Setting up a virtualization environment can be overwhelming. There's a lot to consider: allocating CPU cores for your virtual machines, ensuring enough RAM for concurrent workloads, and configuring storage for optimal VM performance (while keeping costs manageable). Whether you're building a training lab for VMware certification or scaling your DevOps infrastructure, choosing the right hardware foundation is critical.
From Proxmox and VMware ESXi to Hyper-V and XCP-ng, modern hypervisors give IT teams powerful tools to orchestrate virtual environments efficiently. When paired with the right refurbished hardware—multi-core Xeon CPUs, ECC RAM, and high-speed NVMe storage—you can run everything from containerized microservices to full-blown Windows and Linux VMs without the lag or overhead of shared cloud resources. These platforms thrive on dedicated infrastructure, making refurbished servers a smart foundation for homelab builders, sysadmins, and enterprise IT teams alike.
At TechMikeNY, we like to learn the hard way: reconfiguring servers, using them, and then tweaking until they're perfect. What we've found: running a robust virtualization environment doesn't require expensive cloud infrastructure or monthly surprises from your AWS bill that make your CFO spill their coffee. All you need is a properly configured server with ample CPU cores, plenty of RAM, and fast SSD storage - exactly what our enterprise-grade refurbished systems deliver. Moving your VMs to dedicated hardware does more than just save money (and prevent those mysterious "data transfer" charges that somehow equal your monthly rent). It's about having complete control over your hypervisor and building the skills that define modern IT careers.
VM Density Performance Benchmark
Testing: Maximum concurrent virtual machine workloads under heavy resource demands
Superpower: Maintains consistent performance across dozens of active VMs without degradation
Example: Running 100+ containerized Node.js environments with realtime code compilation.
Status: 2/10/2025
Resource Management Benchmark
Testing: Dynamic memory allocation and CPU scheduling across multiple VM workloads
Superpower: Zero resource conflicts while running mixed development and production environments
Example: Running simultaneous dev, test, and staging environments for enterprise applications
Status: 2/10/2025
Storage Performance Benchmark
Testing: Mixed I/O operations across multiple VMs with varying workload types
Superpower: Maintains consistent disk performance even with heavy VM storage demands
Example: Multiple VMs performing database operations while others handle large file transfers
Status: 2/10/2025
Certification Lab Benchmark
Testing: Extended operation stability for home lab certification training
Superpower: Rock-solid reliability for extended study sessions and practice scenarios
Example: 72-hour continuous operation running complex certification practice environments
Status: 2/10/2025
We’re here to help. Talk to one of our experts and we’ll help you configure a database server that fits your rack and your budget.
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Virtualization is a hot topic these days for good reason - it offers a ton of benefits! From optimizing infrastructure to simplifying disaster recovery, being able to run multiple virtual computers on physical hardware is an incredibly powerful capability that allows for so much more flexibility.
Building a homelab can be overwhelming, but this article simplifies the process by detailing the essential components you need to get started. Learn about the core hardware, networking equipment, and storage solutions required to create your personal tech playground for experimentation.
Over the years, we’ve had several customers reach out to our sales reps asking for help building out a Plex Media Server. We have always happily obliged, but for those unfamiliar with Plex or perhaps are in the market for an efficient home media solution, read on.
If you’ve been thinking about setting up a centralized media server of your own, there’s a good chance you’ve come across Plex, a media server software that allows you to organize, stream, and access your personal media collection across various devices.
When it comes to types of server hard drives, there are so many variations out there that it can become challenging to keep track of all the considerations. "Can my server read a 4Kn drive?" "Can I mix SAS and SATA drives in the same machine?" "What about SSDs versus HDDs?"
Enterprise servers are designed to hold multiple hard drives in bays. In fact, most enterprise rack servers have no less than six bays, and the Dell PowerEdge' xd' models can have up to twenty-four drive bays (and that's not including any Flex Bay options!).
