I certainly don't want to do Windows on my server and as such will probably look a little closer at the 780G chipset. I wasn't really sure about Brisbane so that is good to know. Thanks for the helpful info. Anyone else want to throw in their $0.02?

I am at a loss as to what to get here. Mostly need a recommendation on a low power CPU. I'm running SUSE linux and have the following requirements: -HDMI output -SATA connectors (biggest reason I'm switching from my current PII 333) -DDR2 ( I realize that this is probably a moot req.) -Linux support...

I agree with dragmor. I have one and have used it quite a bit. The more people you pass it around to though the greater its impact. Surely if it even changes one persons outlook on power consumption than it is worth the manufacturing cost (both environmental and economic).

Not sure how much computing power you need for slimserver as I am not familiar with it. As far as a file server goes, you don't need much particularly if you are running linux and strip out all the extra stuff you don't need. I just built a SUSE box based around a Pentium II I had laying around. I u...

My Dell x300 laptop: 20 watts idle 50 when charging
Fileserver: 50 watts (PII 333, 2 Hard drives)

Measured with a kill-a-watt

Thanks for the tip. Do you have a recommendation for a sata controller card? I think I'm actually going to be running SUSE as ctorrent doesn't have all the features I would like. Anyway, something with at least 4 ports and on the cheaper side would be good.

Thanks. Let me know how it goes.

I was just curious if you knew the power consumption of your whole system. Also, how well is it handling your HD content?

Just an update for anyone interested. It turns out that version 0.686 (not compatible in newer versions) of Freenas has a built in UPNP server that will stream video content to the xbox360. For now I will be sticking with my current setup. I did acquire some more ram for it and will most likely be a...

I don't think I want to try loading my current machine with XP. I would want to be able to use it to torrent files which would be painfully slow. I think that linux is probably the way to go in this situation regardless of the hardware. GeeXbox looks like it has great potential in this situation. I ...

That is very helpful, thank you. Two questions for you. Do you have any idea how much power your HTPC uses? What OS/software are you using?

Sorry if this is long winded but some detail is needed. I currently have a Pentium II 333 with several hard drives in it and like 76mb of ram. It is running freenas and does an ok job as a NAS. I recently bought a laptop and am working on selling my desktop which I used to stream media to my xbox360...