I run a Squeezebox Touch as my main music source. This was supplied by a 7 or 8 year old PC that needed replacement. I became interested in the Votexbox server. There are two options. First, they sell a small, complete turnkey box complete with hard drive and CD ripper and preconfigured with their own OS (based on Fedora Core Linux) and the Logitech Media Server program.

Alternatively, you can download the OS/software package for free and install it on your own PC.

I picked up a Foxconn R10-D4 with an dual core Atom processor for $120 on Amazon. Add $25 for RAM (and the relatively new 1.5 TB hard drive from my old PC) and I had a new music server for under $150. Not bad.

The Vortexbox software installed easily and quickly and then I moved my music collection over. With a few minor adjustments, my 3 Squeezebox players were back up and running very quickly.

The Vortexbox is designed as a "headless" system. You don't need a monitor or keyboard attached. You can control all aspects of the server from any other computer on your system. This lets you hide the server out of the way. The Atom processor is very low power usage so is ideal for 24/7 use. And, since it is a real computer, it is a much better choice IMO as a music server than the under-powered NAS boxes that some use.

In short, if you need an energy efficient music server that is preconfigured to make the most of your Squeezebox and don't want to spend a ton of money on fancy stuff, take a look at the Vortexbox options. I'm glad I did.