Raj's Prototype Designs [Discussion Thread]

[Spritzup]

Anyone know of an alternate, reasonably priced, source for the 1m 30AWG Internal Mini SAS 36pin (SFF-8087) Male to Mini SAS 36pin (SFF-8087) Male Cable used with the Norco 4224 cases.  Monoprice appears to be out.

 

Is this it http://cgi.ebay.com/Mini-SAS-36-Pin-Mini-SAS-36-Pin-SFF-8087-Data-Cable-/220738394049?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item33650897c1

 

If so will the 29" length be ok?

 

That's exactly what I ordered for my 4224 build, but I haven't got them yet.  I believe (if memory serves) that the case is 26" long from the very front to the very back, so 29" cables should be more than enough.

[Rajahal]

Anyone know of an alternate, reasonably priced, source for the 1m 30AWG Internal Mini SAS 36pin (SFF-8087) Male to Mini SAS 36pin (SFF-8087) Male Cable used with the Norco 4224 cases.  Monoprice appears to be out.

 

Is this it http://cgi.ebay.com/Mini-SAS-36-Pin-Mini-SAS-36-Pin-SFF-8087-Data-Cable-/220738394049?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item33650897c1

 

If so will the 29" length be ok?

 

That's exactly what I ordered for my 4224 build, but I haven't got them yet.  I believe (if memory serves) that the case is 26" long from the very front to the very back, so 29" cables should be more than enough.

 

Those are very long, but they should work fine.

[pfp]

Anyone know of an alternate, reasonably priced, source for the 1m 30AWG Internal Mini SAS 36pin (SFF-8087) Male to Mini SAS 36pin (SFF-8087) Male Cable used with the Norco 4224 cases.  Monoprice appears to be out.

 

Is this it http://cgi.ebay.com/Mini-SAS-36-Pin-Mini-SAS-36-Pin-SFF-8087-Data-Cable-/220738394049?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item33650897c1

 

If so will the 29" length be ok?

 

That's exactly what I ordered for my 4224 build, but I haven't got them yet.  I believe (if memory serves) that the case is 26" long from the very front to the very back, so 29" cables should be more than enough.

 

Those are very long, but they should work fine.

 

Well, the Monoprice ones you link to are 1M (or 36") so these are shorter. 

 

thank you

[Rajahal]

You are right, I was confusing them with the .5 M forward breakout cables.  Yours are shorter.

[Warp3]

About a week ago I built an unRAID server using one of your prototype build specs and really appreciated having a list of known compatible parts like that.  I've built systems before (and have worked as a support tech in IT for about 13 years now) but the last one I built had an Athlon XP (or maybe it was even an AMD K6, I can't recall now), so I'm nowhere near up on all the latest build terminology (and most of the machines I support for work are pre-built Dells).  I certainly could have spec'ed my own system, but having that pre-researched list saved me a lot of time.

 

The system I built was your listed 5-drive budget system, but with the 500W power supply from the fully filled 15-drive version and with only 3 drives for now (Samsung EcoGreen 2TB).  (I started with only 3 drives as that would allow me to try unRAID without paying for it yet and it is still plenty of space for my current storage needs.)  (EDIT: My build used the previously spec'ed JetWay JMA3-880GTV2-LF motherboard that apparently is no longer available on NewEgg; I see the other thread shows a different board now.)

 

Some thoughts:

- The blue power LED is surprisingly bright on that Azza case.  That thing lights up a completely dark room as well as a night light or a cheap LED flashlight, so I may yank the power lead for that light (since the power status is already obvious by the lit fans included in the case).  The drive LED is amber and isn't nearly as bright, so I'll likely leave it connected.

- Flattening the little ribs that are made to act as a shelf for each drive was a bit of a pain (so the Norco 5-in-3 module would insert properly), but I imagine most cases would have that issue.

- The total build as specified comes with 2 SATA cables (both coming with the JetWay motherboard) so you'll need more than that unless you already have a supply on-hand (a fact which I completely overlooked until the parts arrived).

