As per threads previous, I’m contemplating building a media server – this will be pretty bare-bones, ie. motherboard and HD as everything else should be done over the network. I’ve two questions:

1) Is it possible to install Win 8.1 with no optical drive, and no access to a Windows PC (for various boring reasons, I’m tied to Windows for this)
2) What’s the minimum sensible RAM/processor speed? Plan is that it’ll mainly just be running iTunes and a firewall.

Thanks,

Andy

You can install Windows from a USB stick, but creating one without a Windows PC is a little harder than with one.

2Gb Ram and.. pretty much any CPU you can find will work. Don’t forget the hardware video decoding graphics card though.

The below will create the 8.1 install (assuming you have a valid key)

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media

I’d be running Plex under Linux unless iTunes is really necessary

Thanks – even more noddy question: would that 2Gb RAM have to be 2 modules, or would 1 be fine? It’s been a while since I drank the Apple Kool-Aid and stopped messing with this stuff…

Yes, iTunes is really required.

1 should be fine.

I assume any recent integrated Intel graphics chipset will handle the video decoding, or is it not that straightforward?

My media box is running a 2 year old I3 low power with integrated graphics (intel HD) and 4gb ram. It’s doing HD fine.
Windows can be done over USB google it and it will tell you how.