I just want the server and a Windows OS - desktop

but for running Windows software on it.

and run Windows software on it.

That's really all you need to know. It operates exactly like a Windows desktop! It has a notepad, usually Internet Explorer, Control Panel, all the Windows OS guts, etc.

which I only need on a temporary basis. A few months perhaps. Maybe less.

That's a lot of money saved, I'm sure you can see.

Edited: I also don't need ALL the stuff on a regular PC. Just a nice, sleek, remote desktop.

Do the web oriented services not pass port 3389?

I suspect that I'd have to buy a Windows OS license and install it myself since they're set up for hosting, not as a Windows desktop. If that's even possible.

I don't know if there are hardware or firmware or whatever non-software considerations, but the ones I've looked at (non-hosting) had all kinds of variations to choose from. You can google and go look yourself, probably. Maybe the different configurations would mean something to you. The only one I understand (and that barely) is RAM.

Or is this something you want to access from the road?

Hard to understand what you are trying to accomplish here.

THAT's what I'm trying to accomplish here. The specific software I intend to use doesn't matter.

However, I understand that VPSs are often used by gamers. I'm not a gamer, myself, but that's one use.

No, I don't need to access it from the road.

If you run Windows 10 on your desktop (I assume you have a desktop), enter "Remote Desktop" into Cortana and a window will pop up where you enter your VPS's IP address (if/when you have one) so you can connect to it.

Maybe Google can help you beyond this.

So basically you are looking for somewhere to run software that requires a lot of processing power in order to take the load off your machine.

There are literally thousands of options for what you want.

Did you look at an Amazon offering theirs scale virtually infinitely depending on the resources needed. Not sure of the current costs though.

But thanks.