I'm looking at setting up some sort of network attached backup after losing the laptop HDD today :| It seems more viable to get a small form factor pc and chuck in a large HDD than to get NAS attached drives that use their own file system which is a pain!!! and they are not cheap.

Does anyone know if the Dell GX280 will handle a 750GB-1TB drive. (the gx280 has sata)

Thanks.

Found out it will handle 750gb-1TB. So I've bought the PC, now just need to get a 750GB HDD :) It will be ample for a home server i think! Hell even has DDR2 and PCI Express that this old desktop doesn't have lol! Could have gotten away with a P3 1ghz really. Ah well was only $180AUD :)

Server / Backup Server Specs:

Brand & Model: Dell Optiplex GX280 Small Form Factor PC
Motherboard: Intel 915G Express chipset with integrated video & sound
Processor: Intel Pentium 4 3 Ghz 1Mb Cache 800 Mhz FSB HyperThreading
Memory: 512 Mb PC3200 DDR2 SDRAM - 2 Dual Channel Memory Slots (1 x 512 Mb Module Installed)
Hard Drive: 750GB 7200 RPM SATA
Optical Drive: Combo CD Burner & DVD Reader
Video Card: Integrated Intel Extreme Graphics 2
Operating System: Windows XP Professional Service Pack 3
Network: Broadcom 57XX 10/100/1000 Gbit LAN with support for Remote Wake Up and Alert Standard Format (ASF 1.0)
EIDE Controller: Integrated two-channel serial ATA 150 controller - Integrated ATA/100 dual channel, bus master EIDE hard drive controller - Integrated floppy diskette drive support
Interfaces: Eight USB 2.0 (two front and six rear) - 1 Ethernet (RJ45) - 1 nine-pin serial (16550 compatible) - 1 parallel (25-hole, bi-directional) - 1 VGA out - stereo line-in (minijack) - microphone-in (minijack-front) - speakers/line-out (minijack) and headphone (minijack-front)
Audio: Onboard Audio with Internal Dell Business Audio speaker
Expansion Slots: 1 x PCI Express & 1 x PCI (Low Profile - Half Length & Half Height)
Dimensions: 32 cm (W) x 35.4 cm (D) x 9 cm (H) 6.4 Kg

not bad for the price
but a p4 processor? can that handle the job as a server?

It doesn't need any more than a P4 if it's just a back up.

not bad for the price
but a p4 processor? can that handle the job as a server?
All these sites run of a server with an AMD 3800+ 64Bit. Runs Linux though, not bloated windows.