Final Thoughts
WOW! That was pretty much my first reaction when I took the AWIECO HS-Pro SSD WHS 2011 server out of the box, and that was before I plugged it in and configured it. My reaction didn’t change as I was using it.
The server itself looks very flash and it is clear that AWIECO have taken a considerable amount of time getting the box to look exactly how they want it. We first told you about the server months ago and so it was very nice to finally get my hands on the first one out the door.
Including all the AWIECO WHS 2011 add-ins as part of the build was a really good idea – they are all excellent add-ins, especially the new and exclusive ServerCenter add-in, which is very useful and very easy to configure to your own specific needs.
Access the drive bays was very easy (and I liked that it was just a case of removing two hand screws and taking off the mesh cover). The use of the antivibe rubber strips was a really great idea as well – it all adds to reducing the noise from the server, and it does that extremely well.
This particular model we had for review was the Core i3 model, and everything we threw at it worked without problems, including media streaming and media conversion.
Having an SSD for the system drive also worked out very well, and it doesn’t take up any of the 5 drive bays which means they are all available to be used for data storage.
Intel RAID software makes it very easy to set up RAID on your drives if you want that added protection.
There are plenty of USB ports on the rear of the server so you can add lots of external storage if you wish.
There is even a PCIe slot if you wanted to add a card of some sort (say a quad TV tuner)!
The manuals that come with the server are very good and very detailed, and tell you everything you need to know to get going.
And thank you to AWIECO for the shout out in their manual for UWHS and our community.
Price wise, this particular model starts at €1099.00 (EUR) incl tax with plenty of additional options you can choose from.
There are actually four base models of AWIECO HS servers to choose from, ranging from Atom servers all the way up to Core i3, so the choice is yours as to what power you want to give it.
All in all this is a fantastic Windows Home Server and AWIECO have done an amazing job, especially as this is their first entry into the WHS market, so they should be commended. This is definitely a “must own” box if you want a WHS – buy one now.
What was good:
Pretty much everything about the AWIECO HS-Pro SSD was good – the look, the capabilities, the noise level, everything!
What was not so good:
I have to give it back!
Nice Job, Can you tell me which motherboard is in this unit ?
Nice Job, Can you tell me which motherboard is in this unit ?
thanks John – the mobo is an Asus P8H67-I
Nice switch, on Awieco’s site they show the HS-Pro with a Zotac motherboard ( I believe), I heard some reviews that the WiFi was weak and the Display port was buggy. This Asus board looks better and includes 6 sata ports, 2 of which are 6GB/sec.
Yes, all pictures are with Zotac board but the standard board is the Asus. The Zotac board is available with the PowerServers as an option.
Maybe I’m getting the wrong mobo in my Google search results but that model appears to only have 4 SATA ports. How are they managing to run 6 disks on this system (5 in back plus boot drive in the case)?
The mainboard is like Andrew said the Asus board and it has 6 SATA ports.
True, it’s the P8H67-I DELUXE that has 4 sata ports. I did the same mistake.
True, it’s the P8H67-I DELUXE that has 4 sata ports. I did the same mistake.
Can you give some details about the cooling system, please. It is a unique detail that is only available on this case. Maybe a photo too, thanks.
There is a CPU heatpipe inside. The pipes are connected with the sides of the case. Hard drive cooling system is on top.