Minimum hardware spec to run SBS

[EB1000]

Hi

I decided to get a new PC to run SBS. I found this AIO MB from intel:

http://www.intel.com/products/desktop/motherboards/D510MO/D510MO-overview.htm

It has Lan Audio VGA 2 sata ports, 7 USB2, one slot for DDR2 800, Intel Atom CPU included with passive heatsink. I'll be adding a 1GB DDR800 stick and 1TB internal Sata drive (WD green). I'll be running either XP sp3 lite (nlited)' or maybe I'll run Vortexbox. What do guys think? Will this be enough for SBS? I might even use this machine to run Torrents in the background.

One more question: Could this setup be enough to run FreeNas?

Thanks

[tedfroop]

Easily enough..

I had SBS set up on my netbook running Win7 (full version) with an Atom 550. You should have no problems running either OS.
Where this config will show its lack of horsepower is in ripping performance. For that reason Vortexbox may be your best bet for an OS.

[Skinny]

That'll do fine!

Hi

I decided to get a new PC to run SBS. I found this AIO MB from intel:

http://www.intel.com/products/desktop/motherboards/D510MO/D510MO-overview.htm

It has Lan Audio VGA 2 sata ports, 7 USB2, one slot for DDR2 800, Intel Atom CPU included with passive heatsink. I'll be adding a 1GB DDR800 stick and 1TB internal Sata drive (WD green). I'll be running either XP sp3 lite (nlited)' or maybe I'll run Vortexbox. What do guys think? Will this be enough for SBS? I might even use this machine to run Torrents in the background.

One more question: Could this setup be enough to run FreeNas?

Thanks

I am using that very MoBo in my SB / Storage server. I run Ubuntu Server 10 (headless) and have 2 GB RAM. The board actually has 2 slots for memory, for a max of 4 GB. It's very quick and responsive both as SBS and NAS, no problem at all. GB ethernet is great for moving files. I'm sure it would handle a lot more tasks, but right now I don't have the need. FreeNAS should be no problem, nor torrents.

I even built another box for my parents using the single-core D410 (it's still Hyper Threaded), which is absolutely sufficient as they don't need anything else than SBS on it.

For any server application, I can only recommend a Linux OS (VB is supposedly great). Consider 2 GB memory, it's inexpensive. 667 or 800 MHz makes no difference here, get whichever you can find cheaper.

Yes, it's a good base for a SB server, and I've been very happy. I have the OS on a CF card (CF->SATA) and a 2 TB Samsung Eco HDD for storage.

-Skinny

edit: Prior to my current SBS setup, I used an old laptop with a 600MHz Celeron Mobile processor and 512 MB RAM. Even that was totally acceptable in terms of SBS performance. The upgrade, however, made a huge improvement.

[RonM]

I run SBS on two different computers -- my main 24/7 server is on a dedicated FitPC2, which has an Atom 550 processor and 1gb RAM. Runs fine, never been anything like a glitch even when serving three separate streams to separate SB devices. This runs XP sp3.

I also run it on a Netbook (which I'm typing on now), which is set up as the server for an ad hoc wireless network involving a Boom, the setup used when travelling and on vacation (which is where I am now). This, too, uses an Atom, the N450, with 1 GB RAM, and is running Win7. It, too,has not had any problems, albeit supporting only one concurrent stream.

I've not used either device for ripping, a different computer is used for that. It's not the ripping per se that I think might be impacted, but the conversion process. If you're not doing much ripping I think what you are proposing would be plenty, easily. Even ripping might work all right.

R.

[pski]

I had SBS set up on my netbook running Win7 (full version) with an Atom 550. You should have no problems running either OS.
Where this config will show its lack of horsepower is in ripping performance. For that reason Vortexbox may be your best bet for an OS.

I've got Vortexbox running in a VM with 256MB (and limited to one processor) of memory and it outperforms my main box which is a 3GB dual-core 3Mhz running Bista Bizness. (It's library has about 1K CD's in M4A.)

It really depends on whether you want to do anything else on your music server..

P

[jimzak]

I have run SBS on a variety of Windows OS and processors.

1. Dual-core processor Intel processor/Vista: great performance for streaming

2. Single core Atom processor/Windows XP: lower energy consumption, great performance for streaming music but worked very sluggishly with iPeng for iPad which is my perferred remote. The problem was that every time I added music to SBS, iPeng for iPad would take 8-10 minutes to refresh its cache with the Atom processor.

3. Intel i3 (first generation)/Windows 7 64-bit: great performance for streaming and use with iPeng for iPad. iPeng refreshes its cache in about 2 minutes with this processor.

[Mnyb]

I'm usinh a 1,2 ghz via-epia with 1 gB of ram running linux this works fine,
Have not noticed any slugishness with my iPad , maybe album art would not be there imidietly but the interface is never unresponsive or freezing but i' m upgrading anyway.

The old generation via cpu is a little weak in the fpu area even if it has one, so lame transcoding can use all cpu and sox transcoding 24/96 to 24/48 runs circa40% cpu.

So I'm going to the new via nano or dual core atom.

Note that during this time my music collection has gone from 1000 albums to 2500 albums 30000 files.
and I've found a method to rip dvda so I have circa 1500 hirez files
And from one SB3 to SB3, Touch ,Boom , and Radio and one controller and one iPad.

these never color graphic players use more server resources than the old ones.

But from an 1,2 ghz linux driven via- epia c7 or better it should work.

Less resources and you will sacrife not only performance but also functions such as transcoding of AAC radio streams for you SB3 or Boom.

So the non x86 like solutions that some uses will not run any transcoding and may not run resource intensive plugins either.