Going mad: server hardware?

[ScottMayo]

I need to buy a machine to run slimserver, and I probably need to do it this week, because the PC I was using has died. I need suggestions!

Here's what I need: I want a low power box (just a few watts), fanless, that will run ONLY slimserver, and also allow sharing of files to windows boxes. It will talk to an external (USB) drive with all the music on it. Someday, I'll take away the USB drive and point it to a real NAS instead, so it has to play nice with networked disks.

Files on the disk have to be shared out, and read/write accessible from Windows. If linix can do that, I'm ok with using linix. (Puppy linux is free - is that viable?)

The SBs need snappy response - no delays of a second or three when using the remote. So that seems to rule out the usual tricks of running slimserver directly on a NAS. Everyone admits that's a dog.

So basically, how much CPU and memory do I really need to get it running fast and smooth? It's possible to buy tiny PCs with 800Mhz and 256Mb for a few hundred, but it sounds like 256Mb may not be enough. Can people comment on the inexpensive way to have a dedicated music server that won't run up my electric bill but won't make the SB perform lilke a dog when using the remote?

Thanks.

[Mark Lanctot]

Fanless yet not a NAS really only limits you to one option that I'm aware of: mini-ITX VIA Epia boards. See http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/mainboards/ They change things so frequently and have so many models now I can't find a fanless one anymore, but I know they're out there.

If you're running Linux with no GUI, 256 MB of RAM ought to be enough. If you're running Windows XP, 512 MB would be required.

If you're spending this much money though, might as well get a Infrant ReadyNAS NV, which is a very powerful NAS box with a manufacturer-supported SlimServer add-on.

[funkstar]

Now they are over the initial teething troubles, the Qnap TS-101 sounda like a good box. Reported to be just as snappy using the remote as a regular server and has been tested with something like 5 or 6 clients connected.

Web is slower, but then it pretty much always will be.

Oh yeah, and the TS-401 is built around an 800mhz Epia board too and can have 4 drives.

[Mark Lanctot]

Fanless VIA models are:

VT-310DP (http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/mainboards/mini_itx/vt_310dp/) (dual 1 GHz processors)

EPIA ML (http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/mainboards/mini_itx/epia_ml/index.jsp) (Eden processor, 667 Mhz - 1.0 GHz)

EPIA MS (http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/mainboards/mini_itx/epia_ms/index.jsp) (800 MHz / 1 GHz processor)

EPIA PD (http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/mainboards/mini_itx/epia_pd/index.jsp) (Eden processor, 667 Mhz - 1.0 GHz)

EPIA MII (http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/mainboards/mini_itx/epia_m2/index.jsp) (Eden processor, 667 Mhz - 1.0 GHz)

EPIA TC (http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/mainboards/mini_itx/epia_tc/index.jsp) (Eden processor, 667 Mhz - 1.0 GHz)

EPIA M (http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/mainboards/mini_itx/epia_m/index.jsp) (600 MHz processor)

EPIA (http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/mainboards/mini_itx/epia/index.jsp) (Eden processor, 667 Mhz - 1.0 GHz)

EPIA CL (http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/mainboards/mini_itx/epia_cl/index.jsp) (Eden processor, 667 Mhz - 1.0 GHz)

EPIA V (http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/mainboards/mini_itx/epia_v/) (Eden processor, 667 Mhz - 1.0 GHz)

...so there's a fanless variant of every one of their Mini-ITX models. Interestingly, the smaller Nano-ITX boards do not have fanless options.

Note: these boards with a specialized case and power supply are pricey for what you get!

[funkstar]

EPIA MS actually goes up to 1.3GHz and EPIA SP is up to 1.3 as well

[Mark Lanctot]

EPIA MS actually goes up to 1.3GHz and EPIA SP is up to 1.3 as well

Fanless?

All the ones I quoted were the fanless variants. Most of the time they didn't list processor specs, rather just model name (are they afraid of publishing specs?)

So for the ones that only said "Eden", I quoted the processor specs from the site.

Several models have fan-equipped 1.23 GHz C3s.

[funkstar]

woops, my bad, i didn't read your post close enough, sorry :)

A good place to look at most of the different models (and some non-VIA mini-itx systems) is www.linitx.com. I'm not affiliated with them in any way, they are just a UK supplier that has a good selection of these things, and the place i'll probably build my 'car pc' from.