What limits one server from hosting 50 game servers (CoD4 for instance)? Say you have 16GB DDR, two quad core Xeon's... is it the operating system limits? I've been told not to overload a very powerful box, but I've also noticed that many hosting companies (the premium ones like Nuclear Fallout) host on quad core boxes w/4GB RAM.

So what exactly does prevent you from hosting tons of gameservers from one box?

PS, Is it better to run a game server as a service or in console mode?

Also, if anyone has any other tips on how to maximize game server performance (run smoother) feel free to share! :D

Thanks!

Depending on the specific game your wanting to host the limiting factor is CPU power and Ram. Some games use more cpu then others while others tend to use more ram. It's important to also note different things like mods/plugins etc all contribute to server load and having huge amounts of Ram doesn't mean your server will push more. If you CPU's are maxed out and your only using 2GBs ram it makes little difference. You should strive to have equal cpu and ram power.




Running a gameserver as a service is more convenient, Other then that there's no performance gains.

Since you specified cod4 above which uses a ton of ram (approx 350mb of ram per server!). And you don't even wanna know about cod5. Like Rich said above, it is better to run a game server in service mode and that's just because its out of your way, and not taking up room on your desktop.