I love my HP EX470 MediaSmart Server. List priced at $599 (street price $569) for 512MB RAM and a 500GB hard drive, it's a great little machine at a great price. But I'm always searching for creative WHS platforms. After all, it's supposed to be a "home server" and thus no one wants a regular looking tower PC case sitting in their living room.
Back in January, when I first read about Shuttle Computer's KPC barebones system, I thought "what an interesting WHS that would make" and I started plotting how to make your own WHS on the cheap. At only 11(L)x7.5(W)x6.7(H) inches, it is shorter than the HP EX470 but only a few inches wider. So as soon as I could get my hands on one, I did it.
Over 5 parts, this article will show you how to use the Shuttle KPC as a platform to build a full featured, low cost, environmentally friendly (i.e. green) Microsoft Windows Home Server (WHS). This is for those of you who either love to tinker and/or are looking to save a little cash.
Let's go shopping
I've put together a system that matches up pretty well against the performance specs of the HP EX470. Plus, I've been able to keep the cost at right around $400. Here is my shopping list:
Item Cost Shuttle KPC Barebone
$99 Intel Celeron 430 1.8GHz
$39 WD 500GB hard drive
$64 Windows Home Server DVD
$99 Kingston 512MB Memory
$8 Any random 92mm case fan $2 T O T A L $311
When we add it all up, you get a total cost savings of over $200 compared to a comparably equipped HP EX470 MediaSmart Server. With that kind of dough, you can afford another 500GB hard drive AND take your wife or girlfriend out for night on the town (or a 1TB hard drive and dinner at Applebees).
In addition, I'm assuming you have the following components available just for the build (i.e. we won't need them after we are done): A mouse, keyboard, monitor and a either a 2 GB USB flash drive or an IDE DVD drive (more on this below). If you don't have a flash dive, they are very inexpensive. NewEgg has them for under $9.
Feature wise, I wanted to compare apples to apples, but optionally you can build out a dual core system (which I did), bump it up to 2GB of memory, add a second hard drive, etc. Because the processors in my list are "retail", the heat sink and Fan are included.
Here are a list of optional items that you should consider if you want to upgrade or add to the basic system:
Kingston 2GB USB Flash Drive
WD 1 TB external drive
SATA Data & Power combo cable
Arctic Silver 5 Thermal CompoundWhat am I giving up?
OK, so our $400 DIY system costs less than the HP EX470. What kind of features are we giving up? About the only thing is internal hard drive expandability. The EX470 has 4 internal drive bays while the KPC has only two. Of course we can always add an external hard drive to the KPC via USB (with one of the 4 USB ports) or even eSATA (by adding a PCI eSATA card in the lone PCI slot).
Going Green
Low power consumption is important for an "always on" appliance such as a Windows Home Server. According to the Shuttle website, the KPC is optimized to be energy efficient, using 55 Watts when in full use and just 33 Watts when idle. In contrast HP's documentation claims that a single drive EX470 uses 60 Watts under full load and 52 Watts when idle (a full 20 Watts more than the KPC).
If you are really concerned about power, you should consider the lower power Western Digital Caviar GP series "green drives". The 1TB green model (listed above) uses 1.3 Watts less power during read/write operations and a full 4.4 Watts less when Idle than the Caviar SE16 series drives.
No DVD drive? How do I install the OS?
Even though our WHS will run "headless", we'll still need the monitor, mouse and keyboard for installation. But without a DVD drive, how do we install the OS?
We have two options. Because the KPC does have an integrated IDE port, we can temporarily attach a DVD drive. I'm sure a a lot of you DIY-ers have one laying around or at least another PC that you can "borrow" one from. Because this is a standard installation, we won't go into detail on the DVD method.
The other option is to install WHS from a USB flash drive, which is what I've done here. Why? 1) I wanted to show that it could be done and 2) if you don't have a DVD drive you will need to do this. The flash drive installation is a little trickier, so Parts 2 and 3 are devoted to this process.
Now that we have laid the groundwork for what you need and what you might want to consider, if you are game, read Part 2 to start building!
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42 comments:
hey, So I went with the upgrade version of the building a Whs under $400, great this is my setting:
shuttle koc- black (d one u recomended)
intel pentium E2160 ( d one u recomended)
1GB ddr2 for RAM
WD 200 GB 7200 rpm HD
Sonny DVD-R ( just to install OS)
and my OEM Windows Home Server...
Till here s'all good, instalacion went perfect, Instaled system drivers fine; here the problem... If I disconect the DVD- rom from the system the system does not star the OS. It stays in a black screen looking for the system drive; now if I re- connect the DVD-rom back, system come on and everythings all good. For the system to come up, DVD- Rome needs to be present. Can u help? Thanks
Looks like Shuttle/NewEgg has a solution built on your suggestions for $210.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856101065
Thanks Ray but that did not help me with problem.
kip@mikeyaq: I don't have mine in front of me to replicate, but it sounds to me like you need to reorder the boot sequence in the Bios.
Make the hard drive first, optical drive last (or remove it) and it should boot up fine.
