Best Way to build a music server

[Atropos13]

So I want to setup something that will simply be a music server that can be accssed by other computers and my Xbox 360 (which means I have to be running WinXP with Windows Media Connect). My question, is what is the cheapest, quietest, lowest power consuption way to do this?

Should I just build a new box with cheap components, buy and old laptop off craigslist, or is there a way to setup a standalone network drive?

If I were to build a new box, any component suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[nineball9]

Earlier this summer, I built my server using a Toshiba 12" notebook, an external (USB) 400G hard drive and a somewhat pricey audio card (Echo Indigo IO). It's not networked as I wanted a standalone "jukebox" plugged into my stereo amplifier.

Size was my main consideration and I finally opted for a notebook over desktop, SFF, rack mounted computers, and expensive custom units like a Fireball. Second consideration was sound quaility; I spent 15+ months on my old record collection and a month or so ripping my 900+ CD collection to FLAC format. Echo's Indigo IO for cardbus is an excellent sound card IMO. Additional considerations were quiet and cool operation - I purchased a notebook with a somewhat slow but low wattage CPU and included 1G of memory which was all I needed for a cool and quiet system. Finally, I like dBPowerAmp's music player and its related software, so I needed Windows for an OS.

You could build your server for much less than I spent. Even an old desktop with integrated audio would play music but only you know your own needs and preferences. One note: if you have a lot of music files, you'll probably need Linux, XP, 2000 or similar OS. Older Microsoft operating systems like Windows 98 have limitations on the number of files you can create in a single directory or folder.

Good luck!

 

[DaveSimmons]

If you want to attach the jukebox directly to a receiver as one playback method:
A motherboard with coax or optical digital out should offer excellent quality even if the analog audio out is weak.

Cheapest is a socket 754 Sempron and a nice mATX board like a Biostar TForce (under $70 at newegg), plus one 1 GB PC3200 RAM stick. Use a Zalman 7000-alcu HSF and put it in an Antec NSK2400 (desktop) or 4400 (tower) and it will run cool and near-silent.

I have an X2 3800+ and TForce 6100-939 in the NSK4400 and the only thing I can hear from it is the hard drive seeks.

You might step up to dual-core if you do plan to have it playing directly while serving files to other locations, otherwise the Sempron should be fine (and dirt cheap).

 

[dBTelos]

For most home servers you can get by with a simple Socket A processsor, onboard video, etc. Low end stuff really. Maybe a larger HDD for all the music, and decent onboard networking.

 

[BoberFett]

If you have to use XP Media Center, you don't have much to choose from hardware wise. A machine that can run XP MCE, with a lot of hard drive space.

A laptop may or may not support XP MCE very well. It certainly doesn't much for hard drive space.

A standalone network drive (a NAS I presume?) isn't going to run XP, they run their own OSes.

 

[Leros]

I have a 1.0Ghz P3 acting as my server. It has 2 x 250GB HDs. You don't need anything too powerful to serve a few files every now and then.

 

[BoberFett]

Except he's not talking about a file server. He's talking about a Windows XP MCE machine. It needs to have enough CPU and RAM to run XP plus the MC software. If he wants to at some point in the future stream HD video to his Xbox, that's a decent computer he's going to need.

Edit: I don't think anybody here actually read the OP.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: BoberFett
Edit: I don't think anybody here actually read the OP.

So you don't think a socket 754 Sempron 3100+ with 1 GB would run XP MCE well? The TForce 6100 mATX motherboard also has both optical and coax digital out and integrated nv6100 graphics.

 

[tatteredpotato]

If you did read OP you would see that MCE isn't needed, only media connect for Windows XP. The only need for MCE is to Stream videos to a 360 (although this is rumored to be changing with the release of WMP11)