Building a both powerful and power efficient home server

[borud]

I'm looking at building a new home server.
My current server works great, but it's based on old hardware and runs pretty hot during the summer. (event though I live in cold Norway)

Among the software I run is AirVideo server which does live transcoding of 1080p HD videos.
In other words, my setup need some kick to be able to run this smoothly for at least 2-3 users.

The other services i run, are mainly low performance services like ftp, vpn, http and such.

In my head less power means less heat, so im guessing power consumtion is key for this to run cooler.


Any hardware suggestions regarding a setup like this, would be much appreciated.

 

[WR2]

Hello borud;

Have you set a budget for this project?
If you fill out the form in *How To Ask For New Build Advice* you'll answer all the standard questions that help things get started.

 

[WR2]

My current server works great, but it's based on old hardware and runs pretty hot during the summer. (event though I live in cold Norway)

What hardware are you using now?

 

[borud]

My current server setup:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ 3.0GHz
Asus M2N-E SLI, nForce 500
Crucial DDR2 PC5300 2048MB CL5
Sapphire Radeon X1950PRO 256MB GDDR3
4 x 2TB WD sata2 hdds
450W PSU that came with the old Chieftec cabinet I'm using.

My new server:

Approximate Purchase Date: Sometime before spring.
Budget Range: no more than 800$
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Video transcoding (air video), Filesharing (music, photo streaming), VPN, http
Parts Not Required: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, OS)
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: n/a
Country of Origin: Norway
Overclocking: Maybe
Monitor Resolution: n/a
Additional Comments:

I've looked at some onboard cpu solutions like the asus E45M1-m pro motherboard,
but I'm afraid that it wont be strong enough for my transcoding. Any thoughts?
I don't really need any mentionable graphics. I'll barely use a monitor anyways.