England
I first started out a few years ago with the idea of creating an HTPC to handle all my media, including all my ripped DVD's and music.
After spending some months looking around this site for suggested and recommended hardware i settled on the following specs:
Processor: AMD X2 4600+ Dual Core
Mobo: Gigabyte 430 MicroATX
Graphics: GeForce 7600GS Graphics card
Memory: 2x1Gb Corsair DDR2 RAM (667)
TV Card: Hauppauge Nova-T500
HDD: WD 250Gb
Cooling: Scythe mini ninja
Case: Antec Fusion (w/ 430W PSU)
With the HTPC up and running, i decided i needed some decent storage space, so after looking at all the options available i chose to build a seperate server with basic operating specs, but with a good amount of HDD space. I decided to go this route as NAS systems were still way too expensive (this was 2 years ago now dont forget), and i liked the idea of being able to add HDD's whenever i wanted. I thought the best option was to build a server PC to handle all the storage, and use it through a network so i could access all my media whenever i wanted.
For what i needed, the running system didnt have to be anything special, so i went with the following:
Processor: AMD Celeron
Mobo: Gigabyte *something or other!*
Memory: 512Mb Corsair DDR2
HDD1 - OS: 40Gb Western Digital ATA
HDD2 - Storage: 4 x 500Gb Sata Seagate RAID0 with a PCI software RAID card.
Case: Antec Server Tower (up to 9 HDD's)
This obviously all needed to be hooked together so that i could access all my server-stored media from the client in my living room, so i set up a wired cat5e network (to allow for HD video transfer speeds if required) through a netgear router from my living room into the cupboard under my stairs where i was planning for the server to live. So the setup was pretty much like this, and i was extremely happy with it as it was a very quick system, and was very quiet (you had to put your ear right next to the antec case to check that it was on!)...
This worked very well for a few years, with my server waking on LAN from my living room client whenever i wanted to access any of the data stored on it (movies, music or photos), until fairly recently, when i seemed to have a bad sector on my of my RAID HDD's. Things started to get a bit messy from here because (like an idiot) id set the storage up as RAID0, so i couldnt replace the bad disk and rebuld the array, so i started to look at other options.
My first thought was to buy a NAS device, and simply plug it into my router, but they are still pretty expensive before youve even bought the HDD's, and ive also heard bad things about their HD content streaming capabilities, so i decided the best thing to do would be to strip my server down all together, and use the server tower as my main case.
This seemed like a bit of a shame though as i really liked the look of the Antec Fusion case, so i thought the ideal solution would be to remove the front panel from it, and mount it on my living room wall, and while i was at it i could mount my tv on the wall and have a very minimalistic looking setup
The more i thought about this idea, the more sense it made, as i would be able to run my HTPC and all its media from one place (because i could fit up to 9 HDD's in the server case that i was planning to use) without having to rely on a second PC.
Now on to the biggest decision for designing my new setup..how to setup my storage HDD's. After looking at various options, i first settled on the idea of using a RAID5 array as a compromise between cost and redundancy, but to be honest, i just dont trust software RAID cards, and i was going to need at least 2Tb of space to fit all my DVD's and music on, so i was still looking at having to buy 4 x 1Tb drives to achieve this (id have to buy the extra disk now as you cant add disks to a software RAID volume after its set up), so i eventually decided to just go for 2 seperate 1Tb drives for now, with the advantage of just being able to add drives as i go along. i even have 90% of my data backed up on my old RAID0 disks, so im perfectly happy to rely on that until i can save up a bit more cash to buy some backup Tb disks.
So, on with the build...
first job was to fix the tv to the wall. This was no easy job, as i wanted to attach it to a plasterboard wall whose studs are really far apart. I wont go into detail, but to do it I had to drill all the way through the wall and into the wood that supports the stairs on the other side to fix some of the bracket plate, and into the one and only stud available for the rest of the fixings. No problem though, its massively over engineered, and im pretty sure you could hang a sumo wrestler from it if you wanted!
Next came the HTPC. I took the guts out of my Antec Fusion Client, and put them in my (now bare) server case, and put it in its new home in the cupboard under the stairs.
After that came the job of removing the front panel from the Fusion case, and fixing it to the wall. I had to build a gasket for this (i work as a technician so have all the toys to do this sort of thing at work) as the display isnt flush with the back of the panel so it doesnt just sit flat against the wall.
I then drilled a hole through the wall to run all the power button, reset connections, display cables etc (after having cut, lengthened them all to 2m and resoldered them), and then attached it all to the wall using coach bolts.
I think thats about it to be honest. Theres still a few bits to sort out, such as removing the trunking under the tv thats still carrying the power for the tv (im going to run it through the wall as well so that there are no cables at all on this side of the wall).
