Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (
More info?)
> i need to build a file server
> i know i need a 160GB but what cpu/ram/mob do you suggest??
File serving is about bottleneck - which is I/O dependent:
o HD I/O limit
---- single-user = 40MB/sec *sustained*, far less if lots of seeking
---- multiple-user = <<30MB/sec, since a lot of time is spent seeking
---- more seeking = more electromechanical positioning = lower MB/sec
o LAN I/O limit
---- 100Mbps = 10MB/sec at 80% utilisation
-------- so LAN I/O is the weakest link for single-user
---- Gigabit = 80-100MB/sec at similar utiilsation
-------- so HD I/O is the weakest link for single-user
CPU I/O limit & Memory I/O limit are vastly higher than those figures,
where 100Mbps is 10MB/sec the CPU & memory in 40-400x that figure.
So your CPU/RAM/Motherboard come down as much to economics:
o P1 or P2 solution -- fine power wise, cost is convoluted
---- board is cheap
---- RAM will be EDO -- not so cheap/available
---- PSU will be AT -- not so cheap/available (adapters are pricey)
o P3 solution -- fine power wise, cost far less convoluted
---- RAM is PC133 -- expensive for 512MB, not much for 128MB (cheap)
---- USB support -- easy to add a USB printer, share it & you have a print server
---- Celeron is 10-20$ for 667Mhz through to Tualatin (1-1.2Ghz)
o P4 solution -- overkill power wise, but cost may not be so bad
---- RAM is DDR -- cheap for 128MB, 256MB etc
---- CPU is pricey -- unfortunately even a 1.7Ghz Celeron is overpriced
---- motherboard may be cheap -- early S478 boards are going cheap
That is for Intel, there is of course - AMD.
o Duron solution -- fine power wise, cheap boards, cheap recent memory
---- some models don't run particularly hot either
o Athlon solution -- same argument, but overkill like a P4
---- you CAN underclock an Athlon to make it super low power
---- you CAN also join bridges (silver paint) to make a Mobile-Athlon (low power)
A final alternative is Mini-ITX - even the boring as mud base model 533Mhz fan-less.
o Power draw is minimal -- a mouse in a cage can power them almost
o Capability is minimal -- yet more than enough for a file-server
o Price may be minimal -- not for the special PSUs, but the base-model boards are cheap
I'd go for an Asus Skt370 with onboard graphics, simple Celeron, 256MB.
If you choose a Celeron 667Mhz (cheap the minimum the board will support
then you
can actually get away with a passive heatsink - or at least minimal cooling. Cheap &
quiet.
Consider if a part fails - does it mean the rest of the PC is a write-off.
o Probably not since it can be sold on Ebay
o However very old (P1 P2) solutions will have obsoleted more, fewer buyers
Asus did fine Duron-capable boards (Skt-A), so you should also price that route out.
If you must have new components, I'd price out Duron on Asus, or a used Celeron CPU.
Price/economics wise the Celeron are still not very good compared to alternatives.
A file server stresses the CPU/RAM very little - it stress the LAN if 100Mbps, or the HD
if you have Gigabit 1000Mbps - and neither if it is a simple home appliance serving
MP3s.
Have fun
--
Dorothy Bradbury
www.dorothybradbury.co.uk for quiet Panaflo fans & other items
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