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Milhouse
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I'd use the N54L as a NAS (with FreeNAS/NAS4Free, maybe UnRaid as an OS), tuck it in a closet somewhere, then use Raspberry Pi for your XBMC client(s). I'd also use another Raspberry Pi with Raspbian as a headless download "server" (assuming you mean Sickbeard/Torrent/etc.).
You could do it all in one, maybe with Windows (if you have a licence) but using the N54L as your XBMC player will require an additional nVidia/ATI video card for smooth video playback.
Howver, 1) although the N54L is relatively quiet it's not something I'd want in my living room especially when all the drives are spinning and rattling, and 2) adding XBMC and other plugins/addons on top of NAS software rapidly becomes a management PITA - using Pi's for the non-NAS functionality makes life a lot simpler.
I use a Pi running Sickbeard and Transmission (plus Logitech Media Server, DHCP/DNS) and it's absolutely fine at that, in fact it hangs off of two of the USB ports on the N36L for power. My N36L with 8GB RAM is running FreeNAS 8.3.1 to which I have added MySQL 5.5 for my XBMC clients - I'd rather not have added MySQL to the NAS, but running it on the NAS is the best place for it so but that's where I drew the line - I could see how painful it was going to become managing multiple addons on the NAS (think: no chance of spin down, more noise/power consumption, upgrade hell etc.)
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If you are sensitive to slowness, then maybe the pi is not the perfect client?
Though I do agree with MilhouseVH, its probably better to limit the workload of the N45L to internal storage and streaming, particularly if you are planning on multiple clients around the house.
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nickr
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If you want to use the microserver as an all in one, get an nvidia card and install linux/xbmcbuntu.
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aldin
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thanks for all the comments.
maybe this is not the best soloution?
i read some treads in the forum, there is some device that looks intresting.
Lenovo Q190 ? Zbox? Intel NUC? but this + HP device without the video card will cost me more 250-300 $.
i search the best solution to build storage + streaming + download station
and XBMC device in the small price.
in the start i thought that i save money and will buy the HP device that will give me the best solution!
you have other suggestion ?
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aldin
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2013-07-22, 15:42
(This post was last modified: 2013-07-22, 15:52 by aldin.)
this machine will be with 6 HDD silent more than the HP? and more powerfull?
if the HP very loudly (this device will be in my bedroom - i have in the bedreem also 2 nas of iomega) and it will not will be 100% not slowly, maybe feasible to buy the HP device without the video card + htpc machine that will run only XBMC. THE question is - isnt a waste of money??
instead of "all in one" in the HP with posible to slowly and loud noise from it - cheap
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aldin
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Only you can answer whether it's a waste of money. And depending on what you want from your "HTPC", you don't have to spend very much money - if all you want to do is watch videos, stream stuff from the internet, and don't mind waiting a bit longer than you would with an i7, then Pi's make very good (and cheap) XBMC clients.
[/quote]
" Pi's " you means the HP proloant yeahs?
in the preformance that u paste , is seems like the N54L is very good.
again, i want
1. download station - torrent
2. XBMX clinet - fast - run 1080P - without slowness at all in the interface
3. storage movies & series
4. stream to my house in wire net (maybe only to my XBMC clinet and the other nas device will stream to the house)
i thought that the HP will give me all of this in the cheapest solution.
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2013-07-22, 23:42
(This post was last modified: 2013-07-22, 23:42 by solamnic.)
you will also need to buy a Nvidia gt610 or 620 card (low profile)
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aldin
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what do you mean that i "bad XBMC upgrade to put all your data at risk?"