- The server is only connecting to my gigabit switch at 100Mbps for some reason, though I haven't really tried to troubleshoot that issue yet, so it may be something simple.

 

It's taking me a bit to get used to the concept of unRAID's user shares (vs the normal Windows or Linux file-sharing methods), but overall I'm very glad I opted for unRAID over the various other setups I considered for expanding my storage library.

[Rajahal]

Hi Warp3.  Thank you for your thoughts and feedback, and I'm glad you found my designs useful.

 

- Flattening the little ribs that are made to act as a shelf for each drive was a bit of a pain (so the Norco 5-in-3 module would insert properly), but I imagine most cases would have that issue.

 

Yes, unfortunately every single case has this issue.  Some are easier than others to mod, but all cases need modding in order to take multiple 5-in-3 cages.

 

- The total build as specified comes with 2 SATA cables (both coming with the JetWay motherboard) so you'll need more than that unless you already have a supply on-hand (a fact which I completely overlooked until the parts arrived).

 

This has come up before, and I'm not quite sure how to address it.  Often the vendor and manufacturer do not tell the consumer how many SATA cables come with a component (motherboard, drive cage, etc.).  I would like to list the exact number of SATA cables one needs to purchase separately, but not knowing how many come with the other components makes this tough.  I'm open to suggestions.

 

- The server is only connecting to my gigabit switch at 100Mbps for some reason, though I haven't really tried to troubleshoot that issue yet, so it may be something simple.

 

Definitely not normal, but hopefully you'll be able to fix it easily.  Some common causes of this are:

 

1) Cat5 cables being used.  You need Cat5e or Cat6 to achieve gigabit LAN speeds

2) Non-gigabit LAN switch or router being used

3) Lack of gigabit LAN NIC on other computer or device (not unRAID server)

 

Those three things are easy to check and eliminate as potential problems.  If you still have issues, post a thread in General Support.

 

It's taking me a bit to get used to the concept of unRAID's user shares (vs the normal Windows or Linux file-sharing methods), but overall I'm very glad I opted for unRAID over the various other setups I considered for expanding my storage library.

 

There's a bit of a learning curve, but once you have everything configured to your satisfaction I think you'll find that unRAID's user shares are a much simpler and more intuitive system than Windows/Linux file sharing.

[Warp3]

This has come up before, and I'm not quite sure how to address it.  Often the vendor and manufacturer do not tell the consumer how many SATA cables come with a component (motherboard, drive cage, etc.).  I would like to list the exact number of SATA cables one needs to purchase separately, but not knowing how many come with the other components makes this tough.  I'm open to suggestions.

 

I understand.  That wasn't really a critique of the build listing, but rather something I know I should have thought of beforehand.  However, since you asked for a suggestion:  You could just put in a disclaimer stating something to the effect of: "While other parts in the list may or may not include SATA cables, you will need up to Qty x 5 of {link to SATA cables}."  Worst case is that someone overbuys on their build by a few cables at $3-$4/each (and having a few spare SATA cables around for troubleshooting a file server isn't a bad idea anyway).  In my case, I'd have reacted to that wording by buying the full 5 cables and thus would have only been out like $7 bucks for the 2 cables my MB already included, which is rather minor on a $600 build.

 

Definitely not normal, but hopefully you'll be able to fix it easily.  Some common causes of this are:

1) Cat5 cables being used.  You need Cat5e or Cat6 to achieve gigabit LAN speeds

 

Bingo!  That was one of my suspected culprits as well since the existing network cable was of unknown origin (it probably came included with some other device I bought in the past).  I removed the "cable of unknown origin" and plugged in a known good Cat 5e cable and the link light on my switch went from amber (10/100) to green (1000).

 

There's a bit of a learning curve, but once you have everything configured to your satisfaction I think you'll find that unRAID's user shares are a much simpler and more intuitive system than Windows/Linux file sharing.

