Besides the obvious maintain/support aspect of the software on the server, why choose?
I mean, does it take that much ressource to run one of those dedicated server consoles that you couldn't say, run a ut2004 + tf2 on the same box?
Heck even put a schedule, half day one, half day the other or something.
Umm... TF2 eats one of my dual processor boxes entirely. My servers are 3 generations back. Pentium 3.
Pentium 3, Itanium, Xeon, are the last 3 major processor generations from intel that were widely used. I'm 2 generations back on all my server hardware cause it was all free for me to take. The TF2 server eats lots of time on the dual P3 I've got it installed on. UT2k4 would need at minimum the same entire dual P3 to run even halfway decent framerate (think 30fps), when it should be running 10x more framerate than the clients. TF2 runs about 300-400fps with nobody on it, and that's less than 10x TF2's preferred fps (60). Nobody complains right now because of the great scaling system that Valve put into the net code.
Oh and if I have to run windows to make a server for the game, forget it. There has to be a linux dedicated server, as that's the only way I can make the TF2 work, or any other high-action game.
I've never released the entire specs to the public on this server before, only select individuals, so feel privledged a bit...
Dual 933Mhz Pentium 3
1gb SDRAM 133Mhz
Pair of Atlas 9gb 68-pin SCSI for OS in RAID1
Pair of Quantum Fireball 18gb 68-pin SCSI for game servers in RAID0
I forget the manufacturer of the RAID controller card, but it's got 128mb onboard that I installed (SD100).
Linked through on a Microsoft 10/100 switch to my primary router.