I decided I really wanted to build a server running OpenSolaris with ZFS. My main idea is to use it as a file server.
So, for about a month now I was contemplating the hardware I should use. After reading a few articals, which I have conveniently miss placed, I decided to opt for the following configuration:
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E7400. Running at 2.8GHz, it uses Intel’s 45nm architecture.
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-G31M-S2L. Micro-ATX board with a max of 4GB RAM (2x2GB), four SATA drives and very little else.
RAM: Crucial 2GB DDR2 667MHz, not blindingly fast, but shouldn’t cause too many problems…
Hard drive: Maxtor 500GB SATA2 running at 7200RPM with 32MB of cache
PSU: Antec 380W, 80%+ efficiency. Looking at a power calculator, I should be able to upgrade to the full four hard drives, max the RAM and still have some spare juice for a couple more fans
Chassis: EV 4U rack mount beast!
The setup was composed for power efficiency, as well as being able to be upgradable later on.