unRaidMe

That's probably what they're banking on...

Thanks! Good thing I asked!

So you do have to buy a heatsink or fan or is it optional?

When buying a used Celeron CPU, do you also need to buy a CPU fan for it or do you just drop the chip in? Thanks!

You can get an extra $5 off by using Google Checkout. Does anyone know if this RAM is compatible with the C2SEE motherboard?

http://www.mwave.com/mwave/skusearch_v3.asp?scriteria=BA27129&px=DN You have to be an "M" club member to see the sale price of $5.49. Should be plenty of space for an unRAID server

Thank you so much, Joe! I'll keep looking.

Any opinions on the OCZ StealthXStream2 400W? I can't tell if it's a single rail or not, either. Thanks

Just for reference, here's a link to a Newegg search for all Power Supplies with a Single +12V Rail of either Corsair, Seasonic, or Antec brands sorted by lowest price

The WD20EARS is now $89.99 Free Shipping

Rajahal, Your first PSU link is messed up.

I'm up for a group buy! For the RAM, I thought that it was recommended to get dual channel memory... Here's some Dual Channel RAM: Kingston ValueRAM 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) Kingston ValueRAM 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Kingston 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Kingston ValueRAM 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) They are all under $39 with shipping. Not sure what the differences between them are.

What is DDWRT and SSL VPN? Why are they good to have? Thanks!

So when I look at PSU specs, it should say +12V Rails: 1 Correct?

Thanks for the tips and advice. I know that I usually think the hassle is worth saving the money and then get frustrated and don't want to deal with it because it becomes such a hassle... LOL So I will listen to your suggestions and wait for a deal on the 590... I found this internal 5-in-3 drive cage but I'm not sure if there are any advantages to it besides the space savings, right? I've never seen a HD cage but I assume there are connectors to simplify cabling and the one I linked to seems to literally just be a cage. Probably better to get the Cooler Master cage?

I read somewhere that it's very important to use a single +12V rail design when choosing a power supply. Does that mean that the power supply must have only 1 12V Rail listed in the specs? Also, can anyone explain why the power supply has to have a single +12V Rail? One would think, "the more, the better" Thanks

Thanks for the perspective. With a case like the Centurion, there are extra costs because you have to buy hard drive cages or at least 5.25" to 3.5" adapters. It does come with one 4-in-3 cage, though. What other features make the Centurion so preferred?

I am looking for the best value So far for cost (excluding hard drives), I estimate: Mobo $20 CPU $21 RAM $38 - Hope there will be some deals come Black Friday Case $18 PSU $20-$25 (I'm sad that I missed out on the $20 Corsair PSU deal) All in all, should come out to less than $130 for the build... not bad, eh? Why don't you use 3.5" bays? And why do you only use external hot swap bays in your builds?

I saw the Gigabyte case, too. It has one less external 3.5, one less internal 3.5, and no fan vs the case I posted. Just to make sure, these cases will fit the Supermicro C2SEE motherboard, right? Mine just came in yesterday

Thanks for all the replies! It's good to know that I can really start out small and build up the NAS.

FREE SHIPPING on all computer cases w/ promo code BFCASE at checkout. I'm thinking about this case for $18. It has 4 external 5.25" bays, 2 external 3.5" bays, and 6 internal 3.5" bays. It even has a fan included What do you guys think about this case? Or any other good considerations?

You can get a combo with the AMD Sempron 145 for $80.98

One of the recommendations is to buy your hard drives at different times and even different brands to reduce the risk of closely timed failures. My question is whether unRAID works with one or two hard drives. (One drive would function like an external drive. Two drives would function like a RAID1.) Obviously, you wouldn't get the advantages of unRAID but while I stagger my HD purchases, will the unRAID still function in the meanwhile or does it require 3 drives? Thanks!

Thank you all for your recommendations... now to wait for a sale on those D-Link switches

Thanks for your suggestions. So what makes a switch better or worse than another?