mifronte

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Posts posted by mifronte

    Piecemealed and Now Building My Unraid Server

    in Hardware

    Posted

    In the Norco case connect only one half of the power connectors. The other is for redundancy and only meant to be connected to an alternate power source. No need to connect both half to the same PSU.

     

    I have no idea what this means right now, but I hope it will be clear once I get the case and start the build.

    Piecemealed and Now Building My Unraid Server

    in Hardware

    Posted

    The retail boxed Intel E6500 CPU comes with free shipping and a $10 coupon at eWiz.  The price comes out the same as the OEM version with shipping cost (no coupon).  Plus the extra warranty, because I don't know when I will gather all the parts.

     

    If the CPU comes with both heatsing and fan, can I just install the heatsink if the fan interferes with the case airflow?  If a third party heat is recommended, is there another one that does not require modifications to the heatsink?  This is my first build and let's just say my tool box has a couple of screwdrivers and a hammer.

     

    I just hope the Norco 4224 come with 120mm fans.

     

    Thanks for the PSU recommendation.  I was just thinking about going down to the Corsair HX750 from the HX850.  Orginally, I thought the PSU would have to power drives in extended cases.  But now I see that those drives will be powered by a local PSU with the extended case.  Is the HX750 cable of powering 22 drives and everything else in the case?

    Piecemealed and Now Building My Unraid Server

    in Hardware

    Posted

    Just purchased the SuperMicro X7SBE motherboard new retail package for $220 from eWiz (SuperBiz).

     

    Now I am totally undecided on the processor.  The three candidates are (all retail packaging):

     

    • Intel® Celeron® Processor E3300 (1M Cache, 2.50 GHz, 800 MHz FSB)
      • at Micro Center for $39.99 + $3.09 (tax) = $43.08

       

      [*]Intel® Pentium® Processor E5300 (2M Cache, 2.60 GHz, 800 MHz FSB)

      • at NewEgg for $63.99

       

      [*]Intel® Pentium® Processor E6500 (2M Cache, 2.93 GHz, 1066 Mhz FSB)

      • at eWiz for $79.99 - $10.00 (coupon) = $69.99

     

    I prefer the retail packaging since this is my first computer build and I do not want to be missing heatsink, fan, or some other little items.  Is the $27 difference between the E3300 and E6500 a big enough savings to justify the step down in processor?  I know E3300 is more than sufficient for unRaid, but the E6500 is just in case...

    Piecemealed and Now Building My Unraid Server

    in Hardware

    Posted

    Well starcat, you've done it.  I think I will abandon the Antec Twelve Hundred and the 5-in-3 enclosures for the Norco 4224 too.  I think you may have saved me from making a regrettable decision.  Now the two of us can wait for the Norco 4224 together.

     

    By the way, with your current config, what are you doing with the two extra SATA ports?

     

    Also, do you think the SuperMicro X7SBE motherboard for $220 USD (free shipping + no tax) is a good bargain?  I have to decide before 04/01/2010.

    Is this a good deal for SuperMicro X7SBE Motherboard?

    in Good Deals!

    Posted

    Until the end of this month (03/31/2010) the retail version of the SuperMicro X7SBE motherboard can be had for a grand total of $219.99 with free shipping  (no tax in my location and using $20 coupon code).

     

    For all SuperMicro X7SBE users or potential users, would this be considered a great bargain or you have seen better bargains?

    Piecemealed and Now Building My Unraid Server

    in Hardware

    Posted

    I too would suggest taking a hard look at the Norco. 5 in 3s are expensive. If I had to do it all over again, I would certainly go that route.

    Can you just leave the Norco 4u case lying on the floor?  Is the front faceplate flushed with the bottom?  Although the 5-in-3's are expensive, investing in a rack system can be expensive too if you can't leave the fully loaded case on the floor.  Another concern that I have with the Norco is the reviews of cheap build quality.

     

    One note on your processor choice. The E5300 does not support virtualization. If you go down a step, the E3300 does. My Supermicro C2SEA supports the E3xxx series. I bet the X7SBE does too.

    Good to know.  I will look at the processor more intently.  I just assumed a decent processor should be able to run anything.

    Piecemealed and Now Building My Unraid Server

    in Hardware

    Posted

    Thank you starcat!

     

    That bit of information about the SuperMicro AOC-SIM1U+ is very reassuring.  Look like I will spend the money on the IPMI card instead of a used cheap monitor.  On my DD-WRT router, I can even assign the SIM1U+ card to receive a static IP with an associated host name.

     

    The best thing with the SIM1U+ is that you can connect local drives or images to the server, i.e. as if there was a floppy or a CD-ROM on that server locally attached and run any install/firmware updates or anything similar over IP. All down below on hardware level, so no installed OS required. People just don't realize which added benefit an IPMI processor provides.