 

There are definite advantages to the user share system, but the lack of the ability to nest shares has some downsides compared to other file sharing setups (unless I'm overlooking the ability to do that in unRAID).  Personally, I'd love to see a feature like a "super share" that would allow me to map a drive to say \\unraid\shares which would then have all the other user shares underneath that structure (in other words, my \\unraid\music and \\unraid\tv shares would also be accessible via \\unraid\shares\music and \\unraid\shares\tv).

[dannycorker]

Hi guys. Looking to build a first NAS box, and very new to it all. I like the look of the suggested expansions, as I don't need anything like 20 disks! But are they capable of running sabnzb and SickBeard for instance or would I need more power?

 

Also, I'm in the UK. Is there any list of where to get these components (or alternatives) from UK stores? Some are easy enough to find, others not so much!

[Rajahal]

Hi guys. Looking to build a first NAS box, and very new to it all. I like the look of the suggested expansions, as I don't need anything like 20 disks! But are they capable of running sabnzb and SickBeard for instance or would I need more power?

 

Also, I'm in the UK. Is there any list of where to get these components (or alternatives) from UK stores? Some are easy enough to find, others not so much!

 

You'll want to upgrade to a cheap dual core CPU, and potentially 4 GB of RAM as well.  Everything else will work as stated.

 

The Recommended Builds section of the wiki has a UK section, but those builds are pretty outdated so some of the parts may be difficult to find.  I haven't been able to log into the wiki for a while now (some forum login glitch), so I haven't been able to update anything there, even the US builds.  Check out this thread for some recommended UK vendors.

[dannycorker]

Hi guys. Looking to build a first NAS box, and very new to it all. I like the look of the suggested expansions, as I don't need anything like 20 disks! But are they capable of running sabnzb and SickBeard for instance or would I need more power?

 

Also, I'm in the UK. Is there any list of where to get these components (or alternatives) from UK stores? Some are easy enough to find, others not so much!

 

You'll want to upgrade to a cheap dual core CPU, and potentially 4 GB of RAM as well.  Everything else will work as stated.

 

The Recommended Builds section of the wiki has a UK section, but those builds are pretty outdated so some of the parts may be difficult to find.  I haven't been able to log into the wiki for a while now (some forum login glitch), so I haven't been able to update anything there, even the US builds.  Check out this thread for some recommended UK vendors.

 

Thanks for the input! Here's what I have so far based on what you've said:

 

MOBO: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/255207?utm_source=google&utm_medium=products

CPU: http://www.scan.co.uk/products/intel-celeron-dual-core-e3400-wolfdale-3m-core-socket-775-26ghz-1mb-cache-65w-retail

RAM: http://www.scan.co.uk/products/4gb-(2x2gb)-corsair-ddr3-xms3-classic-pc3-10666-(1333)-non-ecc-unbuffered-cas-9-9-9-24-150v

PSU: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/271798?utm_source=google&utm_medium=products

 

These 4 look ok?

 

After this is where I start to struggle. The case you use (AZZA Helios 910) doesn't seem to exist in the UK. Could you recommend a similar one from Scan or eBuyer that is known to be suitable? Or any UK vendor really as long as they're reputable. Also struggling to find UK matches for your suggested Expansion Card and Hot Swap Bay (working off the 5 bay budget build at the moment.) I just don't want to spend money on something and it turn out useless! So any suggestions/help would be much appreciated

 

Thanks!

[Rembro]

Welcome Danny,

 

You picked and linked to a few components that are being used with UnRaid

But i think you might want to change that CPU

 

a Intel socket 775 Celeron E3400 simply won't fit in a AMD based AM3 mainbord.

Depending on your needs of cpu power with the add-ons you can pick here anything with a low TDP ( wattage) like the Sempron 140 series or higher. The Sempron would be fine for simple file serving and the AMD Athlon II X2 240E or 245e would be good for sabnzb and SickBeard

 

About that Biostar mainbord with 4 sata ports

 

if you are looking to start with 5 drives then you immediately are 1 SATA port short. and need to go over to an extra expension card.