Thanks vansmack, I made that change and it work fine for a wile till today. Now is giving me an error saying (disk error please alt+del+Ctl to reboot) lol who know what D-F is going on. Another problem I'm having is that the Shuttle K45 Barebone, will not start without a mouse and a keyboard attach to the box and Im triying to run my WHS OS, The whole idea of the small box was to build my Home Server. I called Shutther.com and for my sorprice they told me that they have no support for Microsoft Windows Home Server OS, go figure. The Shuttle box and the whole idea of turning it into a home server is great but is not cotting it for me, at least not yet.
Let me think about the disk failure error (I installed my OS via a USB drive, so I have to imagine the error).
As for your mouse and keyboard error, did you complete the step to turn the error notification off in the Bios?
Enter Bios-->Standard CMOS Features-->Halt On-->No Errors
Don't forget to Save Changes and reboot.
That should fix the Mouse and keyboard on boot error.
hey, I really dig this configuration. question is can I use 1TB drives on the KPC or is it limited to 750?
the shuttle webpage says 750, but here they say you can use the green 1TB from WD (which is what I plan to use as this will be an always on computer)
thanks for any input
Nice Job!
Newbe question: Is it a good idea to have the OS installed on the same HD as the media HD (I assume that you only have one disk in the system)
I'm thinking of building a system like this one but with 2 1T disks.
Hi there,
What an excellent article! I was looking for a home server solution (linux based) when I found out about this whole WHS. Wonder why not so many people talks about it here in Indonesia.
Anyway, the article is basically everything I ever wanted! Small form factor server, as easy and user friendly as windows, stable, server based, plus it's green computing, having such a low power usage!
Few questions though:
1. Will I still be able to install third party application such as Torrent, FTP, MySQL etc? Do I have to get special installer?
2. I intend to use my server as File Server, Streaming (movie and music) server, FTP, Web, and Torrent Downloader server. Does WHS still apply for me?
Thanks heaps. Looking forward to build this beauty! (I might have to get the components from Singapore though :() Any recommendation?
@ Indra: yes. I use mine primarily for file storage, media share and Torrent service. All will work fine with minimal changes except the Torrent. You'll have to run the Torrent as a Service in the server environment, otherwise it won't run unless you're logged in. But there are many guides to take you through installing uTorrent to run as a service in the WHS enviroment.
There are many guides on the web to install FTP as a service as well.
@asger: The Windows Home Server Environment uses a new disk technology called Windows Home Server Drive Extender, and operates differently from your usual C:| and d:| environments. Take a minute to google the drive entender and you'll see that the server takes care of most of these things on it's own. I use two 500GB eSATA drive with file duplication turned on and have worry-free back up and plenty of storage space on the server. the Power Pack 1 for WHS will also include new back up possibilities for the backup itself for even more worry free back up. There are also online backups available for a multifaceted backup solution. I'm never felt more safe about my files than I do with the WHS.
@vansmack. Thanks I totally forgot to turn off the error reporting in BIOS. And a fixed my booting problem by removing the single IDE drive and installing the WHS OS in a single SATA drive. Aparently the k45 looks to boot up from a SATA drive or if ur using a IDE drive then U will have to attach two IDE drives in order for the system to boot up, one single IDE drive will not do the job, as for my own experience. (note that I was triying to install a WHS OS using a temp. Attach dvd-rom) did not try using the flash drive.
My goal is to have something with the ability to stream video feeds to multiple users at the same time. I really like the Apple time Capsule, but it can't stream video to multiple users. It looks like my solution is a WHS connected to a router. Can I put a Wireless N Wifi card in the Shuttle and at least not have to have it hard wired to the Shuttle?
Thanks.
Here's a similar build based on a different case and without the HDD backplane. It worked out marginally cheaper and tries to use low power components like GreenPower disks.
http://www.ademiller.com/blogs/tech/2008/09/building-a-windows-home-server-choosing-the-hardware/
The list of components are currently still available on NewEgg.
Ade
I've updated the component cost which now totals a mere $254.
.. and what about the cost of the WHS system-builder's license ($150)?
Oops, that $354 and yes, it still included the cost of the WHS OS.
The EX470 has eSATA connection, but I was looking to build this DIY system and was wondering if it is possible to add a PCI eSATA card to it - something like this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816132010
My goal is to add a Terrabox - similar to Donavon's setup at a later time if needed.
Thanks!
@Jay - Although I haven't tried it, you could convert the second internal SATA connector into an eSATA using something like
this.
Then you could use the external 4 drive terrabox.
While I just ordered a $299 HP EX470 WHS earlier last week from Office Max, I also just ordered a KPC K45 from TigerDirect/COmpUSA for $79 ($20 off Black Friday sale this weekend). I may not run WHS on it, but the price is very good (too good to pass up, IMHO ;^).
Nice write-up, thanks for sharing it.
Does the internal SATA controller support port multipliers? Mot all SATA controllers do, but some PCI cards do for sure, for example, check out this comparison chart:
http://www.addonics.com/products/host_controller/hostcont_cc.asp
The far right has a column for port multiplier support.
