Considering Running Windows Server Datacenter in new Ryzen x7950 computer

[sgunes]

I am looking into getting Windows Server 2022 Datacenter as the main OS of my new system and then have various VM running.
One would be for gaming with my Steam, Epic, Rockstar, Ubisoft, Origin... libraries
Another one would have no games and only productivity apps (DaVinci Resolve Studio, Adobe Photo bundle, On1, DxO, Skylum).
One would have Nicehash and BOINC (WCG) running which would be actually 75-85% of the time as I am not in the computer or video production business.
And one would have misc programs (like handbrake to transcode h264 to h265...), trial programs/OS.
Having everything just on Windows 11 Pro makes me think that at some point the registry will become corrupted/bloated and I would be just one borked update away from having to start from scratch.
I can get a Windows Server 2022 Datacenter license 16 cores (which allow unlimited VM's) from ebay for about $70 and I have plenty of working Windows 10 and 11 licenses for the VMs.
I can have automatic snapshots and would not have to worry about a bad MS update screwing everything up. It would be a little bit like Apple Time Machine.
I can assign graphics cards to the VM, so I don't have to worry about virtualized graphics drivers.

Deploy graphics devices by using Discrete Device Assignment

Learn how to use DDA to deploy graphics devices in Windows Server and how to mount a GPU to a virtual machine.

docs.microsoft.com

How To: Get Consumer GPUs Working In Hyper-V Virtual Machines | Rafael Rivera

The Windows Server OS can use the x7950 graphics core and the VM can use the discrete graphics card(s).
Any suggestions/issues/problems with my planned setup?

 

[stinger608]

Couple of things.

If you are not familiar with the Windows Server OS, it will be a pretty big learning curve. Not that you won't figure it out, but just be aware of the learning curve. There are many tutorials on the net for this.

Another issue, is buying such a license on Ebay. I wouldn't trust that at all. Find another source for the OS.

Edit: As posted on the TPU home page, GoDeal24 has the Server 2022 Datacenter at $30.75 by entering coupon code SG050

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Buy Windows Server 2022 Datacenter on Godeal24.com

Now buy Windows Server 2022 Datacenter at lowest price for instant access at godeal24.com.com for fast and secure downloads.

www.godeal24.com

 

[sgunes]

Couple of things.

If you are not familiar with the Windows Server OS, it will be a pretty big learning curve. Not that you won't figure it out, but just be aware of the learning curve. There are many tutorials on the net for this.

Another issue, is buying such a license on Ebay. I wouldn't trust that at all. Find another source for the OS.

Edit: As posted on the TPU home page, GoDeal24 has the Server 2022 Datacenter at $30.75 by entering coupon code SG050

GoDeal24 MS Office Super Sale: Free Yourself from Subscriptions at Great Prices

GoDeal24 MS Office Super Sale lets you pick up a genuine, lifetime-valid edition of Microsoft Office that suits your needs. Up for grabs are various editions of Office 2016, Office 2019, and Office 2021, both for Windows PCs and Macs. Get Genuine Office 2016 Professional Plus for as little as...

www.techpowerup.com

Buy Windows Server 2022 Datacenter on Godeal24.com

Now buy Windows Server 2022 Datacenter at lowest price for instant access at godeal24.com.com for fast and secure downloads.

www.godeal24.com

Thanks for the tip.
I am wondering if the regular Windows Server Datacenter 2022 only covers 2 cores as many sell the basic version (no number of cores mentioned or 2 cores mentioned) and then there is the 16 core version (which I would need)
Here are 2 ebay listings with the 16 core price always being 7-10 times higher.

Server 2022 / 2019 / 2016 2012 R2 Standard Datacenter Essential License for OS | eBay

Aсtivаtiоn kеу will wоrk WORLDWIDЕ. - Lifеtimе асtivаtiоn & uрdаtеs. Fоr usе оn оnе PC оr VM оnlу. - This kеу саn bе usеd tо frеsh or ехisting instаllаtiоns.

www.ebay.com

versus the 16 core version:

Windows Server 2022 Datacenter x64 bit- 16 Core - Full License US Fast shipping | eBay

This is the OEM edition of Windows Server 2022 Datacenter and can be used for one PC / Server. Microsoft Windows Server 2022 Datacenter 16 Cores. Software-defined networking to automate with cloud-like efficiency.

www.ebay.com

Do I need a CAL (Client Access License) if it is just me and nobody else?
TIA

 

[stinger608]

They are kind of miss informing on the descriptions. It's not 2 "cores" or 16 "cores."

