http://www.maximumpc.com/article/how-tos/how-_build_windows_home_server_muscle

he next generation of Windows Home Server enables video streaming and transcoding operations, so we built a WHS system that can handle the load

If you buy a Windows Home Server system off the shelf, you typically get an anemic processor—usually an Atom of some kind—and the original version of WHS, updated with various power packs. Recently, Microsoft released a beta of its next-generation Windows Home Server, code-named Vail. This new version offers some pretty cool features, which we’ll dig into shortly, but it looks like you’ll want something beefier than an Atom to take full advantage of them. My aim here was to build a system that will get the most out of Vail.

An adequate CPU is just part of the story. I also needed adequate memory—most off-the-shelf WHS systems tend to skimp on RAM. The system also needed to be small enough to fit into tight spaces, but large enough for all the gear I want to cram into it. I also wanted to build a system that had room for future growth—particularly storage. Mind you, I’m not skimping on storage in this initial build. But I wanted to have power and free bays for expansion.

Let’s dive in and take a look at the component list.

Ingredients

* Case Lian-Li PC-Q08 Mini-Q $110
o http://lian-li.com
* PSU Seasonic SS-460FL Fanless 460W $160
o www.seasonic.com
* Mobo Zotac H55ITX-A-E $130
o www.zotacusa.com
* CPU Intel Core i3-530 $114
o www.intel.com
* Cooler Intel OEM $0
o www.intel.com
* RAM Crucial 2 x 1GB DD3-1333 $45
o www.crucial.com
* Drives 2 x 2TB WDWD20EADS $240
o www.wdc.com
* OS Windows Home Server "Vail" Preview Build $0
o www.microsoft.com

Total: $799
Choosing the Hardware

I wanted to get more performance out of this Windows Home Server build than I’d get out of an off-the-shelf system, without breaking the bank. In the end, the total cost of components, including a beefy (but noise-free) power supply and four terabytes of storage came in at just under $800.

The dual-core Intel Core i3-530 runs at 2.93GHz, and should handle my transcoding chores just fine. However, I hedged my bets, choosing the mini-ITX Zotac H55 motherboard—which has an available PCI-E x16 slot. So, if I decide I need more transcoding horsepower, and find an application that supports GPU-accelerated transcoding, I can add a GPU just for that purpose later. I also like that the Zotac board has six SATA ports—most mini-ITX boards have only four.

Any home server handling lots of media needs plenty of storage, and Western Digital’s 2TB GreenPower drives deliver that in spades. These are the newer, three-platter versions that cut down a bit on power consumption and deliver improved throughput.

Another desirable item is a fanless power supply, and the Seasonic is certainly that. It’s true that 460W seems like overkill for a home server, but the 400W sibling to the 460W unit couldn’t be found. If a GPU or additional hard drives are added in the future, the 460W unit will look like a smart choice.

Finally, the case needed room for expansion. The Lian-Li PC-Q08 mini-ITX chassis has room for six hard drives—though the two-drive bay may need to be removed if a GPU is installed. I’d also want to pull out the Lian-Li 14cm fan, with its annoying blue LED, and drop in something a little quieter, without the glow.