Also look at the Asus- M4A78LT-M  ( not the LE version) http://www.ebuyer.com/product/200981

It's around the same price and has 6 sata ports onboard and level 1 certified.

 

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=14068.0

 

In the example below you can start with 5 drives and expand to 15 depending on your budget and needs.

Just beware : The CX430 power supply doesn't give enough juice for a 15 drive setup.

but so long you don't go over the 10 to 12 green drives it would be just fine.

 

About the case:

 

if you want to go in the 5 tot 15 drives area ( midi-tower style ) and starting with 1 x 5in3 hotswap bays

than you should look in the UK for those Sharkoon Cases.

 

Rebel9 Economy http://www.sharkoon.com/?q=en/node/1042

Rebel9 Value http://www.sharkoon.com/?q=en/node/1034

 

Rebel9 Aluminum http://www.sharkoon.com/?q=en/content/rebel9-aluminum

 

This last one with 1 to 3 hotwap cages wil give you a really clean look

 

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=13997.0

 

Also look at xcase.co.uk for those Norco SS-500 clones for 60 pound each (great deal) but you might want to change the fan for lower db's

http://www.xcase.co.uk/hotswap-stoarge-kit-p/hddkit-xx-500.htm

 

These should be available in the UK for reasonable prices!

 

 

[Johnm]

ugh. i wish i could get the Rebel9 Aluminum in the states..

 

That is a clean case...

[dannycorker]

Welcome Danny,

 

You picked and linked to a few components that are being used with UnRaid

But i think you might want to change that CPU

 

a Intel socket 775 Celeron E3400 simply won't fit in a AMD based AM3 mainbord.

Depending on your needs of cpu power with the add-ons you can pick here anything with a low TDP ( wattage) like the Sempron 140 series or higher. The Sempron would be fine for simple file serving and the AMD Athlon II X2 240E or 245e would be good for sabnzb and SickBeard

 

About that Biostar mainbord with 4 sata ports

 

if you are looking to start with 5 drives then you immediately are 1 SATA port short. and need to go over to an extra expension card.

Also look at the Asus- M4A78LT-M  ( not the LE version) http://www.ebuyer.com/product/200981

It's around the same price and has 6 sata ports onboard and level 1 certified.

 

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=14068.0

 

In the example below you can start with 5 drives and expand to 15 depending on your budget and needs.

Just beware : The CX430 power supply doesn't give enough juice for a 15 drive setup.

but so long you don't go over the 10 to 12 green drives it would be just fine.

 

About the case:

 

if you want to go in the 5 tot 15 drives area ( midi-tower style ) and starting with 1 x 5in3 hotswap bays

than you should look in the UK for those Sharkoon Cases.

 

Rebel9 Economy http://www.sharkoon.com/?q=en/node/1042

Rebel9 Value http://www.sharkoon.com/?q=en/node/1034

 

Rebel9 Aluminum http://www.sharkoon.com/?q=en/content/rebel9-aluminum

 

This last one with 1 to 3 hotwap cages wil give you a really clean look

 

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=13997.0

 

Also look at xcase.co.uk for those Norco SS-500 clones for 60 pound each (great deal) but you might want to change the fan for lower db's

http://www.xcase.co.uk/hotswap-stoarge-kit-p/hddkit-xx-500.htm

 

These should be available in the UK for reasonable prices!

 

 

 

OK this is how it's looking now....

 

MOBO: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/200981

CPU: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/237554

RAM: http://www.scan.co.uk/products/4gb-(2x2gb)-corsair-ddr3-xms3-classic-pc3-10666-(1333)-non-ecc-unbuffered-cas-9-9-9-24-150v

PSU: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/271798?utm_source=google&utm_medium=products

SWAP: http://www.xcase.co.uk/hotswap-stoarge-kit-p/hddkit-xx-500.htm

CASE: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sharkoon-Rebel-Economy-tower-supply/dp/B000LIASA8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311524236&sr=8-1

 

All look alright? And the only other thing I'd need would be hard drives?