Next job...update MP from the 0.2.3.0 version that im currently running
After spending some months looking around this site for suggested and recommended hardware i settled on the following specs:
Processor: AMD X2 4600+ Dual Core
Mobo: Gigabyte 430 MicroATX
Graphics: GeForce 7600GS Graphics card
Memory: 2x1Gb Corsair DDR2 RAM (667)
TV Card: Hauppauge Nova-T500
HDD: WD 250Gb
Cooling: Scythe mini ninja
Case: Antec Fusion (w/ 430W PSU)
With the HTPC up and running, i decided i needed some decent storage space, so after looking at all the options available i chose to build a seperate server with basic operating specs, but with a good amount of HDD space. I decided to go this route as NAS systems were still way too expensive (this was 2 years ago now dont forget), and i liked the idea of being able to add HDD's whenever i wanted. I thought the best option was to build a server PC to handle all the storage, and use it through a network so i could access all my media whenever i wanted.
For what i needed, the running system didnt have to be anything special, so i went with the following:
Processor: AMD Celeron
Mobo: Gigabyte *something or other!*
Memory: 512Mb Corsair DDR2
HDD1 - OS: 40Gb Western Digital ATA
HDD2 - Storage: 4 x 500Gb Sata Seagate RAID0 with a PCI software RAID card.
Case: Antec Server Tower (up to 9 HDD's)
This obviously all needed to be hooked together so that i could access all my server-stored media from the client in my living room, so i set up a wired cat5e network (to allow for HD video transfer speeds if required) through a netgear router from my living room into the cupboard under my stairs where i was planning for the server to live. So the setup was pretty much like this, and i was extremely happy with it as it was a very quick system, and was very quiet (you had to put your ear right next to the antec case to check that it was on!)...
This worked very well for a few years, with my server waking on LAN from my living room client whenever i wanted to access any of the data stored on it (movies, music or photos), until fairly recently, when i seemed to have a bad sector on my of my RAID HDD's. Things started to get a bit messy from here because (like an idiot) id set the storage up as RAID0, so i couldnt replace the bad disk and rebuld the array, so i started to look at other options.
My first thought was to buy a NAS device, and simply plug it into my router, but they are still pretty expensive before youve even bought the HDD's, and ive also heard bad things about their HD content streaming capabilities, so i decided the best thing to do would be to strip my server down all together, and use the server tower as my main case.
This seemed like a bit of a shame though as i really liked the look of the Antec Fusion case, so i thought the ideal solution would be to remove the front panel from it, and mount it on my living room wall, and while i was at it i could mount my tv on the wall and have a very minimalistic looking setup
The more i thought about this idea, the more sense it made, as i would be able to run my HTPC and all its media from one place (because i could fit up to 9 HDD's in the server case that i was planning to use) without having to rely on a second PC.
Now on to the biggest decision for designing my new setup..how to setup my storage HDD's. After looking at various options, i first settled on the idea of using a RAID5 array as a compromise between cost and redundancy, but to be honest, i just dont trust software RAID cards, and i was going to need at least 2Tb of space to fit all my DVD's and music on, so i was still looking at having to buy 4 x 1Tb drives to achieve this (id have to buy the extra disk now as you cant add disks to a software RAID volume after its set up), so i eventually decided to just go for 2 seperate 1Tb drives for now, with the advantage of just being able to add drives as i go along. i even have 90% of my data backed up on my old RAID0 disks, so im perfectly happy to rely on that until i can save up a bit more cash to buy some backup Tb disks.
So, on with the build...
first job was to fix the tv to the wall. This was no easy job, as i wanted to attach it to a plasterboard wall whose studs are really far apart. I wont go into detail, but to do it I had to drill all the way through the wall and into the wood that supports the stairs on the other side to fix some of the bracket plate, and into the one and only stud available for the rest of the fixings. No problem though, its massively over engineered, and im pretty sure you could hang a sumo wrestler from it if you wanted!
Next came the HTPC. I took the guts out of my Antec Fusion Client, and put them in my (now bare) server case, and put it in its new home in the cupboard under the stairs.
After that came the job of removing the front panel from the Fusion case, and fixing it to the wall. I had to build a gasket for this (i work as a technician so have all the toys to do this sort of thing at work
) as the display isnt flush with the back of the panel so it doesnt just sit flat against the wall.I then drilled a hole through the wall to run all the power button, reset connections, display cables etc (after having cut, lengthened them all to 2m and resoldered them), and then attached it all to the wall using coach bolts.
I think thats about it to be honest. Theres still a few bits to sort out, such as removing the trunking under the tv thats still carrying the power for the tv (im going to run it through the wall as well so that there are no cables at all on this side of the wall).
Next job...update MP from the 0.2.3.0 version that im currently running
