[mythtv-users] Different backend servers, G4/G5, NAS, Sun...

[Chad]

At a computer recycle store on campus, I occasionally find a few
'cool' toys that I often wonder if they'd make for good mythbackend
servers.  For example, they have (or had earlier today) a Mac Xserve
that looked pretty fun (~$300 USD).  They also have quite a few RAID
server arrays (~100 USD) and a host of things from server-grade Sun
systems (~70-300 USD) to diskless HP Vectra (~30-50 USD) (I think
that's what they were called) PXE machines and a throng of desktop
systems ranging from PII to P4 (mostly dell and Gateway) machines
(~30-100 USD).

Does anyone run a mythbackend on a Sun server, or a Mac Xserve (from
what I could tell it was a G5 based Xserve)?  Or, for those more
mainstream (like my current self) would running the backend on a
slightly aged Dell server machine (P4 1.6Ghz) with 5 PCI cards (2
PVR-500's and 3 HDTV tuners) and a separate RAID server array for the
storage be a worthwhile endeavor?  My thought on that last one is that
if I stuffed the server full of drives (it's only got IDE connectors,
no SATA or SCSI controllers) I'd have disk I/O issues, where if I move
the storage onto a dedicated RAID server, I/O wouldn't be as much of
an issue (and I'd have to throw in GB nics as the ones in these gently
used machines are all 10/100).

"Well that would depend on what you have now".  Yeah, I've got a
decent 'working' setup using an Asus motherboard (5-PCI's) and an AMD
XP 2200+ that is screamingly loud.  I've got it in a separate room,
behind 2 doors and in the basement, and when I'm watching TV in the
living room from my virtually silent front end I can still hear it.
And it occasionally overheats to boot!  Plus, I feel it's sucking a
lot of energy.  Yeah, I could invest in a quieter case, with quieter
fans, and I might if the above ends up being 'stupid' or equally
energy-sucking and loud; but I'd like to consider my current options
(other than building a newer backend system which is also a
possibility but likely costlier than the other 2).

Thoughts?  Examples?  Waste of time?  Waste of money?  Extra question mark?

:D

Thanks!

-Chad