[Rembro]

Looking fine.

 

Maybe choose the Energy Efficient version of that series cpu (less heat and lower electrical bill) that CPU power is more than enough for 90% of UnRaid add-ons http://www.ebuyer.com/product/264382

 

about the harddrives:

 

The Hitachi's sounds to be the community's favourite for the moment.

 

The 2TB's have got the best price/performance.

 

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=9865.0

 

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=10388.0

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hitachi-Deskstar-Stainless-Internal-0F12117/dp/B004NCL3I4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1311527070&sr=8-2

[Tronic]

Planning on the following build but I can't decide whether I should go (or even can for that matter) with 3tb Hitachi's or 2tb WDs.

 

Biostar A880G+

AMD Sempron 140

2gb DDR3 1333

Corsair CX430

Silverstone HTPC Case

 

Has anyone tested the A880G+ with 3tb drives? Specifically Hitachi Deskstar 5400 3TB. They are the same price per TB as WD EARS 2TB. I plan on adding the Supermicro 8 Port Sata card, which I've read is compatible with the 3tb drives but I wasn't planning on adding it until I got up to 5 drives. Since 3tb drive support is only available in 5.0 beta, and this is my first build, should I just wait until it officially comes out?

 

Thanks.

[Rembro]

Planning on the following build but I can't decide whether I should go (or even can for that matter) with 3tb Hitachi's or 2tb WDs.

 

Biostar A880G+

AMD Sempron 140

2gb DDR3 1333

Corsair CX430

Silverstone HTPC Case

 

Has anyone tested the A880G+ with 3tb drives? Specifically Hitachi Deskstar 5400 3TB. They are the same price per TB as WD EARS 2TB. I plan on adding the Supermicro 8 Port Sata card, which I've read is compatible with the 3tb drives but I wasn't planning on adding it until I got up to 5 drives. Since 3tb drive support is only available in 5.0 beta, and this is my first build, should I just wait until it officially comes out?

 

Thanks.

 

Not sure because of no experience with 3TB drives but maybe Raj can help me out here:

 

2.2TB is that magical limit for traditional allocation of file systems with a traditional bios-chip

Above this you need a newer type of Bios Chip: EFI Chip or firmware upgrade like with those Supermicro cards.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_Extensible_Firmware_Interface

 

When i look at Biostar's website i don't see them mentioning an EFI bios chip or 3TB support.

 

So most likely 3TB Hdd's direct attached drives will be recognized as maximum 2.2TB.

 

Raj? community? am i right?

 

 

 

[Rajahal]

Planning on the following build but I can't decide whether I should go (or even can for that matter) with 3tb Hitachi's or 2tb WDs.

 

Biostar A880G+

AMD Sempron 140

2gb DDR3 1333

Corsair CX430

Silverstone HTPC Case

 

Has anyone tested the A880G+ with 3tb drives? Specifically Hitachi Deskstar 5400 3TB. They are the same price per TB as WD EARS 2TB. I plan on adding the Supermicro 8 Port Sata card, which I've read is compatible with the 3tb drives but I wasn't planning on adding it until I got up to 5 drives. Since 3tb drive support is only available in 5.0 beta, and this is my first build, should I just wait until it officially comes out?

 

Thanks.

 

Not sure because of no experience with 3TB drives but maybe Raj can help me out here:

 

2.2TB is that magical limit for traditional allocation of file systems with a traditional bios-chip

Above this you need a newer type of Bios Chip: EFI Chip or firmware upgrade like with those Supermicro cards.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_Extensible_Firmware_Interface

 

When i look at Biostar's website i don't see them mentioning an EFI bios chip or 3TB support.

 

So most likely 3TB Hdd's direct attached drives will be recognized as maximum 2.2TB.

