SYSTEM BUILD: Storage PC ($???)

[IHateMyJob2004]

I love all the system build articles, but I have yet to see one for me and what I need and what I'm sure many others need. Right now, I have a system with backups but I often ponder what is possible.

These days, my concerns are with the following:
1) personal finances
2) images (digital cameras are popular these days)
3) videos ($300 for a good digital camcorder)
4) music (all those with iPods step forward)

None of this is processor heavy, but requires alot of disk space and alot of this is data that I do not want to lose.

So, let us come up with a theoretical build with the following requirements:
HARDWARE
1) inexpensive motherboard and CPU, but known to be reliable.
2) graphic card: inexpensive as possible (integrated into the motherboard?)
3) sound card: inexpensive as possible (integrated into the motherboard?)
4) CD/DVD writer solution
5) storage: for sake of argument, let us shoot for a single 750 gig hard drive
6) some sort of local external backup (serial ATA or network based)
7) monitor: LCD (lets assume our video is not HD video, so a good inexpensive monitor of 20"+ size)
8) keyboard/mouse: cheep
9) memory: inexpensive but sufficient
10) case/power supply: inexpensive, but lets keep alot of room for future upgrades to more hard drives)
11) optional: off site backup (I'm thinking a second external hard drive that is kept in a different building)

SOFTWARE:
1) OS
2) BACKUP PROGRAM (True Image or Ghost, let's just settle on a price)

So, what can we come up with for a solution and at what price?

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

From looking things over, I think the processor should be kept under $80. You can get more than enough horsepower these days with that much money. Dual core preferred.

 

[krnmastersgt]

So wait, are you asking for a build or trying to design one for the hypothetical user listed above? Video encoding is very processor heavy, so you actually want to spend a decent wad of cash on the CPU if encoding is something you do often, if not, for the above listed uses a Pentium D would probably be more than enough.

 

[Knavish]

I've been interested in building a system like this too. I'm not quite at the "Buy It Now" stage, but planning is fun... Before we get to specific hardware, here's what I'd propose.

-Dual core CPU, probably AMD (doesn't need dual core, but why not?)
-2GB Ram
-Motherboard with integrated video, gigabit ethernet (doesn't need sound, but it'll come for free), eSata would be nice!
-One large system hard drive (you could separate the OS onto its own system hard drive, also)
-Two external backup hard drives -- identical models to the internal data HD
-OS == linux
-Backup with Unison (http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~bcpierce/unison/)
-Sync internal data drive to external HD on a nightly basis
-Keep one external backup attached & the other off-site, swap on a weekly basis

Ballpark hardware cost = $550
Software cost = $0
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I think this would give you a very high reliability backup for your data, if you can fit it all onto a single drive. One issue this presents is where you can safely keep an offsite backup.
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An additional challenge for this system: minimize power consumption.

 

[bobross419]

If it is just a storage system why not get rid of the monitor all together, throw in an Atom and just use it as a network storage device. You would then be free to encode on your main PC, right?

 

[krnmastersgt]

I think they meant it as an HTPC/main system. In which case you should just get an E5200 or E2200, the Foxconn GF7050 board, some ram, and whatever arrangement of hard drives that you want. Or if you want AMD, check out the soxfan thread for my suggestion on a cheap PC that's capable of everything mentioned above for not a lot of money.

 

[Knavish]

Originally posted by: krnmastersgt
I think they meant it as an HTPC/main system. In which case you should just get an E5200 or E2200, the Foxconn GF7050 board, some ram, and whatever arrangement of hard drives that you want. Or if you want AMD, check out the soxfan thread for my suggestion on a cheap PC that's capable of everything mentioned above for not a lot of money.

Yeah I misread that. Looks like he wants a backup system that can play videos and music. I'd keep the backup separate, personally.

I'd still go with linux. (video / audio playback is pretty trivial in Ubuntu imo)

 

[Denithor]

X2 4850e $55
780G mobo $70
4GB DDR2 $30
2 x 640GB Caviar Black $160
Blu-ray/HD DVD/DVDRW $110
Case + PSU $75

Total: $500

Plenty fast, low power consumption, cool & quiet (be selective with case), BR/HD playback at full resolution on HDTV.

 

[krnmastersgt]

Me, I'd steal what Denithor listed above, change it to the board I mentioned and the E5200 when the price drops, maybe even the E7200

 

[Slugbait]

Looks like you want to build a NAS box. Everyone is putting too much thought - and money - into this.

Since point #1 is "personal finances", find an old Pentium 4 box with a half-gig that would otherwise be given away. Throw in the large drive, and if streaming HD, consider adding a gigabit ethernet card.

A storage PC does not need sound or an optical drive. Once you're finished setting it up, it no longer needs a monitor, keyboard or mouse.

Not sure why an imaging utility was mentioned...those are primarily for the system drive, not the backed up data, especially if you're going to back up to an external storage device.

Instructions for a DIY NAS box begins on page 72 of your October '08 issue of MaxPC. Or, you can read up on it here.

Hopefully, you can be up and running with the cost of a just the large hard drive.

Not sure why MaxPC has stopped posting their magazines in PDF format, the last issue I could find was Sept 08...they're running three months behind for some reason.