    That definitely solves the problem of needing a CD-ROM drive to run a live-CD OS like Knoppix remotely if I needed to temporarily boot the server into a full OS instead of Unraid.

     

    I will try to keep discussions about the motherboard in the X7SBE thread so that other potential users looking for information on the X7SBE can find it in one thread.

     

    On the side note, there is a new Atom (server-class) board from Supermicro: http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=5133.0 which has integrated IPMI, CPU, Intel GigE, 6x SATA, etc. It is very interesting for building smaller servers.

    Yeah, I read that thread and came to the same conclusion.

     

     

    Piecemealed and Now Building My Unraid Server

    in Hardware

    Posted

    Thanks starcat for the great information.

     

    The main reason why I would like IPMI functionality is that I plan on sticking the server in my utility closet, which is in my mechanical room in the basement.  All my home-run wiring originates in this closet.  With a potential of 20 hard drives, once this server is built and set in the closet, I have no plans to move it or work sit in the closet to perform configurations.

     

    The SAS expander makes perfect sense.  I was hoping to utilize the PCIe slots in exactly that manner.  I will definitely read up on this at the SuperMicro web site.  I don't know too much about motherboards, but when I reviewed the X7SBE, I felt I could not go wrong or have regrets with such a motherboard.  Now it is just a question of finding a great bargain.

     

    Regarding IPMI and the AOC-SIM1U+, can you configure the BIOS without an installed OS?  What would happen if I just turn on the machine after building it prior to installing any OS (including Unraid).  Will the AOC-SIM1U+ obtain the IP address at boot?  For example, with a monitor, you can enter BIOS at boot prior to installing any OS.  Is this possible?  It is not a big deal since I can always run the free version of Unraid or Knoppix.

     

    I just saw the Norco 5-in-3 thread this morning and it peaked my curiosity, especially the price.

     

    mifronte, go with the SIM1U+, you won't regret it (and don't forget to upgrade the firmware after you get it all running).

    Is this the firmware for the AOC-SIM1U+ or motherboard?  Or both?  If both, do I do the AOC-SIM1U+ first?

    Piecemealed and Now Building My Unraid Server

    in Hardware

    Posted

    SATA Cables

    The SuperMicro AOC-SAT2-MV8 PCI-X 133 MHz controller came with 8 SATA cables.  The printing on the cable says Spetra-Strip Serial ATA 26 AWG.  It is reddish orange in color and the cable appears to be of good quality.  The black connectors says Amphenol.  I will probably try these cables to start.  They are about 22.6 inches long. 

     

    Intel Pentium E5300 Wolfdale 2.66GHz CPU

    I was thinking the same as ilovejedd regarding the CPU.  It may be overkill for Unraid, but I do not know what I may want to run in the future.  Since the savings is not that much compared to a less expensive processor, I don't mind using this processor for Unraid.  I think I read somewhere that it is also very low power for its class.  I don't know too much about processors, but the E5300 seemed to be a safe bet without breaking the bank.  Another note is that I think it is compatible with the SuperMicro X7SBE motherboard.

     

    DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) RAM

    Thanks ilovejedd for the memory suggestions.  I will keep an eye out for bargains on the Kingston DDR2 800 modules.  If the price difference between CL5 and CL6 is not much, I will probably go with CL5 since SuperMicro has tested the modules with the X7SBE motherboard.  The question of ECC or Non-ECC is still undecided, but if the price difference is large, I will go with the less expensive option.

     

    Still Need a Monitor even with the IPMI card?

    @unraided

    So I can't perform the initial BIOS setup over the LAN with the IPMI card?  I was hoping to not have to buy a monitor.  Maybe I should forgo the IPMI card and use that money to buy a cheap monitor.  I don't really know how the IPMI card suppose to work if you are not running Windows.  Maybe someone who is using it could chime in to give me some insights.

    Piecemealed and Now Building My Unraid Server

    in Hardware

    Posted

    Although this motherboard is expensive, I wanted something that is a server motherboard to support KVM over LAN and all the other server options (dual NICs) and if need be, become a decent Windows server (in the case that an Unraid equivalent becomes available for Windows).  Hopefully, I will find a bargain where this board becomes close to the $200 price point.

     

    There are two PCI-X buses on this board (two slots each), a 133 MHz and a 100 MHz.  So I planned on using both buses with the SuperMicro AOC-SAT2-MV8 controllers.  Even at the slower 100 MHz bus speed (800 MB/s), that is still plenty of bandwidth for 8 hard drives (assuming the controller card will run at 100 MHz).  The PCI-Express slots will be reserved for future expansion if I need to add external drives.  I hope I understood this motherboard architecture correctly.

