If I wanted to build a media server...

[DreamThrall]

... would this setup be overkill, underkill, or just right?

Background - I want the vid card to be able to do component video, and preferably have a TV tuner. For sound, I need something that will output in SPDIF because that's the only surround-compatible input my DVD/surround system has.

microATX case

ABIT VA-10 microATX mofo

AMD Athlon XP 2400+

2x Kington ValueRAM 256MB PC-2700 RAM

Maxtor 200 MB 7200RPM, 8MB cache har drive

ATI Radeon 9600 All-In-Wonder 128MB AGP 4X/8X

Samsung Black 16X DVD-ROM Drive, 512KB buffer

Obviously there are cables and other accessories I would need... but a couple area's I'm not sure about. Is a 2400+ more than I need? Will I need 512MB RAM, or would 256MB do? Are there less powerful video and audio cards that will accomplish the same thing (as I described above)?

Ballpark total for all of this is about $700 (prices off newegg, obviously), but I'm sure I could get the 3rd party version of the ATI card cheaper, as well as find better prices for some of the other stuff on pricewatch, but is $700 a decent price? Can I do this cheaper?

I know its a lot of questions (sorry!), but hopefully someone will wade through it... thanks!

EDIT: Oh yeah, throw in a wireless NIC... can't forget that!

 

[SidewinderX]

that's seems fine enough to me.. I mean afaik, the more the RAM the better server wise. If you really wanted to be super server or whatever, get a SCSI HDD (and a mobo that supports it) But that would probalby put you over your budget.

 

[DreamThrall]

Yeah, I'm definately trying to do this on the cheap. I don't think it would really make that much of a difference either, since the data would be going one to two places - Movies/Mp3 out the vid and audio card to my tv and surround system, which an IDE drive can do just fine, or mp3s to my PC via the wireless card, which would negate any speed advantage of a SCSI drive

 

[Snakebyte]

ABIT VA-10 microATX mofo

Are you really sure you want to use that mofo?

 

[DreamThrall]

Heh.... any better ideas?

 

[DreamThrall]

i am the bumpinator.

 

[ewilson248]

hey dude i run a pc with lower end specs than that as a media PC myself it should be no problem.

important items though: lots of memory!, some video codecs/ compressions use cpu time / some use gobs memory, 512mb minimum.

if you are going to watch movies off the c drive get a fast hardisk, 7200rpm or better, SATA150 or ATA133. the size is up to you.

looks like from your list you have all this covered though.
take a look at the XPC stuff, way cool if your up for it!

 

[Synthaxx R-or]

I would add some more harddrive space, so you could double as a media jukebox.
probably 2/3 x 200Gb should do the trick, you could tie them toghether in a raid configuration for speed and storage.

I have about 760 Gb currently, and it wasn't a bad investment, just rip your DVD's to the harddrive and only one click starts the movies. (keeps your discs in prestine condition too).

 

[DreamThrall]

I would add some more harddrive space, so you could double as a media jukebox.
probably 2/3 x 200Gb should do the trick, you could tie them toghether in a raid configuration for speed and storage.

I have about 760 Gb currently, and it wasn't a bad investment, just rip your DVD's to the harddrive and only one click starts the movies. (keeps your discs in prestine condition too).

Sounds good.... I was hoping I'd be able to do all this for quite a bit less, but it doesn't seem so. Oh well... by the time I can afford to have a separate computer just for media, I'll probably be able to afford to do it right (with lots of GB storage space, raid, etc...)

Thanks for everyone's input!