A dedicated server is a physical machine that belongs to you alone. A root server is a virtual machine with dedicated resources on shared hardware. Your own hardware is worth it if you need the full power of a CPU, want to virtualise yourself or, for compliance reasons, may not have anyone next to you on the machine. For everything else the root server is available faster and cheaper.
The difference in one paragraph
With a root server you get a dedicated share of a large machine: specific CPU cores, a fixed amount of memory and NVMe storage, isolated via KVM. Other customers use other shares of the same hardware, without access to your area. With a dedicated server the entire machine belongs to you: every core, every module, every drive, the whole network port.
Comparison: performance, price, provisioning
| Feature | Dedicated servers | Root server (KVM) |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware | Exclusive, AMD Ryzen 7000 | Fixed share, AMD EPYC, Ryzen or Xeon |
| Performance | Full CPU, all RAM, all drives | Dedicated cores and RAM, not oversold |
| Provisioning | Up to 72 hours on working days, outlet instantly | A few minutes |
| Own virtualisation | Yes, e.g. Proxmox VE | No, is a VM itself |
| Scaling | New configuration or second machine | Upgrade with one click in the customer area |
| DDoS protection | Arbor, up to 1 Tbit/s, included | Arbor, up to 1 Tbit/s, included |
| Entry price | from €121.25 per month | Considerably lower, depending on the package |
Clock speed versus cores: why Ryzen is in the dedicated server
The FameSystems dedicated servers run on AMD Ryzen 7000 series processors. These have fewer cores than an EPYC but a considerably higher clock speed per core. That is exactly what game servers, databases and everything that cannot be parallelised at will need: a single game server process gets faster when the single core is faster.
Root servers, on the other hand, run on EPYC with many cores. They are ideal when many processes work at the same time, such as web servers with many visitors or several services on one machine. So the question is not only "physical or virtual" but also "clock speed or cores".
Virtualising yourself with Proxmox
The most common reason for a dedicated server is your own virtualisation. With Proxmox VE you split the machine into any number of virtual machines and containers: a game server, a TeamSpeak, a database, a test environment, all cleanly separated and managed via a web interface. This is not possible on a root server, it is already a virtual machine itself.
For agencies, communities and small hosters this is the point where the dedicated server pays off: from three to four systems that would otherwise be individual root servers, the own machine is often cheaper and more flexible.
When the dedicated server is worth it
- You want to virtualise several systems yourself, for example with Proxmox.
- Your application needs the high clock speed of the Ryzen cores or the entire machine under full load.
- Compliance or customer requirements demand that nobody else runs on the hardware.
- You run a network of game servers, voice servers and bots for a large community.
When the root server is the better choice
- You need the server today, not in three days.
- Your project is growing and you want to upgrade with a click instead of changing hardware.
- A single service, a website, a bot or a game server with a manageable number of players.
- The budget is below the entry price for your own hardware.
The middle ground: dedicated servers from the outlet
If you want your own hardware but do not want to wait for provisioning, the outlet offers tested, preconfigured systems and returns at a reduced price. The servers are available immediately, quantities are limited.
Our recommendation
Start with the root server if you run a single project. Switch to the dedicated server as soon as you want to virtualise yourself or the CPU runs at its limit permanently. Both run on the same network, the move is a normal data migration without changing provider.
AMD Ryzen hosting & gaming dedicated server
Exclusive hardware with high clock speed, 2× 10 Gbit/s and Arbor DDoS protection. All dedicated series with prices compared, the outlet available immediately.