I'm not saying the on-board SATA controller does or does not support port multipliers, but I am saying it just can't be assuemd...
Sorry, the link was truncated - see this TinyURL link:
http://tinyurl.com/SATACHART
Ken
Having built a Vista Home Premium Media Centre PC from scratch earlier this year, Im really taken with the idea of ditching my Netgear SC101 NAS’s for a Windows Home Server.
I’d use it store my data files, backup my PC and notebook and stream my media files to my desktop or laptop.
I really like to look of the Shuttle, the setup you’ve suggested and the price but have some questions before I start throwing money at it. I’m considering;
- Intel Celeron 430 1.8Ghz
- 2 x WD Green Power 1Gb Hard drives
- 1 x 1Gb DDR2 Memory
Im assuming I’ll need a case fan and a CPU fan.
I’ve got a couple of concerns with this setup, if you could volunteer some help;
? The barebones draws about 55W under load, I understand. If, similarly under load, the Celeron draws ~35W and the drives about 12W in total between them, then we’re already a shade over the capabilities of the PSU. If I add a case fan and a CPU fan then we’re probably at about 110W... If I added an external drive (to make a copy of my critical data files periodically) then this will draw even more power.
? Im considering whether to go for something like the E2160 for more grunt, but under load it draws a shade more power than the Celeron, so the total power consumption of the setup Im looking at would be ~120W which seems a big ask for a 100W PSU?
as a total newbie this, newegg doesn't carry the E2160 at this time. is there an alternative upgrade chip?
Heya. Thanks for the article. Just built a new WHS following your instructions and everything went great. I have one quick question: is there anyway to check the hardware performance on the server? I've had the server up and running for a day and the new case fan never stops running at full speed.
I wanted to thank you for the article. While I didn't use the shuttle I was motivated to do it myself.
Using A case I had laying around I build the server based on a Asus P5KPL-CM Micro ATX board with an Intel Celeron 440 2.0GHz processor, 2 gig of ram and 2 green WD 500GB drives. I used a Coolmax ZP-380B 80 Plus PS, $29.99 after $30 rebate. Total $417.92 before tax, delivery, and rebate.
It it went together right the first time and appears to be running well.
Thanks!
Just FYI, there's an official kit from Shuttle that allows the addition of a slim CD/DVD drive. $17 for the new faceplate & BYO drive or $67 for the whole shebang.
http://www.getashuttle.com/index.php?page=shop.browse&category_id=19&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=75
My local Shuttle Dealer finally received my K45, 2 gb ram, and 2 1tb WD green drives, but UPS let me down, and failed to deliver my ICE Genie and CPU Core Duo 2.53 (Ice storm in the midwest put the kibosh on my new ICE Genie....how ironic). So all is just sitting on my work table.
The ICE Genie for the K45 became available stand-alone last week, here is a link from my Shuttle Dealer http://www.getashuttle.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=98&category_id=19&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=75
Ill be posting tomorrow when the rest come in!
Andy
Quick noob builder question...If I were to order an ICE genie, then that would replace a normal case fan, right?
TIA, Bob
I just finished my server i went to power for first time i got to bios screen when I tried to set usb, system powered off. I turned system on it keeps powering off within a few seconds. any suggestions.
Newegg no longer sells the KPC K-45, says "discontinued item."
Try this barebones case ($130):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856101074
and hard drive ($100):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136317
You could also get a Celeron 430 Conroe-L for $40 and 2GB of RAM for $21.
what dual core did you use I must have missed that somewhere
Rackmount systems - Buy rackmount systems for medical defense telecom networking rugged systems
I want to setup a Shuttle WHS using (2) 1T hard drives in Raid1. Does the Shuttle K48 support Raid?
Hilarious! I had never even seen this post, but this is almost exactly what I did, excep I used a K48, a slightly newer Celeron (E1400), and 2GB of RAM.
Hi, I just built mine and i have 2x1 gb sticks or ram, bought them from crucial via newegg and i know they are the right specs, but the bios only sees 512mb not the full 2gb, (i thought that it was really strange, only 1/2 of one of the sticks?). I tried to load with optimized settings, but no good, I only get the 512, can anyone help?
btw (k45, 1tb green caviar, 2.2 celeron dual core, ice genie)
Hi,
I am seriously considering this tutorial, but the post being a year old, is there a newer tutorial somewhere with updated hardware?
Also, if I use these harwares, but instead install Fedora (Amahi) and not WHS, would Fedora be able to utilitze the ram and storage, etc. without any configuration?
Thanks a lot,
sc
Might want to think twice about this build, these Shuttles are apparently dropping like flies, mine that I built about 18 months ago just croaked and so did all of these;
http://us.shuttle.com/scgforum/tm.aspx?m=2890&mpage=1
WHS Power Pack 1, will include new backup options for the backup even for even more worry free again. There are also online backup solution to backup several. I've never felt more confident in my files that I do with WHS.
Thanks
Green Living
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