refurbished server hardware for Unraid

[PeteAron]

Hi All,

 

I am still looking around here for information, but here is a post spelling out what i am looking for.  I am hoping some can share their opinions, perspectives, and experience to put me on the right path.

 

I have used unraid about 10 years now, my server is listed in my sig below.  It is running fine and I expect it should continue to.  I dont put much demand on it - it is a fileserver for all of my video and music and my personal files.  I want to create a backup server to safeguard my data.  That is the primary purpose.

 

I know i can achieve this pretty easily with a wide variety of hardware.  However i am thinking i want a decent server.  Eventually, when time permits, i want to experiment with VM's and some other things that i just dont have time for due to life.  

 

I notice that there are a large number of relatively inexpensive proliant and poweredge servers, among others, available on newegg.  I like the looks of some of these systems - something between 5 and 10 years old max, i am thinking, with one or two Xeon processors and say 16 GB ram.  

 

I know some users here are really into one or the other of these, and again, since my needs are pretty simple, and i am not looking to take much in the way of risk, i want to purchase something that has a high probability of success for using unraid.  I build all my computers so i can handle hardware modifications.  I can get a SAS card if needed, no worries.  I am interested in understanding what i should seriously consider buying and what i should avoid - mainly along the lines of unraid compatibility.

 

thanks for any input you can offer.

 

-kf

[sha1024md5]

Yes, you can get used server hardware and use that. You can find very affordable servers in the 5-10 year range, and tailor it to your specific needs. Many of the cheap servers come in a barebones configuration, and may not include cpu, memory, hard drives, hard drive caddies, network cards, raid cards, and other hardware. So be on the lookout or be ready to customize the server to your needs. 

 

The thing to keep in mind for unraid when it comes to older servers is your going to want the host bus adapters for SAS and not the RAID cards. You don't want to present the the drives in a raided array, you need to pass them directly to unraid, so a host bus adapter over raid is usually a must. Luckily most of the bigger brands offer a choice of raid or host bus cards.

Edited February 23, 2021 by sha1024md5

[PeteAron]

Thanks for the thoughts.  I did some more reading on serverbuilds.net and decided on the following build.  This should be an improvement on what i have so this hardware will become my primary server and i will start using my existing hardware as my backup server instead.  

 

New build:

MBD:              Supermicro X10SLM-F   used    $70

CPU:               Xeon E3-1230L v3    used $ 60    (25 W TDP but ~ 8000 bench lol)

Memory:         MEM-DR380L-HL01-EU16   16 GB  $80    (used supermicro sticks found on amazon)

PS:                 Seasonic 650    $65

Case:             Coolermaster N400  $60 

 

I have various parts lying around to complete the build.  I have a SAS2008 to transfer from my existing hardware as well.

 

Just posting this in case anyone is interested.  I could have saved about $50 or so getting a supermicro X9 and a 12x0 v2 but decided to go with the newer hardware for that extra cost.  My current server with the C7P67 supermicro board has been very reliable and seems to have plenty of life left after more than 10 yr continuous service, and I expect this newer one will return similar service for me.