Proliant as silent HTPC (1 Viewer)

[Fafnir]

Dear all,

These days I have received an all new Proliant Micro Server, should be an N36L.
All that I found out yet is that the mainboard is a bit touchy with regard to reduced RPM.

Is there someone out there who has a good source of information or can share personal experience with requirements to (re-)configure a Proliant as a low-noise HTPC system that can run in a living room?

THX in advance for any hint.

Fafnir

 

[Paranoid Delusion]

Hi Fafnir

One thing I could find is that it should support a 1 half-height, half-length PCIe x16 Gen 2 graphics card, that will seriously limit your options, half height not a problem, but half length certainly is.
Also the power supply seems a bit weak, only 150w, that does not give much overhead for expansion

Think playing full HD may be out of the question though, lets see if anyone has real experience with one of these

 

[Fafnir]

Hey Ray.

Thanks for the hint with the card dimensions.
I did not unpack the server yet, but the case is looking quiet good and so it is destined to replace Antec NSK 2480 case.

Referring the power supply should be ok; Since it will just be extended with a PCI DVB-T card and likely a middle class graphics card. An overall reduction of consumption is also a point.

THX so far.

Fafnir.

 

[erichzann]

I love these boxes but use mine for a dedicated media server and not a tv server or htpc front end.

I have mine sitting in the same room as we watch TV and I can't hear a peep from it. I run Ubuntu and its super stable. Hasn't had any downtime in the last year.

 

[Fafnir]

I love these boxes but use mine for a dedicated media server and not a tv server or htpc front end.

OK, it is a possible solution. How about the network shares? How does it work with SMB and Windows 7?

I have mine sitting in the same room as we watch TV and I can't hear a peep from it.

Hmmm, as I started the server it was far more noisy than my external 2 GB HDD...If your server is less noisy, you surely must have done something against the fan speeding?!

Greeting Fafnir.

 

[Owlsroost]

One thing I could find is that it should support a 1 half-height, half-length PCIe x16 Gen 2 graphics card, that will seriously limit your options, half height not a problem, but half length certainly is.

At work, I have one of these fitted with a low-profile HD5450 (http://www.ebuyer.com/199429-sapphi...mi-dvi-vga-out-pci-e-low-profile-11166-01-20r) so I suspect the HD6450 equivalent would also fit e.g http://www.ebuyer.com/265351-sapphi...vga-dvi-hdmi-pci-e-graphics-card-11190-04-20g

You have to half-dismantle the internals to fit cards, so it's worth collecting all the cards and memory modules etc. first and then fit everything in one go.

Tony