A fanless home file server
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A fanless home file server
Hi all,
I just finished on these weekends my one-week project, which I would like to show here. It is a file and a print server, which is essentially, as expected to be relevant here, a small silent PC. It has no fans and no moving parts except of the storage hard drives. I have built it on the Intel D945GSEJT motherboard. Briefly, it is a half height mini-ITX board, which is just 20 mm height. It is equipped with a hard wired onto the board 2.5 W TDP Intel® Atom™ processor N270. As for me, the remarkable feature of this motherboard is that it requires only a single 12 V power supply and has a standard 3.5 mm plug for it. A 1 GBit LAN on this board is also an additional value for a file server.
So, my server is based on the Intel D945GSEJT MB, whose features are:
- 2 Gb RAM
- 4 Gb MMC card, which is configured as a primary master drive.
- It runs Windows XP, which is installed on this flash drive. The OS takes ~ 2 Gb, so for the server I consider it is just fine.
- For the storage space the server may hold up to 2 standard 3.5" hard drives. Currently, a low-power (and noise) Western Digital Green 1.5TB is installed.
- External 12 DC switching power supply (60 W max)
- A self-made aluminium case
- The power consumption with one 3.5" HDD is 14 W (no HDD operation) and ~16 W with HDD read/write
And of course, some images:
I spent some days for preparing the aluminium parts for the case, which are just simple rectangular aluminium plates joined via aluminium corner bars:
The essential electronic parts are laid down for comparison:
One of the Zen sides, which has only 2 LEDs and two buttons:
Assembled aluminium corner bars to the appropriate plates (everything is numbered ) and the bronze MB spacers:
The MB is now firmly fitted to its place on the bottom plate:
The MB plugs-side plate is mounted (notice the protective sticking film on the outer sides, so it looks yet like an ugly duck):
The opposite side is added:
The hard drives have their frames, on which they are mounted on rubber rings:
... so mounted it looks like this:
Now, connect the HDD on its frame to one of the side plates:
Connect the plugs and fit all together:
Fit and tight all sides:
I, personally, found the size of the case incredibly small:
Add the final top plate:
So far the case recalled me car shows, when a new car is covered by fabric before being presented. So, the most intriguing moment:
And, voilà:
So, less important stuff, add some stands and check the corner fits (the aluminium plates are 1.5 mm thick)
And some more fancy views:
So, this is my new 12 W home server. Since I am very concerned about annoying noises and the power consumption (Germany prices), I am satisfied on the result.
P.S. Sorry guys if there are too many images or these are too big, I just could not resist to show them
I just finished on these weekends my one-week project, which I would like to show here. It is a file and a print server, which is essentially, as expected to be relevant here, a small silent PC. It has no fans and no moving parts except of the storage hard drives. I have built it on the Intel D945GSEJT motherboard. Briefly, it is a half height mini-ITX board, which is just 20 mm height. It is equipped with a hard wired onto the board 2.5 W TDP Intel® Atom™ processor N270. As for me, the remarkable feature of this motherboard is that it requires only a single 12 V power supply and has a standard 3.5 mm plug for it. A 1 GBit LAN on this board is also an additional value for a file server.
So, my server is based on the Intel D945GSEJT MB, whose features are:
- 2 Gb RAM
- 4 Gb MMC card, which is configured as a primary master drive.
- It runs Windows XP, which is installed on this flash drive. The OS takes ~ 2 Gb, so for the server I consider it is just fine.
- For the storage space the server may hold up to 2 standard 3.5" hard drives. Currently, a low-power (and noise) Western Digital Green 1.5TB is installed.
