Rebuilding Smitty the Server

Smitty the Server had a hard drive failure. Since that required re-installing Windows, I took the opportunity to upgrade to a quad-core processor first (which also required replacing the motherboard and memory) and install some new hard drives. Follow along as Smitty gets rebuilt!

Poor dead Smitty sits under the desk, waiting for a transplant:

Thanks to Newegg and UPS Next Day shipping, the new parts are here and ready to install:

Time to open Smitty up and start disconnecting the old motherboard. It’s kind of a rat’s nest of cables in there:

All the cables are disconnected, ready to take the old board out. The memory and CPU will be left on the board for safekeeping, as I’ll end up using them to build another system soon:

Smitty’s case is a fancy aluminum Lian Li case, with a removable motherboard tray. This is a fantastic feature that should be included more often:

The old board is off, the tray is clean and ready for the new motherboard:

Annoyingly, it took me three tries to get the board installed on the tray correctly. Missed a standoff screw, then had some trouble getting all the ports lined up with the bracket, then discovered I’d manage to push one of the little metal catches out so it blocked the firewire port. Finally, the board is set and everything is lined up properly:

Smitty’s new brain is an AMD Phenom II 3.0GHz 64-bit quad-core processor. This baby is FAST:

I know, I know, who actually uses the stock CPU cooler? I can get away with it because this case has plenty of fans and great airflow. Average CPU temp is 39C:

CPU, 4GB of RAM, and the new motherboard installed in the case:

The new hard drives are in, all the cables are connected, and the interior of the case is back to a rat’s nest, with a slight bit of organization:

With a little luck, and thanks to a lot of patience, the new build powered up properly on the first try. Windows installed flawlessly, and now Smitty is running on a set of mirrored 320GB hard drives, with a set of mirrored 750GB drives for documents, software downloads, and photos.