Help Me Pick The Final Pieces For HTPC/NAS Server Build For Media Streaming

[NoizyBoyStatic]

So I'm going to build a HTPC NAS all in one mainly for streaming and storing movies and music, so I can access it from anywhere. Here are the parts I currently have laying around that I'm going to use.

PSU: Cooler Master 700W
Ram: 14GB of Corsair
Case:Fractal Define R4

So I need recommendations on AMD motherboard and CPU to use with this build. Doesn't need to be super powerful like I said it is just for storage and streaming music and movies but definitely don't want to have performance issues.

Then which should I get 3 Western Digital 1Tb set up in raid for $150. If so which Raid should I use I was told RAID 5 I don't know if its worth while or not. Or should I just get a single 3Tb Western Digital drive for $88 its cheaper. and I heard its easy to lose data on Raid. I can always upgrade the drives as time goes on and I need more room I have just over 1Tb of movies now and like around 70Gb of music.

So opinions please I'm ready to order the rest of the parts tonight.

Thank You in Advance

Also I guess I'm kind of building a NAS and HTPC all in one and I want it to be powerful enough to handle it all.

It mainly just needs to store all my movies and to be able to access it from any device anywhere at any point in time. Ive been doing research and cant get a straight answer.

What programs should I use to accomplish this? I have access to windows server for free, Linux based is what I hear of the most, then some people say windows because its the most compatible. I just really need help in knowing what to use I can figure most things out I just don't know where to begin.

I just don't want to spend all this money to be able to access my media anywhere on any device and to have it all unwatchable. I do know I have to contact my ISP and have them set me up a static IP. If you guys could help me with the best cpu and programs to use for everything to run smoothly. I would greatly appreciate it.

If you need any more info feel free to ask I will respond right away.

 

[getochkn]

Well accessing files and streaming movies are different things. Accessing file from a remote location would let you be able to say copy a movie from your storage to a phone then you could play it. Streaming, it would send the file, in sequence bit by bit until a buffer is full and then play it. Now if the device you are trying to play on can't play that format, then a decent streaming device would be able to transcode, or convert the media to whatever format the playback device can play. Say you have a movie in MKV but you phone can't play that natively, then whatever streaming software you are using would convert it to something the phone could play. this requires CPU power and RAM but it allows a much wider playback range on almost any device.

I use Plex for this. It's a server software that runs on a PC. Then through a web browser, andoird app, roku app, xbox 360 app, ps3 app, etc, I can login and access my media and playback regardless of the starting format.

You don't need static ip's for this or to even know your IP. It can route itself automatically through any NAT router, which is any new router, so you don't have to do much.

1 3TB drive, if it dies, you loose 3TB. 3x1TB RAID 5 ,would give you 2TB of protect storage. If any one of the 3 drives die, you can replace it and all your data is back.

 

[NoizyBoyStatic]

Ok awesome can you recommend a AMD processor for the build? I think 14Gb of RAM should be plenty.
Like I said I definitely want to store and stream the files.
I'm just glad it is possible and I'm going to spend the extra money and go with a RAID set up. Because when they get full I can just keep adding more drives.
So should I just Install windows, windows server, or Linux on it?
Or is Plex a Operating System?
Also would Plex allow me to transfer files to it or would I have to install a FTP or NAS software?

 

[jsmithepa]

I gotta strong feeling you are overkilling that thing. How many simultaneous users are we talking about?

I probably have something similar to yours but my HD are on a external 4-Bay enclosure with its own PSU. The external with all 4 bays populated requires a PSU no more than 60 watt, I measured it. Then the HTPC box itself, with no HD has a 240w PSU, running an Haswell i5 2.8 mhz and with a single user on, the cpu "needles" barely twitch, the 4G ram, again with single user peaks at 50% load. All these while playing a BR uncompressed movie from the HD. I ran Prime95 on my HTPC box and the mains peaked at 78 watts. Remember no HD here.

But whatever man.

 

[NoizyBoyStatic]

Yeah I was just listing the parts that I have laying around already thats why I was asking for advice on what I should buy AMD based to put in it.

There will be between 2-4 users at max