Upgrading from HP Gen8 MicroServer - MB & CPU options for a custom build

[Dazza993]

Hello everyone,  

I'm new to the forum but have been using unRaid for close to 10 years, with different iterations of the HP ProLiant MicroServers, first the Gen7 and presently a Gen8.

I'm currently running on 6.8.3 and don't do much other than just run the basic NAS with a couple of dockers (Sonarr & Sabnzdb)

I've 4 x 6T WD RED drives in the Gen8 microserver and running short on disk space.  One option would be to whack in a pair of bigger discs but I'm starting to feel that given the age of the Gen8 and my wanting to run a Windows 7 (and maybe Win10) VM on unRaid rather than using Parallels on my iMac, then and upgrade of the Gen8 may be a better option.  I'd like the ability to run more than 4 x 3.5 HDDs, so that I can purchase a single new bigger drive for my parity disc and and then repurpose the existing parity disc as a new data drive.
My current cache disk is a 250gb Crucial SSD but eventually I'd like to replace that with a M2 NVME SSD

I plan to house the new setup in a case with at least 6 drives (ideally 8 ) with the smallest footprint possible.  I like the look of the Fractal cases and was thinking about a Design 7 but I think this is going to be way too big, so the Fractal Node 804 is the most likely case I'll go for as it can hold 8 x 3.5 HDDs and has a similar profile to the Gen8 but a little larger in all dimensions, but will still fit on my desk.

The Intel vs. AMD debate seems almost irrelevant as from what I understand basic CPUs from with will be more than sufficient for my needs.

On the motherboard front I'd ideally want 6 SATA ports, but where I don't loose any of those if I add an M.2 SSD.  

The Node 804 case requires a micro-ATX motherboard so I've been looking at the ASRock X570M Pro4 which as 8 SATA ports and 2 x M2 slots - I don't see any mention that using these loses any SATA ports but with 8 of them I could tolerate that anyway.   I like the fact this MB has support for ECC memory and a decent power phase design, and 8 SATA ports all in a micro ATX format

I have no requirement for a dedicated GPU and would run the server headless so a CPU with video capability would be required and I'd been looking at the Ryzen 5 5600G - latest Zen3 architecture and more than enough oomph for a my needs.  If there's a lesser & cheaper CPU that would suffice then any recommenations are welcome.

 

I don't think I have any need for ultra fast RAM so 16gb of ECC RAM would suffice - from what I've read, unRaid can have issues with RAM running at high clock speeds anyway.

I'd like to ask if anyone can foresee possible issues with my proposed setup or if there's alternate MBs or CPUs from either the Intel or AMD that meet my needs outlined above, but at a lower cost.  Any recommendations would be most appreciated.

I've not mentioned a power supply, but again if there's recommendations (Corsair / SeaSonic seem the best) and what wattage I'd need to run the above plus 8 HDDs then suggestions would be most welcome.

The plan is to buy a new case, power supply, memory and CPU and then use the HDDs, and SSD cache disk from my Gen8 micro server initially but with a view to replacing the SSD cache with an M2 NVME SSD at a later date to release a SATA port for additional disks.

Thanks in advance for any and all comments, suggestions or recommendations.

Dazza....

Edited September 2, 2022 by Dazza993
Type in title

[Froberg]

Get Seasonic for realiablity. I've had PSU's drop power below spec during continuous use before (silverstone was the culprit, in that case) - while Seasonic has been ROCK SOLID. 

 

[Lolight]

On 9/2/2022 at 3:29 AM, Dazza993 said:

The Intel vs. AMD debate seems almost irrelevant as from what I understand basic CPUs from with will be more than sufficient for my needs.

My understanding is that only AMD Pro APUs support ECC.

If you're absolutely set on ECC memory then that would be your only option.

If not then then Intel would be the best option.

 

[Dazza993]

Thanks to @Froberg & @Lolight for your responses.

I've ordered the ASRock X570M Pro4 motherboard and Ryzen 5 5600G CPU from eBay as there was a 15% discount this weekend so that made them about the cheapest I could find.  Not being a Pro CPU that rules out ECC RAM (though the MB supports it) but I guess I'll have to live with that - if someone thinks ECC is absolutely critical - do let me know.

