Good Cheap Server - HP Proliant Microserver 4 BAY - OWNERS THREAD

I've read this thread from start to finish and just want to ask a couple of questions that haven't been answered (although may have been touched upon):

I'm thinking of buying this in the next couple of days (before the cashback offer ends) with the intention of replacing an old C2D laptop I have hidden away running TVersity & PS3MediaServer 24/7, coupled with a USB drive which is connected to my router.

I know some of you have mentioned that you've tried PS3MediaServer running on this box, but no one has really gone into detail about the performance. A lot of my movies (standard def) will need to be transcoded for the PS3. At the moment I don't have any 720p or 1080p stuff, but with all that storage I probably will do.

So my questions are:

1) How does this box cope with transcoding standard def, 720p and 1080? I can max out the RAM, but I guess the CPU will be the bottleneck.

2) Would putting a nVidia GPU into it and using CUDA/CoreAVC with PS3MediaServer be an option to make this possible?

3) For those who have taken the motherboard out to upgrade their RAM, is the CPU soldered to the motherboard, or could this be removed and replaced with something like a Turon II or any other processor for better performance?

I've searched Google but no joy.
Thanks in advance.
 
Have just chased my cashback it has been 33 days since my confirmation email and still no cheque. Hmmm.

Got a very quick reply from the company producing the cheques, they have printed it and are just waiting for a signature. Apparently they have been somewhat buried under the weight of requests which were not expected!
 
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Just bought one of these for use as a home server.

I have 2 x 1.5tb drives already and wish to upload squeezebox and my mp3's

At least with this I can add more hard drives later

I already have a HTPC (permanently on) and hope to stream my video from this NAS enabling me to leave this low powered device on and my HTPC can be turned off.

Hope also to use it as a print server for 2 printers for the family laptops

Presume I don't need to upgrade it physically as the HTPC and laptops etc can all play/decode 1080p themselves
 
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I'm keeping mine for troubleshooting if I ever need to.

HP are notoriously bad with stuff if your ram doesn't have the HP hologram logo on it.
Years of working with HP servers has always taught me to buy branded ram lol if you want support from them that is.

Im using non branded stuff in my own microserver :P

for the £10 I might get for it its not worth the hassle selling it really.
 
Sh4rkie said:
Yep :)

Freeware shutdown program:

http://www.chameleon-managers.com/

"Chameleon Shutdown allows you to switch off, restart, hibernate the computer and perform other operations both immediately and when certain conditions are met (specific time, delay, idle time, CPU usage, closure of a certain program).
You can add multiple conditions without limitation.
The interface supports skins and is very easy to use."

Then create a batch file on the desktops of relevant PCs in your network to wake it back up again using mc-wol command line, again freeware:

http://www.matcode.com/wol.htm

I use WOL over the Internet as well which comes in handy :)
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Thanks for this, testing now so far sucessfully, hope they add a bios update but i only use my server mostly at weekends so this is ideal
 
Anyone applying for the rebate DON'T forget the serial number....I got an email, thought they would want a whole new form/invoice etc.. fortunately just a email with the number (which is on the box)

I was sure I read on here that the serial was not required :confused:
 
JAKUS said:
Anyone applying for the rebate DON'T forget the serial number....I got an email, thought they would want a whole new form/invoice etc.. fortunately just a email with the number (which is on the box)

I was sure I read on here that the serial was not required :confused:
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I never put a serial number on my application so checked the first and second offer forms and the serial was only required on the second offer i.e. server purchased in Feb.
 
aldo1234 said:
Just purchased one hope it arrives before the deadline.
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Has to arrive or at least be invoiced for before the end of this month, so even if the supplier is completely incompetent you still have a fair few days. Also the submission for the cashback has to be done at the latest by the 25th of March so plenty of days assuming the server arrives in the first place.
 
kingofbeans said:
Yeh, Raid 10 Just sounds so nice, but funds probably won't allow is right now. Box is being used for all the usual NAS stuff including family backups, but mainly for downloading and storing media so RAID 10 probably overkill. Also I currently have a 1.5Tb drive in an old QNAP NAS. Could I have 1 disk without RAID and then 2 disks in RAID 0? Storing more important things on the single (non RAID) disk.

And could a part of that single disk that has important files on it (say 200gb leftover from the disk that comes with the microserver) be mirrored so as to provide some kind of backup if it fails? Is this what robocopy is all about or is there a better way? Or is this getting too complicated?
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Can Anyone Help? :(
 
robocopy is a command line copy tool. You could create a batch file that runs robocopy that copys everything in one directory to another.

I raid 10 mine with an adaptec card so its fast and redundant. I also have a Netgear nas i run scheduled backups too of all important data and my most important photos also sync with space i have on the internet for yet another backup.

Depends how important your data is too you as to how much you will spend.
 
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