Computers I've Built, and the Hardware I've Used

Computers I've Built

Going from memory (always a scary proposition!), I believe I started messing with computer hardware in high school... Yes, my first foray into computer hardware was adding hard drives for my bulletin board system (see the about section).

As with so many things, you start small and grow from there. I first started playing with PCs on the family Packard Bell 286. I then got a Gateway 2000 486 dx2-66---this is the system to which I added hard drives for more BBS storage capacity. The rest is history, as they say. Since college, I've built all my own systems. I keep the list below, mainly for myself, so I can quickly reference the hardware I'm using (or have used) if I need to troubleshoot an issue.

current systems

• excrement-pve: firewall, gateway, NAT, router
• septictank-pve: home server
• fileserver: file server
• sewage: main PC/workstation
• battlestation: gaming PC
• batocera: retro arcade PC
• dumpster: backup server
• fisherman: mythtv/media pc for my parents
• kessler: media pc for friends

excrement-pve

• Role: firewall, gateway, NAT, router
• MOBO: CWWK n100 fanless mini-PC
• CPU: Intel n100
• RAM: 1x16GB DDR5 SO-DIMM Crucial CT16G48C40S5
• Host OS: Proxmox
• Guests:
  1. Virtual Machine: OPNsense
  2. LXC: pi-hole

septictank-pve

• Role: Home server
• Host OS: Proxmox
• MOBO: Gigabyte MC12-LE0
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5700x
• HSF: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120SE
• MEM: 4x32GB UDIMM ECC Crucial/Micron 18ASF4G72AZ-3G2F1
• CASE: Montech Sky One Mini (same as Goodisory/SKTC S200)
• PSU: Seasonic Focus SGX-500 SFX-L
• GPU: nVidia Tesla P4
• Build logs of previous builds:
  1. Home server rebuild - x10sdvt, d-213-matx
  2. Home server rebuild - x10sdvt, d-213-matx
  3. Home Server Rebuild: S-35-DE5SL, E3-1230v3, E3C224D4I
  4. U-NAS NSC-800, E3-1230v3, E3C224D4I, 2xSSD
• Notes: major upgrade in 2024, previously using Supermicro X10SDV-TLN4F (Xeon D-1541)

fileserver

• Role: File server
• MOBO: Supermicro A2SDi-8C-HLN4F
• CPU: Intel Atom C3758
• CASE: iStarUSA S-35-DE5SL
• RAM: 2x32GB UDIMM ECC
• OS: TrueNAS SCALE

sewage

• Role: Main workstation
• MOBO: ASRock Fatal1ty B450 Gaming-ITX/ac
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3400G
• HSF: Thermalright AXP90-X53 Full Copper
• CASE: InWin Chopin MAX
• RAM: 2x32GB
• OS: Windows 11

battlestation

• Role: Gaming PC
• MOBO: ASRock B550M-ITX/ac
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600
• HSF: Noctua NH-C14S
• CASE: Cooler Master NR500
• RAM: 2x16GB
• GPU: Zotac 1070 GTX
• PSU: Corsair SF750
• OS: Kubuntu

batocera

• Role: PC for retro arcade
• MOBO: ASRock B450M/AC R2.0
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 5300
• CASE: Rosewill FBM-X2-400-HELIX
• RAM: 2x8GB
• OS: Batocera Linux

dumpster

• Role: Backup server
• MOBO: Supermicro X11SSH-F
• CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1245v5
• CASE: U-NAS NSC-810A
• PSU: PSU: Seasonic SS-300M1U
• RAM: 1x16GB UDIMM ECC
• OS: TrueNAS SCALE

fisherman

• Role: MythTV / Media PC / Home-theater PC (HTPC)
• OS: CentOS 7
• Software: MythTV
• CASE: iStarUSA S-35-DE1BK
• PSU: Seasonic 250SU
• MOBO: Asrock H67M-ITX
• CPU: Intel i3-2100
• RAM: Kingston KVR1333D3N9K2/8G
• HSF: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
• SSD: Kingston 64 GB

kessler

• Role: NAS / Media PC / Home-theater PC (HTPC)
• OS: TrueNAS
• Software: Plex Media Server, Jellyfin
• CASE: KCMconmey 4-Bay NAS Case
• PSU: FSP270-60LE 1U/FlexATX
• MOBO: CWWK n100 Mini-ITX NAS ("purple" version)
• CPU: Intel n100
• RAM: 1x16GB DDR5 SO-DIMM Crucial CT16G48C40S5