Rajahal

Fantastic review, thank you very much for taking the time to do this. One thought on the screw alignment on the Norco cage - did you try flipping the cage over? I always install the cages with the handles facing down, and I rarely have issues with screw alignment. I completely agree that finding screws small enough to affix the Norco cage to the case can be a challenge. I've noticed that the HDD screws that come with the cage are exactly the right size, but of course they don't give you enough to mount both the cage and all the drives. The next time I build a server with these cages, I believe I'm going to head to my local computer/hardware store and try to find more of those style of screws. If that fails, then I'll try contacting Norco directly to see if I can buy some in bulk.

SuperBiiz.com They consistently have the lowest prices on the Supermicro AOC-SASLP-MV8 cards. Plus, they almost always have some sort of promo deal going on...check this site for the current one. I believe they will ship internationally as well.

LOL, wow, that is some impressive drive cramming. Unless I'm misinterpreting you, this is a bad idea. A drive should never be mounted at any angle except for 0 degrees (flat) or 90 degrees (vertical, meaning perpendicular to the plane of the ground). Any other angle can seriously reduce the life of that drive.

Thank you, and I couldn't agree more We decided it would be fun to offer a discount to all of you who have been patiently waiting for us to go live, so here it is: The first 10 orders will receive $25 off with the discount code EARLYADOPTER. This promo code expires April 30th. Promo expired...but it won't be the last.

Greenleaf Technology is open for business! Please visit our website: www.greenleaf-technology.com We are currently offering server designs ranging from the small form factor Mini Servers, stylish Tower Servers, and massive Rackmount Servers. All prices include an unRAID license. All hard drives are sold separately. Shipping ranges from free to $75 within the continental US. If you are outside the continental US and are interested in a server, please contact us and we will consider the request individually. All of our servers are thoroughly tested before shipping. We offer a limited 90 day warranty. In addition to selling servers, we will also contribute to the unRAID community through our Greenleaf Blog. We will continually add new information, hardware reviews, and tutorials that will both inform and entertain the unRAID enthusiast. If you have an idea for a Blog post that you would like to see us write, we would love to hear it! Please contact us with your idea. Greenleaf Technology is a collaboration between prostuff1 and myself (Rajahal). While we both volunteer as moderators on these forums, we have no official affiliation with LimeTech. All unRAID software licenses are purchased through LimeTech and registered to the customer's name.

I'm inclined to say yes, but again it depends on the specific mobo, CPU, etc. that you are using. You could do some testing yourself if you have a kill-a-watt or similar. Boot the server with no HDDs installed (but all fans, etc. that you want to use) and see it pulls from the wall. Then subtract everything that's on the 5V rail (you'll likely have to consult the PSU's wiring diagram to figure out what to subtract). Everything that is left should be what is on the 12V rail. Convert the remaining watts to amps (A = W/V). That should tell you exactly how much overhead you need. I would then still add an amp or so buffer above that number, as it seems reasonable to me to assume that a malfunctioning or defective part could pull more juice than it is supposed to, and you would rather that situation not crash the whole server. By the way, the above is all based on my very rough understanding of how electricity, power supplies, etc. work. I'm no electrical engineer. If anyone sees any errors in this, please correct me.

It varies, and it can be hard to determine exactly. Here's how I figured out the above number of drives that each PSU can support: Say the PSU has 30A on the single +12V rail. Estimate green drives at 2A and 7200rpm drives at 3A each. 30A/2A = 15 drives, subtract 2 for some overhead, result is support for 13 green drives 30A/3A = 10 drives, subtract 2 for some overhead, result is support for 8 7200rpm drives These are crude calculations, and I'm probably leaving a bit more overhead than is actually necessary (especially since some green drives use less than 2A, as you mentioned), but better safe than sorry, right?

