[Seeking Guidance and Advice for My Unraid Build - Need Help Reclaiming My Gaming Rig!]

I switched out for the MSI motherboard. Thanks for the input.

[Seeking Guidance and Advice for My Unraid Build - Need Help Reclaiming My Gaming Rig!]

Hello Unraid Community,

 

I'm relatively new to the Unraid and homelab scene, and I have to say, I'm absolutely loving the experience so far! However, I find myself in a bit of a predicament—I'm currently using my personal gaming rig as my Unraid server, and I really miss having it as my daily driver. That's why I'm turning to this wonderful community for some guidance and assistance in my Unraid build, so I can reclaim "Ol' Bertha".

Bertha's Current Setup:

• CPU: Intel Core i9-9900K
• RAM: 16GB
• Cache Drives: 2 x 1TB NVMe SSDs
• Storage: 12TB HDDs
• Case: 4000D Unable to support more drives

 

Primary Usage and Challenges:

 

My Unraid build primarily serves as a Plex media server, with a significant portion of my media content being 4K Dolby Vision and Atmos. Unfortunately, due to the limited drive bays in my current case, I find myself constantly deleting and redownloading content, which is not an ideal solution. Additionally, as I share my server with friends and family, all my files require transcoding. On the Docker side, I have the usual ARR stack running along with a dozen other containers. I'm also looking to explore running some virtual machines in the future.

 

Upgrade Plans:

Considering the limitations and my desired goals, I'm planning several different options for the components of my Unraid build aka "Daisy", and I would greatly appreciate any advice or recommendations regarding the following:

 

• CPU: Considering the 13500, 13600K, or even the yuge 13900 (overkill is underrated).
• Motherboard: Exploring options like ASRock Z790 Pro RS/D4 (or similar for budget) or going for a high-end option like the Pro WS W680-ACE.
• Storage Controller: LSI 9300-8i for expanding drive capacity.
• Some kind of SATA expansion card. Nothing picked out yet.
• RAM: Team T-FORCE VULCAN Z 64GB  or DDR5 equivalent with the w680.
• Additional Storage: Considering HGST Ultrastar He10 10TB renewed drives due to their favorable pricing.
• Case: Planning to use the Fractal Design 7XL case for its excellent drive expansion capabilities.
• Future Upgrade: Adding a 10GB Intel NIC for house-wide networking once I get around to wiring my house.

 

Questions:

• If I go with the z790 pro, will I have adequate PCIe lanes for the HBA, expansion card, and future NIC card?
• With all my audio being Atmos will the i5 be enough to transcode all of my audio to my dependapotamuses?

 

I sincerely appreciate any advice, suggestions, or experiences you can share with me regarding these upgrade plans. Thank you all for your time, expertise, and support!