I am looking to build a home server. The main purpose would be a NAS file server, but I also plan on running multiple services on it.

I was hoping you could show me what hardware to buy for it. Here's what I am looking for:

- Must be able to install my own OS. No matter what the stock firmware is, I want to get rid of it and install my own. That usually means that the BIOS allows me to boot from USB or Disk.

- Must be completely silent. Just like my router. I don't ever want to hear it or know it's in the house.

- I have a strong preference for x86 architecture (preferably Intel Atom processors). But I could also look into ARM chips.

- Overall performance is not an issue. I'm not looking for an Intel Xenon or anything like that. I want a single core CPU and 256/512 Mb of RAM. I'm probably never going to need more.

- It should be able to run 24/7. But at the same time, don't forget that I cannot be bothered to buy a loud fan. One more time, just like my router.

- Preferably I need 2 ports: a USB port and an Ethernet port (to plug it to my home network).

- The smallest it is, the happiest I am.

- Ideally it has an internal disk of 1TB. But worse comes to worst, I'll plug in an external disk.

- I'm looking preferably for some finished product, but I am also interested in buying separate parts and assembling/building it myself.

Here's an example of what I'm looking for. The problem I have with this:

- Too expensive. I'm sure I can build one of my own for half the price or less.
- Too many unneeded components. I don't need a video card or a wifi port.

If nothing better appears, I'll probably end up buying this one.

Last remark:
I live in France, so don't worry about the availability of the parts/product. Almost everything is available here, and if not, I could probably ship it easily :)

Thanks!