NESServer

[Sicklyboy]

So, some back story. As some of you may know (I know dilav does, he plays on it!) I run a small Minecraft server. I used to run the server part of the day off of my gaming desktop. Gaming desktops draw a lot of power. 650w PSU powering an EVGA GeForce 560Ti SC and a Phenom II X4 955 CPU (not the best but it's damn decent) can really run up the power bill (my parents' in this case, and I don't want to piss them off). I needed an alternative. My friend Joe, my old guild leader in WoW had recently lead me on to the Zotac Zbox, a mini server PC that even has mounts to fit on the back of any TV or monitor with standard VESA mounting holes.

Too expensive. His proposed alternative? Build it myself and put it in a bad-ass case that he provided. This case, you may be wondering, was a NES.

Specs of the computer:

-Zotac FUSION350A-E Mini-ITX mobo with passive cooling (just a heatsink)
-AMD E350 Dual-core APU (stock speed of 1.60ghz, haven't/don't want to overclock (yet))
-nMEDIAPC HTPC 1080iP Mini ITX DC to ATX Integrated Power Module with DC Adapter
-8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 SODIMMs
-VANTEC 40mm fan (stolen off of my parents OLD Pentium CPU)
-Patriot Torqx2 32GB SSD
-500GB Seagate Barracuda (internal drive, sitting outside the case)
-1.5TB Western Digital Essentials external drive
-8GB Dane-elec flash drive
-Windows 7 Ultimate x64

Currently, this rig is being used to stream content to all of the Xbox 360s in the house (meaning 2), being music and movies; Hosting a website (www.sicklycraft.com); Hosting a vent server (sicklycraft.com, whatever the default vent port is (3784?)); Hosting a Minecraft server (sicklycraft.com). Rented domain through no-ip.org. The thing stays on 24/7 unless physical maintenance is needed, runs around 50 degrees Celsius idle - over the course of a week, min/max temps were 45/68. I stood the server off of my shelf by about a half inch to facilitate better airflow (before I did that and added the fan it peaked 93 degrees... fuck that!) The fan is mounted in the expansion slot on the bottom, and it fits perfectly. Drilled 3 holes with my dremel to mount it, and then cut out the extra plastic behind it. The computer is controlled remotely with TeamViewer, and any major file work (adding new stuff to my Minecraft server, etc) is done from my PC because I have a bunch of different folders network shared. No mouse, keyboard, or monitor are hooked up to this. 5 cables lead out of the case - Ethernet, Power, SATA Power, SATA Data, USB for the external drive.

So, enough rambling, here are some pictures! (All hosted from my server, too XD) Those pics were way too big in the spoilers. I'm sorry. Hotlinking instead.

http://sicklycraft.com/about/pics/nes1.JPG

http://sicklycraft.com/about/pics/nes2.JPG

http://sicklycraft.com/about/pics/nes3.JPG

http://sicklycraft.com/about/pics/nes4.JPG

http://sicklycraft.com/about/pics/nes5.JPG

http://sicklycraft.com/about/pics/nes6.JPG

http://sicklycraft.com/about/pics/nes7.JPG

http://sicklycraft.com/about/pics/nes8.JPG

http://sicklycraft.com/about/pics/nes9.JPG

http://sicklycraft.com/about/pics/nes10.JPG

http://sicklycraft.com/about/pics/nes11.JPG

http://sicklycraft.com/about/pics/nes12.JPG

http://sicklycraft.com/about/pics/nes13.JPG


This one is a terrible cellphone pic showing the stands I put it on to raise it off the shelf by a half inch.
http://sicklycraft.com/about/pics/nes14.JPG

http://sicklycraft.com/about/pics/nes15.JPG

http://sicklycraft.com/about/pics/nes16.JPG


Right now, my website is unfinished. Still have to add in different rank commands on the Minecraft page, want to make my own CSS and layout (I only ever learned basic HTML, and that was 6 years ago, and never learned anything about CSS). Want to figure out how MySQL works and have an automated registration system for new members on the Minecraft server, because right now to play I have to promote you to Member status - default rank can only walk and talk; no building, no world interaction, no damaging/taking, mobs are unaware of your existance, no hunger. I would like to get a phpBB forum set up too. But right now, college is taking away from me being able to do that because I don't have the time needed to really sit down and focus on it. Edit - eventually gonna drop the Vent server for Mumble.

But yeah! Right now, everything is up and running just great. Reset/Power switches work as they should, and the power LED lights up when the system is on. In case you didn't realize from the pics, the SMB3 cart holds the SSD lol.

But if you want to play on my Minecraft server, feel free to PM me your account name so I can promote you to member status so you can play. If you want to just look around for now, check it out at sicklycraft.com.

 

[chyyran]

That's a damn nice server you got there.

 

[jimmyemunoz]

The fanless power supply really makes it all happen. Cool setup.

 

[Sicklyboy]

The fanless power supply really makes it all happen. Cool setup.

Man, I loved it before I put the 40mm fan in. Thing was 100% silent. No CPU fan, no chassis fan, no PSU fan, no HDD. It was just passive cooling, the fanless PSU, and a SSD. This 40 is so loud lol. One of these days (I'm hurtin on money right now and I am buying a new phone tomorrow) I'll be ordering a NEW 40mm that isn't 13 years old. Maybe this one will be a tiny bit quieter lol.

Edit - I keep forgetting "to do" things with this server, lol. Get a small piece of thin metal, spray paint it black, put it behind the black trim where the NES controller ports go. Dremel out two small slots and stick a USB port in each one. This way I can mouse and keyboard without opening the case (as I currently have zero external USB access), and then I just need to get a video cable out there.

 

[Jetowa]

slick bro... very slick