Need Help with Selecting CPU for NS2 Dedicated Server running on a E6800 OC to 3.8 GHZ
funkspoc
Florida Join Date: 2013-12-17 Member: 190232Members
Florida Join Date: 2013-12-17 Member: 190232Members
Hey guys. I'm trying to set up a dedicated NS2 Server for my Clan and I have two CPUs laying around. One is a Core 2 Quad Q6700 @ 2.6 GHZ which I can overclock to 3.4GHZ. I also have a Core 2 Duo E8600 @ 3.33GHZ which I can Overclock to 3.8GHZ.
I know the server requirements say 3.6 GHZ for a 16 Slot Server. Do they mean 3.6 GHZ running on a new processor like an i5 or i7 or is it just the raw GHZ that matters?
The Dual Core will overclock a lot easier than the Quad core and I might be able to get it up to even 4GHZ. I know that the single core speed is what matters the most since NS2 servers don't really utilize multiple cores.
Before I go through the trouble of setting this up I just wanted to make sure the performance will be good.
I know the server requirements say 3.6 GHZ for a 16 Slot Server. Do they mean 3.6 GHZ running on a new processor like an i5 or i7 or is it just the raw GHZ that matters?
The Dual Core will overclock a lot easier than the Quad core and I might be able to get it up to even 4GHZ. I know that the single core speed is what matters the most since NS2 servers don't really utilize multiple cores.
Before I go through the trouble of setting this up I just wanted to make sure the performance will be good.
Comments
The E8600 is slightly better in single thread processing. But not significantly better. Since you can overclock it to higher speeds and its faster at single thread execution it would be the better option of the two. 500 mhz overclock though will not improve its performance to come anywhere close to ivy bridge cpus which on their own may stutter while running an ns2 server.
The Core 2 IPC is very low, and its earliest 65nm designs are approaching its eighth year of service, you'll see that on these pointless and often inaccurate CPU comparison websites they're no longer even added for comparison due to sheer age. Simply explaining, 4 GHz on a 45nm Wolfdale-6M processor such as your C2D E8600 (a 7 years old design) will struggle to outperform a current generation Haswell CPU on the 900 MHz-1 GHz clock range, being pretty optimistic.
Sandy Bridge is now four years old, the i5-2500K @ 4+ GHz referred in server documentation is at least 2.5 times faster than your C2D at the same speed.
If you can run a 4-man server on an E8600 without major lag issues i'll be pretty surprised.
It only uses 1 core and approaches 20% CPU during peak, so a little more MHz could surely help.
Today, I reduced the slot number to 14. Like playing on it much better: Every single player is meaningful and has the chance to make an impact.