VM) density and heavy loads. The more cores and threads a processor has, the more VMs can run on the server. If a higher number of cores is needed, you can assemble a server with two or more processors.
Each VM requires a portion of RAM to be allocated for its operation. The more VMs on a server, the more RAM is required.
Storage system performance directly affects VM performance.
Machine learning models
For servers intended for machine learning models, high-performance processors, GPUs with large video memory, large RAM capacity, and high-speed storage are important.
In machine learning, the main load falls on the GPU. The more parameters and the more complex the training model, the more GPU memory is required for efficient operation. Read more in the Servercore blog article How to choose a video card for training neural networks and Deep Learning.