Here's some discussion as to the pros and cons of different PSU features: Why choose a modular PSU? Modular PSUs allow you to use only the cables you need, and remove the rest. This reduces cable clutter and can benefit airflow through the case. Some companies that sell modular PSUs will also sell or give you extra cables of certain types. This can be especially beneficial in the case of unRAID servers, as servers generally need a lot of one type of power connection (either SATA or molex). These extra cables can reduce or negate your need for power splitters. Modular PSUs are more important the smaller the server is. A large case like a Norco 4224 has ample room for the bundle of unused cables that would accompany a non-modular PSU, but in a small case like the LIAN LI PC-Q08B space is at a premium. Generally speaking, if you are building a small form factor (SFF) server, then you should seriously consider a modular PSU. Why choose a non-modular PSU? Because it saves you money. Modular power supplies often cost around $50 more than their non-modular equivalents. If you are building your server in a large case with plenty of room to store extra cables, then the benefits of a modular PSU are significantly mitigated. Why choose a fanless PSU? A fanless PSU is completely silent. If you are building a silent server, then you will need to use a silent PSU. Keep in mind that any fan noise in your server whatsoever will already likely be louder than any fan noise coming from a PSU, so unless you are building a completely fanless/silent server, then a fanless PSU probably isn't worth the extra expense. A fanless PSU will also use up less power, but only marginally less. Why choose a PSU with a variable fan speed? A PSU with a variable fan speed can help minimize noise and power usage. Some fan speeds are based on a temperature sensor, some are based on the load on the PSU. Either way, when your server is sitting idle the fan should spin slowly or in some cases not at all. When under load (such as during a parity check), the fan should spin faster. Why choose a PSU with a set fan speed? Again, to save money. PSUs with variable fan speeds generally cost $10 - $50 more than their static fan speed counterparts. What does Gold/Silver/Bronze/Plus mean? It is a measure of the power supply's energy efficiency at different load levels: % of Rated Load 20% 50% 100% 80 PLUS 80% 80% 80% 80 PLUS Bronze 82% 85% 82% 80 PLUS Silver 85% 88% 85% 80 PLUS Gold 87% 90% 87% 80 PLUS Platinum 90% 92% 89% Source As you can see, most PSUs are more efficient in the middle of their load range (around 50%) than they are at either extreme. Keep this in mind while choosing a PSU for your server. Your PSU must be able to handle the full power draw of all your hard drives spinning up at once, since this is exactly what will happen during parity checks or the simulation of a failed drive. However, ideally you also want a PSU that is efficient in the range in which your server will sit idle. Finding a balance between these two factors is tricky business.

Here's the top recommended manufacturers and models: Seasonic Undeniably the best, but also quite expensive. Seasonic also manufacturers the internals of some of the models offered by several other major brands (Corsair and Antec specifically). Modular: SeaSonic X series SS-400FL 400W - fanless - Gold certified - 33A, supports up to 15 green drives or 9 7200 rpm drives - recommended for a small to medium sized server in which noise levels are a big concern Seasonic SS-560KM 560W - Gold certified - 46A, supports up to 21 green drives or 13 7200 rpm drives SeaSonic X Series X650 Gold 650W - Gold certified - 54A, supports up to 25 green drives or 16 7200 rpm drives SeaSonic X Series X-850 850W - Gold certified - 70A, supports up to 33 green drives or 21 7200 rpm drives - recommended for the big spender who wants to buy the most expensive power supply on this page Non-modular: Seasonic SS-850HT 850W - Silver certified - 70A, supports up to 33 green drives or 21 7200 rpm drives - recommended for a 20 drive server using all 7200 rpm drives Corsair The best of the budget brands. Modular: CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-650HX 650W - Bronze certified - 52A, supports up to 24 green drives or 15 7200 rpm drives CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-750HX 750W - Silver certified - 60A, supports up to 28 green drives or 18 7200 rpm drives CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-850HX 850W - Silver certified - 70A, supports up to 33 green drives or 21 7200 rpm drives Non-modular: CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 CMPSU-430CX 430W - 28A, supports up to 12 green drives or 7 7200 rpm drives - recommended for small servers, 10 drives or less CORSAIR Builder Series CX500 (CMPSU-500CX) 500W - 34A, supports up to 15 green drives or 9 7200 rpm drives - recommended for medium servers, 10 - 15 drives CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-650TX 650W - 52A, supports up to 24 green drives or 15 7200 rpm drives - recommended for 20 - 24 drive servers using only green drives or medium sized 15 drive servers using only 7200 rpm drives CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W - Bronze certified - 53A, supports up to 24 green drives or 15 7200 rpm drives - recommended for 20 - 24 drive servers using only green drives or medium sized 15 drive servers using only 7200 rpm drives in which noise is a concern (as the variable fan speed will help the server stay quieter when under low load) Antec Neo Eco Rivals the Corsair PSUs, but often more expensive, and choices are limited. Modular: None Non-modular: - Plus certified - doesn't come with a power cable - 30A, supports up to 13 green drives or 8 7200 rpm drives - recommended for smaller servers, 10 drives or less Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W - Plus certified - doesn't come with a power cable - 40A, supports up to 18 green drives or 11 7200 rpm drives - recommended for mid-sized servers, 10 - 15 drives Antec NEO ECO 620C 620W - Plus certified - doesn't come with a power cable - 48A, supports up to 22 green drives or 14 7200 rpm drives - recommended for larger servers, 10 - 22 drives Antec just released a new 'High Current Gamer Series' of PSUs that should be a step up from the Neo Ecos, but they have not yet been tested with unRAID.

