[baldmosher]

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.

[sarstube]

very nice setup. i just recently got the n40l, but i was curious where you put the ssd?

did you put it in the top bay, or one of the hd bays.

i'm definitely new to all this, but i needed the top bay for an optical drive so I wanted to do an ssd in one of the hd bays. of course i would grab a 2.5 to 3.5" mounting kit, but do you have any recommendations on which kit to use or have any issues?

[QLink]

i put my ssd in the space between the 5,25" Bay and the 3,5" HDD bays. just behind the blue led which lights the HP logo...

[sarstube]

i put my ssd in the space between the 5,25" Bay and the 3,5" HDD bays. just behind the blue led which lights the HP logo...

hmmm. that's interesting. it does look like there might be enough room for that. i would love to see a how to on that, but that may be asking too much for you! do you worry about airflow? did you connect it to the esata port on the back?

[QLink]

i doubt you will need a how to for that...

only thing you should keep in mind is connect sata and power cable FIRST to your SSD and then put it in the space under the 5,25" bay.

if you put your SSD first in this small space it will be very hard to connect the cables afterwards.

ssds don't produce any heat -> they need no cooling -> i don't worry about airflow

i connected my ssd to the internal sata port and my bluray drive to the esata port on the back.

[problaze]

Got one of these too was a great deal!
Just wondering if you have tried Open-Elec? Only because of the internal free USB!
I haven't kept up with open-elec so can't comment on compatibility sorry but I know it was extremely efficient with resources etc.

[sarstube]

i doubt you will need a how to for that...

only thing you should keep in mind is connect sata and power cable FIRST to your SSD and then put it in the space under the 5,25" bay.

if you put your SSD first in this small space it will be very hard to connect the cables afterwards.

ssds don't produce any heat -> they need no cooling -> i don't worry about airflow

i connected my ssd to the internal sata port and my bluray drive to the esata port on the back.

thanks! yeah, i could probably throw it in there pretty easy. going to put it off for right now, though. it will mostly be on 24/7 and i read your thread about the microserver and it was very informative. just picked up a pair 1.5 tb caviar blacks to run in raid 1 for a decent price (well, decent for these days anyway, lol).

may do in the future though.

[Titch1644]

great guide
i have one of these as well

tried openelec worked ok but was unable to figure out how to access my drives remotely and 1080p failed and was blockey
720p played but with some rolling on the screen

so WHS for me aswell

just trying to get it to remember to go full screen on boot,
great system for the price

[baldmosher]

very nice setup. i just recently got the n40l, but i was curious where you put the ssd?

it's actually eSATA, in an Icy Box!

I'll be moving the SSD into my main HTPC build eventually, so no point installing it internally. No SATA3 controller in the N40L so no speed advantage either.

Although as QLink says, that'd be my approach, if I was installing internally. You could just as easily use sticky velcro pads and pick any internal surface you desire, such as the side of the HDD enclosure.

[baldmosher]

Well, SSD went in tonight.

Installed in the optical bay, just left it hanging loose, could have used sticky velcro but seems a waste of sticky velcro.

A bit miffed cos I ordered a left hand SATA cable and it turns out I need a right hand cable. Doh. For the record, "left hand" is aka "right key" and you need the opposite, "right hand" or "left key". Still, the vertical end of the cable fits perfectly fine under the disk brackets anyway, so no great problem at all, it's just a waste of £3. Also 75p for the molex-SATA power splitter.

I used Todo to copy the partition and rebooted... couldn't be simpler. No need to do any of Eskro's suggestions as Windows 7 seems to have done them all for me already. Quite impressively simple overall.

Boot times are not that different (maybe a touch faster) but I haven't given Trim a chance to do its stuff yet and apparently that will help eventually.

I've retired my 2.5" 500GB eSATA drive now so will pop back once I've done some more power consumption testing.

[Digital Vortex]

Baldmosher: I encourage you to do the double duct tape mod.. especially if you're using it as a HTPC/visible in the room.

Get a bit of grey duct tape, fold it over so there's just a bit of sticky edge left, remove the top lid of the Microserver, and stick the duct tape over the blue LED drum unit.

The blue LED will now be barely visible, not the retina burn it is by default.

In bright daylight you can barely see it , pitch black it's just a soft blue glow.

End result = WAF +1

[baldmosher]

LOL, good tip, but it's hidden in a cupboard, the only visible thing in the room is the RF keyboard. WAF is already high.

[cable_guy]

Do you control it with your Harmony?

[twe69]

What Add-ins are people using to stream to their dlna devices?

I was thinking of trying out Serviio but would be good to see what has been tested.... Still need to finish my setup but I have installed a 6450 and most of the hard drives into the machine with Windows Home Server 2011 up and running..... Not done much else just yet.....

Also any android apps to control it?
Thanks.

[twe69]

I got serviio up and running....
Also xbmc is working nicely with the 6450....

Lots to do still but will be next week now....