The Ubuntu LAMP server project - Part I - How to build a case

Try building a Pico, Nano ITX setup if its just for downloading. Some 17x17cm, low power, passive cooled goodiness I want to build one once I build my new machine. Check out - Mini-Box.com

Umm, none?

Your needs are kind of contradictory.

I would go with the suggestion of going smaller than micro-ATX, try mini-ITX (weren't we discussing a new Intel board on another thread?) and a PicoPSU which can run off a wallwart, and a single laptop disk. If you can survive with this (as I have no idea what a LAMP is), you can actually dump it into a shoebox. Cardboard will do fine, just line the inside with a lot of Alfoil or your EMI will literally go through the roof. And double layer it for better strength in the walls.

MicroATX is 10 inches each side. Difficult to hide, plus if you're looking at using the regular 3.5" harddisks and an ATX supply, it's like hiding a second car in the garage. If you don't mind deception, you can mount it all on an open board, and claim it's the innards of one of your current machines!

I have a mini-itx with a 2.5" in my carputer so I know this would have easily made the best choice... (http://www.techenclave.com/forums/pi...light=carputer)

having said that, none of the mini ITX available locally had a SATA port and that is a fatal flaw for a system meant to (also) work as a file server which essentially left micro atx as the only available option...

Currently trying to layout the components on a piece of plywood (micro atx mobo...a stripped down PSU and a 3.5" HDD with buffer space for another HDD)

The plywood should provide decent structural integrity after which I am hoping to slide the strip in a suitable cardboard box...

since this system is going to be thrown in a corner so EMI intereference isnt a big concern

The first suggestion for 2.5" HDDs...I was wondering why noone had brought it up yet.

@superczar: Why not 7.2k rpms laptop HDDs? Will cut down size/heat/power-consumption drastically...

^^ It's a dedicated download/file server guys..using 2.5" ers is impractical for large storage requirements...e.g:

1TB with 3.5" -> 6K X 2 = 12K

1TB with 2.5" HDDs = 6.5K X 4 = 26K

Try something like this - Oz Case Modz :: View topic - My Briefcase PC Mod!

Touchscreen BoomboxPC
TOASTERPC.COM

hey, deluge has a webui, i tested it , it works
Download Torrent while you at work with Deluge WebUI | Wing Loon

azureus does too, methinks , but its WAY too bloated

Samba GUI Information one of these should fit

Hmmm even i'm looking for something like this buying a old ATX case in coupla days, will update on my plans. currrently searching the net for inspirations

I setup xubuntu and toppped it up with SAMBA, proFTPd, VNC + SSH (For remote screen access), and torrentflux (using Apache, MySQL, PHP for webmin access to keep the setup headless when ready)

Just a couple of things remain

Small - Removing unwanted services/packages, autologin at startup + auto resume of downloads at startup (in case of power failure)

Big - The entire setup is currently running placed on a piece of plyboard and a case remains to be setup

You can do 1 thing. put the mobo+proc+HSF on, place it on a sheet of ply or metal. Note the max height from the mobo toHSF, give some 2CM dlearance and put anothewr sheet there. put your PSU, DVDROM and HDDs ont he first floor. Fabricate a box to enclose the whole thing, put 2 fans on the front for the coling and a coupla buttons and LEDs. thats it

hmmm good idea will make some rough sketches and gonna try myself

Isn't wood a bad idea for any PC? I mean considering that it would retain heat vs a metal case mod?

proper ventilation means no.

Ran the setup for a couple of hours last evening
The CPU temp touched a peak of 27C in an ambient temp of 22 C
System temp peaked at 30C

Seems like heat is hardly a concern
But then Sunny's idea seems like a lot of hard work

sorry to be going OT guys...

@sunny..
what would i need to make a few cuts in my cabby? have some generic no name thingy.. needed to cut out a few pieces of it so that i could improve my cable routing.. any suggestions on a cheap tool? cheap as in max 100 bucks
guess something like a pair of shears should do.. but what exactly do i ask for?