January 5, 201313 yr Hi, I'm new here , I have been reading a lot of threads trying to figure out what parts should i get to build my first SFF unRaid server. I think I have a pretty good idea, but I would like share it with you guys before I mess it up I'm aiming for a small server with 4 drives right now, and possible grow up to 6 or 8 being optimistic. Here's is what i plan to get: [CASE] XCLIO Nighthawk http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811103030 [MOBO] Foxconn M61PML-K AM3 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813186229 [PSU] CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139026 [CPU] AMD Sempron http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103888 [RAM] Crucial 2GB (2 x 1GB) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148194 [HDD's] I already own 2x2TB WD Green and I plan to get 2 more. I don't plan to have it running 24/7, in fact its going to be off must of the time, and for that reason im really interested in getting the 'shutdown plugin' to work with this server. So another question is if I should look for specific hardware to make sure that plugin works. ------------- This is an extra question for any good soul out there If everything looks ok I would also like some advice about what connectors should i get, I'm a complete noob at building computers and systems, so i really have no idea how I'm going to assemble the parts. Thanks. Any opinion is welcome.
January 5, 201313 yr avraham, It's pretty easy to put these things together. The only connectors you need to worry about are the SATA data cables. The Foxconn motherboard comes with two cables, so you only need additional cables to go with however many drives you purchase. The powerdown plugin should work just fine with any modern system so no worries there. I would expect you can readily assemble the parts you've specified and have a fully functional system. I do have a couple of comments on the items you've identified that are nitpicks, in the category of free advice being worth what you pay for it: 1) That case is a little bigger than small form factor. It looks like a fine case and will easily accommodate a growing array. It's just not gonna be as compact as, say, a Lian Li PC-Q08B. If you're happy with the mid-tower form factor, you might look at the NZXT cases. The Source 220 is $10 cheaper and looks to be better for cable management. No LED fans though. 2) The PSU you picked is the one Corsair PSU that some people have had issues with. The Builder series doesn't seem to have the quality control that other Corsair products do, at least according to Newegg reviewers. Odds are you'll get a perfectly functional PSU but there appears to be a non-trivial number of buyers that get a lemon. For a bit more money you can get a modular Rosewill Capstone that will also meet your needs. The nice thing about modular power supplies that is that you only use the cabling you need, making it easier to keep the air flowing in the case. 3) Consider kicking up the RAM quantity to 4 GB or more. It's pretty cheap and you'll probably find a need for it down the road. unRaid will make use of whatever spare ram there is. 4) The Foxconn MB only has 4 SATA ports. If you want to connect more HDDs you'll need to drop in an expansion card. I looked at the Newegg and Foxconn web sites and couldn't get any specifics on the ethernet chipset. I suppose its bundled in the Nvidia MCP61P. Hard to say if it works out of the box with unRAID. If it were me, I'd look at a different mobo, one with 6 SATA ports. The Foxconn is cheap, but if you add in the cost of a SATA card and an Intel NIC then you don't end up saving anything. I built my server last month using the Sempron as CPU with the other components as follows: [CPU] Sempron 145 [CASE] NZXT Source 220 [MOBO] AsRock 880GM-LE FX [RAM] Kingston HyperX 8 GB DDR3-1600 [PSU] PC Power Silencer MK III 500W Total was $276.19 not counting drives or USB stick. By the way, you didn't mention if you have a gigabit network. That's a definite must if you're going to be moving gigabyte sized files.
January 5, 201313 yr I like to check out the posts for small form factor cases; my original plans were to have a cube sized case. I feel tricked into viewing this . It is definitely not a SFF case. The build looks fine & Chugiak has posted good information already. I just had to chip in about the size.
January 5, 201313 yr Author I built my server last month using the Sempron as CPU with the other components as follows: [CPU] Sempron 145 [CASE] NZXT Source 220 [MOBO] AsRock 880GM-LE FX [RAM] Kingston HyperX 8 GB DDR3-1600 [PSU] PC Power Silencer MK III 500W Total was $276.19 not counting drives or USB stick. Thank you Chugiak, I really appreciate all the information and details you posted. I like the case Source 220 you used on your build. (I was planning to turn off the fan LEDs of the XCLIO Nighthawk anyway ). I had my doubts on the Foxconn MB because of the 4 SATA ports, thats why i was asking about connectors, but the AsRock 880GM-LE FX you used looks pretty solid for my needs for only a few more dollars. To sum it up I'm probably using most of the parts of your build, except for the PSU, im going for the Rosewill Capstone instead. By the way, you didn't mention if you have a gigabit network. That's a definite must if you're going to be moving gigabyte sized files. I have a dir-825 Xtreme N Dual Router and its going to be pretty close to the server. I should wire it with a cat 5e right ? or what about cat6 ? I like to check out the posts for small form factor cases; my original plans were to have a cube sized case. I feel tricked into viewing this . It is definitely not a SFF case. Sorry, I probably misused the SFF term, i probably meant that Im on a budget and going for a server with not to many drives. Thanks again for your help.
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