Replacing my home file/media server need opinions
 

Hey everyone. My home linux server is getting a bit tired. Its an old dell optiplex 745. I am considering replacing it with some slightly more modern hardware. The primary job for this box is currently just file serving. My wife and I both store photos on it we take, my wife stores her design files for her embroidery business and we store home videos on it. I also use it as a playground for building php/mysql based websites from time to time. Without blathering too much more here is what I am considering replacing it with.

AMD FX-8150
ASUS M5A78L-M/USB3 uATX Motherboard,
Kingston HyperX 8GB (2 x 4GB) Desktop Memory
WD Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200 RPM Hard Drive

It would be used headless 99% of the time. On occasion I would log onto the desktop and I plan on running Cent 6. My only concern with this system is the integrated AMD HD3000 video which I have heard can be troublesome.

Do any of you see an issue with this? I need this box to be very stable. I am targeting just under $400 for this build. Thanks for any comments/suggestions.

My only comment is that the FX-8150 seems a lot of CPU to be using just to serve files to a couple of people. I dare say that since it won't be used much it won't pull much more power than a low consumption CPU though so it may not cost you much more to run.

If the dell optiplex 745 is doing the job for you now, then a FX8XXX is probably way more CPU than you need. I have to agree with 273, it seems a lot of CPU to serve files.

I dont trust AMD 7XX/8XX chipsets with onboard video for long term reliability. The 7XX/SB7XX setups (like the M5A78L-M/USB3) are SATAII only as well, not the current SATAIII.

I'd either get a AMD 970/990X/990FX chipset motherboard, probably a bit less CPU power (maybe FX-6XXX?) and a cheap low power video card (nVidia G210, AMD 5450/6450/7450). Or more likley a AMD A75/A85X chipset board and FM2 CPU to match.

The nice thing about the FM2 A75/A85X chipsets is the onboard video is better and newer, they are lower power consumtpion than the FX series, and the motherboards have 6 SATAIII ports (A75) or 8 SATAIII ports (A85X) and native USB 3.0. The only downside is they are limited to 4 core (2 module realy) CPUs, no 6 core/3 module or 8core/4module CPU for FM2 systems. But moving from a Core 2 Duo E6400 to 4core/2module FM2 should still be a noticeable upgrade.

BTW, power consumption comparison between the FM2 A10-5800K and various AMD and intel CPUs here-

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu...k_9.html#sect0

If you do go fora FX-8XXX the FX-8320 is better overall (faster, slightly better power consumption) than the FX-8150 and is generally about the same price or cheaper.

Thanks for the input guys. Part of the bargain in this was it was a package deal so I guess I will keep looking. I figured for $400 this would be pretty sweet even if overpowered. Maybe I will step it down a notch, I/O is far more important to me than cpu anyway. That and #1 is stability.

Maybe you can buy a name brand server from some top company for that amount. Stuff like ecc ram helps and some other features help to keep it stable over fast.

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/q...ml&docid=14565

Ok after doing some digging around today and taking your advice I have come to the conclusion that I am power mad. That said here is what I am looking at for $417.58 out the door.

AMD FX 6300 + on Asrock970 extreme4 mb bundled for $179.98
8GB Kinston HyperX blu DDR3-1600
Inland mid tower case and 450watt PS
ASUS 210SLDI1GD3V2LP NVIDIA GeForce 210 1024MB GDD (fanless)
WD Black 500GB

I'll cannibalize a DVD drive from another system here. From what I have read the ASRock seems to work fairly well with modern builds and kernels and while the CPU is overkill for what I intend, who knows maybe I will find other uses.

If this thing is going to run headless and just sit and serve, you might want to consider looking for a good used computer from a reputable used computer store. I've had great luck going that route.

Of course, where I used to live, I was lucky enough to have a reputable used computer store just around the corner; it was the only place I would trust to repair my laptops once they were out of warranty.

'Inland PS-301 ATX Mid Tower Computer Case with 450 Watt Power Supply'?

http://www.microcenter.com/product/3...t_Power_Supply

I wouldnt trust it at all. I cant even find a U/L number. Even if I could, I wouldnt trust a $25 case + power supply with $400 worth of hardawre.

IMO the power supply is one of the most vital parts in a computer. If it blows, it can take everything else with it. Even if that doesnt happen, getting bad/inconsistent votlags you can get stasbility problems and/or cause long term damage to your system or data.

And long-term I wont. Probably in the first month or so it will get switched out to a Corsair HX 750 like I have in my desktop. I love Corsair supplies and they are in 3 of 4 PC's in my home with the exception of the server that this will be replacing. The stock cpu fan will also likely go the way of a dinosaur and be replaced by a Coolermaster 212 EVO (which I use on my i5 Desktop as well). But if we put all of this stuff in at once when do we get to tinker ;)

Raspberry Pi and an external USB hard disk. Just a thought ;)

750 watt PSU is wayyy overkill. That system will hav a max draw of 200 watts or less. I'd drop back to the 650 watt model and even that is only because they dotn make a lower wattage version. I'd possibly even consider a seasonic platinum series PSU if the price was right, but normally the seasonic branded PSUs are more than corsair.

Corsair rebrand soem nice PSUs. The really nice ones like the HX are actually seasonic.

Call me overly cautious, but I'd rather not have to pull the whole motherboard to install a heatsink.

Its not even that expensive, so getting at the same time as you build makes sense to me.

I'd rather do it once, get it right, and tinker with non-important stuff. If your media server dies, its a PITA. If the stuff up some case mod, or blow the P4 your playing around with, its less stress.

If the Raspberry Pi had SATAI/II/III ports it would make a much better media server. I wish they did have at least one, better 4 or more.

Maybe I will try a Corsair CX430 then. I have not tried that line yet, maybe its time.


You're right, its on sale for $28, cheap insurance.

I actually hadnt checked them myself...and all I can say is wow. I'd expect corsair to build somethign decent for the money, but that is far better than I expected for the $$$.

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/artic...-Review/1284/1

I really like the hardwaresecrets.com power supply reviews, they know what they are talking about.

Its not quite as good quality as the HX series, but for the price its amazing.

The only possible issue I can see is that many current motherboards have a 'minumum 500 watt' requirement, more a recommendation really. I havent checked the Asrock970 extreme4 manual to see if they say the same thing..but even if ti did its mostly to avoid problems with 'yum cha' cheap ass power supplies. Really cheap power supplies can have issues with voltage regulation and ripples, and often cant even deleiver the rated wattage. The corsair CX430 appears to be very good overall and flat-out great for the price.

Just try to get the 'V2' version. ;)

Thanks for all the input guys. I am still waiting to get my Corsair but for now here it is;

If you can live with 100 Mbps Ethernet, that looks interesting.