Feedback wanted for my first Build - updated

[emorydively]

I have been lurking the forums and learning all about UnRaid and comparing it to FreeNAS, buying a prebuilt, etc. And I think I came to the decision to go with UnRaid. I'm trying for a budget/green build with green 2TB drives.

 

I will start out with 3 drives and probably not expand to more than 7 ever. Media server to my AppleTVs and storing Time Machine backups.

 

My planned build:

Case NZXT Technologies Source 210 Computer Case (Black) $39.99

          http://www.amazon.com/Technologies-Source-210-Computer-Black/dp/B005869A7K/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nSie=UTF8&coliid=I3CQLVBN77VYXW&colid=SJ4ZTYB7WVPR

 

MLB ASRock 880GM-LE FX AM3+ AMD 880G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard $59.99

          http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157292&Tpk=AsRock%20880GM-LE

 

CPU AMD Sempron 145 Sargas 2.8GHz Socket AM3 45W Single-Core Desktop Processor SDX145HBGMBOX $39.99

          http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103888

 

RAM Rendition by Crucial 2GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model RM25664BA1339 $10.99

          http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148352&Tpk=N82E16820148352

 

Keyboard iMicro Basic USB English Keyboard KB-IM610KB (Black) $5.36  (Mac guy, need compatible KB)

          http://www.amazon.com/iMicro-Basic-English-Keyboard-KB-IM610KB/dp/B0065SMDHO/ref=sr_1_10?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1334694289&sr=1-10

 

Power Supply CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 V2 (CMPSU-430CXV2) 430W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply $16.99

          http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139026

 

SATA Data Cables 18inch SATA Serial ATA cable $1.18 3 $3.54

          http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10226&cs_id=1022601&p_id=1251&seq=1&format=2

 

USB Stick Verbatim 4GB Clip-it USB Drive $6.99 1 $6.99

          http://www.staples.com/Verbatim-4GB-Clip-it-USB-Drive-Black/product-nr_344246#revs_content

                                                                TOTAL $191.84

 

I think the PSU may still be overkill for this build. I really want it to be as power efficient as possible, so any feedback for changes to MLB/CPU/PSU to reduce usage is MORE than welcome.

[MTA99]

Looks like a nice build.

 

I assume you're planning on streaming media rather than transcoding. Might find that the Sempron could struggle a little depending on the quality/bitrate.

 

Also think about the power usage of the processor AND chipset. You might be surprised to find a more power hungry CPU with a lower power chipset will give lower overall power draw. Then you've got to balance that with the overall cost of the build and you end up spending another month getting back to where you started 

[emorydively]

Looks like a nice build.

 

I assume you're planning on streaming media rather than transcoding. Might find that the Sempron could struggle a little depending on the quality/bitrate.

 

Also think about the power usage of the processor AND chipset. You might be surprised to find a more power hungry CPU with a lower power chipset will give lower overall power draw. Then you've got to balance that with the overall cost of the build and you end up spending another month getting back to where you started 

 

Yeah, all of my video is pre-converted using Handbrake on my Mac Pro. As far as your chipset/cpu part... I got a little confused, are you saying that it will be hard to find a better balance or that you can spend a whole month trying to figure it out and its not gonna get much better than what I already selected?

 

P.S. thanks for the feedback.

[chickensoup]

Topic: The Power Supply Thread

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=12219.0

[Rajahal]

The 430W PSU is fine for your build, you can't get much lower than that. The rest of your component selections look fine to me as well. That motherboard looks like a solid budget board, in fact I may look at that one for my next round of 15 drive budget board testing.

 

To achieve a lower power draw, you'll need to upgrade to something like an i3 or Atom build, which will add over $100 to your initial investment. To recoup that through energy savings will likely take months or years, depending on how much electricity costs in your area.

 

My only suggestion at this point is to choose a different case that will allow you to upgrade to externally-mounted drives over time. The Azza 910 is a good example...

 

Also, your Mac keyboard will likely work as well, I doubt you'll need to buy another one unless you want to have one devoted to the server.