microATX and CPU recommendation for cheap web server?

[JPone]

It has been ages since I've built a system and unfortunately I haven't kept up on mb's or processors much in the mean-time. So I'm turning to the experts here hoping for some good recommendations.

I'm building up a machine to be a web server for internal testing. It doesn't have to be a rocket box by any stretch of the imagination, I'm currently using a 400MHz Celeron with 128MB for the same purpose.

I've got a mini-tower case that will take a microATX motherboard and am planning on buying a "silent" 300 watt power supply (NX-3000). Also thinking about SATA for the drive to smooth out that bottleneck. Can anyone recommend a good, reliable, inexpensive microATX motherboard and CPU combination?

Like I said, this doesn't need to end up being anything like a kick-butt gaming system -- just shooting for reliable, very quiet, decent and inexpensive to build. TIA!!

 

[JPone]

plenty of views, but no suggestions? bump

 

[mamisano]

Well, how inexpensive? My suggestion would be to get a MAtx Socket 754 board for around $70 with onboard video, sound, LAN, etc. Then, pick up an Athlon 64-2800 for around $130 (box), and some Ram. While the server is not under load, Quiet-n-Cool will kick in and run the CPU at 800mhz and a lower voltage. It will dynamically change speeds based upon demand. I have an A64 3400+ setup in my home web-server and it runs great. It is at 800mhz about 85% of the time and goes above that based upon need.

Later 🙂

 

[Peter]

Very inexpensive: PC-Chips M863 v3.0c. This is an all-in-one board with a mobile (!) Athlon-XP pre-fitted.

Not that cheap: ECS K8M800-M2 mainboard (socket-754 mATX all-in-one), plus the Sempron 2600+ speed grade that has just today been introduced.

64-bit enabled? Same board, A64 2800+.

 

[JPone]

Thanks for the tips! We're talking the kind of prices I was thinking of, I'll check out these boards.