Building a Home File Server. Please Help, Suggestions Wanted

mhauth

Distinguished
Dec 12, 2006
9
0
18,510
I need some suggestions:
I am wanting to buy a server inexpensive ($300 or less) I am going to use it to store all my music, movies and other misc files. I want to run the files to my Xbox so the games will load faster and use it as my media player.

I have found many on craigslist. Such as this one http://denver.craigslist.org/sys/272525622.html it is a Dell PowerEdge 600sc Server with
2.4GHz P4 533MHz FSB
1GB (4x256MB) ECC RAM
40GB Tape Drive
RAID 1/0 on Motherboard
Adaptec ATA 133 EIDE Controller Card
I already have a PCI Sata card for all my Hard Drives

I have also found a few servers with specs like
Dual 1.0ghz Xeons
512mb ram

Right now I have 2 gbs of ddr in my pc. Will it matter if I have DDR with ECC or not?

But what is the bare minimum I will need? Spec wise.

I am thinking of just running linux file server os(don't remember the name off the top of my head)
I am open to suggestions.

Please let me know what your suggestions are. Thanks

Matt
 

jumblue

Distinguished
Jan 31, 2007
14
0
18,510
I would build a Windows Media PC instead. You dont need the tape drive - use a 300-500 GB USB drive to back up your system and files.
 

mhauth

Distinguished
Dec 12, 2006
9
0
18,510
Well the tape drive yea, that just comes with the system. Wouldn't use it. I have 9 Hard drives waiting to go into the system so USB probably not my thing. Any other suggestions?