Choosing Your Requirements

When deciding on what hardware you need for your server, you need to know what you're going to use it for. 

When you're running one or two services, a Raspberry Pi would probably suffice, while running your own personal cloud services might require a refurbished desktop computer.  Running your own media server may require a faster processor, a decent graphics card and adequate storage space for digital media.

Raspberry Pi and traditional desktop operating systems have differing install processes, but use the same software. 

 

Processing Power

Choosing the type of main processor you will use for your server is an important decision.  

The Raspberry Pi – and other single-board computers  – use a different type of processor than the one you'd find in a traditional desktop. These ARM (Advanced RISC Machine) processors are in the same family as the one that power your cellphone.  Built for power efficiency and stability, they cannot often handle sustained heavy loads.