DON'T Underestimate This Cheap MicroServer

Summary

In this video, the presenter recounts their unexpected discovery of the HP Proliant MicroServer N40L's capabilities despite its age. Initially purchased for parts, the 13-year-old server surprised with its AMD Tyrion 2 Neo N40L CPU and potential for modern use. The video explores the server's performance, power efficiency, and functionality as a NAS device. It also delves into the challenges and successes of attempting to enhance its capabilities with hardware upgrades and software configurations, ultimately demonstrating that with the right tweaks, older hardware can still be relevant and useful.

Takeaways

• 💻 The HP microserver N40L, purchased for a low price, was expected to be gutted for parts but turned out to be surprisingly useful even in 2024.
• 🛠️ The server came with an AMD Tyrion 2 Neo N40L CPU, a 1500 MHz dual-core processor that was unfamiliar to the reviewer.
• 🔩 It featured a variety of ports including VGA, USB 2.0, Ethernet, and an EA port, along with two PCI slots.
• 💿 The front of the server had a DVD drive and four USB 2.0 ports, while the back included additional USB ports, an Ethernet jack, and a mini SAS port.
• 🔩 The system had four 3.5-inch drive bays, but they were labeled as non-hot plug, which was unusual for a NAS intended for small businesses.
• 🔒 The server's motherboard was not standard form factor, which dashed the hopes of upgrading it with a more modern motherboard.
• 🔌 The power supply was unique, lacking a standard 4-pin EPS 12V connector for the CPU and only providing a 24-pin ATX power connector.
• 📡 The PCIe slots were not standard, with one being labeled as IPMI, which is typically for remote management, and the other being Gen 2 x6.
• 💿 The system was tested with Debian and Windows 10, showing that it could handle lightweight server tasks and even some basic transcoding.
• 🔒 The server was also tested with a variety of GPUs to explore hardware-accelerated transcoding capabilities, with limited success due to power and compatibility issues.
• 🌐 The HP microserver, despite its age, proved capable as a NAS device, supporting services like Samba for file sharing and running Docker containers.

Q & A

What was the initial plan for the HP microserver?

The initial plan was to gut the HP microserver and use its case for a completely different project.

What CPU was found in the HP microserver?

The HP microserver was found to have an AMD Tyrion 2 Neo N40L, a 1500 MHz dual-core CPU.

What was the original release month and year of the HP Proliant Microserver N40L?

The HP Proliant Microserver N40L was released in July 2011.

What was the cost of the HP microserver on eBay?

The HP microserver was purchased for around $60 on eBay.

What was the surprising feature of the microserver's power consumption?

The surprising feature was that the power consumption could be reduced to as low as 21 Watts at idle by unplugging the VGA cable.

What was the outcome of installing Debian on the microserver?

Debian installed without taking as long as expected, and the system performed better than anticipated in CPU benchmarks.

What was the result of testing the microserver with Windows 10 and Cinebench?

Windows 10 installed with some concerns but was not terrible. Cinebench R15 gave a multi-threaded score of 71, which was slower than a Celeron N3450 but faster than an AMD CPU in an HP t620 Thin Client.

What was the performance like when setting up a RAID mirror and SMB share on the microserver?

The microserver handled setting up a simple RAID mirror with mdadm and configuring an SMB share without issues, and it managed gigabit transfers without any problems.

What challenges were encountered when trying to use a GPU for hardware-accelerated transcoding?

The Intel Arc A310 wouldn't post due to potential power delivery or PCIe generation issues. An older Quadro K1200 posted but was limited in supported resolutions and codecs.

What was the final configuration of the microserver when it was set up as a NAS with TrueNAS SCALE?

The final configuration included 16 GB of RAM, a 2.5-inch SSD, and four 4 TB 5400 RPM Western Digital drives in a RAID setup, resulting in good read and write speeds and a total system power draw of only 38 Watts at idle.