Home server questions

[Coldblank]

Just tackled on more responsibility at my work, that's to manage our server here at the office. Me, being a programmer-- I have very little experience with server OS. I was thinking of making a home server and it just storing personal documents, movies, music, and anything I can dump in. I however do not want to spend 400-500 bucks getting it going. With the holidays around the corner, want to save as much as possible. My question is, can I run Microsoft Server 2011 on a system with these type of specs?

Processor
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.66GHz E6750
Memory
1GB
Hard Drive
120GB

Will upgrade the ram to 4 gigs and HDD probably close to 5 TBs.

On eBay there's a ton of these type of computer running pretty cheap or should I just save some cash to buy a decent computer that's more up to date?

[Biernot]

It all depends on the exact purpose of the server.

But from your usage profile, what you want is basically a pure fileserver, or better: a NAS. For this purpose, the hardware is absolutely fine (except maybe the ram). Here are a few things you need to be aware of:

OS: If you get the MS Server 2011 for free, good. If not, check out FreeNAS (FreeBSD based OS specifically for NAS).

CPU: Doesn't really matter. For a NAS you can pick the cheapest currently available cpu and it will be fine (e.g. even an AMD E-350 or Intel Atom would be fine). So something like an older Core2Duo is still more than enough. However because this system will run 24/7, you should be mindful of power usage. So an E-350 might be better than a cheaper, used Core2Duo, because it uses less electricity over time.

RAM: Depending on the OS, something between 1-4GB. If you should go for FreeNAS, don't be alarmed by the high RAM recommendations you will find. They are only necessary if you want a high performance file server.

Storage: I would suggest going for a RAID 1/5/6/10 setup because of security against data loss. With this in mind, pick your motherboard with enough sata connectors and raid capabilities. You could always put in a dedicated raid card, but most of the time thats not necessary and only adds cost and power draw.


PCPartPicker part list

CPU: Integrated with Motherboard
Motherboard: Asus E45M1-M PRO Micro ATX E-Series E-Series E-450 Motherboard ($118.91 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Kingston Value 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Core 3000 ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 350W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($39.99 @ Mwave)
Total: $238.88

Storage depending on your needs.

If you think, that you need more sata ports and a bit more performance, you can go with something like this:

PCPartPicker part list

CPU: AMD A4-5300 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor ($46.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI FM2-A75MA-E35 Micro ATX FM2 Motherboard ($58.80 @ Amazon)
Memory: Kingston Value 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Core 3000 ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 350W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($39.99 @ Mwave)
Total: $225.76

[Coldblank]

Wow, thanks for all the info!

I honestly only need this to learn more from. I'd rather mess up the settings through trial and error on my own system rather than the office server and loss lots of important data. And also, having the ability to save all my files on a local machine would be nice!

They are giving me an extra copy of Win Server 2011 so I'm not going to spend anything on OS keys. I might just buy some of the items you've listed instead of purchasing one off eBay. Since this will be storing my personal stuff, might want to make it an investment-- ya know? Again, thanks!