New at building a gaming server

[rhn94]

So i have a gaming cpu with specs
intel i7 2600
8 gb ram
2 gtx 570
asus maximus extreme v
60 gb ssd
2 tb hdd

And i'm going to build a new pc for gaming and programming using some parts from the old(ish) pc i have.
I'm going to convert my old(ish) pc to a gaming server.

What do i need for my gaming server?
Do i need a new server motherboard?
Do i need more RAM?
Do i even need the video cards?(i don't think so but please state your opinion)
And Can i use intel i7 2600 for my server or do i need an intel Xeon or an AMD variant?

I know next to nothing about server building and their specs so please help me out here.

I plan on running a 200 people minecraft server, a bf3 server(maybe), cs:go server.
Can you please tell me what parts i can use from my old build and any new parts you can suggest for the server
And how long will a new server last/not need to be upgraded?(I heard upwards of 10 years which i think is a stretch)

 

[supere989]

The essence of a gaming server is all about how quickly you can receive Game Data from your clients and how quickly you can process it and send it back.

The system specs you have look fine, but servers have other duties which require attention.

Namely, Network SPEED!

I am not familiar with Minecraft server software of BF 3, but CS:xx I do.

Running a dedicated server means you need an Operating system that does what you need it to do, and nothing more. With Windows, less is more. If you Run Linux, Getting it to work is more =P

Windows Server 2008 basic should work just fine. If you try to use Windows 7, you can, but you need to tweak it to not run allot of stuff you don't want the system processing, namely everything but your Basic Services and your Game Server.

Go with a high performance PCIe Ethernet Adapter and upgrade to 16GB of Ram or more if possible.

If your hosting your server on private network, you need a Fast Router with enough CPU power and RAM to handle the Load.

Some servers go multihomed (Multiple Network interfaces) One directly connected to your Internet Connection, the other to your home network, and Firewall software installed. Security is another concern if you directly connect your server to the Internet, Hence the Server 2008/Linux Recommendation.

I hope this helps =]

 

[supere989]

Getting your server hacked sucks.