Have you checked your motherboard for HPA issues? Better to find them proactively than retroactively.

Many of us also like more freedom in skins, menus, etc. so we build our own HTPCs based on hardware such as the Zotac Zbox and we use software such as XBMC. It is a more expensive option, but you have more flexibility and control as well.

Right, and actually there's not even a temporary loss. unRAID will emulate a failed disk using all the other disks in the array - you can read and write to a missing disk just as if nothing is wrong (though you may notice a slight decrease in performance). Once you replace the failed disk unRAID will reconstruct the disk's contents onto the new disk - and the entire array will still be available during that time (again, with decreased performance). The only time an unRAID array has mandatory downtime is when clearing a new drive, which is why Joe L. wrote the preclear script to allow you to clear a drive outside the array. If you use preclear, unRAID's downtime is decreased to mere minutes. To my knowledge, no other traditional RAID level can make this same claim. If you have any further questions comparing unRAID to traditional RAID levels, please do start a new thread and I and others will be happy to chime in there.

unRAID is different from RAID 5 or RAID 6. unRAID does allow you to mix and match drives. unRAID also doesn't require or rely on expensive hardware RAID cards (one potential downfall of RAID 5/6, though there are software RAID 5/6 options also). Finally, if more than one drive dies in unRAID, you only lose the data on that drive. If more than one drive dies in a RAID 5 array (or more than two in a RAID 6 array), you lose the entire array's worth of data. This is the single biggest advantage of unRAID in my opinion.

The powerdown package in unmenu will handle it for you. I also often power down from the default unRAID gui and haven't had any issues. Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk

I would say that below 20 is too cold and above 45 is too hot. Anything in between is fine. You also don't want a huge temperature differential. So if a drive is 20 C when spun down and then 35 C when in use, that might be a bit too much wear and tear.

So that would imply that a fan controller would be useful? I'd prefer to have an automated system, though (software or mobo). That's one option. I prefer to just build servers that run a bit hot during a parity check (in the high 30s to low 40s), then run optimally during normal use (in the low to mid 30s). As long as you stick to mostly green drives I haven't found cooling to be too much of an issue. In my personal server, the only drives that ever breach 40C during a parity check or other extended use are 7200 rpm drives. All my green drives stay in the 30s no matter what.

Actually I've shipped to Canada as well, though those border fees can be a bit steep. I'm willing to ship anywhere in the world as long as the client pays all the shipping and customs fees.

The V6 is a nice case, and a nice alternative to the CM 590. The only downside is that you have to sacrifice the top mounted bay if you want to stuff it with 5-in-3 cages. See my pictures earlier in this thread. The V5 looks the same except for the handle, so I expect either one would work.

This only makes 14 drives. Will 3 5-in-3s fit? Right you are, I fixed my post. You can fit a maximum of two 5-in-3s in this case if you still want to be able to use the top mounted hot swap bay. If you remove the cabling for the top mounted hot swap bay, then you can fit a full three 5-in-3s (just like the CM 590).

