Media Server

[stSpringer2003]

Hi All,

New to this forum. I would like to build a Media Server in a case that looks like one om my entertainment centers components instead of looking like a PC tower. Alienware High Definition Media Server is what I am talking about, but it turns out they discontinued servers.

Anyway I really like the raid 5 option with hot swapable hard drives located in the front of the case for easy access.

Does anyone know what MB they may have used for this rig? Would you need a raiser card to plug in 4 sata drives?

Hope I am clear. Thanks for any help.

 

[jopela]

You have a long journey ahead of you. I am working on an entertainment PC plan myself. To address your immediate two questions.

Media Center cases are pleniful, just do a google search and you will find everything from the $120 plain jane to the pimp daddy Thermaltake VH2001BNS which is what I am thinking about using:

As far as motherboards, onboard raid 5 (sata) is common now adays. The cheapest one I could find is the ASUS P5ND2 for $35, but you can not just buy a motherboard and slap parts on it. You need to pick your processor and video card at the same time to make sure they all match up. pricewatch . com is a great site for computer parts shopping.

Be sure to look at an HDMI video card with audio out so everything is over 1 cable.

Keep us updated with your progress.

 

[Phil Taylor]

That Thermaltake looks nice but what good is a 7" touchscreen if it's going to be in a component rack across the room? But again it does look real nice.

 

[phlakvest]

Hi All,

New to this forum. I would like to build a Media Server in a case that looks like one om my entertainment centers components instead of looking like a PC tower. Alienware High Definition Media Server is what I am talking about, but it turns out they discontinued servers.

Anyway I really like the raid 5 option with hot swapable hard drives located in the front of the case for easy access.

Does anyone know what MB they may have used for this rig? Would you need a raiser card to plug in 4 sata drives?

Hope I am clear. Thanks for any help.

Out of curiosity, is there specific functionality you are wanting from hot swapable drives?
They will pretty much limit you to a server case, and increases your costs by a few hundred dollars.

Raid 5 is available on most intel chipset motherboards. But using onboard raid controllers for raid 5 is pretty slow.

What all devices are you planning on serving media to?

 

[stSpringer2003]

Out of curiosity, is there specific functionality you are wanting from hot swapable drives?
They will pretty much limit you to a server case, and increases your costs by a few hundred dollars.

Raid 5 is available on most intel chipset motherboards. But using onboard raid controllers for raid 5 is pretty slow.[/B][/B]What all devices are you planning on serving media to?

I am trying to copy the format of the "Alienware Server" that is discontinued. I like the idea of the hard drives being easily accessable in the front of the unit instead of opening the case. Raid 5 will allow a hot swap if a drive goes down.

"Raid 5 is available on most intel chipset motherboards. But using onboard raid controllers for raid 5 is pretty slow."
Define "slow" please.

Anyway I see my problem as being building a server with the hard drives in the front of the unit. I imagine they are on a riser card with sata connections
mounted vertically on the MB somehow. I there a device that allows what I am talking about?

 

[stSpringer2003]

You have a long journey ahead of you. I am working on an entertainment PC plan myself. To address your immediate two questions.

Media Center cases are pleniful, just do a google search and you will find everything from the $120 plain jane to the pimp daddy Thermaltake VH2001BNS which is what I am thinking about using:


As far as motherboards, onboard raid 5 (sata) is common now adays. The cheapest one I could find is the ASUS P5ND2 for $35, but you can not just buy a motherboard and slap parts on it. You need to pick your processor and video card at the same time to make sure they all match up. pricewatch . com is a great site for computer parts shopping.

Be sure to look at an HDMI video card with audio out so everything is over 1 cable.

Keep us updated with your progress.

I read thst some motherboards for Intel CPU's like the Geforce 9400 chipsets or Intel's G35 Express,G45 Express, and G965 Express can deliver uncompressed eight channel LPCM audio over HDMI so I can use integrated audio.

My main concern is having 4 hard drives in the front panel somehow like the discontinued Aleinware Server. I can't send a link yet because I dont have enough posts or I'd send a link to the Alienware Server I'm trying to copy

 

[phlakvest]

"Raid 5 is available on most intel chipset motherboards. But using onboard raid controllers for raid 5 is pretty slow."
Define "slow" please.

Slower than a raid 0, slightly faster than a raid 1. Raid 5 requires quite a bit of proccessing power and bandwidth. A seperate raid controller will do the proccessing on its own proccessor. An onboard raid controller uses the cpu's power, system ram, and bandwidth.

How many devices are you streaming to at one time? This will determine how fast of a raid you will need.

Anyway I see my problem as being building a server with the hard drives in the front of the unit. I imagine they are on a riser card with sata connections
mounted vertically on the MB somehow. I there a device that allows what I am talking about?

Normally you would find a case that has hot swapable drive bay's. The case's bays will connect to the sata drives, and have cables that connect to the motherboards sata ports.

Since you are wanting a case that blends in with home theater gear decor, you will probably have to find one with 3 5.25" drive bays(4 if you are planning on a dvd/blueray drive) then get something like this http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HS3GY2?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=shopzilla_rev_408-20&linkCode=asn


Here's a link to the alienware server I think the OP is talking about http://www.legitreviews.com/article/673/1/
A company like alienware has the ability to get custom hardware designed. So finding something pre-made is about your only chance to get the hotswap drives in that form factor.

 

[stSpringer2003]

Lian-Li Case

I found this case

LIAN LI PC-9 Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

I cant find aanything like the alienware case so I guess I'll go with a mid tower. At least the hot swappable sata drives are in front on this model.

What OS should I use for a Media server? What MB do you rec that supports integrated audio 8 channel LPCM audio over HDMI

Thanks

 

[Nemo128]

You can buy hot swap bays for any case.

There is a device that converts 2 5.25" bays into 3 SATA hot swaps. Connects directly to your motherboard SATA. On sale for ~$65 right now.

I'm RAID5ing 4 750GB Samsung F1s on a ICH10R southbridge. It is not slow by any stretch of the imagination. It is strictly a streaming and storage array, and I stream massive 1080p rips without a hiccup. My boot drive is a 150GB WD VelociRaptor.

Overhead from RAID processing is pretty insignificant for media servers when you're running quad core CPUs, and with their current market price, why not.

Add-in cards, Areca 1260 is my personal favorite, unless you want to go bigger and more expensive. 1280 would be king of media servers. I'd run Linux with that beast and make it a closet server.

 

[Nemo128]

What OS should I use for a Media server? What MB do you rec that supports integrated audio 8 channel LPCM audio over HDMI

Intel has a sweet ITX board that supports LGA775 Core2Duos. Perfect for a SFF HTPC. Link for your viewing pleasure.

http://www.intel.com/Products/Desktop/Motherboards/DG45FC/DG45FC-overview.htm

OS, subjective. I'd run a seperate server on Linux just to store files and stream them to a SFF HTPC with a SSD. unRAID and Openfiler come to mind.

 

[sholling]

I chose an Antec NSK2450 for the case. I think you'll find a RAID5 array too loud, that's why I went with a single 500GB HD. 3 or 4 drives would be way too noisy. I tried a couple and at that time Western Digital was the least noisy. Every part needs to be selected for quiet. That includes the power supply, case fans, video card, and CPU cooler.

What I did instead of RAID in the media server I ripped my CDs to a FLAC format and store them on both the media server and my main PC and sync them using GoodSync.