Reference configurations for servers?

[zorzal]

BACKGROUND:
I am considering building a PC that will be devoted to
- serving DB-intensive applications with lots of data (2TB), which require Windows Server and SQL Server
- running memory-hungry pattern-matching apps (starting with 8GB, up to 16GB at some point in the future when I get $$$), which can leverage as many processors as I can throw at them (in this case, two quads is all I could afford)
- serving large number of small files
- running a collaboration app for up to 200 users to access the data produced above

This machine will not run games or 3D graphic apps. It will drive a single, 30-inch monitor at as high resolution as possible for displaying high quality color bitmaps.

QUESTION:
Being new at this, I would like to find reference configurations for such a machine, to get me started, but all I seem to find are gaming boxes.

Can you point me to any sources or suggest a starting config?

[EzyStvy]

I think you might want to consider two machines.

I work for a software company and we host client data and we are similar to this requirement -> "serving DB-intensive applications with lots of data (2TB), which require Windows Server and SQL Server"

We use single Zeon procs with 4 gigs of ram and the access to the db is fine...I'd hate to imagine what the access would be like if the machine was doing other intense things.

[zorzal]

Thanks, EzyStvy. Yes, I was already considering using two machines, at the very minimum to separate DB and Application for good practice. In your experience, does SQL Server justify using two processors, whether they are quad or duo? And, if yes, what motherboard would you recommend?
Cheers
cc

[EzyStvy]

I don't believe you'd benefit from multi cpu's and running the one large app.....If you cramed your origianl list into one machine then going dual procs would be helpful.