File/Linux Server Test Build

A

alenriq

n00b
Joined
Aug 13, 2010
Messages
9
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
File Server, torrents, maybe stream to ps3
Learning Linux (dns, LAMP, firewalls, svn)
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
400-700 $USD.
3) Where do you live?
NJ, 28 minutes from Micro Center.
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
Motherboard - CPU - Memory - Case - PSU - HDD - DVD ROM
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
1tb drive, Monitor, keyboard, mouse
6) Will you be overclocking?
No
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
22in
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Early April.
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? etc.
Whatever is recommended.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Yes, three options:
1. Minimal W7 + Virtual machines for Linux
2. Windows 2k3 + VMs for Linux
3. All Linux install


What I've put together so far.

Parts from MC:
Biostar A780L3G AM3 760G mATX Motherboard - $0.01
AMD Athlon II X2 250 Dual Core Boxed Processor - $57.99
2 x Samsung Spinpoint F4 2TB 5400 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s - $139.98
Sony AD-7260S 24X SATA Internal DVD Burner - $17.99
Total: $223.53

Newegg:
Antec Earthwatts EA-380D Green - $39.99
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB F3-10666CL9D-8GBRL (2 x 4GB) - $84.99
LIAN LI PC-Q08B Black Aluminum Mini-ITX Tower Computer Case - $119.99
Total: $244.97

I am looking to build a small (at the most L15"xW12"xH12"), as quiet as possible and power efficient test system that may also serve as a file server, at the most being used would be 4TB. I still need a OS/boot drive, an SSD maybe? Could definitely use some advice on the PSU, since it is a small case, modular would be best.

Another option in this build, if it makes any sense, is for me to wait until Mid April and buy 2 ~$400 builds, one for each purpose.

All help much appreciated and thank you in advance.

alenriq.
 
Last edited:
Red flag: That motherboard will not fit inside that case. Note that motherboard is a mATX motherboard whereas that case is a mITX case. So either you change the motherboard or swap cases.

If you want that mITX case, then I suggest taking a look at this motherboard:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813500060

Note that it only has four SATA ports.

Alternatively, take a look at the AMD Zacate mITX motherboards:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ption=&Ntk=&CFG=&SpeTabStoreType=&srchInDesc=

Four SATA ports minimum but some of them have 5 or 6 SATA ports. This route is actually cheaper and uses less power

However if you want to stick with the mATX route, Then just pick up the Coolermaster Elite 341 case.

The cheapest modular PSU that I can recommend would be this Coolermaster:
$70 - Coolermaster Silent Pro M600 RS-600-AMBA-D3 600W Modular PSU

SSD wise, I reccomend this:
$135 - Crucial RealSSD C300 CTFDDAC064MAG-1G1 2.5" 64GB SSD
 
The motherboard size went completely over my head, thanks for noticing Danny Bui. Since MC does not provide a discount with the mITX motherboard + CPU, I'm going with AMD Zacate. Question is, any reasons not to choose the Zacate?

This is a revised list of the parts:

ASRock E350M1 AMD Zacate E350 (1.6GHz, Dual-Core) AMD A50M Hudson M1 Mini ITX - $109.99
COOLER MASTER Silent Pro M600 RS-600-AMBA-D3 600W ATX12V V2.3 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready - $69.99
2 x Western Digital Caviar Green WD20EARS 2TB SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive - $159.98
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) Desktop Memory - $79.99
LIAN LI PC-Q08B Black Aluminum Mini-ITX Tower Computer Case - $119.99
ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM - $17.99
Total: $557.93

For now, I'll wait for a deal on the SSD.
 
alenriq said:
The motherboard size went completely over my head, thanks for noticing Danny Bui. Since MC does not provide a discount with the mITX motherboard + CPU, I'm going with AMD Zacate. Question is, any reasons not to choose the Zacate?
Click to expand...

Two reasons that are probably not pertinent to you:
1) There's an issue with Zacate and hardware accelerated flash playback. Pretty much a lot of stuttering. That might be fixed with a future driver update.

2) In Linux, there seems to be driver related issues where the GPU is not used well to hardware accelerate playback of HD content.(i.e Blu-ray) This differs from the above reason in that this is only happening to Linux not Windows whereas the above reason is occurring for both Windows and Linux.

Those doesn't sound like it'll impact you that much though.

You might want to check out this Linux Hardware review of the Zacate platform:
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=amd_fusion_e350&num=1
 
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