[OcUK Staff Builds] rjkoneill's Home Server

[rjk]

Hi Guys

Recently I have decided that I wanted a better solution in my living room for media.

Up until recently, I have been using my PC downstairs to stream using PS3 Media server software to my playstation upstairs for watching my media.

The playstation keeps presenting playback issues for me, so I have finally decided to consolidate my mechanical storage to a single place.

Common sense dictates that this needs to be under the TV in the living room. Right next to my router.

Originally, I was going to be running a Bitfenix prodigy but decided that it was too bulky and not very subtle to be next to the TV

The hunt for a suitable case has been long and I wanted something stylish and subtle. Eventually I have settled on the Origen ae S16T case.

This case is frankly the best quality option for what I am looking for. aesthetics are spot on and whilst I had been eyeing up some Silverstone cases, this fits the bill better.

The specification will be:

• Intel i5 2300
• Gigabyte Z77N-WIFI Intel Z77
• 16GB Kingston DDR3
• Thermalright AXP-100 ITX & HTPC CPU Cooler
• Zalman 600w PSU
• Corsair 60GB SSD
• Multiple random HDDs

This will be the server for the whole house meaning all mechanical storage I have is being moved to this box.

I plan on using my smartphone as the controller for the system.

The board could easily be a full ATX board now. however, as my original plan included a prodigy case, I went for ITX, its still an awesome board that will do more than most full ATX boards.

The Memory, 16GB. yes I know it is total overkill. But it was cheap.

The PSU. again its overkill. but i have it lying around doing nothing and cant afford the one i want at the moment which is a seasonic fanless 400w

This will be a fairly standard build but I thought I would share as whilst I will have no problem assembling the hardware, I am very new to the software options available to me.

Looking at Freenas, WHS2011, WIN8 with XMBC

Honestly, I have no idea what to do in this area so I will try to keep you all updated on my progress. Any advice welcomed in this area.

 

[rjk]

essentially yeah

 

[rjk]

I want to use this as a server of sorts really.
I want the following:

Server. With network drives that I can access across my network and maintain good file transfer rates.

Media center with attractive and easy to use interface.

Hassle free indexing for content.

I get that free nas is probably not the best idea.

Would windows home server be a bad move over a windows 8 pc?
How do I set a windows 8 pc as a server?

 

[rjk]

My main concern is that windows 8, whilst easily accommodation my media streaming and playback requirements will not be suitable for my home server requirements

 

[rjk]

rather than using it as a server in the same sort of idea as echange/whs etc where a domain is present.

i would ideally just like to use this pc as a media pc and a powerful NAS.

is there a way of setting the storage of this computer to be accessible to computers on the network?

 

[rjk]

Pictures don't do it justice at all. Easily one of the nice cases I have built in and the quality is frankly one of the highest I have seen.

I built the system yesterday, will get some pictures up when I get a moment.

 

[rjk]

Installed my system into the case this weekend.
I must say, the Thermalright cooler I used is frankly, awesome.
The quality is fantastic and really does represent what thermalright stand for.

i changed the fan over to a 120mm fan though as the standard fan is rather small and quite loud at full speed.

mounting is a doddle and it is very secure. would definitely suggest this to other HTPC builders at the moment.

I had some 'help' from Lola throughout the build....

cooler mounting hardware

quality of the z77n wifi is a superb board, Gigabyte really have the itx form factor nailed with a very desirable and capable offering here.

The Thermalright AXP-100 oozes quality, solid construction and a quality aesthetic. almost a shame to cover it up!

comes complete with the highly regarded 'Chill Factor III' TIM which is a joy to use. really easy to spread.

the 120mm fan mounting adapter means you can configure the position of the fan to suit your requirements.

As my case was B-Grade, the condition was great but the cables were a mess. I decided to dismantle the interior of the case and do some cable management to make the build easier from the off.

I removed the rear 80mm fans as i didnt want them

hard drive mounting in the Origen ae case is a doddle. screw these mounts in and push the drives into the slots. easy peasy. They also do a superb job of decoupling the drive from the chassis and removing any vibration or hdd noise.

All I had remaining to do was to install my SSD and put some more hard drives in once i had cleared them of data.

Installed windows 8 pro. happy days.

then tried to fit it under my tv stand.
The case is an inch too tall.

 

[rjk]

yesterday mrs rjk decided to cart herself off to the TV shop and purchase a new TV stand

this would go some way to alleviate my annoyance at not measuring the old stand. [the old stand was a real POS so its probably a blessing in disguise]

sorry the pictures aren't brilliant, time was against me as Top Gear was on in an hour...

so after a nice easy assembly time, my OCD Cable management was put to work.

my Asus DSLN55U

The PS3 looks tiny compared to the Origen ae case

pictures are rubbish, looks loads better IRL.
[awaits Ace Modders arrival into the thread to tell me how I need world trade center size speakers]

 

[rjk]

I suppose this is probably a long shot,

is there a way of connecting my tablet/smartphone to the computer via bluetooth so that i can use the tablet as a remote control/mouse/keyboard combo?

 

[rjk]

Why do you use so much paste people say grain of rice size but looks like you used the whole tube ?

people are wrong.

i smeared it around more with a plastic bag after

i know what i am doing.

i used to build computers for a living.

 

[rjk]

best to use a bit more than you think, you can always remove excess.

 

[rjk]

If its an android tablet Rich, there is a free logitech app which works over wifi

i actually installed this last night,

https://play.google.com/store/apps/...Remote&feature=nav_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDNd

very useful app and uses my custom keyboards also meaning that there is a lot of familiarity for me there and i can touch type on my phone.

problem with all of this is that i keep looking at my TV and thinking;

"you're not good enough"

 

[rjk]

just slammed 3x 2TB drives and a bluray rom in there.

need more sata ports so the optical drive is unplugged at the moment.

getting to grips with XBMC currently. why didn't i do this sooner.

 

[rjk]

Love the dog.

you can have her if you like...