WinXp Pro 64-Bit vs. WHS 2011 for Media Server

[smitbret]

I was thinking of running my FlexRAID media server from WHS 2011 and use Remote Desktop to run it headless from my tower or laptop. I know it's only $50, but I installed my old copy of WinXP Pro 64-bit onto an old HDD in my tower and setup remoted desktop from my laptop. Seemed pretty smooth to me. In fact, I'm making the post through it remotely, now.

So, now of course I'm wondering what, if any, benefit will I get from spending the money on WHS 2011? FlexRAID will take care of my disk management and I can't imagine running anything but Mezzmo and Handbrake from it on a rare occasion.

I just need something that will support a 4 or 6 core AM3+ CPU, 3+ TB HDDs and 8GB of memory. In fact, wouldn't I have more headroom for add'l memory if I stick with WinXP 64-Bit?

 

[ViRGE]

I guess if your software works on XP64 then your setup will work fine for now. But XP64 has always been the bastard child of Windows operating systems. It's basically a discombobulated workstation version of Server 2003.

With that in mind, I really wouldn't recommend using it for any new projects at this point, if only because support for Win5.x ends in the next couple of years. Plus software and driver support is nothing short of awful compared to what Vista64 and later were capable of.

Anyhow, just because XP64 is a disaster doesn't mean you necessarily have to use WHS2011. It sounds like the only thing you're running is Mezzmo, and you're not using the box as a file server host or such, correct? So very little of the functionality of WHS2011 would be applicable to you; the file sharing, media streaming, and client backup capabilities would go unused.

On the other hand, WHS2011 brings all of the sanity of Win6.x for a very low price, netting you the improved hardware and software compatibility, not to mention more meaningful features such as full GPT disk support (necessary for 3TB+ HDDs). The only downside here is that memory support is artificially capped so low at 8GB. I'd almost suggest digging up a copy of Vista or Win7 if you can swing it, but if not I have to favor WHS2011 if only because of the fact that it's not XP64.

 

[smitbret]

Thanks for the info. I will be using the box as my NAS with FlexRAID controlling the storage pool and parity. I'll be storing mostly media that will be accessed by my WDTV Live through network shares and to about 6 or 7 other devices through Mezzmo's DLNA sharing. Mezzmo will also take care of the cataloging and library control. I'm not the least bit interested in actual video playback or using Windows Media Player/WMC in any fashion. If I run anything else, it will probably be Handbrake to shrink my BR rips down from 30GB to something more manageable.

Backups will be handled at a different location and the system will be headless. I thought I had read last night that XP 64-bit also supported GPT.

 

[ViRGE]

Thanks for the info. I will be using the box as my NAS with FlexRAID controlling the storage pool and parity. I'll be storing mostly media that will be accessed by my WDTV Live through network shares and to about 6 or 7 other devices through Mezzmo's DLNA sharing. Mezzmo will also take care of the cataloging and library control. I'm not the least bit interested in actual video playback or using Windows Media Player/WMC in any fashion. If I run anything else, it will probably be Handbrake to shrink my BR rips down from 30GB to something more manageable.

Backups will be handled at a different location and the system will be headless. I thought I had read last night that XP 64-bit also supported GPT.

XP64 can handle GPT data disks, but it can't boot from GPT.

 

[smitbret]

Cool. I was gonna use a 300GB drive as a boot drive,anyway, so that's not a problem. The motherboard is not UEFI either since it's the older AMD AM3+ chipset that supports ECC memory.

I'll give WinXP 64-bit a swing and if i struggle I'll just cough up the $50 for WHS 2011.

 

[PingSpike]

I just want to say everyone claims driver support is terrible in XP 64-bit. And maybe it was, but I used it as my main OS for several years before retiring it only maybe 3 years ago. I didn't use it right after it came out. I think I only encountered a single device I couldn't find a driver for in the entire time I used it, I think it was a USB 56k modem. If there was a Vista 64-bit driver version there was a XP-64 bit version in my experience.

I just feel like most people rag on it for having no drivers when they haven't even used it recently. It is literally the first desktop windows 64-bit OS so of course it would have the worst driver support at release. But once Vista 64-bit was out XP 64 driver support seems to have quietly grown at the same time. It may actually be a trivial matter to make a 64-bit driver for each OS once you've made it for one.