It is 2 physical processors or 16 physical processors.

Hell, generic Windows 7 could handle 16 cores..

Unless you are going to use a mega server with more than 2 physical processors you wouldn't need the 16 processor version.

I have a 4 physical processor system that has 8 cores per processor and yes, I had to get the version that supports more than 2 physical processors.

You could easily just get Windows 10 Enterprise and do the same thing. Hell, Windows 10 Pro will support the VM's that you are wanting to use.

 

[P4-630]

Thanks for the tip.
I am wondering if the regular Windows Server Datacenter 2022 only covers 2 cores as many sell the basic version (no number of cores mentioned or 2 cores mentioned) and then there is the 16 core version (which I would need)
Here are 2 ebay listings with the 16 core price always being 7-10 times higher.

Server 2022 / 2019 / 2016 2012 R2 Standard Datacenter Essential License for OS | eBay

Aсtivаtiоn kеу will wоrk WORLDWIDЕ. - Lifеtimе асtivаtiоn & uрdаtеs. Fоr usе оn оnе PC оr VM оnlу. - This kеу саn bе usеd tо frеsh or ехisting instаllаtiоns.

www.ebay.com

versus the 16 core version:

Windows Server 2022 Datacenter x64 bit- 16 Core - Full License US Fast shipping | eBay

This is the OEM edition of Windows Server 2022 Datacenter and can be used for one PC / Server. Microsoft Windows Server 2022 Datacenter 16 Cores. Software-defined networking to automate with cloud-like efficiency.

www.ebay.com

Do I need a CAL (Client Access License) if it is just me and nobody else?
TIA

Not sure what you are getting there for 70 bucks from ebay.....

Where I live:

 

[sgunes]

Not sure what you are getting there for 70 bucks from ebay.....

Where I live:
View attachment 258115

I figured these are OEM licenses from low-income countries (one states he is based in Vietnam).
The official US prices are in the $3000 range.

 

[silentbogo]

I'm telling you right now - it's a nightmare. If you are planning to use it as a workstation - better get windows 10 pro or workstation editions. You can still use all the virtualization you need, but it'll make your life 100 times easier when it comes to mundane tasks and productivity. Windows 10 pro or 11 pro can handle 16 cores and more RAM than you'll ever need, and most server-related things can be added/installed later(incl. Hyper-V). Alternatively - just install some freebie hypervisor(KVM or ESXi) and just run your VMs in it. There are tons of tutorials online how to deploy stuff in both. There's also an evaluation version of MS HyperV server, which could also do the job(but I haven't tried it personally yet). If anything, I'd rather run Win10 as host, and throw everything else into HyperV/Docker.
Everything you listed in your OP can be done on a regular Windows 10 Pro. You can still play around with an evaluation version on your spare PC or in a VM, but don't even attempt to run it as a daily driver on your main rig.

I had an idea once. My rack has a Skylake server, which was supposed to run Windows Server 2016 Essentials(I think it's the last edition where you didn't have to pay a shitton of money for RDS Cals) and possibly be used instead of my main PC for trivial tasks, such as browsing and e-mail. This project quickly went to shit, and I'm still using my main rig for everything, while server migrated back to headless Ubuntu. I think I went as far as having SMB, sFTP and HTTP servers running, had all of my work related stuff set up, but I gave up at the point where I wanted to install Chrome

Not sure what you are getting there for 70 bucks from ebay.....

Same stuff as with other grey licenses. Bought my Server 2016 for $25 or so, but not because I'm cheap(then I'd just pirate it).
Didn't want to end up in the same boat as one of my customers, which got trapped in MS "macrotransaction" nightmare on Server 2019, when all they needed was a remote workstation for half-a-dozen users.

 

[sgunes]

I'm telling you right now - it's a nightmare. If you are planning to use it as a workstation - better get windows 10 pro or workstation editions. You can still use all the virtualization you need, but it'll make your life 100 times easier when it comes to mundane tasks and productivity. Windows 10 pro or 11 pro can handle 16 cores and more RAM than you'll ever need, and most server-related things can be added/installed later(incl. Hyper-V). Alternatively - just install some freebie hypervisor(KVM or ESXi) and just run your VMs in it. There are tons of tutorials online how to deploy stuff in both. There's also an evaluation version of MS HyperV server, which could also do the job(but I haven't tried it personally yet). If anything, I'd rather run Win10 as host, and throw everything else into HyperV/Docker.
Everything you listed in your OP can be done on a regular Windows 10 Pro. You can still play around with an evaluation version on your spare PC or in a VM, but don't even attempt to run it as a daily driver on your main rig.

