2011-12-29, 04:24
As if I needed to add anything more to this thread..... :bowdown: :iamnotworthy:
Here's my build, still kinda in progress, will pop back and update.
Updated 28/02/2012 (or if you're American, 02/28/2012)
Using it as a HTPC for now, but once I can justify the cost of building the full (HT)PC this will become a full time media server, torrent client and TV server/PVR.
Hardware:
HP Proliant Microserver N40L w/ std 2GB ECC RAM - £120 total after £100 HP cashback
(modded BIOS from the N36L installed)
MSI GT520 (fan model) 1GB - £37
2x4GB Patriot Signature (non-ECC) - £26 - Dad paid for this cos I built him a PC
1x2TB Samsung Eco Green £94
1x60GB Crucial M4 SSD £78 + £4 for cables
Subtotal £359
Offloaded:
Laptop - sold for £100
SB XFi - sold for £26
1x500GB Samsung Spinpoint (old) - sold for £26
1x250GB Seagate Barracuda - sold for £30 to Dad
1x2GB ECC RAM - sold for £??
1x500GB Samsung 2.5" - sold for £?? (still under warranty - considering selling this but still using it atm)
Net spend ~£180 (tbc)
Software:
Windows 7 Ultimate x64
XBMC
KMPlayer
Boxee
uTorrent
VMplayer with Ubuntu 11 VM (mainly for playing around)
no RAID - not necessary with my requirements
Update 14Jan: ESXi booting from USB is going in this weekend, by hook or by crook.
Update 08Feb: I gave up on this for now. ESXi only useful when in use as a server - I don't have another PC to dial into it so not appropriate.
Update 28Feb: installed SSD
Spent 3 days failing to set up and control ESXi at the top of the tree, doing endless Windows Updates, failing to get Transmission working in Ubuntu, and installing all required software in Windows, so I finally plugged it into the TV and tried a 1080p rip in XBMC (21 Grams) - absolutely awesomely smooth playback, and pretty good video quality. Most impressed. Although the film ain't great for showing off quality as it's grainy as hell. Watched Dexter, 720p TV rip, much more impressed.
XBMC 10.1
Much fiddling with various hardware accel settings (DXVA always enabled) and finally managed to get it running without motion tearing by switching as follows:
Render method: software
DXVA2 enabled
Adjust display refresh: disabled
Sync playback to display: disabled
AV sync: Video clock (greyed out)
Video post-processing: always enabled
KMPlayer
Faffy to get working but there are guides online. CoreAVC and ffdshow both now work well, CUDA and DXVA both show about 30-40% CPU utilisation.
Haven't tried Boxee yet.
I still notice a few frames of macroblocking especially in dark red scenes but that might well be the source rips. Haven't tried a BluRay ISO yet.
Temperatures
Speedfan reports all temps very low (HDDs 27-31°C, GPU 38-47°C, core 36-37°C, no ambient temp but a spun down HDD is 24°C). Stays fairly constant under full load but does get noisy especially when the cupboard is closed, SF doesn't detect or control fan speeds. The PSU fan is turbo loud.
Power
Haven't done much wattage testing yet. With 3x3.5" HDDs shows 58-62W during bootup and drops to 50-52W on idle. Pulls a shade under 0.1W in standby (soft off - i.e. hibernated - it won't "sleep").
Noise
It's certainly not silent with 3 disks and all 3 fans running - in fact it's verging on loud - but it's not an annoying tone, and it's not at all noticeable with a video playing. If I stuck it in the far corner of the room I probably wouldn't notice it but I have now stuck it in the cupboard and have noticed a low rhythmical hum/vibration which I'm attributing to the case fan or hard disks. Will know more later. EDIT: Barracuda drive is the biggest noise culprit by far and it's a lot quieter without it but the PSU fan is pretty noisy when it gets warm.
Memory
8GB gives me lots of headroom. I was definitely short of RAM with the standard 2GB but it was clearly fine for most users as it tolerates my fairly extensive W7 setup - and it will just about run Ubtuntu in a VM on top of W7, which is absolutely hilarious to do. I can definitely recommend having a go of VMplayer just for the experience. So unbelievably easy to set up. I'll be looking to set up a lightweight Linux or FreeBSD torrent client in a VM at some point, may experiment with openELEC or XBMC Live. All good fun. So, two ridiculously cheap 4GB non-ECC sticks gone in - and it handles dual channel RAM with two matched sticks.
WAF
Not that much better than my old laptop, it's a fair bit quicker to get around in Windows, and more responsive yet on paper the CPU is not that much more powerful. She appreciates that it's cost next to nothing net spend but the new (HT)PC won't be a freebie.
