First Unraid Build

[brent112]

After many years of using WHS I am finally moving to unRAID. I have read about it and heard good things so I decided I would go ahead and build a box. How do the specs look for this box?

 

Case - Helios 910 - http://www.amazon.com/AZZA-Helios-CSAZ-910-Mid-Tower-Black/dp/B002RS4HVQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311788254&sr=8-1

CPU - Intel Core i3 2100 - http://www.amazon.com/Intel-i3-2100-Processor-3-1GHz-LGA1155/dp/B004JEVGMO/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1311788381&sr=1-2

Motherboard - Asus ASUS P8H67-M LX -http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004QF0VGI

Memory - Corsair XMS3 4 GB - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ZDJ42O

Hard Drives - Data 4 Samsung Spinpoint F4's 2TB and Parity Drive - WD20EARS 2 TB

Hard Drive Stacker - SNT 4 in 3 hot swap (trayless) or Coolmaster 4 in 3- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817994076 or http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Module-Device-STB-3T4-E3-GP/dp/B00129CDGC/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1311788602&sr=1-1

 

I already have the CPU/Motherboard/memory from a PC i built and no longer need. The case is already ordered as well. The only thing i am up in the air about is if i should use the SNT hot swap bays or the Coolmaster 4 in 3. The Coolmaster unit cost half as much. Any thoughts?

 

I have installed unRAID5 Beta 10 on a test box and it is working great (I have alot of Macs in my house so i really need AFP support for OSx Lion and Time Machine). Are the V5 Betas stable enough from what you all have seen to run in production? (I know with betas nothing is guaranteed)

 

I will post pictures once i complete the build.

[Rajahal]

The hardware looks fine.  Do you care about how loud the server is?  The SNT cage uses two small fans, which are likely to be somewhat loud.  It is possible that you could remove the fans and rely on case cooling alone, but you would have to do some tests to make sure your drives don't get too hot.  If you want a higher quality 4-in-3, I recommend the Norco SS-400.  The Norco SS-500 is only $20 more and gives you better drive density.

 

I recommend against the internal drive cages because they make swapping drives so much more difficult.  However, if you are on a tight budget then they are justifiable.  I know the hot swap cages are expensive.

 

If you really need AFP then you will have to use the latest unRAID beta.  Just be prepared to upgrade often and be careful to properly document any issues you encounter and seek help when needed.  As long as you are aware of the risks, it is safe to use the beta.

[brent112]

Thanks for the tips. I decided to go with the Norco SS-400. Has anyone every swapped out the 80MM fan that is in it with a quieter one? Is it even possible?

[LateNight]

I just replaced the fan on a Norco SS-500 and the 400 looks very similar. Take a look.

[brent112]

So i finally finished my build. I ended up going with the Norco SS-400 Hard Drive Bays. The server is a speed demon (3.1Ghz I3, 4GB DDR3). I installed @Stokkes Plex Plugin and have it up and running. I am going to follow @LateNights post below and swap out the fans in the Norco bays. I also ordered some shorter SATA cables to clean up some of the mess caused by the long ones that are in there ATM.

 

For the Helios Case I took the left side panel (facing the front of the case) and took the HUGE fan off of it and spray painted a black manilla folder and tapped it on the inside to cover the large hole. I then moved that panel over to the right side and put the right sided panel on the left side (it looks much better).

 

I also took some more manilla envelopes, spray painted them matte black and cut to fit and taped them inside the case to cover up any vents (other than the two with fans attached to them venting out).

 

Currently I have 4 Samsung F4 2TB drives for Data, a 320GB cache drive and a 2TB seagate drive for parity. The Samsung are running at ~29c and the Cache are about ~33c (they are both 7200RPM).

 

The flash drive is a 8GB Toshiba drive attached to two port USB mount that is super glued to the power supply and attached to the motherboard?

 

Any recommendations for better airflow or things I might have missed?

 

[Rajahal]

Looks great!  If you haven't already, you could also cover up the three mesh open bays at the bottom of the case.  Doing so would force all intake air to go past the HDDs.  Also, there is a metal slide that allows you to close off any empty drive trays that you may have.

[brent112]

Thanks! I didn't notice the slide,I will have to look for them. I will cover the other three 5.25" slots as well. Once i fill up the bottom Norco (2 spare slots at the moment), i will probably purchase another backplane and put there.

I just ordered an 4 pin ATX12V extension cable so that cable can be routed behind the case instead of across the motherboard. And i ordered shorter SATA cables and new 80mm fans for the Norco's. Thanks for the tips.