Home NAS Media Server

Hey folks, I really hope you can help me.


I'm trying to find the "best" configuration for a homebuilt NAS / Media Server.
I plan to install 2 x 1TB hard drive (RAID1) or 3 x 1TB hard drive (RAID5). Anyway, I also think that I'm gonna install a TV card with a CI CA module later on in order to watch (pay) TV and maybe listen to music (5.1 output) using that box as well.


My current plan consists of the following components:
Online shop from Switzerland: http://digitec.ch/

- Asus M3N78-EM, NVIDIA GeForce 8300
(MicroATX, onboard GPU)
--> http://digitec.ch/ProdukteDetails2.aspx?Reiter=Details&Artikel=159390

- AMD Athlon 64 X2 4850e BOX Dual Core
(45W-> low power & heat)
--> http://digitec.ch/ProdukteDetails2.aspx?Reiter=Details&Artikel=148534

- Enermax PRO-82+ 385W
(super silent)
--> http://digitec.ch/ProdukteDetails2.aspx?Reiter=Details&Artikel=148962

- Scythe SCNJ-2000 Ninja 2
(I heard it's possible to cool the AMD Athlon 64 X2 passive with this cooler)
--> http://digitec.ch/ProdukteDetails2.aspx?Reiter=Details&Artikel=152449


The system is supposed to be (sorted by importance):
- super silent / noiseless (I got silent hard drives, passive CPU, super silent PSU)
- small (HTPC / Cube Case)
- relatively low power consumption (45W CPU...)

The budget isn't really important, of course not too high
Around 500 Swiss francs / 450$ dollars would be all right I guess (for the listed components).


So, there are basiclly two points that are bothering me:
- Will the CPU cooler fit on the MicroATX mainboard? --> Maybe another super silent / passive cooler?
- Is there a HTPC / Cube case that offers enough space for the CPU cooler (it's passive thus rather big)


I would really appreciate an answer because I just can't find an apporopriate case and I don't know about the dimensions.
Maybe someone already has experience with this kind of systems?


I'm looking forward to hearing from you guys, keep rocking .-.

G'bye
backslash .-.

For some reason "I'm not allowed to edit this post" (which is my own :S). Anyway, here:

What do you guys think about the ATX Midi tower case "Xigmatek Midgard" ?
(german) review: http://www.orthy.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5722&Itemid=85&limit=1&limitstart=1

I could install the PSU nicely at the bottom and thus have plenty of space for my desired CPU cooler. Also, the case has got some nice reviews concerning vibration and quality and it's not even a hundred bucks.

avoid the nvidia products if you want proper stability/reliability - go with the ATi chipsets

depending on your tasks you may not even need the dual core - i got a file server using a Celeron 420 simply because it was cheap and the lowest power consuming chip at the time etc (but thats not doing anything more then a file server so).

RAID5 - its going to suck unless you get a decent raid card to do it, RAID1 is easier but requires more hdd's then RAID5 to get more space (4x1tb -> 2tb RAID0+1 etc vs 3x1b -> 2tb RAID5).

I would avoid the pasively cooled motherboard/cpu (the chipset/reg's sometimes need the airflow of the HSF) and get a large fan (12cm) or mod a large fan to spin at or below 900rpm (vmod etc) - no noise and some air flow around the motherboard etc

Is the Scythe SCZP-1000 Zipang enough to keep the AMD CPU cool in a tiny cube case? There's no heating graphics card so...

That Scythe should be OK for a 45W CPU.

^Probably will need a low rpm fan.

^Wrong. You will NOT take a hit for doing RAID0/01/1. In fact RAID 01/0 can improve disk performance. The onboard RAID is good for most people. Also the impact of (onboard) RAID on the CPU is negligible. It doesn't even use 1% of the CPU to do it. And yes, you are correct on the fact that RAID is not a back up.