Cheap VMware ESX Server

With the release of VMware's ESX 3.5, a very cheap but extremely powerful test server can be had for around a thousand dollars. I was in need of an ESX server to host at least 8-10 virtual servers as a training tool for my MCSE exams. Having been inspired by an article on building a linux cluster in an Ikea Helmer cabinet, I decided to build my server into an Ikea Malm cabinet.

The most difficult item to find is going to be the motherboard. ESX 3.5 only supports SATA hard disks on controllers that also support SAS drives. Newegg only had a few boards to choose from and they're all in the $300 - $400 range. I went with the quad core instead of a dual core because the price difference was fairly insignificant. As with most virtual hosts, the physical memory decides how many virtual machines you can host. I needed at least 8-10 VMs, so I maxed out the motherboard with 8GB of RAM. The pair of SATA disks allows for a RAID 1 configuration. This isn't strictly necessary for a lab environment, but it doesn't hurt. If you wanted to cut some costs on the hardware, select a dual core processor, only buy 4GB of RAM, and ditch one of the hard disks. Here's the shopping list from Newegg:

Asus P5BV-E/SAS Motherboard $310
G.Skill 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 Memory (x2) $170
Apevia 500W Power Supply $40
Western Digital 500GB SATA2 Hard Disk (x2) $110
Intel Xeon X3220 Quad Core 2.4GHz $235

That brings the hardware total to $1145 excluding shipping. The Malm cabinet ran me another $80. Ikea had plenty of other cheaper cabinets that would fit the bill, but this one better matched my room's decor. Either way, it's a lot cheaper than a server case and it has room for my socks. I will post more details and some pics once I get the server up and running.

Cheap VMware ESX Server - Part 2