Hands On: HP EX495 MediaSmart Server

Under the Hood

Models in last two generations of MediaSmart Server differed only in the amount of storage provided in the box – which generally meant that most users purchased the cheaper model and installed their own hard disks. With the EX49x series, however, things are a little different with HP making more fundamental specification differences to the two new models.

The EX495 is the more powerful home server in the range, powered by an Intel Pentium Dual–Core E5200 processor whist the EX490 comes equipped with a single-core Celeron 450. Both are capable processors for a home server, and easily outpace competing Intel Atom based systems (such as HP’s own LX195 MediaSmart Server).

HP’s internal tests have found:

The Intel® Pentium® 2.5 GHZ 64-bit Dual Core Processor converts videos 7X faster than servers with an Atom processor and can convert a 115 min video in 70 minutes.

The Intel® Celeron® 2.2 GHZ 64-bit Processor converts video 3.5 times faster than servers with an Atom Processor and can convert a 115 min video in 145 minutes.

The Celeron 450 is a small step up from the 440 which powered HP’s last generation of MediaSmart Server, providing around a 10% speed boost. I found the EX487 to be a little sluggish when accessing it via the Windows Home Server Console, so hopefully this is resolved on the EX490. Our review EX495 however is very snappy indeed with Console usage and remote desktop both performing well on the same network. If you have the choice, my vote is to go with the dual-core EX495.

The EX495 ships with a 1.5TB Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 hard drive. It’s a lot of storage to pack into a single drive, and should provide most users with sufficient storage to kick off, plus three free drive bays to fill at a future date – check out full details on the drive over at Seagate.

As you’ll notice, both home servers are provided with a single drive of 1TB and 1.5TB respectively – I understand the rationale for this, as most purchasers would prefer to shop around for the best price and fit their own additional storage. Bear in mind, however, that files and folders on single drive systems are not protected by Windows Home Server’s Folder Duplication feature, so make sure you remember to get that extra drive(s).

In summary, whichever model you select, you’ll be running with a high-end specification for a home server, which is ideal for those with large media collections. Having used the EX495 for some weeks now, I wouldn’t go back to an Atom-based home server unless I was really trying to keep the power consumption to a minimum.

One other small, but noticeable change from previous generations of HP MediaSmart Server – it’s certainly quieter! Fan noise is kept to a minimum, and you certainly don’t get the full fan blast at start-up that the EX47x and EX48x greeted you with.