smoove said:
Isnt that just a little overkill for a basic linux filserver/smoothwall box?
Also, its got a 420w PSU, would it draw on that 420w all the time, or would it only use what it needs?
A PSU will draw the power that it needs to supply the system, ok there are some cheap and nasty PSUs that will take more as the requirements get higher because of a terrible lack of efficiency but as a general rule a PSU for a system that is 100w will draw pretty close to that figure from the mains regardless of whether it is capable of 300w or 600w.
Yes that would be overkill for the most basic uses you suggest, it does offer some potential for upgrades though and buying lower specification than that new isn't all that easy. I'd probably go secondhand personally, maybe even consider a laptop as most have low power requirements and are near silent, you may want to remove the battery if possible if it will be permanantly on. You should be able to pick up something around 1ghz, 512mb Ram and a 20-30gb hard drive easily under £200.
//edit the only main issue with the laptop is how well Linux will support its components.