5 ms·

Final improvements to Odroid XU4 home server with a 5V DC-DC converter in place

21 points by ikromin 9y ago

craftyguy 9y ago
I'd be worried about dust with that design, especially if it's expected to be up and running 24/7
- franciscop 9y ago
  Easier to get dusty, but easier to clean up as well. I guess if you intend to leave it as a piece of art or display it is a decent trade-off.
okasaki 9y ago
Should be noted that if you want a server, this isn't a good way. Just get a HP microserver or Dell T20. Same price, much better.
- Symbiote 9y ago
  I have an older Odroid, and it's powerful enough for a home server. It also only consumes a couple of Watts, which is difficult to beat. Mine is hidden away, so I don't hear the hard drive clicking, and it doesn't have a case at all.
- pizza234 9y ago
  > Just get a HP microserver or Dell T20. Same price, much better This is not a correct comparison. The machines mentioned: - have significantly higher consumption - cost at least 3x (300+ $) as an average XU4 (~100$) - are desktop-sized (the OP made a custom-one; the vast majority of SBC cases are tiny) > Should be noted that if you want a server, this isn't a good way The definition of "server" is not the same for everybody. Home media servers users, like the OP, just need enough power to play/serve media, and they likely don't need any form of redundancy. XU4 is perfectly adequate for that. There are certainly other more demanding use cases (eg. storage-oriented servers), but that's an entirely different market segment.
  - okasaki 9y ago
    You can get a Dell T20/HP gen8 for $200 on ebay, including new boxed ones. A XU4 with PSU, case and 16gb eMMC will cost you $100 yes, but for storage you'll also need an external enclosure. The only (4 port) I found on amazon was $120 (and it has its own power brick) So the price is very similar, but the former is server hardware that is more robust, powerful, extensible, and the latter is an android dev board with an unknown amount of "assembly required" time.
    - pizza234 9y ago
      > You can get a Dell T20/HP gen8 for $200 on ebay, including new boxed ones. Can you post a link, before starting a discussion about this? The fact the it's possible to get an item, intended as a once-off offer, hardly makes a general case.
  - wink 9y ago
    I'm usually onboard with "I don't want a big clunky server" but if you look at the XU4 with disks laying flat on a shelf.. it's really not less space than my MicroServer (ok, maybe 15cm² smaller..) so I think your size argument falls flat.
    - pizza234 9y ago
      It depends on the requirements. If a user requirer an array of 32 3.5" disks for his home server, then also a MicroServer is not adequate. If a 2.5" disk is considered adequate for a home server (they have multi-TB size), there are plenty of SBC+2.5" disk enclosures that are significantly smaller than a MicroServer (of course, then one needs to use a specifc SBC model). I do have a MicroServer-sized machine as well, and the size is definitely not comparable to an SBC+disk enclosure.
  - lazyjones 9y ago
    You can also get one of those fanless x86 mini PCs from Aliexpress at $120 or so... Much better performance than the XU4, better connectivity, upgradeable memory etc.

21 points by ikromin 9y ago

craftyguy 9y ago

I'd be worried about dust with that design, especially if it's expected to be up and running 24/7

franciscop 9y ago
Easier to get dusty, but easier to clean up as well. I guess if you intend to leave it as a piece of art or display it is a decent trade-off.

okasaki 9y ago

Should be noted that if you want a server, this isn't a good way. Just get a HP microserver or Dell T20. Same price, much better.

Symbiote 9y ago
I have an older Odroid, and it's powerful enough for a home server. It also only consumes a couple of Watts, which is difficult to beat. Mine is hidden away, so I don't hear the hard drive clicking, and it doesn't have a case at all.
pizza234 9y ago
> Just get a HP microserver or Dell T20. Same price, much better This is not a correct comparison. The machines mentioned: - have significantly higher consumption - cost at least 3x (300+ $) as an average XU4 (~100$) - are desktop-sized (the OP made a custom-one; the vast majority of SBC cases are tiny) > Should be noted that if you want a server, this isn't a good way The definition of "server" is not the same for everybody. Home media servers users, like the OP, just need enough power to play/serve media, and they likely don't need any form of redundancy. XU4 is perfectly adequate for that. There are certainly other more demanding use cases (eg. storage-oriented servers), but that's an entirely different market segment.
- okasaki 9y ago
  You can get a Dell T20/HP gen8 for $200 on ebay, including new boxed ones. A XU4 with PSU, case and 16gb eMMC will cost you $100 yes, but for storage you'll also need an external enclosure. The only (4 port) I found on amazon was $120 (and it has its own power brick) So the price is very similar, but the former is server hardware that is more robust, powerful, extensible, and the latter is an android dev board with an unknown amount of "assembly required" time.
  - pizza234 9y ago
    > You can get a Dell T20/HP gen8 for $200 on ebay, including new boxed ones. Can you post a link, before starting a discussion about this? The fact the it's possible to get an item, intended as a once-off offer, hardly makes a general case.
- wink 9y ago
  I'm usually onboard with "I don't want a big clunky server" but if you look at the XU4 with disks laying flat on a shelf.. it's really not less space than my MicroServer (ok, maybe 15cm² smaller..) so I think your size argument falls flat.
  - pizza234 9y ago
    It depends on the requirements. If a user requirer an array of 32 3.5" disks for his home server, then also a MicroServer is not adequate. If a 2.5" disk is considered adequate for a home server (they have multi-TB size), there are plenty of SBC+2.5" disk enclosures that are significantly smaller than a MicroServer (of course, then one needs to use a specifc SBC model). I do have a MicroServer-sized machine as well, and the size is definitely not comparable to an SBC+disk enclosure.
- lazyjones 9y ago
  You can also get one of those fanless x86 mini PCs from Aliexpress at $120 or so... Much better performance than the XU4, better connectivity, upgradeable memory etc.