HTPC and server: all-in-one or separated?

[luckylinux]

I would like some feedback concerning a server I'm setting up.

The server will be on 24/7 and features:
- CPU: AMD FX-8320
- Motherboard: ASUS M5A99X EVO
- RAM: 32GB ECC RAM
- HDD: 3 x 2.0 TB (2 x WD Black / 1 x Toshiba)
- OS: Gentoo GNU/Linux 64 bit (amd64)
- NIC: 1 x NC364T (4 port) + 2 x INTEL NIC (single port)
- Graphic card:
- Case: Silverstone GD07

The server will mostly do DVR (Motion / Zoneminder), Personal web hosting, some virtualization (KVM /Virtualbox) as well as anything else I can come up with .

Since it will be in any case on all the time I though it would be better to avoid using a separated box just for watching (1080p videos) & serving medias on the TV / LAN. I need therefore a good graphics card with good GNU/Linux support and XMBC support. Hardware acceleration should be preferred if possible in order to reduce CPU usage.

At the moment I'm working on the server using a AMD Radeon 6450 graphics card. I don't think however this is good enough for HTPC mainly because of poor GNU/Linux support of AMD drivers.

I need a graphics card that can fit in a single PCI slot (slot after the graphics card is used by a NIC).
I looked at:
- Nvidia GT630 @ 50$ but this is just a rebranded GT440
- Nvidia GT750 @ 130$ but I'm not sure if the ASUS GTX750-PHOC-1GD5 fits in one slot (1 PCI braket but GPU cooler is higher than it)

Any suggestions Thank you for your help

EDIT: or if you think why it would be better to put HTPC and server on separated boxes (assuming in which case that HTPC will be put to sleep most of the day and night)

 

[Deleted member 88227]

As of right now my HTPC runs dual usage. Server and HTPC, but I do not run many server services on it. Seed box, nas, game server, web server and XBMC. I do intend to build a separate server in the near future to handle the seeding, nas, game server(s), web server and a squid caching server. I only need to upgrade to a separate box for serving duties because I just don't have enough room in the current HTPC case for more than three hard drives. I currently have two 3TB drives and a single 1TB drive.

 

[luckylinux]

As of right now my HTPC runs dual usage. Server and HTPC, but I do not run many server services on it. Seed box, nas, game server, web server and XBMC. I do intend to build a separate server in the near future to handle the seeding, nas, game server(s), web server and a squid caching server. I only need to upgrade to a separate box for serving duties because I just don't have enough room in the current HTPC case for more than three hard drives. I currently have two 3TB drives and a single 1TB drive.

Thank you for your reply.
I don't have such an issue because my NAS is yet another separated box (8 x 3.0TB).

I'm also interested in SQUID caching server but I will probably implement it either in my router (Pfsense on a yet separated box) or on the server I'm talking about in this thread.

 

[Deleted member 88227]

Well an AMD FX-8320 is a lot more CPU than my Intel G860. I don't think you'll have any issues running server services on an HTPC built with that hardware.

I'm not too familiar on a good GPU for GNU/Linux, so I can't really recommend anything. My HTPC uses the Intel HD Graphics.

 

[Dangman]

I need a graphics card that can fit in a single PCI slot (slot after the graphics card is used by a NIC).

Why not just move the NIC down one slot? There's a total of 5 PCI-E slots on that mobo so I'm not sure how you can't get the space for a dual slot video card unless you have more PCI-E cards than what you listed so far (3 NICs)

- Nvidia GT750 @ 130$ but I'm not sure if the ASUS GTX750-PHOC-1GD5 fits in one slot (1 PCI braket but GPU cooler is higher than it)

It won't fit.

 

[luckylinux]

Why not just move the NIC down one slot? There's a total of 5 PCI-E slots on that mobo so I'm not sure how you can't get the space for a dual slot video card unless you have more PCI-E cards than what you listed so far (3 NICs)

Indeed I can't.
Details of all PCI(e) slots:
- 1 x NC364T quad port NIC card
- 2 x INTEL single port NIC card
- 2 x USB 3.0 controller card
- 1 slot free for PCIe Graphics card

But maybe I could put the graphics card in the last PCIe slot ...
At the moment I use the last PCIe slot (the black one) for the NC364T NIC.
Could this work? I might have a little headroom for that. I don't think - since this is a desktop motherboard - that the first PCIe slot can be used for anything else than a graphics card though ...

 

[Dangman]

But maybe I could put the graphics card in the last PCIe slot ...
At the moment I use the last PCIe slot (the black one) for the NC364T NIC.
Could this work? I might have a little headroom for that. I don't think - since this is a desktop motherboard - that the first PCIe slot can be used for anything else than a graphics card though ...

Newer desktop mobos don't have that "issue". Try it now and see what happens.

 

[luckylinux]

Newer desktop mobos don't have that "issue". Try it now and see what happens.

I'll try tomorrow . I'm currently running a health check on my HDDs before putting them in production Good to know anyway (if this turns out to be true)

 

[luckylinux]

It doesn't look as if the video card may fit in the last slot either.
There's a USB FP cable running just after the last PCI slot.

I ordered a GT630 single slot for now. This should anyway suffice for video playback in a HTPC