[protocol77]

I am in the process of changing up my home server setup

Currently i have one large server with about 12 HDD in it and it is running off a an old Intel Q8400 Quad-Core i like the idea of building several smaller units instead of one big one so i can have seperate servers for seperate content such as one for Shows, One For Movies and One for general stuff (Docs, Family Pics etc..) all connected together through a Gigabit Switch

I after reading around here and elsewhere a lot of people are mentioning these HP Proliant Microservers i decided to have a look at them and they are a decent price and look quite good and i intended on buying one to make sure they were sufficient before purchasing more

however reading reviews and general comments i cam across a possible issue

Some people had some issues with the supplied PSU these things do happen as anyone knows so it seemed like a simple fix however upon searching for a replacement PSU they found out the cost of a replacement PSU is at least the same price sometimes more that what the whole microserver cost to purchase in the first place and because it is HP and being OEM they had to purchase directly from HP they couldn't just go to a computer store and buy one off the shelf

Now because i tend to overthink things and try to plan for the worst case scenario this concerned me having something that is so restricted when it comes to repairs or upgrades this is part of the reason i do not like Laptops and i build my Own Custom PC's so if something does die or go wrong it can be repaired easily and fairly cheaply

So what i wanted to know is firstly if anyone has had any issues with these servers that needed something repaired or replaced and secondly your thoughts on my line of thinking although these servers are a good deal and would be perfect for a NAS would it be better to just build something from scratch using a small case I would also be curious as to if you do run these what OS are you using on them

Like the Fractal Node 304 or Bitfenix Prodigy and buying a Mini-ITX board and cpu like the 1610 and a good PSU like a Seasonic, Antec, Or Corsair Gold,Silver or Bronze 80+

this method might cost a little more and require more work but essentially all the parts on this can be easily replace if needed.

[jammyb]

Think you just answered your own question.

The microservers are awesome bits of kit. But are prone to breaking just like any other tech.

It's a gamble just like buying anything these days. If you're looking for upgradability, then perhaps a microserver isn't for you. If you're looking for an all in one microserver. Then perhaps they are!

[CaptainPsycho]

Three instead of one server ... 3x times more chanche something breaks, 3x software upgrades ...
Sounds not reasonable for me.

[Richard39]

microservers are great , but u limited to 4 drives and up to 8 gig(think u can go higher with hacked bios)

building your own overall is better option if u want more than 4 drives and future expandability , antec neo eco I hear suppose to be good psu for servers

either way u cant go wrong , as for issues , psu go wrong on any pc , its just 1 of those shit happens.

I recommend unraid for os straight forward set up and quick to get up and running , although pre clearing the drives can take awhile

[Milhouse]

Some people had some issues with the supplied PSU these things do happen as anyone knows so it seemed like a simple fix however upon searching for a replacement PSU they found out the cost of a replacement PSU is at least the same price sometimes more that what the whole microserver cost to purchase in the first place and because it is HP and being OEM they had to purchase directly from HP they couldn't just go to a computer store and buy one off the shelf

They obviously didn't search very hard, or are not very bright.

Yes, the official HP replacement PSU part is expensive, but that's because it's being sold by HP, not because it's custom or special in any way. The PSU in the HP Microserver is a standard 1U PSU part and compatible replacements can be had for under £30. You can also use Pico PSUs for totally silent power (more expensive though).

this method might cost a little more and require more work but essentially all the parts on this can be easily replace if needed.

All parts prone to failure in the HP Microserver are easily replaceable, apart from the motherboard.

microservers are great , but u limited to 4 drives and up to 8 gig(think u can go higher with hacked bios)

You can go to 16GB with the standard BIOS, just use compatible RAM. You can even squeeze in 6 drives on the standard connections (hacked BIOS helps here).

[GortWillSaveUs]

The problem I see with any computer built by HP, Dell,...and any other company:

Most of the time,..they use proprietary parts.
If something breaks or fails, you're going to have to purchase directly from the vendor,..and usually at a premium.
Build your own,...it may seem hard,..actually, it is not.

[solamnic]

I am in the process of changing up my home server setup

Currently i have one large server with about 12 HDD in it and it is running off a an old Intel Q8400 Quad-Core i like the idea of building several smaller units instead of one big one so i can have seperate servers for seperate content such as one for Shows, One For Movies and One for general stuff (Docs, Family Pics etc..) all connected together through a Gigabit Switch

I after reading around here and elsewhere a lot of people are mentioning these HP Proliant Microservers i decided to have a look at them and they are a decent price and look quite good and i intended on buying one to make sure they were sufficient before purchasing more

however reading reviews and general comments i cam across a possible issue

Some people had some issues with the supplied PSU these things do happen as anyone knows so it seemed like a simple fix however upon searching for a replacement PSU they found out the cost of a replacement PSU is at least the same price sometimes more that what the whole microserver cost to purchase in the first place and because it is HP and being OEM they had to purchase directly from HP they couldn't just go to a computer store and buy one off the shelf

Now because i tend to overthink things and try to plan for the worst case scenario this concerned me having something that is so restricted when it comes to repairs or upgrades this is part of the reason i do not like Laptops and i build my Own Custom PC's so if something does die or go wrong it can be repaired easily and fairly cheaply

So what i wanted to know is firstly if anyone has had any issues with these servers that needed something repaired or replaced and secondly your thoughts on my line of thinking although these servers are a good deal and would be perfect for a NAS would it be better to just build something from scratch using a small case I would also be curious as to if you do run these what OS are you using on them

Like the Fractal Node 304 or Bitfenix Prodigy and buying a Mini-ITX board and cpu like the 1610 and a good PSU like a Seasonic, Antec, Or Corsair Gold,Silver or Bronze 80+

this method might cost a little more and require more work but essentially all the parts on this can be easily replace if needed.

mate...

KEEP YOUR MONEY....

if you want to change the case of your server because its ugly... i can understand that...

for my home server i "invested" on a Lian Li A70 case.. (that cost me 250 euros.. and it looks great...

But in your case from what i ve read probably you are gonna need a 2nd server soon enough...

So...
DONT replace the server you own for smaller servers... Really there is no need for it..
(keep your money for the second server your are gonna need soon enough )...

[ConfusedTA]

With one large server with a huge storage pool, it doesn't matter how your media grows - you'll just add space.

If you start splitting it out to multiple boxes - not only will you increase power usage, you'll also have more parts to go wrong, and you lose flexibility with your storage space.


I am using Windows Home Server 2011 (for the client computer backups) and StableBit DrivePool to allow me to pool all my drives into one large one - it doesn't matter if one of my shared folders is 4mb or 4TB - I'm making the most of all of my storage by keeping it all in one box.

I also don't think the HP Microservers are powerful enough to do much other than just sitting there and serving files - once you start asking it to do anything else, your current Q8400 will begin to excel with its higher processor speed and extra cores - at idle (if you've got SpeedStep enabled) it'll be using hardly any power.

[trogggy]

For me, the microserver makes a lot of sense. It cost me £75 delivered with the cashback deal. Throw a video card and a couple of gig more RAM in and you can run xbmc, 6 hard drives, serve around the house, do a little light gaming and general stuff, all the while using a lot less power than the Q4800. The power's a big deal for a pc that's on a lot. And no, it's not the most powerful machine in the world. What sense would that make for a server?
AMD Turion II Neo vs Q8400