The Tech Logs: How I Started a Minecraft Server with Just $170 and Ebay
Hey guys, it's been a while since we've posted on Triteens, but today we are back with a huge story about how I built my new Minecraft server (e.tritaba.tech) using nothing but a $170 computer. Learn how I used eBay to get the best deal on this relatively well kept computer and perhaps take some notes yourself.
The Search
To understand how I managed to get this computer, we must first look at the search. I knew exactly what I needed: A decent CPU, RAM, and a good SSD. For people with a tight budget, using eBay is often the quickest method to find sweet deals. I looked for quite some time, coming across several servers but which did not fit my needs. I then decided to look into consumer electronics and narrowing my search by requesting computers that did not have operating systems (this is a huge price difference). I knew that using Ubuntu, there was no need to have an operating system on any computer I bought.
Raeed Karim
The Find
After around 2-3 hours of searching nonstop, and multiple pages of research and articles, I finally found a PC with 256GB SSD, 16GB RAM, and with a Intel Core i7-9700. This computer was the perfect starter for a Minecraft server, as I could quickly install Ubuntu and fire up a new server with exactly all the requirements and performance. Now for those of you reading, eBay has a "bidding" feature which means you could opt to bid for lower prices on the item you are trying to buy. Remember though, if someone bids higher than you on the offer or buys it now, then you will lose the item. If you have more time on your hands and don't need the computer sooner, I recommend you try to auction now on some items, otherwise choosing "Buy Now" like me would be the better option as it allows you to skip the bidding process.
The Setup
First off, I tested the server using Fabric and a trains mod I had. After seeing it's performance and seeing it did quite well, I wiped the fabric installation and installed velocity and two paper servers. I quickly built a small lobby server that would hold players for maintenance and other purposes. Then I built a survival server where the main gameplay would take place. By now the excitement of starting something new was setting in! The most difficult process of this was setting up a working punishment system on Velocity, which was still quite new in the scene. Running a 1.21 server few days after it's release also meant a lot of plugin incompatibility and issues.
The Tests
After a few tweaks and configuring server files for a few days, I setup everything I needed to build my Minecraft server. I quickly registered a domain, setup TCPShield, and got straight to testing the new server with friends! I continued testing and tweaking as necessary for the next few days, somehow already having to ban 3 different hackers in the process of testing.
The Release
Finally I released EnchantedMC on the ip e.tritaba.tech which took 3 days testing. We posted some ads on listing websites and waited to get a playerbase! We are looking for more players so feel free to join!
Conclusion
Running a Minecraft server on a budget is possible, even if you are a 17 year old on a tight budget. This server is a prime example of how one man's trash is another man's treasure. It was acquired from a recycling center's posting on eBay, which was offering cheaper prices. I highly recommend eBay for resources like computers if you are really on a budget. Thanks for reading!
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