     

    I would not mind the SuperMicro AOC-SASLP-MV8 x4 PCI-e controller, but the price of the break out cables make it a more expensive option than the PCI-x controllers.  Anyway, this 4x PCI-e card would be better for expanding to the external drives (external to the case, maybe in another case) since only two connections are needed from within the server case.

    Piecemealed and Now Building My Unraid Server

    in Hardware

    Posted

    Target Unraid Hardware Build

    • Case: Antec Twelve Hundred ATX Full Tower Norco 4224
      • Purchased for $369.42 + $22.27 shipping from Mwave on 09/23/2010

       

      [*]MB: SuperMicro MBD-X7SBE LGA 775 Intel 3210

      • Purchased for $219.99 from eWiz (SuperBiiz) on 03/30/2010 (less $7.20 Bing cashback)

       

      [*]CPU: Intel Pentium E5300 Wolfdale 2.6GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Desktop Intel® Pentium® Processor E6500 (2M Cache, 2.93 GHz, 1066 FSB)

      • Purchased for $69.99 from eWiz (SuperBiiz) on 03/30/2009 (less $2.40 Bing cashback)

       

      [*]HBA: (2x) SuperMicro AOC-SAT2-MV8 64-bit PCI-X133MHz

      • Purchased 1 for $83.29 from eWiz (SuperBiiz) on 03/23/2010
      • Purchased 1 for $71.99 (open box) plus $5.99 shipping from NewEgg on 05/21/2010 (less $1.44 Bing cashback)

       

      [*]Data Cable: (6x) SATA to SFF-8087 Mini SAS Reverse breakout cable

      • Purchased 6 for $72.00 plus $8.25 shipping from eBay on 07/30/2010 (less $5.76 Bing cashback)

       

      [*]PSU: Corsair CMPSU-850HX Corsair CMPSU-750HX Seasonic X750 Gold

      • Purchased 1 for $153.99 from eWiz (SuperBiiz) on 05/18/2010 (less $5.07 Bing cashback)

       

      [*]RAM:Kingston 4GB (2 x 2GB) KVR800D2E5K2/4G - 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM ECC Unbuffered DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)

      • Purchased 1 for $114.00 from Kingston.com on 05/14/2010

       

      [*]HDD Enclosure: (4x) SuperMicro CSE-M35T-1B

      [*]Add-on: SuperMicro AOC-SIM1U(+) IPMI

      • Purchased 1 for $78.49 from Buy.com on 05/19/2010 (less $3.54 Bing cashback)

       

      [*]Tools: Nibbler

      [*]USB Flash: 2GB Lexar Firefly Sandisk Micro Cruzer Kingston DataTraveler 101 2GB DT101N

      • Purchased 1 for $6.99 from NewEgg on 04/29/2010 (less $0.14 Bing cashback)

       

      [*]HDs: 2TB Samsung Spinpoint F3EG, 2TB WD20EARS, Seagate 2TB Barracuda LP

      • Purchased 1 WD20EARS for $119.99 from mwave.com on 04/08/2010 (less $2.40 Ebates cashback)
      • Purchased 2 Seagate Barracuda LP ST32000542AS 2TB 5900 RPM for $129.99 each from NewEgg on 04/12/2010 (less $7.80 Bing cashback)
      • Purchased 1 Samsung Spinpoint F3EG HD203WI 2TB 5400 RPM for $119.99 from NewEgg on 04/26/2010 (less $3.00 Bing cashback)
      • Purchased 1 WD20EARS for $119.99 from mwave.com on 04/27/2010 (less $2.40 Ebates cashback)
      • Purchased 1 Seagate Barracuda LP ST32000542AS 2 TB 5900 RPM for $119.99 from NewEgg on 04/28/2010 (less $2.60 Bing cashback)
      • Purchased 1 WD20EARS for $109.99 from NewEgg on 04/29/2010 (less $2.80 Bing cashback)
      • Purchased 2 Samsung Spinpoint F3EG HD203WI 2TB 5400 RPM for $119.99 each from NewEgg on 05/04/2010 (less $6.00 Bing cashback)

       

     

    I have ordered my first component toward my Unraid server.  I hope to order each component when they are either on-sale or have coupons/rebates.  For example, my first component was one SuperMicro AOC-SAT2-MV8 PCI-X from eWiz this last week with the 15% coupon for a total of $83.29.  I don't know how long this will take since I only plan on paying below current market rate for the components.  Also free shipping and no tax is a requirement too.

     

    A few questions:

    01. Am I missing anything?

    02: What CAS Latency RAM?

    03: Should I use ECC RAM?

    04: Do I need a monitor for the initial BIOS setup?

