Mini Server Build

Last week I finally pushed the button on ordering a small server machine to use at home for various miscellaneous purposes. The spec I settled on was:

• Case: Silverstone SG06B
• Motherboard: Asus P8H61-I
• CPU: Intel G620T
• RAM: 2GB Corsair Value Select DDR3
• Storage: WD Scorpio Blue 120GB 2.5" HDD

This should give me a versatile machine which can give me some power when I need it. Initially, I am intending to look at how much I can reduce the power draw. It should be relatively low to start with, but I can underclock the CPU and turn off one of its cores while it's not being used for anything intensive.

With no further waffling, on to the assembly pictures.

One of the best parts of building a PC - all of the shiny new parts arrive.

The new case in all its glory. It's a little larger than, say, the ISK series, but it has a 120mm fan and thus should be substantially quieter.

The case in pieces. The item front and center is an adapter for 3.5" hard drives, though I would advise simply going for a 2.5" drive.

The motherboard and accessories. As you can see, the only items you get are the I/O bracket and a couple of SATA cables, though it's unlikely you'd need very much more in a build like this. There is of course also the usual manual and driver disc.

Motherboard plus CPU, cooler, and RAM. This CPU/motherboard combination gives you video, audio, and the usual I/O, so there are no expansion cards.

The motherboard installed into the case and wired up. No cable tidying has been done yet, but I've tried to keep them away from the main flow path from the front fan.

A review of the case and some power draw stats will be coming soon.