Cheap and very power efficient server.

[BulkyZaNka]

Hi guys, I'm new to making servers so please forgive me for any mistakes I make. I am planning to get a cheap and power efficient pc/server that has at least 4GB or RAM. The biggest point I have to address is that I want it to run 24/7 without the power bills being crazy. I have a couple cases that are not being used... I also have some old parts that are... Let's face it, crap and power hungry. I figured if I want a power efficient rig I would have to buy the parts from scratch.(Apart from the case)

My question is: what parts do I need?

Can you guys recommend any parts that don't take much power?

[TJStamp]

all you really need to do is make sure you pick a platform with a low TDP and get an efficient PSU. The current low-end & high efficiency home servers of choice seem to be mostly built around Intel core i3 4160 chips

[BulkyZaNka]

all you really need to do is make sure you pick a platform with a low TDP and get an efficient PSU. The current low-end & high efficiency home servers of choice seem to be mostly built around Intel core i3 4160 chips

How much would a system like that cost?

[TJStamp]

Could build the guts of it for about $300 not including OS or storage, This setup would be pretty power efficient and not too costly, also leaves room for upgrades and expansion down the line...

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4160 3.6GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($121.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($60.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($25.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($35.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($25.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $257.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-21 14:32 EDT-0400

[BulkyZaNka]

Could build the guts of it for about $300 not including OS or storage, This setup would be pretty power efficient and not too costly, also leaves room for upgrades and expansion down the line...

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4160 3.6GHz Dual-Core Processor ($121.98 @ Newegg)

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($60.98 @ Newegg)

Memory: Crucial 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($25.99 @ Amazon)

Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($35.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($25.98 @ Newegg)

Total: $257.92

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-21 14:32 EDT-0400

Thanks for all the info. Atm I'm building my main gaming rig. I just wanted to get some some info about how much it would cost/what parts.