Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008?

[Ramsay]

I'm looking for a little advice guys as I'm not really up to speed with the newer versions of Windows. I'm currently upgrading my workstations and render farm machines from XP64 to Windows 7. I have access to Windows Server 2008 and am wondering if there would be any benefit if I installed that on my file server rather than another copy of Windows 7? The file server is currently running XP64.

[dellis]

Depends on how many nodes you have....i think that they bumped the peer to peer limit of windows 7 to 20 connections!

[Morne]

isn't there also some cpu core limit on straight windows vs server windows?

[g.ross]

We have just worked through this same process.
Installing windows 7 on our renderfarm fileserver caused many issues. We have 28 render servers. Windows7 has a limit of 20 connections.
The render nodes couldn't ALL connect to the render farm fileserver at once. Many finished frames we unable to be saved.

Problem gone once we installed winServer2008

[Ramsay]

Yeah I went with Server 2008 Enterprise in the end for that very reason.

[alvius]

isn't there also some cpu core limit on straight windows vs server windows?

Windows 7 Supports up to 2 physical cpus. Doesn't matter how many cores per cpu. So if you have quad socket or octa socket mobo you need to go with Server 2008. Quite pricey though.