     

    I plan to archive my SD collections (1000+) and then eventually add BDs later when prices come down.  I have been watching out for bargains daily, but if anyone know of any bargains pertaining to my build, please let me know.  I am especially looking out for bargains for the case, psu, and motherboard.

     

    What 5-in-3 Enclosures With Antec 1200?

    in Hardware

    Posted

    I agree with you, qrismac.  It's the hottest components what we are really worrying about here.

    Some warm air going to the colder components is of no concern at all.

     

    I would also have to consider heat tolerance of the components.  For example, if the graphic card is the hottest component and it can tolerate more heat than your hard drives, then you want the cool air over the hard drive.  Another consideration is can you afford to lose data vs. some other components.  Then again, in an Unraid media server, other than the processor, the hard drives might be the hottest components.

    What 5-in-3 Enclosures With Antec 1200?

    in Hardware

    Posted

    Thanks for the great feedback!  I have never built a computer before and my first attempt will be to build a media server.

     

    I have no problems with removing the guides on the case.  I believe WeeboTech had posted a link to a tool to clip the guides from the case.  I will have to search for it.

     

    The bare-bone and the Scythe 4-in-3 enclosures are very tempting from a simplicity, cost, and cooling perspective, but I really want 20 drives and the convenience of installing/removing drives, especially when the server will be sitting in a closet in the basement.

     

    Do I need anything extra to control the fans on the enclosures?

    What 5-in-3 Enclosures With Antec 1200?

    in Hardware

    Posted

    To all Antec 1200 owners with 5-in-3 drive enclosures:

     

    01. What 5-in-3 enclosures are you using and what kind of modifications did you have to perform on you case?  For example, removing 5.25 guides and removing front fans.

     

    02. If you had to do it again, would you use the same 5-in-3 enclosures?  If not, which one would you use?

     

    Thanks.

    Which slot for the 2nd AOC-SAT2-MV8 Card on MBD-X7SBE MB?

    in Hardware

    Posted

    Is it one of these addon card to get KVM over LAN?

     

    http://www.supermicro.com/products/accessories/addon/sim.cfm

     

    That would be nice so that I would not have to connect a keyboard and monitor to the Unraid server.  According to the link, only the AOC-SIMLC-HTC is compatible with the MDB-X7SBE?  I read in some other threads that someone was using the AOC-SIM1U, but the X7SBE is not listed as compatible.  Am I reading the link correct?

     

    Which slot for the 2nd AOC-SAT2-MV8 Card on MBD-X7SBE MB?

    in Hardware

    Posted

    The SuperMicro MDB-X7SBE block diagram shows each pair of the PCI-X slots shares a path to the PCIe x8 path.  However, one pair of PCI-X is at 133MHz (1067 MB/s) and the other pair is at 100MHz (800 MB/s).

     

    Since the AOC-SAT2-MV8 cards are at 133 MHz, wouldn't it be better to place one card on the PCI-X 133 MHz slot and the other on the 100 MHz slot so that I don't potentially have 16 drives sharing one PCI-X 133 MHz path to the  PCIe x8 path?  This will mean running one card at the lower 100 MHz speed.  Am I interpreting the block diagram correctly?  Or it doesn't matter and I should just install the two controller cards into the two PCI-X 133 MHz slots to run both cards at their max rate?

     

    Sorry I am still a little confused and getting more confused ;-)

     

    Also, I googled IPMI Card, but have yet to find a good explanation of what is the purpose of the card.  Can someone elaborate?

    Which slot for the 2nd AOC-SAT2-MV8 Card on MBD-X7SBE MB?

    in Hardware

    Posted

    I am planning to use the SuperMicro MBD-X7SBE (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813182142) motherboard along with two SuperMicro AOC-SAT2-MV8 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815121009) SATA controllers.

     

    Since this mother board has two PCI-X 133 MHz slots and two PCI-X 100 MHz slots, where should I install the second SATA controllers for optimal throughput?  I am not quite sure which buses are shared and which are dedicated.

     

    I have never built a computer and so I am still trying to learn about computer hardware architecture.  Please also give an explanation for your recommendation so that I can understand the reasoning.

     

    Thanks.

    Potential unRAID case with 18 HDD capacity for under $100?

    in Good Deals!

    Posted

    I like the antec 1200.  With 12 5.25 slots, there is a potential for 20 drives.

    I guess I am just slightly lazy. I don't do internal mounted drives any more.

     

    WeeboTech, would you know if the SuperMicro CSE-M35T 5 in 3  fits into the Antec 1200 case without having to modify the case (i.e. bending or removing the 5.25 shelves/guide rails)?

     

    How about the Cooler Master Centurion 590?

     

    Thanks.