Below is a list of the typical hardware we use in various regions. Please note that this list may not always be 100% accurate, and hardware could vary from what is listed below. We're always adapting our network as the need arises, and also based on what our suppliers have available in specific regions. If you would like to enquire about the current hardware in a specific region, please feel free to log a ticket to ask us.
Game Server Hosting CPUs
We often hear people say "The CPUs you use are made for gaming at home! Not for hosting game servers!". This is a common misconception. Here is why:
For game servers, particularly those developed using Unreal Engine, where the server processes can only utilize a single core, the priority shifts towards CPUs with higher clock speeds rather than a higher number of cores. This is because the game server's performance in handling tasks like processing player actions, game state updates, and physics calculations is limited to how fast a single core can execute these tasks, rather than how many tasks can be executed simultaneously across multiple cores.
High Frequency vs. High Core Count
High Frequency (Higher Clock Speeds): For Unreal Engine game servers, CPUs with higher clock speeds (frequency) are generally more beneficial because they can process single-threaded tasks faster. This is crucial for game servers where timely processing of each action can significantly impact the game's responsiveness and overall player experience.
High Core Count: CPUs with a higher core count but lower frequency might not be as effective for game servers that are limited to single-threaded performance. These types of CPUs are more suited to applications that can efficiently distribute their workload across multiple cores, such as video rendering, large-scale simulations, or servers running multiple instances or different tasks in parallel.
Ryzen and Intel Core vs. Xeon and EPYC
Ryzen and Intel Core: These CPUs are typically designed for consumer and enthusiast markets, often prioritizing higher clock speeds, which makes them more suitable for applications requiring strong single-threaded performance, like gaming and, by extension, game servers running on Unreal Engine.
Xeon and EPYC: These CPUs are designed for the server and professional markets, focusing on reliability, scalability, and multi-core performance. While they can offer higher core counts and are excellent for multi-threaded server applications, they might not always offer the highest clock speeds available.
Conclusion
Considering Unreal Engine's limitation to single-core utilization for game servers, opting for CPUs like Ryzen and Intel Core, which generally offer higher clock speeds, could be more advantageous than choosing Xeon or EPYC processors, which are optimized for multi-core performance but might have lower clock speeds. However, this doesn't mean that Xeon or EPYC CPUs are unsuitable for all game server applications. They could still be beneficial in scenarios where the server needs to handle multiple instances, other background tasks, or in environments where reliability and scalability are more critical. From our own testing, for the games we offer hosting for, Ryzen and Intel Core offer the best performance.
Moreover, as newer consumer-grade CPUs increasingly match the core counts of Xeon and EPYC but with higher frequencies, many hosting providers are updating their infrastructure to incorporate these more capable processors.
