Home server build

[JonW]

I know those small PC's are pretty efficient with power usage, but when you start using external NAS/RAID boxes and stringing multiple boxes together, I doubt you're getting as much efficiency as you think.
 
If you need multiple boxes and lots of storage, don't discount buying a real server box.  Today's new servers are incredibly power efficient.  I run a Dell T620 server with dual XEON processors, 10 HD's in RAID 10 (8 online, 2 hot spare) and 96 GB of RAM.  
 
Running full time on the box are 7 Windows Server 2012 VM's, 2 Windows 7 VM, 1 Windows 8 VM and 1 Ubuntu VM and the box sits at very low utilization.  Now, I don't expect people to have a box like this for just home automation needs, but you could still do a decent XEON based VM server that would handle several VM's with ease and run at a very low power requirement.
 
I run all the above for about 147 watts average usage.
 

 

 

[potts.mike]

I am currently running an old core2quad in a big norco case but I've been told to downsize and the only logical place for it to go is the entertainment center. I need to find the right balance of size, power and quite.

 

[RAL]

Processor chips like the i5 and i7 are very good at power management.  Running at full tilt, an i7 will indeed use more power than an i5, partly due to higher clock speeds.
 
But when a core becomes idle, say because a VM becomes idle, and there is nothing else that can be run on one or more of the cores, the idle parts of the chip pretty much shut down and use negligible power.  
 
And since a given task that requires X number of instructions to execute will tend to complete more quickly on a faster processor, in terms of watt-seconds (or however you want to measure it), the power cost of running on an i5 vs an i7 won't be all that much different.

 

[pete_c]

Relating to the NAS piece you can make a mini nas using dual/quad 2.5" cages front loader.
 

 
I am currently using dual 2.5" cages in a few boxes.  Are you looking for a nice looking box for the entertainment center?   (Fractal Design, Silverstone come to mind). 
 
There are a few out there that look like AVR's with nice clean looking fronts.
 
Here are pics of Zalman Home Theater PC cases.
 

 
My very first and only media center PC was a little Aopen mini PC with a large drive and TV capture tuner inside.  Today its still an Aopen mini PC Digital Engine just running XBMC.  It is very quiet.

 

[video321]

Depending on what exactly you plan to do with the server would be the deciding factor between an i5 or i7 (I wouldn't discount AMD either). Power consumption difference will be small between them with a mostly idle load.
 
Personally... I'd freak if I was running 150W on average (no offense JonW). My "server" runs my HTPC and a few VMs and idles ~60W and I want to lower that! The build is like 6 yrs. old. My next build will feature hardware pass-through for virtualization.

 

[JonW]

Depending on what exactly you plan to do with the server would be the deciding factor between an i5 or i7 (I wouldn't discount AMD either). Power consumption difference will be small between them with a mostly idle load.
 
Personally... I'd freak if I was running 150W on average (no offense JonW). My "server" runs my HTPC and a few VMs and idles ~60W and I want to lower that! The build is like 6 yrs. old. My next build will feature hardware pass-through for virtualization.

 
My example of 150W is for a high end setup.  I would fully expect a lower end setup to be much more efficient.  I run production IIS, Exchange, SQL and other servers (yes, in my home).  My point was that for all I have on the one box, it is only 150W, which is a small fraction that all of that would have used several years ago.
 
I guess my real point is that for those looking at multiple mini-pc's + NAS + external HD's, etc. that you will not have the same power savings as building a single integrated server box that can handle everything - including consolidated power management.  Just don't build it to the same capacity that I did - LOL.

 

[potts.mike]

Transcoding is probably going to be the most resource intensive process, I'm not particularly worried about the price difference.

 

[pete_c]

You could start with an Intel i5 / 16Gb of memory then update it in a few months to an Intel i7.  Prices are going to keep dropping on the Haswell Intel chips as they are already more than a year old.
 
There are more options too if you go to a full size motherboard rather than an mITX board.

 

[drvnbysound]

You could start with an Intel i5 / 16Gb of memory then update it in a few months to an Intel i7.  Prices are going to keep dropping on the Haswell Intel chips as they are already more than a year old.
 
There are more options too if you go to a full size motherboard rather than an mITX board.

 
Buy it nice or buy it twice. I'd certainly rather pay ~$300 once than ~$200 for an i5, then $xxx more later to upgrade to an i7; they won't be less than $100, so overall you will have spent more vs. getting the i7 the first time.

 

[potts.mike]

Ive updated to an i7 and a slightly different motherboard.
 
Maybe this link will work
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=27304706

 

[video321]

My example of 150W is for a high end setup.  I would fully expect a lower end setup to be much more efficient.  I run production IIS, Exchange, SQL and other servers (yes, in my home).  My point was that for all I have on the one box, it is only 150W, which is a small fraction that all of that would have used several years ago.
 
I guess my real point is that for those looking at multiple mini-pc's + NAS + external HD's, etc. that you will not have the same power savings as building a single integrated server box that can handle everything - including consolidated power management.  Just don't build it to the same capacity that I did - LOL.

 
I absolutely agree and always recommend a single "beefy" machine over multiple purpose-built ones as well - especially with how easy it is to run with VMs! I was just commenting on that power draw considering how you can get a latest gen i5/i7 to idle  as low as 30W. But if you have the needs for that much power (as you say you do) then you run with what you can!
 
BTW.... do you run outside hosting?

 

[pete_c]

Very nice Mike!
 
Let us know how it goes.
 
BTW link works fine.

 

[JonW]

BTW.... do you run outside hosting?

LOL, I am the outside hosting! I host about a dozen websites for my own business, car clubs, friends, etc. I also host SQL databases for a friends business. I'm on Verizon business FIOS w/ 5 static IP's.

 

[potts.mike]

I am starting to look closer at software and am wondering if I should look at windows 8.1 or Server 2012 for storage spaces instead of Flexraid. What are peoples thoughts?

 

[drvnbysound]

What do you mean by storage spaces?
 
Also, you mentioned that you will be running VMs? How many are you planning?