Cost of Server Hardware

Cost of Server Hardware

Cost of Hardware

The tasks your business will need your server to perform as well as the number of users it's expected to serve will largely determine your server's hardware costs. While servers are almost always more expensive than their desktop counterparts, those on a tight budget can find low-cost server options that handle many if not all of the tasks your business will likely need from a server.

If your server will primarily be used for tasks like print serving and office document file sharing among fewer than 25 users, a server with a low-end processor, as little as 1GB to 2GB of RAM, and 500GB to 1TB of RAID storage will most likely suffice, and should cost your business as little as $400. SmallBusinessComputing.com has a helpful server buyer's guide that lists several small business server options that range from $499 to a little over $1,000.

On the other end of the scale are high-end servers for tasks like data-intensive Web and database serving, video storage and sharing and enterprise-grade messaging and conferencing. These servers will typically include multiple processors, 16GB or more of RAM, expansive storage with multiple redundancies, and a high-end server operating system, and they can cost in the thousands or tens of thousands of dollars. High-end servers may also be deployed in multiple server configurations known as clustering