Greetings,

My dream unraid server which I plan to build would a 20+ drives unraid server, but sadly due to the fact I live in a crappy country and due to limited funds this is not possible right now.

So I was thinking of going for a cheap case [something like the CM 590] bunch of quiet fans and a cheap level 1, 6 sata,1 pci-e motherboard and stay in the 10-12 drive range for a few monthes/ year and later expand into some rack like chassis [because as far as I know there isn't really a 20+ drive tower case : P] and a new fancy motherboard.

 

From the days I have spent lurking about I don't really see a problem with this plan, but I would like some opinions so I wont feel like I am missing some big factor and making a horrible mistake.

 

Just so you understand importing or buying locally a proper case that will hold the amount of drives I want would cost around 600-1000$ from what I have seen. and importing a proper level 3 motherboard around 200-300$.

 

I don't know which country you live in, but I sympathise.  I have much the same problem here in Philippines.  The ordinary, run-of-the-mill, components are (usually) available at a reasonable price.  As soon as you want anything which is slightly 'specialist', it becomes almost impossible to obtain and/or horrendously expensive.

I don't know which country you live in, but I sympathise.  I have much the same problem here in Philippines.  The ordinary, run-of-the-mill, components are (usually) available at a reasonable price.  As soon as you want anything which is slightly 'specialist', it becomes almost impossible to obtain and/or horrendously expensive.

 

Exactly! Well said!

Since no one has responded yet im assuming my plan is solid but ill wait a bit more since this forum is a bit slow [but still great! ]

 

Im actually from Israel by the way.

No problem with the plan - just think about your data requirements for the next 1-2 years... you're probably going to want to rebuild at that point anyway for some new fancy motherboard, and 4/5TB drives etc.  If 10 or 12 drives will be sufficient, then that's fine, but I've you've got 15TB of data already on other media, you might want to rethink the strategy.

 

You can get a 20+ case other than a rackmount.  I have an Antec 1200, which will take 4x 5-drive backplanes... plus plenty of space for a couple more if needed.

I don't know which country you live in, but I sympathise.  I have much the same problem here in Philippines.  The ordinary, run-of-the-mill, components are (usually) available at a reasonable price.  As soon as you want anything which is slightly 'specialist', it becomes almost impossible to obtain and/or horrendously expensive.

 

Exactly! Well said!

Since no one has responded yet im assuming my plan is solid but ill wait a bit more since this forum is a bit slow [but still great! ]

 

Im actually from Israel by the way.

 

The most expensive way to buy new and then have to throw it out and buy more new.  For that reason it is smart to either use spare parts or invest in components that will scale to your ultimate needs.  I could see something like the Sharkoon Rebel 12 (also called iCute in some countries), or the Antec 1200, or some other 12 bay server.  With cheap 4 in 3s (non-hot swap), you'd be able to support 16 drives.  If you wanted to step up to 5 in 3 enclosures, you'd be able to get to 20 drives with ease.  I'd say the cost of some throw away 4-in-3s ($10 - $15) is not such a loss.

 

I would definitely recommend a motherboard with 2 PCIx4 or faster slots, and 1+ PCIx1 slots.  I think there are AMD compatible offerings that aren't terribly expensive, although motherboards come and go so fast it is hard to keep up.

Thank you for your responses.

I do see people here prefer to invest in more expensive parts that will scale with their future needs. but in my case such parts are more expensive then usual.

An Antec 1200 case would cost here 300$ and a single 5 in 3 enclosure [the cheapest] would cost around 200$ to import and a Super Micro C2SEE would cost 300$ to import, I cant afford that right now.

So in my case I think it would be better to either get a cheap motherboard and case and later expand into a case like an Antec 1200 and a motherboard such as the Super Micro C2SEE or something like that or I could just buy a 2nd cheap server with a cheap case and motherboard like the first server.

As you will have realised, from reading through the Limetech site and this forum, almost any old PC hardware will do for running unRAID.  Many people will already have old kit lying around, unused, which would be perfectly adequate.

 

I started off with an old Asus A8N system which I hadn't been using for a couple of years.  Watch out, though, that some older hardware was buggy - old NVidia chipsets, for instance.  Then, as your needs expand, you can supplement, or replace, parts as you go, in whichever order best fits your requirements.

 

For the most part, components are all interchangeable - case, mobo, psu etc.  Almost any case/psu will be adequate for 4 to 6 drives, and processing requirements for a basic unRAID are minimal.  However, as has been said, the most expensive path is to purchase new parts and then replace them subsequently.

 

Get yourself a usb memory stick, load the free (3 drive) unRAID software, and get started with some existing, or second hand kit.

While I appreciate the response PeterB,

I already mentioned my requirements. How does a 3 drive server made from old hardware answer those requirements?

 

If you are trying to say that im better off using old hardware until I can afford a more expensive scalable setup then thats something else, and its an option im willing to consider if someone can give me a reason why my plan isn't a good one and why a scalable setup that will cost 3x as much is so much better.

Thanks again.

Sorry, you implied that financial resources are limited, and I was simply pointing out that it is possible to start out with unRAID, almost for free, and then just devote your financial resource to the area(s) which is/are imposing the current constraint.

 

If you are saying that you need 10-12 drives immediately, then that will not work - but, assuming that 2TB drives are available to you, that implies that you are looking to support 20TB - I certainly couldn't find 20TB worth of data to load immediately.

 

My long-term plan is to support 15 drives in 5in3 backplanes and before I have 30TB worth of data, larger drives will be available.  I started off with two 1TB drives in my old Asus A8N system and have been building up from that base.  My server is used, primarily, to hold video and audio media for home entertainment.  I now have case, mobo/processor and psu which are more than adequate, and my plans now are to add an hba and backplanes.

 

Perhaps it might be helpful to tell us what you plan to use your server for, and where the data is currently residing?

Server will be for pretty much what you use it for, audio and video media. I have around 20-30tb of data in internal and external drives around the house [i do not plan to use any of these drives for the server]. I dont know if I plan to start right away at 10-12 but I was planing on starting at 4-6 and expanding every month with a drive or two, as much as I can afford till I reach the limit.

 

Thank you for your help and interest PeterB its nice to see someone who is so willing to help  

I believe your plan makes sense given the limitations you are facing.  If you can get a CM 590 case, great, you'll love it.  They are very hard to find in the US.  I also highly recommend the Biostar A760G M2+ motherboard if you can obtain it - it is currently for sale on eBay, and that seller may ship internationally.  If you have trouble finding any particular parts, feel free to PM me, I've shipped parts internationally in the past.

I believe I should be able to get my hands on a CM 590 case, I see plenty of local online stores that carry it here for cheap.

Regarding the motherboard though...not sure how I feel about spending so much money[its really the heavy taxes that make the importing process so expensive] on importing a motherboard without any kind of warranty or something like that.

Today I found a local store that sells the BIOSTAR TA790GX 128M for a somewhat sane price which I have seen a few people build with, just need to check on the store's stock.

 

Thanks for responding Rajahal and for the offer. Now that I have your response I feel fairly confident to proceed as planned.