- External 12 DC switching power supply (60 W max)
- A self-made aluminium case
- The power consumption with one 3.5" HDD is 14 W (no HDD operation) and ~16 W with HDD read/write
And of course, some images:
I spent some days for preparing the aluminium parts for the case, which are just simple rectangular aluminium plates joined via aluminium corner bars:
The essential electronic parts are laid down for comparison:
One of the Zen sides, which has only 2 LEDs and two buttons:
Assembled aluminium corner bars to the appropriate plates (everything is numbered ) and the bronze MB spacers:
The MB is now firmly fitted to its place on the bottom plate:
The MB plugs-side plate is mounted (notice the protective sticking film on the outer sides, so it looks yet like an ugly duck):
The opposite side is added:
The hard drives have their frames, on which they are mounted on rubber rings:
... so mounted it looks like this:
Now, connect the HDD on its frame to one of the side plates:
Connect the plugs and fit all together:
Fit and tight all sides:
I, personally, found the size of the case incredibly small:
Add the final top plate:
So far the case recalled me car shows, when a new car is covered by fabric before being presented. So, the most intriguing moment:
And, voilà:
So, less important stuff, add some stands and check the corner fits (the aluminium plates are 1.5 mm thick)
And some more fancy views:
So, this is my new 12 W home server. Since I am very concerned about annoying noises and the power consumption (Germany prices), I am satisfied on the result.
P.S. Sorry guys if there are too many images or these are too big, I just could not resist to show them
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Re: A fanless home file server
nice build! expecially the home-made case.
I have the same intel mobo, it is in a small htpc I tried to build but is too slow/weak for that purpose. I will try to reuse it for a file/music server.
I have the same intel mobo, it is in a small htpc I tried to build but is too slow/weak for that purpose. I will try to reuse it for a file/music server.
Re: A fanless home file server
Thanks!greenfrank wrote:nice build! expecially the home-made case.
I have the same intel mobo, it is in a small htpc I tried to build but is too slow/weak for that purpose. I will try to reuse it for a file/music server.
I guess it is not way too slow, but, of course, it depends on which restrictions you have. Can it play a blue-ray video?
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- Posts: 135
- Joined: Tue Feb 02, 2010 11:46 am
- Location: Minneapolis, MN, USA
Re: A fanless home file server
Fantastic case! Perhaps I should say fan-less-tastic case.
How did you cut the motherboard ports out of 1.5 mm sheets? (Laser?)
Why do you need to run Microsoft Windows XP?
I ask because you could also run a router on the box, and save the 6-25 watts that a good WiFi router uses contently. You would need a USB Ethernet adapter, but that should not be a bottleneck. Your Internet connection is going to be much slower then the USB Ethernet adapter.
Impressive
How did you cut the motherboard ports out of 1.5 mm sheets? (Laser?)
Why do you need to run Microsoft Windows XP?
I ask because you could also run a router on the box, and save the 6-25 watts that a good WiFi router uses contently. You would need a USB Ethernet adapter, but that should not be a bottleneck. Your Internet connection is going to be much slower then the USB Ethernet adapter.
Impressive
Re: A fanless home file server
First of all Many Thanks
Concerning the router I thought about it. You are right, the Wi-Fi router uses some (lucky me) 6-8 W in my case. Unfortunately, it cannot be omitted, because it is a DSL router from the Internet provider . The 5-port Netgear FS105NA Gigabit switch, which I use for fast interconnections within the network, uses only 5W, which is already not that much. Eventually, I am planning no rearranging so far.
Currently, this file server, the switch, the router, the printer and a phone, which altogether sit on an one plug, use some 35 W and at maximum 37-40 W (not while printing, of course !) and I am pretty lucky of it.
Why should I not use Windows XP? Well, I have four Windows machines (including this one) and one of them has also Linux as a second OS for my wife's work. Do you think Linux-based server would offer less power consumption or some other advantages? By the way, I tried to test the transferring rate between the server and one of the PC's on a 2 Gb file. The result is 25 Mb/sec (less than 1.5 min for a 2 Gb file). Additionally, accessing a folder with hundreds of files (like pictures from a camera) is not a problem (as it is for many slower NAS devices).
Well, cutting was a great part of the whole work, for which I particularly proud of. Laser cutting would be impressive , but I did it simpler. I have a small milling machine, which is not yet computerized. So, first all dimensions had to be measured. Then I cut a stencil mask from a self-sticking paper using a cutting plotter (A4 size). Stick it carefully on an aluminum plate and then cut on the milling machine with a 3 mm diameter end mill cutter.Dr. Jim Pomatter wrote:Fantastic case! Perhaps I should say fan-less-tastic case.
How did you cut the motherboard ports out of 1.5 mm sheets? (Laser?)
Why do you need to run Microsoft Windows XP?
