Repurposing old computer as Media Server

[Billy Pilgrim]

I have an HP wx 8400 without any RAM or a CPU and with 4 160GB HDDs and I am planning to turn it into a media server to store photo and text documents. I currently don't really have a budget and I want to see what I could get CPU wise and RAM wise at different price points.

[Electronics Wizardy]

Id get  bigger drive, those 160gb drives are very small.

 

Why not just connect those drives to your desktop and make that your nas?

[Billy Pilgrim]

1 minute ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

Id get  bigger drive, those 160gb drives are very small.

 

Why not just connect those drives to your desktop and make that your nas?

I wan't multiple people to be able to access this and I turn of my desktop at night. This will live in the closet with the router.

[Electronics Wizardy]

Just now, Billy Pilgrim said:

I wan't multiple people to be able to access this and I turn of my desktop at night. This will live in the closet with the router.

Then just get the cheapest cpu and ram and set it up as a nas. You don't need much cpu or gpu power for a nas.

 

But why not run your desktop overnight? It will probably use less power, it won't make it die sooner, and you can share to multiple people.

 

That hp system is old and power hungry. 

But ifyou really want to.

 

here is ram https://www.ebay.com/itm/LOT-of-4-4GB-Hynix-HYMP351F72AMP4N3-Y5-DDR2-5300F-FB-Server-Memory-RAM/233042352052?hash=item36426817b4:g:VBkAAOSwW55bY1fG:sc:USPSFirstClass!95014!US!-1:rk:17:pf:0

 

Here is cpu https://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-Xeon-E5150-2-66GHz-4MB-1333MHz-SL9RU-LGA771-Dual-Core-Server-CPU/143048335030?hash=item214e585eb6:g:SXUAAOSwWCZaKeQr:rk:2:pf:0

[Billy Pilgrim]

1 minute ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

Then just get the cheapest cpu and ram and set it up as a nas. You don't need much cpu or gpu power for a nas.

 

But why not run your desktop overnight? It will probably use less power, it won't make it die sooner, and you can share to multiple people.

 

That hp system is old and power hungry. 

But ifyou really want to.

 

here is ram https://www.ebay.com/itm/LOT-of-4-4GB-Hynix-HYMP351F72AMP4N3-Y5-DDR2-5300F-FB-Server-Memory-RAM/233042352052?hash=item36426817b4:g:VBkAAOSwW55bY1fG:sc:USPSFirstClass!95014!US!-1:rk:17:pf:0

 

Here is cpu https://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-Xeon-E5150-2-66GHz-4MB-1333MHz-SL9RU-LGA771-Dual-Core-Server-CPU/143048335030?hash=item214e585eb6:g:SXUAAOSwWCZaKeQr:rk:2:pf:0

I sleep in the same room that my desktop is in.

[Billy Pilgrim]

3 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

Then just get the cheapest cpu and ram and set it up as a nas. You don't need much cpu or gpu power for a nas.

 

But why not run your desktop overnight? It will probably use less power, it won't make it die sooner, and you can share to multiple people.

 

That hp system is old and power hungry. 

But ifyou really want to.

 

here is ram https://www.ebay.com/itm/LOT-of-4-4GB-Hynix-HYMP351F72AMP4N3-Y5-DDR2-5300F-FB-Server-Memory-RAM/233042352052?hash=item36426817b4:g:VBkAAOSwW55bY1fG:sc:USPSFirstClass!95014!US!-1:rk:17:pf:0

 

Here is cpu https://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-Xeon-E5150-2-66GHz-4MB-1333MHz-SL9RU-LGA771-Dual-Core-Server-CPU/143048335030?hash=item214e585eb6:g:SXUAAOSwWCZaKeQr:rk:2:pf:0

I also need a thermal solution for the cpus

[Electronics Wizardy]

2 minutes ago, Billy Pilgrim said:

I sleep in the same room that my desktop is in.

Then spin the fans a bit slower and your won't hear it. I sleep in a room with a running desktop just fine.

 

1 minute ago, Billy Pilgrim said:

I also need a thermal solution for the cpus

This is system specfic normally. Here is one https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-XW8400-XW6400-Wokstation-Processor-Heatsink-Heat-Sink-Fan-398293-001/123574676227?hash=item1cc59feb03:g:f~wAAOSwN91baKSL:rk:1:pf:0

[Billy Pilgrim]

1 minute ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

Then spin the fans a bit slower and your won't hear it. I sleep in a room with a running desktop just fine.

 

This is system specfic normally. Here is one https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-XW8400-XW6400-Wokstation-Processor-Heatsink-Heat-Sink-Fan-398293-001/123574676227?hash=item1cc59feb03:g:f~wAAOSwN91baKSL:rk:1:pf:0

Should I get a SATA or PCIE SSD for this as well?

[Electronics Wizardy]

Just now, Billy Pilgrim said:

Should I get a SATA or PCIE SSD for this as well?

Really, do this on your desktop, cheaper, lower power.

 

I wouldn't bother with a ssd, it won't help except for boot times, and that won't happen very often,.

[silentdragon95]

12 hours ago, Billy Pilgrim said:

Should I get a SATA or PCIE SSD for this as well?

What OS were you planning to use? If you're going to use something like FreeNAS or OpenMediaVault I'd suggest installing the OS to a USB flash drive.