I currently have a rather large and unwieldly home server with a lot of hardware crammed into it, and a separate desktop just for playing games (99% of the time I only play League of Legends, so nothing hardware-intensive). I've been looking to consolidate my server down to 2 Yottamaster external enclosures (5 bays each) and a mini PC to act as the server, but I recently realized that I might be better off simply moving everything over to the gaming rig (i7-12700K, 96GB RAM, RTX 3070).

 

My thought process is that I could assign the gaming rig access to 4 cores, 32GB RAM, the NVME drive with Windows installed, and the 3070, and keep the remaining hardware for use by UnRAID. The current server has a GTX 980, so I can transfer that over to the gaming rig as well and use it for transcoding and any other tasks requiring GPU access. 

 

The current server has an older Ryzen 7 CPU, and I've had lots of random issues with backing up the flash drive, etc, so I'd really like to start fresh with UnRAID and just have the array, Docker containers, and plugins migrated over to the new server.

 

Is this possible without a ton of effort? I love the idea of using this transition as a fresh start. any advice is greatly appreciated. I watched SpaceInvader One's video on the subject, but it seems the intent there is to keep the installation as-is and just change the hardware. In my case, I think the only thing I really want to keep intact are the containers and data, not so much the UnRAID installation necessarily.

In the end its what you want it to do and how you wnat to interact with it...

 

Considerations

Network Bandwidth: Ensure your consolidated system has sufficient bandwidth for both gaming and server tasks.

Cooling and Noise: Dual-purpose systems often run hotter, so ensure adequate cooling and noise management.

Interruptions: Running both systems on the same hardware could impact performance if resource allocation isn’t balanced.

with unraid 7 and teh abilty to ditch the array i could see a refresh being nice.

review: 

 

 

Transitioning your server setup to share resources with your gaming rig while keeping UnRAID for your array, Docker containers, and plugins is entirely possible. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you consolidate your setup effectively while starting fresh with UnRAID.

 

Overview of the Plan

Use the gaming rig hardware (i7-12700K, RTX 3070, and 96GB RAM) as a consolidated platform for both gaming and the UnRAID server.

Run UnRAID as a virtual machine (VM) on the gaming rig using a hypervisor, or natively dual-boot.

Migrate your UnRAID array, Docker containers, and data without transferring the entire UnRAID installation to allow for a fresh start.

 

Step 1: Prepare the Gaming Rig

Hardware Prep

Add the GTX 980 to the gaming rig:

Assign it exclusively to UnRAID for transcoding or any GPU-dependent tasks.

Use the RTX 3070 for gaming and Windows.

Storage Setup:

Ensure the NVMe drive hosting Windows is separate from the drives you’ll use in the UnRAID array.

Set up the Yottamaster enclosures for your storage drives.

BIOS Settings

Enable Virtualization:

Intel VT-d (for IOMMU support) and VT-x (for CPU virtualization) should be enabled in the BIOS.

Configure PCIe Slot Assignments:

Set primary GPU (RTX 3070) for host OS (Windows).

Assign secondary GPU (GTX 980) to UnRAID.

Power and Cooling

Ensure sufficient power supply capacity and adequate cooling for a dual-purpose system.

 

Step 2: Choose Your Setup Method

Option 1: Run UnRAID as a Virtual Machine

Use a hypervisor like Proxmox, VMware Workstation, or Hyper-V on the gaming rig to host UnRAID.

Assign specific CPU cores, RAM, and PCIe devices (GTX 980, USB controllers, etc.) to the UnRAID VM.

Pros:

Allows you to run UnRAID alongside Windows simultaneously.

No need to reboot between gaming and server tasks.

Cons:

Adds some complexity.

Gaming performance could be impacted if the hypervisor isn’t properly configured.

Option 2: Dual Boot Windows and UnRAID

Install UnRAID on a USB flash drive as usual.

Configure the gaming rig to dual boot between UnRAID and Windows.

Pros:

Keeps UnRAID running natively, maximizing performance.

Simple and avoids conflicts.

Cons:

Requires a reboot to switch between gaming and server modes.

 

Step 3: Migrate Your UnRAID Setup

Since you’re looking for a fresh start, you can rebuild your UnRAID installation while keeping your data and Docker containers intact.

Backup Existing Data

Array Data:

Ensure all important data is backed up externally before the migration.

Docker Containers:

Export Docker container configurations:

Use Community Applications Backup/Restore Plugin to back up your Docker templates and settings.

Backup /config/plugins/dockerMan/templates-user from the flash drive for manual re-import later.

Plugins:

Note the plugins you use and their settings for easy reinstallation.

Rebuild UnRAID

Create a Fresh UnRAID Installation:

Download the latest UnRAID OS onto a new USB flash drive.

Boot into UnRAID on the gaming rig.

Rebuild the Array:

Assign the drives from the Yottamaster enclosures to the array. Ensure you assign the parity drive correctly.

Start the array and allow UnRAID to recognize the existing data on the drives.

Restore Docker and Plugins:

Reinstall Docker containers from the templates you backed up earlier.

Reinstall plugins through the Community Applications plugin.

 

Step 4: Optimize Resource Allocation

Assign UnRAID:

4 CPU Cores and 32GB RAM.

The GTX 980 GPU for transcoding tasks.

Specific USB controllers or NVMe devices for UnRAID if needed.

Leave the remaining cores, RAM, and the RTX 3070 for Windows and gaming

 

Step 5: Test and Monitor

Test Docker containers, plugins, and the array functionality in the new UnRAID setup.

Monitor resource usage (CPU, GPU, RAM) to ensure both systems run smoothly without interference.

 

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