Help buying a server

[CharlesA]

Hopefully, you can view them now. I moved them out of Evernote, and hosted them on my webserver.

Works now.

Nice setup.. and the cable management look a bit like the mess I have around my router/switch. Heh.

[Grenage]

What kind of cases do you use with them? The last HTPC I built was in a monster case. >.<

Screw compact PC cases, stick to monsters! You can always stick them in a cupboard somewhere, and run a dinky front end by the TV; or HDMI/IR over cat6, that's even more practical and minimalist.

[CharlesA]

Screw compact PC cases, stick to monsters! You can always stick them in a cupboard somewhere, and run a dinky front end by the TV; or HDMI/IR over cat6, that's even more practical and minimalist.

Haha. The first HTPC I built was running a Micro ATX board, full size PSU and huge TV capture card (which failed miserably, cuz my cable provider encrypts their HDTV channels and their support had no idea what a cablecard was.

The case I used took up almost the entire cabinet:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811204032

All cuz I wanted to throw a big card in there. I'll be sticking with a smaller one if I decide to do it again.

[Grenage]

Well at least you can easily throw in lots of extra drives, be they in bays or cable-tied to random sections. Can't do that with an all-in-one tiny PC.

[CharlesA]

Well at least you can easily throw in lots of extra drives, be they in bays or cable-tied to random sections. Can't do that with an all-in-one tiny PC.

True. I don't have it any more and I was thinking of using it as a file server, but it ran way too hot for my liking.

At least there are advantages of having monster cases.

[rubylaser]

I would really suggest breaking apart your media storage from your playback devices. In that picture is one of my media servers. Around the house, I have (4) small Openelec XBMC boxes and (1) iMac + Plex in the kids' area. This makes your playback area very quiet (no drives spinning).

Charles, one more option for a Celeron 847 based playback device, the Intel NUC. That thing is REALLY small and comes with a VESA mount to attach it to the back of a TV, but will end up costing a little more unless you run the OS off of a thumb drive, you need to use an mSATA drive if you want a drive inside the case (and you need to buy a 3 prong power cable too).

[Grenage]

At least there are advantages of having monster cases.

I'm probably just trying to make myself feel better about having a massive beast in the livingroom. I had grand plans to move it under the stairs and route HDMI to the main rooms, but I never got round to it!

[CharlesA]

I would really suggest breaking apart your media storage from your playback devices. In that picture is one of my media servers. Around the house, I have (4) small Openelec XBMC boxes and (1) iMac + Plex in the kids' area. This makes your playback area very quiet (no drives spinning).

I think that's where I originally messed things up. The huge case I had was running 4 fans + CPU fan + PSU fan, so while it wasn't super loud, you could hear it and that kinda ruined things.

Charles, one more option for a Celeron 847 based playback device, the Intel NUC. That thing is REALLY small and comes with a VESA mount to attach it to the back of a TV, but will end up costing a little more unless you run the OS off of a thumb drive, you need to use an mSATA drive if you want a drive inside the case (and you need to buy a 3 prong power cable too).

That box looks awesome. It looks like it would need an SSD and RAM and then be good to go. It's only 4 inches by 4 inches with is just insane.

I originally wanted to be able to record stuff and stream over the network and I really should have done my research first by my cable company didn't do cable cards at the time (I have no clue if they do now or not, but meh). That would have saved me from getting the tv tuner and needed a bigger case to fit it.

[rubylaser]

I think that's where I originally messed things up. The huge case I had was running 4 fans + CPU fan + PSU fan, so while it wasn't super loud, you could hear it and that kinda ruined things.



That box looks awesome. It looks like it would need an SSD and RAM and then be good to go. It's only 4 inches by 4 inches with is just insane.

I originally wanted to be able to record stuff and stream over the network and I really should have done my research first by my cable company didn't do cable cards at the time (I have no clue if they do now or not, but meh). That would have saved me from getting the tv tuner and needed a bigger case to fit it.

It does need RAM, but you can't use a 2.5" SSD, you would need to buy an mSATA drive for it to fit.

[CharlesA]

D'oh! I've never heard of a mSATA drive before. I guess the thumb drive approach would be easier to manage.