Hi folks, I hope I've posted this in the right place.

 

I've started my unraid build, but before I go ordering the last bits and pieces, I wondered if someone would be so kind as to cast their eyes over it and confirm it will work as it should.  What I'm looking for it to do, is mainly act as a media server, but with a couple of extras.

 

My home network is mac based, and I'll initially be using Front Row as a front end to access the media, though I may want to try Plex in the future.  I'll be using a mac mini as a 'head' for the system, to allow the other computers in the house access to the media library.  In addition, I wanted to dedicate a drive for the four macs in the house to back up to, using Time Machine as the backup software. 

 

My components list is as follows:

 

Antec titan 550 case:

http://www.kikatek.com/product_info.php?products_id=2765&source=froogle

Corsair CX500 power supply

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0045Y1EJ8/ref=asc_df_B0045Y1EJ85071641?smid=A17AS5ETPMZ9A1&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22218&creativeASIN=B0045Y1EJ8

2x Xsilence redwing case fans

http://www.dabs.com/products/xilence-red-wing-92mm-quiet-fan-55PP.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=product+search&utm_content=Q200

(away to purchase)

Asus M4A785-M Motherboard AM2+ AMD 785G mATX RAID SATA Gigabit LAN (Radeon HD4200)

http://www.kikatek.com/product_info.php?products_id=120560&source=froogle

AMD Sempron 140 2.7GHz Socket AM3 1MB Cache Retail Box Processor

http://pcdirectuk.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=586

Kingston HyperX - Memory - 2 GB ( 2 x 1 GB ) - DIMM 240-pin - DDR II (DDR2) - 1066 MHz / PC2-8500 - CL5 - 2.2 V - unbuffered - non-ECC

http://www.base.com/buy/product/kingston-hyperx-memory-2-gb-2-x-1-gb-dimm-240-pin-ddr-ii-ddr2-1066-mhz-pc2-8500-cl5-2-2-v-unbuffered-non-ecc/dgc-khx8500d2k2_2g.htm

Western Digital WD20EARS Caviar Green 2TB SATA Hard Drive w/ 64MB Cache

http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/Shop/ShopDetail.asp?ProductID=8853

 

My plan would be to buy three drives initially (Parity, storage and Time Machine drive), then add to it as and when I need more storage, until I max out the 6 sata ports on the mobo.  Then I'd add a SATA controller and add another 6 drives.  I'm really looking for someone with a bit more knowledge than myself to just check over my list, and let me now if there is anything that I've forgotten, such as, do I need some kind of heatsink on the processor?  Do I need another case fan?  I know I'll need a 3x5 drive cage eventually, but I have room for 6 drives in the case at the moment.  Once I've filled these then I'll add a Drive cage assy.

 

I really appreciate the help I've received from these forums already, and just thought I'd check before I splurged the cash.  Incidentally, the WD green drives are the cheapest that I've found.  Does anyone know if they are reliable, or is it a case of, 'you get what you pay for?'

 

I'm unsure what AMD is like with compatibility, but that processor might not fit the AM2+ socket motherboard. I'd be looking at the AM3+ motherboards, with DDR3 ram. It'll save you a lot of hassle if anything decided to fail after 12 months (easier access to parts).

 

If you're looking to use plex on this machine in the future, perhaps a beefier CPU would go a long way. You can potentially unlock a core, but it's a risky process. You're better off spending the $20 upgrade to get a dual core so you can transcode videos etc.

 

The CPU should come with a heatsync, it's nice and quiet. And I'm guessing you have a flash drive all sorted out for unRAID?

 

Regarding case, how much are you looking at expanding to? I'd try to look at a case with 9 external 5.25" bays, aim for maximum expansion. There are a few cases recommended in the builder threads on this forum.

 

Good luck!

A sempron 140 will be fine on that motherboard but personally I agree with speeding_ant, a dual core would probably be a better choice, something like an AthlonII X2 240.

 

Might be worth checking if the case comes with fans before buying new ones, unless you're set on those.

 

Other than that it all looks good

I have this exact board.  working great now for 2+ months.  It has an Athlon II X2 7750 on it.  But yes a Sempron is compatible.  http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/AMD_AM2Plus/M4A785M/#CPUS

 

That said, I would not buy this board now.  Mine was sitting around unused.  It was my main PC board before I upgraded. 

 

If I were byuing a board now I would get the ASROCK 880GM-LE (http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=asrock+880g&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&oe=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=978109496023614213&sa=X&ei=Ity7TpDmNsfc0QHwwIXeCQ&ved=0CFYQ8wIwBQ#)

 

buddy of mine just got this board for his first unraid build coupled with a sempron chip.  No point in starting with a board that limits the upgrade potential AND uses more expensive memory.  DDR2 costs nearly 2x more than DDR3 at this point.

 

But if you already have these parts sitting around, no point buying new stuff since it should work great as it has for me.

No problems with that combo.  Many are running that board and CPU, including myself.  If you can find it for a good price go for it.  I've had no issues running mine over a year now.

 

<Good points about DDR2 vs. DDR3>  The GSkill 4GB I bought last year was 76USD...now DDR3 can be found for < 40USD. Otherwise the M4A785-M will not limit your performance.

 

ASRock 880GM-LE

http://www.kikatek.com/product_info.php?products_id=167429 (noticed it is cheaper than the M4A785-M as well )

 

I have stayed away from the WD Greens, many on this board prefer the Hitachi 5K3000 - but in this market get what you can for the best price.  I would recommend running "preclear" to identify any issues prior to adding to the array.