Case wise, I've settled on either the Fractal Design Define R5  or the Node 804.  I think the Define R5 edges it for me, as it can hold 8 drives and is smaller than the newer R7 case.

Memory wise do I need anything better than this
https://www.scan.co.uk/products/16gb-2x8gb-corsair-ddr4-vengeance-lpx-black-pc4-28800-3600-non-ecc-unbuff-cas-18-135v-amd-ryzen-opti

or if there's anything cheaper do let me know.  Is there any benefit for option for a single 16gb DIMM rather than 2 x 8gb DIMMs ?  The MB has 4 slots anyway and I'm expecting that 16gb is more than sufficient for unRaid plus a Windows VM (or two) - not running any games just legacy applications.

Back to the power supplies, Seasonic comes highly commended above but what about Corsair?
I'd been looking at either the Corsair 850W Enthusiast RMx Series RM850X V2 PSU (£135) which is Gold rated and fully modular or the SeaSonic FOCUS PX-850 850w with is the same money but Platinum rated or I could save £35 and get the Gold rated Seasonic Focus GX-850 

Looking at both PSUs I see 6 pin connectors - some labeled SATA  some labeled CPU/PCIe - I presume I can use any of these to power 3.5" HDDs if I'm not running any discreet GPUs? 

I probably don't need 850w initially but I want to have ample capacity should I need to add more drives in future.

Thanks again in advance for any other comments and suggestions.

[Lolight]

3 hours ago, Dazza993 said:

Case wise, I've settled on either the Fractal Design Define R5  or the Node 804.  I think the Define R5 edges it for me, as it can hold 8 drives and is smaller than the newer R7 case.

 Is there any benefit for option for a single 16gb DIMM rather than 2 x 8gb DIMMs ?

 

Back to the power supplies, Seasonic comes highly commended above but what about Corsair?

The Node 804 is also designed to hold 8 drives placed in a separate from the motherboard chamber with a better HDD cooling arrangement.

The Define R5 has better cable management but it looks to be of a more restrictive HDD cooling  design .

 

Single DIMM - single memory channel, two DIMMs - dual channel (better performance).

 

There are many highly rated PSU brands - it's a very competitive market with multiple players.

I have a PSU by Super Flower - the manufacturer behind the much better known EVGA Supernova line.

Any of the reputable brands will do just fine.

If you can afford, get the one with the highest 80 Plus rating - Titanium, or the next down, Platinum.

The Titanium rated PSU must be at least 90% efficient at 10% load, which would make it the most efficient one at idle where media servers normally spend the vast majority of their time.

 

 

[Dazza993]

I've opted for a SeaSonic Focus PX-750 80PLUS Platinum PSU,  looking at the costs of the Titanium rated models I simply couldn't justify the extra outlay.

The Corsair HX850 looked a good price on Amazon (£135) but I spotted too many people complaining of coil whine and it looked like all the RM Corsair models were gold rated.

 

[Froberg]

8 hours ago, Dazza993 said:

I've opted for a SeaSonic Focus PX-750 80PLUS Platinum PSU,  looking at the costs of the Titanium rated models I simply couldn't justify the extra outlay.

The Corsair HX850 looked a good price on Amazon (£135) but I spotted too many people complaining of coil whine and it looked like all the RM Corsair models were gold rated.

 

 

You won't regret Seasonic. Absolute beasts for reliability. I've had multiple Corsair PSU's give out - while my oldest Seasonics are still chucking along without a hitch. 

Anecdotal, I know, but yeah. 

[Lolight]

7 hours ago, Froberg said:

Anecdotal, I know, but yeah. 

The PSU market is an absolute mess from a consumer's point of view.

There are hardware junkies out there that like to keep track of all the shenanigans going on in the segment - outsourcing, subsourcing, same model/different year OEM/components substitution, etc.

I didn't want to spend any considerable time researching PSU's a few years back when I was shopping for NAS components, therefore decided to go with what I've found to be the only PSU brand that was manufacturing all of its PSU's in house - Super Flower.

You can get a glimpse of the topic in this discussion:

 

https://linustechtips.com/topic/1226030-seasonic-vs-corsair-psu/

 

https://cultists.network/140/psu-tier-list/

 

Edited September 6, 2022 by Lolight