Regarding the Thermaltake V6: Unfortunately, you CANNOT install a 5-in-3 drive cage into the upper most bays. I tried it today with a Supermicro 5-in-3 and there's no way to make it fit. The cabling that connects the case internals to the top-mounted hot swap bay stick down just slightly too much, as you can see in these photos: It is easy to remove the hot swap bay's cabling if you don't want to use it. If you do that, then the 5-in-3 will fit just fine. So my take on this case is that it is good for a 9 drive server (8 single hot swap bays + the top mounted bay) or a 13 drive server (2 x 5-in-3s + 2 single hot swap bays + the top mounted bay) or possibly even a 14 drive server (2 x 5-in-3s + one 3-in-2 + the top mounted bay). If you are looking for a cheap replacement for the CM 590 and don't care about sacrificing the top mounted bay, then this case would work for that as well. The upper-most bay isn't a total waste either. You could install a 2.5 or 3.5" drive internally in that bay. Technically you can even get away with a single hot swap bay - it fits, but the drive itself rubs against the top hot swap bay's cabling, which makes me uneasy. Overall I'm fairly happy with the case. It is lightweight and yet surprisingly quiet, given how thin the metal is. It is well designed and easy to work with. The front panel comes off easily (you have to remove it to remove the 5.25" bay covers). Most of all, it is cheap. One other note - the metal tabs between the 5.25" bays run nearly the whole length of the bay, so they take a bit longer to flatten. Took me probably about an hour to flatten the tabs in the entire case (using a c-clamp). Edit: More thoughts on and pics of this case here.

In my experience, the most important thing for dust management is to just keep your server off the floor. Raising it even a foot or two off the ground will do more to keep dust out than any filter will.

I just discovered this one, as it is currently on sale. Thermaltake V6 BlacX Edition Gaming Chassis Mid Tower Steel Computer Case BlacX Top Mounted HDD Docking Station VM100M1W2Z Very similar design to the CM-590 and the Antec 900/902. However, this one has a top mounted HDD dock, which it seems to me would be perfect as a dedicated preclear slot. It also costs about the same as the CM-590, and half the price of the Antec 900/902. I just ordered one for fun, so I'll let you guys know how it turns out.

Example UCD Post Here's where I might include a short intro about how happy I am with my new unRAID server, how easy it was to build, how I justified it to the wife, etc. I might also mention the other devices I use in conjunction with my server, such as a fully gigabit network, a custom HTPC, my smart-phone, etc. Live product links such as I've added below are optional, but widely appreciated by others who may wish to copy your build. OS at time of building: unRAID 4.7 Pro CPU: 2.7 GHz AMD Sempron 140 Motherboard: Biostar A760G M2+ RAM: 2 GB Kingston DDR2 800 Case: Antec 902 Drive Cage(s): ICY DOCK MB455SPF-B (3) Power Supply: CORSAIR Builder Series CMPSU-500CX 500W SATA Expansion Card(s): Supermicro AOC-SASLP-MV8, PCI-Express x1 Controller Card (Silicon Image SIL3132) Cables: SATA Cables (2), 3ware Serial Attached SCSI CBL-SFF8087OCF-05M (2), Molex Splitters (6) Fans: All stock fans Parity Drive: 2 TB Green EARS Data Drives: 2 TB WD Green EARS (2), 1.5 TB WD Greens EADS (2), 500 GB Seagate Cache Drive: None Total Drive Capacity: 15 Drives Primary Use: Data storage, media streaming to HTPC and other computers Likes: Very quiet, runs cool, impresses friends Dislikes: Bright fans can be annoying, and only the large rear fan LED can be turned off easily. Add Ons Used: preclear, unMenu, cache_dirs Future Plans: Add more data drives, add cache drive, install SNAP, install SABnzbd, build a second server Boot (peak): 212 W Idle (avg): 50 W Active (avg): 120 W Light use (avg): 52 W Edit: I've owned the server for one month now and run into a few problems. First off, my RAM turned out to be bad. See this link for details (link to the thread in which you asked for help). Guess I should have run memtest when I first built my server! Secondly, my 500 GB Seagate drive finally bit the dust. No real problem there, I just bought a new 2 TB WD EARS, installed the jumper on pins 7/8, precleared it, and installed it in the server. unRAID rebuilt the 500 GB drive's data onto the new 2 TB drive in about 10 hours. I sure am glad I opted for the hot swap cages, as they made replacing the drive so much easier. Edit2: It has now been 6 months and my server is running smoothly. I installed SNAP and a few other add-ons with no trouble. I've added several more drives so that I'm now up to 11 drives, and I just ordered another that I see on sale today in the Good Deals forum. My digital hoarding has progressed to a clinically significant stage, my wife is researching treatment options. I keep telling her I'm fine. Edit3: One year has passed. I lost my wife, my car, and my job because I spent hours each day browsing the Good Deals forum looking for the best deal on a new drive, but my server is still running great! Its gentle hum and warm glow gets me through the lonely nights. Edit4: I stopped shaving... I stopped showering... I have no more friends... even the neighbor's dog keeps its distance. I go to bed mumbling about disks, and connectors, and drive trays... The forum posts are the only company I have at night when I can't sleep. I've become a recluse... I pour over sales catalogs and mailings looking for discount-codes. I live for the monthly parity check. I spend my days copying the same files to and from the disks, over and over again... It has been months since I actually watched a movie... but my server runs like a dream!

