File Server Prep Time.

[Jeff]

So I'm thinking of building a file server for my massive DVD collection. Now here in Canada, it's all perfectly legal to backup DVDs onto DVDs or a hard drive. Just as long as your not making copies, passing them to friends, and selling them for a price.

So anyways, I don't know if my current PSU can handle the extra load of 4 more hard drives, but we'll see. I had calculated the needs of it, and with the extra hard drives it should consume 430 out of 480 watts. No problems there. I'm thinking use the rest of my 120 GB drive for the first backup drive. Then get one 250 GB drive to start, then 2 or 3 more Seagate 250 GB drives over time when I get the money.

I was thinking, to save money on this, I would use my current system and fill up that case with the extra hard drives. If I don't have any more room, then I can build myself an enclosure from my shop and put as many hard drives as I want using USB or Firewire.

What do you guys think? Do I have a good plan here? What changes should I make?

If you're wondering about heat, my CPU runs at 37 C under full load. Fans on high, and my case temp is about the same as well.

[Kevin Wolff]

You'd be best off using your old system as the server and connecting the two with ethernet. You already have 3 drives in your current system; there's room for only one more, and who knows if you could handle it's power.

Or, do that other thing you mentioned, put drives in an enclosure and then connect it via USB/Firewire to the computer. Assuming that's what you mean...I'm guessing it'd be a huge RAID.

[Jeff]

The external USB enclosures that I looked at where I built my system are from places like ADS, Welland, and CoolMax. Never heard of them so I don't know if going external would be a good idea. The external drives are $379 for 300 GB and that's pretty pricey, when you could jam all your hard drives into a case. However, I would have to buy an hard drive caddy, which houses the drive as well as cools it in a 5.25" bay.