Here's my build, still kinda in progress, will pop back and update.
Updated 28/02/2012 (or if you're American, 02/28/2012)
Using it as a HTPC for now, but once I can justify the cost of building the full (HT)PC this will become a full time media server, torrent client and TV server/PVR.
Hardware:
HP Proliant Microserver N40L w/ std 2GB ECC RAM - £120 total after £100 HP cashback
(modded BIOS from the N36L installed)
MSI GT520 (fan model) 1GB - £37
2x4GB Patriot Signature (non-ECC) - £26 - Dad paid for this cos I built him a PC
1x2TB Samsung Eco Green £94
1x60GB Crucial M4 SSD £78 + £4 for cables
Subtotal £359
Offloaded:
Laptop - sold for £100
SB XFi - sold for £26
1x500GB Samsung Spinpoint (old) - sold for £26
1x250GB Seagate Barracuda - sold for £30 to Dad
1x2GB ECC RAM - sold for £??
1x500GB Samsung 2.5" - sold for £?? (still under warranty - considering selling this but still using it atm)
Net spend ~£180 (tbc)
Software:
Windows 7 Ultimate x64
XBMC
KMPlayer
Boxee
uTorrent
VMplayer with Ubuntu 11 VM (mainly for playing around)
no RAID - not necessary with my requirements
Update 14Jan: ESXi booting from USB is going in this weekend, by hook or by crook.
Update 08Feb: I gave up on this for now. ESXi only useful when in use as a server - I don't have another PC to dial into it so not appropriate.
Update 28Feb: installed SSD
Spent 3 days failing to set up and control ESXi at the top of the tree, doing endless Windows Updates, failing to get Transmission working in Ubuntu, and installing all required software in Windows, so I finally plugged it into the TV and tried a 1080p rip in XBMC (21 Grams) - absolutely awesomely smooth playback, and pretty good video quality. Most impressed. Although the film ain't great for showing off quality as it's grainy as hell. Watched Dexter, 720p TV rip, much more impressed.
XBMC 10.1
Much fiddling with various hardware accel settings (DXVA always enabled) and finally managed to get it running without motion tearing by switching as follows:
Render method: software
DXVA2 enabled
Adjust display refresh: disabled
Sync playback to display: disabled
AV sync: Video clock (greyed out)
Video post-processing: always enabled
KMPlayer
Faffy to get working but there are guides online. CoreAVC and ffdshow both now work well, CUDA and DXVA both show about 30-40% CPU utilisation.
Haven't tried Boxee yet.
I still notice a few frames of macroblocking especially in dark red scenes but that might well be the source rips. Haven't tried a BluRay ISO yet.
Temperatures
Speedfan reports all temps very low (HDDs 27-31°C, GPU 38-47°C, core 36-37°C, no ambient temp but a spun down HDD is 24°C). Stays fairly constant under full load but does get noisy especially when the cupboard is closed, SF doesn't detect or control fan speeds. The PSU fan is turbo loud.
Power
Haven't done much wattage testing yet. With 3x3.5" HDDs shows 58-62W during bootup and drops to 50-52W on idle. Pulls a shade under 0.1W in standby (soft off - i.e. hibernated - it won't "sleep").
Noise
It's certainly not silent with 3 disks and all 3 fans running - in fact it's verging on loud - but it's not an annoying tone, and it's not at all noticeable with a video playing. If I stuck it in the far corner of the room I probably wouldn't notice it but I have now stuck it in the cupboard and have noticed a low rhythmical hum/vibration which I'm attributing to the case fan or hard disks. Will know more later. EDIT: Barracuda drive is the biggest noise culprit by far and it's a lot quieter without it but the PSU fan is pretty noisy when it gets warm.
Memory
8GB gives me lots of headroom. I was definitely short of RAM with the standard 2GB but it was clearly fine for most users as it tolerates my fairly extensive W7 setup - and it will just about run Ubtuntu in a VM on top of W7, which is absolutely hilarious to do. I can definitely recommend having a go of VMplayer just for the experience. So unbelievably easy to set up. I'll be looking to set up a lightweight Linux or FreeBSD torrent client in a VM at some point, may experiment with openELEC or XBMC Live. All good fun. So, two ridiculously cheap 4GB non-ECC sticks gone in - and it handles dual channel RAM with two matched sticks.
WAF
Not that much better than my old laptop, it's a fair bit quicker to get around in Windows, and more responsive yet on paper the CPU is not that much more powerful. She appreciates that it's cost next to nothing net spend but the new (HT)PC won't be a freebie.