At home media server?

Anyone here ever build an at-home media server?? Something network attached, built to serve a few hundred dvd's & cd's....Anyone??

 

That's on my to-do list for the next house. Something with SSD drives so I can access my music in any room of the house. It can usually be done with most newer routers pretty easily.

 

Built a 12TB media server with blu-ray ripper and remote streaming for a friend at work. What questions do you have about it?

 

How do I do it?

 

Are you trying to convert your DVD/CD collection to digital and then be able to stream it remotely? You just set up a PC with large HDD space and then get a dvd ripper like "DVD Clone" to download them to the PC. Then use some type of media streaming service like "Plex" to make your PC a remote server that can be accessed from other devices. That's how we set it up for my friend and he loves it. Ripped like 500 blu rays to the PC and can now watch them on his phone at work, ps4 at home, anywhere...

 

That's essentially what I want to do, except I don't need remote streaming...although it seems like a great idea.
Should I buy a case, motherboard, with an i7? Do you think 10 TB is a good size? I'm talking maybe 500 dvd's, 200 cd's

 

i7 will be overkill unless you're planning on using it for heavy video editing or some other intense processing. i5 is plenty and will be strong enough if you ever decide to do some gaming with it. I'd suggest starting with a 4TB hdd and then you can keep adding another as you need it. We got the 12TB and even with like 500 blue rays he has only used like 5-6tb so far.

Start off by using the website www.pcpartpicker.com to start building your part list. It will check to make sure your parts are compatible and will also check multiple vendors for pricing. If you're not in a huge rush you can save hundreds off a build if you watch prices over a few weeks. Can get alerts when prices drops, etc...

So yea to be able to suggest you further on parts... let me know if this will be strictly used for media streaming or if you will want to use it for Gaming/Editing or anything else.

 

I think i'd rather go overkill with the i7, because I want to build something that will be fast and good for at least 5 years. I am looking into a FreeNAS/Plex setup
I bought my laptop 3 years ago, it's an i7, still fast as all hell.

 

If you have the budget for it, by all means goes with the i7. You just won't be utilizing the additional processing power unless you're using it for something above a media server. But in case you get into high end gaming or video editing in the future, you will have a great rig for it.

Just make sure you put the operating system on an SSD and have 8gb+ of ram and it will be fast as hell with an i5 or an i7 for many years to come.

 

I was going to stick with roughly 1gb of RAM per TB of HDD space, with a MINIMUM of 8gb RAM. I like overkill.

 

That's cool. Really can't go wrong with overkill with a PC (if you have the extra cash for it). I'd make sure to get a motherboard with 6 or more sata ports for plenty of room for HDD/SSD/Disc Drive expansion. You can always use splitters, but I would avoid if possible.

Also make sure your case/mobo has USB 3. In case you want end up transferring media through USB or using an external drive, will make a big difference.

 

You're a smart guy! Thanks!

 

Thanks. Computers have been a passion for me since I was young. Always happy to help, just bump this thread or PM me if you have any questions. Can't recommend that pcpartpicker.com website highly enough for compiling your parts list. Then you can post a link here for me to check it out.

 

so to keep costs low, you're thinking 8gb ram, 8tb of hdd space, i5 processor... any motherboard/power supply/case suggestions?

 

The board I've used for multiple builds including my own gaming rig and my friends media server has been this one:

Asus ATX DDR3 2600 LGA 1150 (10Gb/s) Motherboards (Z97-A)

http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Z97--DDR...=UTF8&qid=1444407666&sr=8-3&keywords=z97+mobo

If you need a budget board, this one will also suit your needs for $35 less:

MSI Intel Z97 LGA 1150 DDR3 USB 3.1 ATX Motherboard (Z97 PC Mate)

http://www.amazon.com/MSI-Motherboa...=UTF8&qid=1444407666&sr=8-1&keywords=z97+mobo


and Yes... start with 8gb of ram and 8tb HDD. Get 4gb or 8gb sized sticks so you have additional slots if you ever want to add more ram. I started with 8gb but then ended up adding another 8 to my gaming rig when the ram was on sale.

The best ram out there that I always use is actually on sale for almost $20 less then I paid for my first set: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428

8gb for $38.99, you can't beat that. Paid 59.99 for my first set and for most of the holiday season you couldn't get it for less then 64.99

 

money really isn't an issue. not gloating or rich, I just believe in paying for quality and not skimping to save $$$
I like quality products, I believe you get what you pay for.

 

@rottenpixies is giving you some great info. One thing to remember about maxing out your rig with hard drives, processor and perhaps a high end video card is that power consumption goes up. Not a big deal if you only fire it up when you want media, but will add up if you leave it running like I do. It's a balancing act.

If you're just going to use it when needed I agree with maxing it out providing you have the budget. Plus RAM is especially cheap right now. Have fun and good luck!

 

Case is more a matter of preference. If you think you will ever expand to more then 3-4 4tb HDDs, then you will want full size. If you think 3-4 will be your max you can opt for Mid size atx case. That depends more if it;s going to be tucked away somewhere and used remotely or if you're going to have it kind of on display next to a TV or something. Most mid towers have plenty of room so go with that unless you like the style of a full size. Just make sure it has USB 3 slots on the front and 3-4+ HDD bays. Also make sure you don't get "mini-atx" as that won't fit many HDD's or any of the motherboards I just posted.

Power supply you'll be fine with a 650 watt unless you plan on putting a big graphics card in it. Only thing to consider if you want modular or non modular. Modular allows you to unplug any of the excess wires you are not using. Only really needed if you're going to have a window on the case and want the interior to be on display. (leds and stuff)

 

Yes money wasn't an issue in my build either, but I also enjoy having the best price to performance as possible. I would definitely just grab up 16gbs of that ram I just posted with it on sale you can get 16gb for almost same price as what 8 would be. Get a nice 650 watt GOLD modular PSU.

The CPU is $100 jump for an i7 from an i5 so that's where its harder for me to say just "go for it" when it won't be utilized for a media server.

Will you ever use this pc for anything else besides dedicated media server?

 

The other nice thing about full size cases is they can help keep things cool, especially during heavy processing or if you have a few hard drives or high end video card.