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I have signed up for a VPS with these specifications:

  • Intel Core i7 (64-bit)
  • 512 MB RAM
  • 80 GB HDD

I need to run Windows Server, but I'm wondering which version should I use. Windows Server 2003 requires a minimum of 256MB RAM, whereas Windows Server 2008 needs at least 512MB. However, I have also heard that Windows Server 2008 is faster and easier to use online.

Which version should I use?

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3  
You have forgotten to specify what you are planning to do with this VPS. – Miles Erickson Feb 4 '12 at 20:22
As Miles says, it rather depends on what you're trying to do. I have to say this seems a rather imbalanced machine config, an i7 with 512mb of ram suggests a heavily over-subscribed virtual machine. – RobM Feb 4 '12 at 20:50
hosting and game server installation – PythEch Feb 4 '12 at 20:51
4  
Good luck with that! :) – Chopper3 Feb 4 '12 at 22:22
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That sounds heavily under-specified. – RobM Feb 5 '12 at 8:57

closed as not constructive by Ben Pilbrow, Chopper3, Ward, MDMarra, gWaldo Mar 31 '12 at 19:02

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2 Answers

up vote 4 down vote accepted

When in doubt, use the current edition of Windows Server. There is no excuse for deploying an obsolete operating system unless your hands are tied by legacy applications or other constraints beyond your control. This is obviously going to be a learning experience for you, and it is not particularly constructive for you to invest your time and energy in learning how to administer an outdated operating system.

Due to your RAM limitation, you will want to install the stripped-down "Server Core" edition of Windows Server 2008 R2. Because Server Core does not have a full GUI, it is the most appropriate choice for remote Windows servers with limited system resources.

You will need to start learning PowerShell online:

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up vote 1 down vote

Those are the minimum specs to install Windows. It's not going to be very usable.

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