This small server is currently a real find with a great price / performance ratio. In the mechanical version you realize HP's experience in the server field. The hard drive bays are solid and sturdy with screws, tool and screws are "parked" on the inside of the door. The inner workings with ITX board has been thought, but there is something tricky to pull the board, for example, to come to the DIMM slots. The server can be heard during operation, but not particularly loud. The volume is in the range of normal desktop PC. But for the living room, he seems too loud, since an exchange of fan would recommend. The server comes with no operating system, ideal would be a Linux server operating system, or Windows Home Server 2011, which, as a 64-bit version for about EUR 40 - is to have. I installed WHS in 2011 and use the server as a central data storage and media playback devices for various devices, including streaming HD satellite TV and partial backup of data in the cloud. I have granted him from the outset additional 2GB of memory. The total 4GB I think is the minimum configuration for a server that will perform multiple tasks simultaneously. Everything runs with me now quickly and with adequate performance. The price is really very interesting, for just a little over 200, - EUR you can get no other comparable product. Appropriate NAS devices with similar functionality and high quality, but propietärem operating system would be significantly more expensive. However, NAS devices are easier to administer than an open server operating system.
The low price is probably the fact that HP already the successor N54L has in the market, which has a further significant more powerful processor and 4GB of memory already home. But these would be about 150, - surcharge to pay what is unnecessary for most applications in my opinion. For normal home users the N40L sufficient.
So an unqualified Best Buy for computer-savvy users who want to build at home a small home network on Linux or Windows based.
