Is it worth it to convert my old pc? Specs and needs listed.

[diz]

Here is my old pc and its current specs:

VAIO VGC-RB53
Pentium 4 630(3.0GHz)
512MB DDR 200GB HDD Capacity
Intel GMA 900

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883102324

I don't mind spending $40-50 to upgrade the RAM to 2 gigs or $20 to upgrade the network card to gigabit, if needed (or compatible.) Besides 3-3TB HDDs, I don't want to upgrade beyond that.

At a minimum, I want to be able to stream 1080p and lossless audio from ripped blu-rays and access photos and music. 99% of the time there will only be one user at a time. Highest strain may be 2 users streaming hd content. I want to be able to do this without any stuttering of video or audio. I understand I won't be able to enjoy all FreeNAS offers with these specs, but if I could meet my requirements listed, I'll probably go for it.

I've found bits and pieces to my question, but not a full picture specific to what I have. I'll be more than happy to dig in and read my posterior off to learn the rest on my own, if it is worth it to use it. I think it would be a fun project and I'd feel good about recycling the old pc. If this path is fraught with problems, I'll probably just go with a simpler, off the shelf NAS.

Is it worth it? Or will it be too slow? Thanks in advance. I know these questions are annoying. I bow to your experience and knowledge.

 

[cyberjock]

If you plan to go with ZFS you need 6GB of RAM minimum for system stability as well as performance.

 

[diz]

If you plan to go with ZFS you need 6GB of RAM minimum for system stability as well as performance.

Thanks. 2gigs is the maximum upgrade for this pc. I assumed I would have to forgo ZFS. Can I get what I need with UFS?

 

[diz]

In all the reading I've done, I only see what the minimum stability requirements are with ZFS. I have not seen what the minimum stability requirements are to do what I want with UFS. I apologize. I've done several searches and put a couple hours into reading before asking. I just didn't want to commit a huge sum of time to find the answer to that one question. What can I expect from 2 gigs of RAM while streaming media? A big headache of stuttering? Or will it work?

This is the closest thread I could find. http://forums.freenas.org/showthrea...-hardware-help-please!&highlight=gigs+RAM+UFS

But again, the answer it provides is 8 TB for 4 gis of RAM with UFS. Can I assume 4 TB with 2 gigs of RAM?

 

[cyberjock]

UFS isn't very RAM intensive. I'd think that 2GB would be fine. I know one of the more senior posters has only 1GB with UFS and he hasn't had any problems that I know of.

 

[diz]

Thank you!