Might be worth rethinking the case...

 

Fractal Design's DEFINE XL has 10 internal (3.5") drive bays AND 4 (exposed) 5.25" bays. Using a 5 in 3 drive cage / convertor means you'll get 15 drives in and still have a 5.25" bay free for an optical drive if you want one or you could squeeze another two 3.5" drives in with an x-swing!

 

Here's a few pics of the DEFINE XL fully loaded with 14 drives (without a 5 in 3 cage)

 

http://www.avforums.com/forums/networking-nas/1528929-where-get-cheap-5-3-drive-cages.html

 

The cases recommended here with 9 exposed 5.25" bays (like the Antec for example) are all well and good but they are pretty expensive and you need to fork out upto £100 a go for 5 in 3 hot swap cages, so it gets expensive quickly (i.e. before you buy any drives?).

 

Personally, my take on 5 in 3 cages are that unless you're planning on swapping out drives regularly (hopefully unlikely in a server) then why not forgo the conveninence of hot swap and go with something more simples like these...

 

http://cybershop.ri-vier.nl/5-bay-mobile-rack-module-hdr5-p-104.html

 

They're about one tenth of the price and the money you save will buy you a few drives!!!

 

Thats my opinion anyway.

 

Good luck with your build anyway.

 

Thanks for all the responses people!  I've taken on board everyones' excellent advice, and gone and ordered some bits.  I already had the case & PSU, and TBH, I'm happy enough to use them with a 5in3 when that becomes necessary.  I don't see myself needing more than 20TB at this point.  I ended up buying the ASRock 880GM LE, with an Athalon X2 260 @ 3.2Ghz.  I may overclock this to around 3.7Ghz.  Also, because the DDR3 was half the price of DDR2, I bumped my RAM up to 4gig.  All I really need now are a shedload of drives to get up and running. 

 

The Mobo has a pretty crappy onboard graphics chipset, I'm guessing that a graphics card would help with transcoding when running Plex on Unraid?

 

On impulse, I've also ordered some red cold cathode lighting, cos I'm a twit like that. 

Thanks for all the responses people!  I've taken on board everyones' excellent advice, and gone and ordered some bits.  I already had the case & PSU, and TBH, I'm happy enough to use them with a 5in3 when that becomes necessary.  I don't see myself needing more than 20TB at this point.  I ended up buying the ASRock 880GM LE, with an Athalon X2 260 @ 3.2Ghz.  I may overclock this to around 3.7Ghz.  Also, because the DDR3 was half the price of DDR2, I bumped my RAM up to 4gig.  All I really need now are a shedload of drives to get up and running. 

 

The Mobo has a pretty crappy onboard graphics chipset, I'm guessing that a graphics card would help with transcoding when running Plex on Unraid?

 

On impulse, I've also ordered some red cold cathode lighting, cos I'm a twit like that. 

overclocking on something like a server, were stability is key, is not a great idea.  If you need/want the extra speed, just buy a faster CPU.

 

And now, a better video card will not help with plex.  unRAID only includes basic graphics drivers so you will not be able to take advantage of any beef GPU you might put in there. Get a beefier CPU to help with Plex transcoding.

Thanks for the response.  The only reason I mentioned overclocking was because I've come across a couple of articles stating that with my particular mobo/processor, a very stable overclock is possible up to around 3.7Ghz, however, I'll probably leave things as they are unless I find that the machine struggles.  Good to know there's no point adding a GPU, so I won't bother!

Might be worth rethinking the case...

 

Fractal Design's DEFINE XL has 10 internal (3.5") drive bays AND 4 (exposed) 5.25" bays. Using a 5 in 3 drive cage / convertor means you'll get 15 drives in and still have a 5.25" bay free for an optical drive if you want one or you could squeeze another two 3.5" drives in with an x-swing!

 

Here's a few pics of the DEFINE XL fully loaded with 14 drives (without a 5 in 3 cage)

 

http://www.avforums.com/forums/networking-nas/1528929-where-get-cheap-5-3-drive-cages.html

 

The cases recommended here with 9 exposed 5.25" bays (like the Antec for example) are all well and good but they are pretty expensive and you need to fork out upto £100 a go for 5 in 3 hot swap cages, so it gets expensive quickly (i.e. before you buy any drives?).

 

Personally, my take on 5 in 3 cages are that unless you're planning on swapping out drives regularly (hopefully unlikely in a server) then why not forgo the conveninence of hot swap and go with something more simples like these...

 

http://cybershop.ri-vier.nl/5-bay-mobile-rack-module-hdr5-p-104.html

 

They're about one tenth of the price and the money you save will buy you a few drives!!!

 

Thats my opinion anyway.

 

Good luck with your build anyway.

 

 

That is one nice case. If only that was available when building my unRaid server. The price of a Centurion 590 + 2x CoolerMaster 4-in-3 is almost the Fractal Design's DEFINE XL lowest price 

 

Also, that 5-in3 drive case looks great. Again, I would have used that if I have known about it earlier and is available in the US. That HDR-5 is not available here. Are those even compatible for third party cases or just for Norcos.

They both max out at 6 disks. The Antec case, the CPU, the RAM and the PSU could be used for a 12 drive system with a new MB and 1 or 2 HBAs. The HP is much less work.