I ask because you could also run a router on the box, and save the 6-25 watts that a good WiFi router uses contently. You would need a USB Ethernet adapter, but that should not be a bottleneck. Your Internet connection is going to be much slower then the USB Ethernet adapter.
Impressive
Concerning the router I thought about it. You are right, the Wi-Fi router uses some (lucky me) 6-8 W in my case. Unfortunately, it cannot be omitted, because it is a DSL router from the Internet provider . The 5-port Netgear FS105NA Gigabit switch, which I use for fast interconnections within the network, uses only 5W, which is already not that much. Eventually, I am planning no rearranging so far.
Currently, this file server, the switch, the router, the printer and a phone, which altogether sit on an one plug, use some 35 W and at maximum 37-40 W (not while printing, of course !) and I am pretty lucky of it.
Why should I not use Windows XP? Well, I have four Windows machines (including this one) and one of them has also Linux as a second OS for my wife's work. Do you think Linux-based server would offer less power consumption or some other advantages? By the way, I tried to test the transferring rate between the server and one of the PC's on a 2 Gb file. The result is 25 Mb/sec (less than 1.5 min for a 2 Gb file). Additionally, accessing a folder with hundreds of files (like pictures from a camera) is not a problem (as it is for many slower NAS devices).
Re: A fanless home file server
Schönes Gehäuse!
Wie hast du die Anschlüsse hinbekommen?
Ich hatte beim Modding von nem Case die Ausspariungen für ein kleines Netztteil sauber auszuschneiden.
Wie hast du die Anschlüsse hinbekommen?
Ich hatte beim Modding von nem Case die Ausspariungen für ein kleines Netztteil sauber auszuschneiden.
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- Posts: 67
- Joined: Fri Dec 17, 2010 9:44 pm
- Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Re: A fanless home file server
Beautiful computer! Beautiful case! Good Job!
I wish I could put together something like that. Unfortunately, I lack the skills and tools.
I wish I could put together something like that. Unfortunately, I lack the skills and tools.
Re: A fanless home file server
I would say that it is not that complicated, if you like to do something by hands and have some patience (like not to hurry to finish it in 2 days), then it is an easy taskickarumba1 wrote:Beautiful computer! Beautiful case! Good Job!
I wish I could put together something like that. Unfortunately, I lack the skills and tools.
Re: A fanless home file server
Very nice case! I really like the industrial look.
Re: A fanless home file server
Really slick work!! Have you considered using countersunk screws? It would definitely help prevent snags when you need to dust off the shiny case
Re: A fanless home file server
Thanks!zoob wrote:Really slick work!! Have you considered using countersunk screws? It would definitely help prevent snags when you need to dust off the shiny case
Yes, I was thinking about it, which would took me some another extra day of work . But seriously, some my previous results with the 1.5 mm thick 99% aluminium sheets jointed by 2 mm countersunk screws tell me that mounting precision would suffer. It is simply because of insufficient thickness, so I would say that 2 mm 99% Al and up sheets or 1.5 mm hard Al (say alloyed with few percents of Si or Mg) would perform better.
If it must stick out, it must look consistently
P.S. Just as an update:
I updated the case with a 4 cm fan @ 5V. By monitoring the temperatures before I found that the chipset of the MB produces too much heat, which boosts already quite warm HDD. The temperatures were as following, chipset: +55 C, HDD: +52 C. After installing the exhausting fan the temperatures are: chipset: +35-37 C, HDD: +42-44 C.
Concerning the noise I was surprised, because in my case the HDD produses more noise than the fan. So, finally, the file server is not a fanless anymore , but just as quite as a spinning HDD could be .
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- Location: United States
Re: A fanless home file server
That's awesome, great job on the enclosure.
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- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2007 4:18 am
- Location: earth
Re: A fanless home file server
If there ever was such a thing as case porn, this is it.
On a more serious note, excellent job. I especially love the attention to detail on the corners.
On a more serious note, excellent job. I especially love the attention to detail on the corners.
Re: A fanless home file server
So pretty! I love how the case looks without a backplate, and the aluminum work is precision! Makes me wish I had access to a metal shop.
Re: A fanless home file server
Beautiful work. Thanks for showing it. I have one somewhat related, Atom on a DTX motherboard, but in an old mATX case and using a conventional psu. The only fan in it is the psu fan. But this is craftsmanship.