My WIP server

[flippedcracker]

So I finally decided to make the jump from external hard drives hooked up to my main computer to a dedicated media server. I first started with an old computer I had with a P4 running ubuntu. Then I learned about unRAID and the snowball started. I quickly realized that my current setup wouldn't cut it as I was limited to just 2 internal drives with terrible cooling. So I ordered parts and now I'm hoping I got the right stuff.

 

Mobo: ASRock 880GM-LE

CPU: AMD Sempron 145 Sargas 2.8GHz Single Core

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB)

PSU: CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 V2 430W

Case: Antec Nine Hundred

 

Drives:

I got 4 3TB Seagate externals for free from work, so I cracked them open and put them in. I believe the drives are Seagate Barracuda XT ST33000651AS, which is a 7200 drive, but they were free. So far they're holding steady at 27°C during preclear. I didn't realize before buying the mobo that the drives were SATA 6Gb/s, and the mobo is only SATA 3Gb/s, so that's a bummer but probably not a major factor.

 

I also have 2 1TB drives (Seagate Barracuda ST31000528AS) and a 500GB (Seagate Barracuda ST3500320AS) that i'll be using for the cache drive.

These are all leftover drives from my work, so hopefully they'll work out. I'm think I'll have to upgrade my PSU at some point if I'm going to add more.

 

Should give me 11TB of storage with a 3TB parity drive, and a 500GB cache drive. I think that's enough to get me started.

 

Goals:

Serving media to 2 HTPCs running XBMC (with HD), and an original xbox also running XBMC (that one won't be getting the hd movies). I also plan on running the usual suspects (Sick Beard, Couch Potato, sabnzbd, transmission), and mysql to sync the XBMC libraries.

 

I'm currently preclearing the 3TB drives, so we'll see how it goes once it's up for real. One issue I did run into is the mobo doesn't have enough fan connections for the case, so I had to order a splitter. I hooked up the front fan that hits the most hard drives, but one drive doesn't have a fan on it until I get the splitter and that drive is consistently 3 degrees higher than the others (but only at 30°C instead of 27°C). My PSU also doesn't have enough SATA connections, so I'll need some splitters for that too once I add in the other drives.

 

Oh, I also need to get a SATA add-on card. The mobo has 6 SATA ports, but I'm planning on 7 already. So that'll probably be my next purchase.

[flippedcracker]

A couple of preliminary pictures while it's still being setup:

 

 

 

 

Things to do:

USB key on the top is getting moved to the inside once the adapter comes in. I am also getting a splitter for fan as there's a second on the front that I don't have a plug for. And I need to clean up the wiring.