Template Here's a template for the example post below. You can copy-paste this code into a new thread and fill in the details for your build. Brief intro [b]OS at time of building:[/b] [b]CPU:[/b] [b]Motherboard:[/b] [b]RAM:[/b] [b]Case:[/b] [b]Drive Cage(s):[/b] [b]Power Supply:[/b] [b]SATA Expansion Card(s):[/b] [b]Cables:[/b] [b]Fans:[/b] [b]Parity Drive:[/b] [b]Data Drives:[/b] [b]Cache Drive:[/b] [b]Total Drive Capacity:[/b] [b]Primary Use:[/b] [b]Likes:[/b] [b]Dislikes:[/b] [b]Add Ons Used:[/b] [b]Future Plans:[/b] [b]Boot (peak):[/b] [b]Idle (avg):[/b] [b]Active (avg):[/b] [b]Light use (avg):[/b] [img=Angle photo] [img=Interior photo] [img=Powered On photo] Closing comments [hr] future edits

You have been diagnosed with UCD! The unRAID Compulsive Design sub-forum is the gathering place for those of us with unRAID Compulsive Disorder (UCD). This sub-forum is dedicated to showing off your shiny new unRAID server in all its glory. However, expect that others (especially newcomers to these forums) will also be reviewing your build for inspiration, to see if the parts you used are worthwhile, and to determine if your build might work for them. With that in mind, following the template below will help others learn from your build. Photos Photos are an integral part of the UCD sub-forum. Please provide the best photos you can. If the best you've got is a camera phone, so be it. Any photos are better than none. For all photos, use imgur as an image host (you do not need an account there to use it). Limit all photos to 800 pixels in width as anything wider breaks the forum format and forces the viewer scroll to see the whole photo. If you are unable to resize your photos to smaller than 800px wide, please use imgur's Large Thumbnail option instead. Whenever possible, please provide at minimum the following three shots where appropriate: 1) Front and/or angle shot to give an idea of the server as a whole 2) Interior shot with case side/top removed to show your cable management skills (or lack thereof ) 3) Front/angle shot while powered on to give an idea as to the brightness and color of the various LEDs (if the server has any) Of course you should feel free to provide more detail and photos if you like, don't feel limited by these suggestions. Include power consumption if possible If you have a volt meter or multimeter and know how to use it, why not post some real-world power consumption numbers? Want to measure your server's power consumption without first earning a degree in electrical engineering? Purchase a Kill-A-Watt. Plug it into the wall/surge protector/UPS, then plug the server into it. Press the middle button to change it from VA to Watt mode. Many modern UPSs will also tell you power consumption figures without the need for a separate meter. When posting power consumption figures, please include the following at minimum: - Peak consumption during boot - Average consumption when idle (all disks spun down) - Average consumption when active (during a parity check, for example) - Average consumption during light use (streaming a movie from one disk, all others spun down) By the way, the power consumption numbers listed in the example below are made up as I never actually measured the power consumption of this particular server. If you copy someone's build, post in their thread to let them know! Remember, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery! Post updates to your build! Did you add a new SATA expansion card? More drives? Replace some faulty RAM? Let us know! The more information about what works and what doesn't work with your build the better. Remember that you are helping others decide what to build for themselves. Instead of overwriting your original post with updates, we suggest that you simply append changes and updates to your build so that others can see how your build has progressed over time. Again, see the example below. Template and example UCD post below Enjoy your new-found unRAID Compulsive Disorder! - The unRAID Moderators