 

Raj? community? am i right?

 

 

As relating to boot drives, you are right.  However, as relating to data drives, many motherboards on the market today can make use of the full 3 TB capacity without UEFI.  Each particular piece of hardware requires hands-on testing to make sure one way or the other.

 

As pertains to this particular hardware, I currently have some 3 TB Hitachi CoolSpin drives that I am going to be using to test out all the motherboards and controllers I have over the next couple of weeks.  The Biostar A880G+ is one of the motherboards I will be testing.  If you aren't in too much of a hurry, I suggest that you might want to wait for my test results before making any purchasing decisions.  I will try to be expedient in my testing.  Feel free to PM or email me for progress updates.

[znelbok]

Does anyone see any problems with replacing the board in the 24 drive beast (Supermicro SUPERMICRO MBD-X8SIL-F-O) with this board MBD-X9SCL-F-O

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813182251

 

It supports the LGA1155 chips (AKA Sandy Bridge)

 

I can work out what the -F (remote management) means, but I cant figure out the -O - anyone give me a hint

 

Mick

 

 

[vexhold]

If it has the O, then it is retail. If you are a system builder, you can get the model without the O for a smidge less money.

 

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

[Johnm]

Does anyone see any problems with replacing the board in the 24 drive beast (Supermicro SUPERMICRO MBD-X8SIL-F-O) with this board MBD-X9SCL-F-O

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813182251

 

It supports the LGA1155 chips (AKA Sandy Bridge)

 

I can work out what the -F (remote management) means, but I cant figure out the -O - anyone give me a hint

 

Mick

 

Nope. no problem at all.

 

I am pretty sure that board is level1 tested.

I am running the X9SCM-F-O version myself.

 

You just have to adjust your CPU to an i3-2100 and the RAM might be a different model. Check my signature for what I used.

the rest of the build should be the same.

 

 

Also you have to use the second Intel NIC card (the Intel 82574L). There is no unRAID driver for the first NIC yet (the Intel 82579LM).

 

If you're buying from newegg, you can upgrade to the X9SCM-F-O for $10 more and get the sata3 and the extra PCIe slot.

I'm not sure if you will need the 4th PCIe, but if you ever get a sata3 SSD for a cache drive or app drive... drool.

 

 

 

 

 

[znelbok]

@Johnm - Your build is pretty much how I am planning mine.  The extra for the SCM is probably worth it as well.  I will read your thread about your setup with great interest.

 

So O is retail, what does the +-F stand for?

 

Mick

[Tronic]

 

 

As relating to boot drives, you are right.  However, as relating to data drives, many motherboards on the market today can make use of the full 3 TB capacity without UEFI.  Each particular piece of hardware requires hands-on testing to make sure one way or the other.

 

As pertains to this particular hardware, I currently have some 3 TB Hitachi CoolSpin drives that I am going to be using to test out all the motherboards and controllers I have over the next couple of weeks.  The Biostar A880G+ is one of the motherboards I will be testing.  If you aren't in too much of a hurry, I suggest that you might want to wait for my test results before making any purchasing decisions.  I will try to be expedient in my testing.  Feel free to PM or email me for progress updates.

 

I think i'm just going to start with 2tb drives and will add 3tbs along the way. Only other question is: Can I use a Sempron 145 in place of the 140? Only reason I ask is because it is $15 cheaper on Amazon. Thanks.

[Rajahal]

Absolutely, a Sempron 145 will work just as well.

[Tronic]

Does the CX430 PSU not come with an ATX12V cable? If so, what are you guys using to power the CPU? Do I need to buy a 4 pin peripheral to a 4 pin 12v converter?

 

Biostar A880G+

Sempron 140

Corsair CX430

Kingston 2gb 1333

 

Thanks.

 

[Rajahal]

Yes, the CX430 comes with a 20+4 pin cable as well as a 4+4 pin cable, everything you need, no extra cables required.  Your parts list looks good.