HTPC and NAS marriage. Mail Order Bride?

[Canosgmk]

hello y'all. 

 

Been watching Linus Tech for a long time and now im at a point that i think i need to ask the community about which direction I should go in. 

My mind's eye wants to put in a HTPC to streaming 4K TV, connect my video/movie or just install them in a HHD, and maybe have a audio card.  My wife doesn't like seeing speakers, so i may go in to the electromagnetic speaker.  You can decor them to look like art.  Again, not firm on that option.  We are using a bose solo (i hate) and my Klipsch been sitting in the garage for 2 years now. 

 

I also want to have a NAS system in Raid 4 for my wife photos.  We and I have been using Apple for almost 10 years and now switching to PC because of Apple amazing quality care in their products.  Anyways, other then just saving the photos of our family (we have 2.5TB of photos now), i would like to use the TV as an over size digital frame.  

So, anyone already done this?  

I can't seem to settle on HTPC specs.  everything I have found is either over kill or not worth my time. Ideally, i want it quite and fan-less would be great (IMO). 

NAS - should I just get a MoBo big enough on my HTPC and program the Raid 4, or have a separate NAS box?

 

I seem to be liking what "tek everything" shows on Mini ITX systems.  

Sorry for dragging on.  Let me know what yall think.

[Electronics Wizardy]

raid 4... you sure? Thats basically dead.

 

Just make a htpc normally, add some drives, make a raid array in software and make a network share, its pretty simple

 

Id get something like a 2200g or i3 here, use storage spaces on windows or btrfs or snapraid on linux, then make a network share. You really don't need much computer power.

 

 

[Bananasplit_00]

id throw a 2200G at it, MATX board and then just a RAID 10 of four 4TB drives?

[Canosgmk]

would the 2200g or i3 be okay for a year or two down the line.  Just don't want to rebuild every two years.  My wife isn't very good relearning how something works.   

The Raid 4.  maybe I am not as educated on it as i thought.  idea is to have four to six drives and have a completely redundant copy of it's self.  If I remember correctly, that would be a raid 4?  IE: Drive A/B/C/D.  A/B works as one and C/D is a clone of A/B.  

 

I'm thinking of using windows.  been running linux on my mining rig to learn how to use linux and been playing with the mining program and how that works at it's core for about a year or two (no doing it for money and the entire rig is craigslist used parts).  I do not feel comfortable enough for my family to use linux for online streaming and video playback. 

 

[Velcade]

10 hours ago, Canosgmk said:

would the 2200g or i3 be okay for a year or two down the line.  Just don't want to rebuild every two years.  My wife isn't very good relearning how something works.   

Quality wife slam... however upgrading hardware shouldn't effect your wife's user experience, especially if you're just running windows on it.

[Canosgmk]

Very true.   

So, our 'needs' is changing now...  My wife wants my son to be able to do basic gaming.  Minecraft type of stuff.  he is 6 years old going on to 7.  I know this isn't video demanding, but i'm thinking about VR in the next three years.  Just think it will be the Cat's @ss if they fix the space issue and motion sickness.  The RTX doesn't have mini cards available yet and we honestly don't know if they are any good yet.  

 

I'm thinking now about getting a i7 or better quad core 3.0+mhz

16GB ram (with a MoBo able to handle 32GB)

1080ti mini or 1070ti mini. 
Need around 750 watt PSU.

 

Let me know if I am on the right track, over doing it or if there is something coming up in rumors I haven't heard about and should wait on shopping for the parts.    

[Guest]

 

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