I had an idea once. My rack has a Skylake server, which was supposed to run Windows Server 2016 Essentials(I think it's the last edition where you didn't have to pay a shitton of money for RDS Cals) and possibly be used instead of my main PC for trivial tasks, such as browsing and e-mail. This project quickly went to shit, and I'm still using my main rig for everything, while server migrated back to headless Ubuntu. I think I went as far as having SMB, sFTP and HTTP servers running, had all of my work related stuff set up, but I gave up at the point where I wanted to install Chrome


Same stuff as with other grey licenses. Bought my Server 2016 for $25 or so, but not because I'm cheap(then I'd just pirate it).
Didn't want to end up in the same boat as one of my customers, which got trapped in MS "macrotransaction" nightmare on Server 2019, when all they needed was a remote workstation for half-a-dozen users.

In Windows Server 2016 and later you can have the VM use the PCI-e discrete graphics card (pass through). Is that possible with a Windows 11 (non-server) host?

 

[silentbogo]

In Windows Server 2016 and later you can have the VM use the PCI-e discrete graphics card (pass through). Is that possible with a Windows 11 (non-server) host?

If you are talking Hyper-V on Win10/11 - then the answer is ..... "complicated".... as usual. Hyper-V doesn't have passthrough per-se, but the freshly-implemented GPU-P (aka stalely-resurrected RemoteFX) gives you the ability to split the host GPU resources with a VM. Kinda like vGPU or mxGPU, but with no granular control. I haven't tried it yet, but there was a bunch of videos about it on YT last year. It also seems that Add-VMGpuPartitionAdapter command has a -Passthru parameter as well, but I'm not sure if it even works. MS is kinda silent about this whole thing.
Here's a brief overview:

Having everything just on Windows 11 Pro makes me think that at some point the registry will become corrupted/bloated and I would be just one borked update away from having to start from scratch.

That's one sentence I've missed in OP, and now it makes sense to me(but not in a good way)...
If I understand it right, you ain't gonna be gaming, mining, crunching and editing videos at the same time. Which brings me to the big boo-boo in your reasoning: do you actually need VMs?
You can just make 3 users for each purpose, or you can have one user and 3 workspaces(desktops), or use software solutions(like Nvidia's Quadro View or something similar) etc. etc. etc.
Heck, you can even use built-in features in Nicehash and WCG to pause or use less resources when they detect activity(or on schedule).
Also, you don't have to worry about windows registry - it's bloated and broken even without your help Just keep running Win10/11 Pro and don't worry about it. Otherwise you'll get down the deepest rabbit hole ever.

 

[sgunes]

If you are talking Hyper-V on Win10/11 - then the answer is ..... "complicated".... as usual. Hyper-V doesn't have passthrough per-se, but the freshly-implemented GPU-P (aka stalely-resurrected RemoteFX) gives you the ability to split the host GPU resources with a VM. Kinda like vGPU or mxGPU, but with no granular control. I haven't tried it yet, but there was a bunch of videos about it on YT last year. It also seems that Add-VMGpuPartitionAdapter command has a -Passthru parameter as well, but I'm not sure if it even works. MS is kinda silent about this whole thing.
Here's a brief overview:

That's one sentence I've missed in OP, and now it makes sense to me(but not in a good way)...
If I understand it right, you ain't gonna be gaming, mining, crunching and editing videos at the same time. Which brings me to the big boo-boo in your reasoning: do you actually need VMs?
You can just make 3 users for each purpose, or you can have one user and 3 workspaces(desktops), or use software solutions(like Nvidia's Quadro View or something similar) etc. etc. etc.
Heck, you can even use built-in features in Nicehash and WCG to pause or use less resources when they detect activity(or on schedule).
Also, you don't have to worry about windows registry - it's bloated and broken even without your help Just keep running Win10/11 Pro and don't worry about it. Otherwise you'll get down the deepest rabbit hole ever.

Currently I have 2 Windows machines with 2 m.2’s with separate Windows 11 Pro installations. The new MB will have 4-5 m.2 slots available and I could have 2-3 Windows 11 Pro installations (games, productivity, rest). That would be probably be the easiest way to achieve my goals to have separation and redundancy.