CPU for virtualization advice

Zenthar

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What is "light use" for you?
Will the host bear heavier use?
What will the OS do exactly?

If you just want to host a database on one, a web server on the 2nd and do some webapp development on the host, then yes it would be enough, but it won't be incredibly fast either. BTW, for 6$ more you can get the same X2 CPU, but running at 3.1GHz (Athlon II X2 255), the extra 300MHz is worth it IMO, but if you have to choose between that and extra cores, get the extra cores.
 

binaryhat

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Jan 8, 2011
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What is "light use" for you?

I will be using win7 & server 2008 as guest. Main reason are for certification training. No database or anything.


Will the host bear heavier use?

All the host is going to do is run samba (file-server for my raid setup 1+0) and virtualization.

What will the OS do exactly?

See above
 

Zenthar

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So basically you need them just to know how to configure/manage/repair different OSes, they will mostly be idle, right? If so yes, an X2 would probably be "ok", but if you'd like to use that PC as a personal PC afterward, I suggest you splurge a little more. Moreover, if you plan on having Windows 7 and Server 2008 guests at the same time, I would get a minimum of 4GB and I would recommend 8GB.

Running Win7 in a VM might not allow you to use the Aero desktop (not sure here) since it uses DirectX, but that should only change the look, not the features.