GPU / APU Requirement / Recommendation for new Ryzen build

[SteveW]

Dears,

 

After many VM trials using Unraid and TrueNas scale I am planning on building my unraid server next week. It will be based on a rog strix 550-i and thus Ryzen.

 

Main use is file sharing ( replacing my slow qnap ) and around 20 dockers ( finally unplugging all those raspberry's ).

 

Where I'm still unsure is the GPU APU question.

Ideal plan would be building a headless system, saving power at the same time. But there might be the need coming up for a Windows VM running from time to time. In that case I would need a APU / GPU if understood correctly. The VM would only be remote accessed over lan, not over any physical hdmi ports.

 

Could anyone lead me a bit further down the road regarding this ? I read quite a lot but I am still unsure about the best practice. In the worst case I simply leave the system headless and put the vm on my Windows Machine. Less beautiful solution, but would work.

 

1. Do I need a GPU / Apu in the unraid setup for linux VM's with Destop GUI?

2. Do I need a GPU / Apu for Windows VMs?

3. Does anyone have success using an Ryzen APU for that use case? Which one?

 

Thanks for the help, looking forward to the unraid build this week!

Edited June 6, 2022 by SteveW
better structure

[Vr2Io]

1. Do I need a GPU / Apu in the unraid setup for linux VM's with Destop GUI?

Not necessary.

 

2. Do I need a GPU / Apu for Windows VMs?

Not necessary.

 

3. Does anyone have success using an Ryzen APU for that use case? Which one?

All APU would work.

 

The question is why you buy CPU instead APU, more powerful ? PCIe 4.0 ? ECC ?

 

What case you plan ? How many 3.5" disks ?

 

I notice you build with ITX mobo, drawback is it have one PCIe slot and one NVMe only, recently I realize my Cooler Master NR200P max support "smaller" MATX ( not wider then 226mm ), so I have change the mobo and now it have two more x1 PCIe slot for expansion.

 

The build need DIY modification, now it support three PCIe and three 3.5" HDD ( the attach photo was old one )

 

 

Edited June 7, 2022 by Vr2Io