Are the components listed a good choice for first steps with ESXi and unraid. The X8SIL is new in sealed ant-static bag Rev. 1.02 with all cables and accesoires and manual. Memory is new Kingston kit but processor is used with HSF. The whole combo costs a little over the price of a X9SCM-F here in Holland, roughly 200 Euros.

Not that I am that knowledgeable on this subject but sounds fine to me.

...not bad...8GB might squeeze it bit tight, depending on what other VMs you want to use.

I started with a similar combo....the X8SIL-F still sells for 130EUR new....so looks like a good deal.

No comment on the CPU being used...what cooler comes with it?

 

That board/CPU will work fine with one caveat:  If you plan to use some of the enhanced features of ESXi (e.g. vMotion) you have to apply a mask so it doesn't attempt to use AES instructions, which are not supported by the X3430.    The details of that are shown here:  http://admin-reminder.blogspot.ca/2011/11/vmware-cpuid-masks-for-aes-ni-and.html

 

It seems very unlikely that's an issue in your case, since all you want to do is install ESXi and build a virtual machine for UnRAID ... but it's a limitation you should be aware of.    It's the only feature that's missing from that CPU that has any impact on ESXi.

 

You can always add more ram.

8GB is enough to run unRAID and a VM or two depending on what you are running.

 

I'm running unRAID in a 1GB VM.

XP pro can run in as little as 512MB, but runs better with more ram. Max of 4GB for XP Pro 32GB. and probably only 3GB since the last 1GB is barely accessible to XP pro.

 

A slackware Dev system can run in as little as 512 or up to 2GB.

 

What I would recommend is a good SSD. I use the Samsung PM840 PRO.  256GB. It works very well on a SATA III port.

XP Pro boots up in less then 10 seconds.

 

...not bad...8GB might squeeze it bit tight, depending on what other VMs you want to use.

I started with a similar combo....the X8SIL-F still sells for 130EUR new....so looks like a good deal.

No comment on the CPU being used...what cooler comes with it?

 

Lowest price in Europe seems more like 165 Euros. In Holland it is still over 180 Euros.

 

http://geizhals.de/supermicro-x8sil-f-sockel-1156-dual-pc3-10667r-ddr3-a558208.html

That board/CPU will work fine with one caveat:  If you plan to use some of the enhanced features of ESXi (e.g. vMotion) you have to apply a mask so it doesn't attempt to use AES instructions, which are not supported by the X3430.    The details of that are shown here:  http://admin-reminder.blogspot.ca/2011/11/vmware-cpuid-masks-for-aes-ni-and.html

 

It seems very unlikely that's an issue in your case, since all you want to do is install ESXi and build a virtual machine for UnRAID ... but it's a limitation you should be aware of.    It's the only feature that's missing from that CPU that has any impact on ESXi.

 

Does it affect the entire X34 family? I have the option to get an X3450.

Lowest price in Europe seems more like 165 Euros. In Holland it is still over 180 Euros.

 

http://geizhals.de/supermicro-x8sil-f-sockel-1156-dual-pc3-10667r-ddr3-a558208.html

 

...last time I checked was around febuary, when I compared for a new 2011 build 

http://geizhals.at/eu/?phist=558208

 

...even more reason to go for it. This board also has two ESXi compatible NICs, that will work without adding extra non-offical drivers.

 

That board/CPU will work fine with one caveat:  If you plan to use some of the enhanced features of ESXi (e.g. vMotion) you have to apply a mask so it doesn't attempt to use AES instructions, which are not supported by the X3430.    The details of that are shown here:  http://admin-reminder.blogspot.ca/2011/11/vmware-cpuid-masks-for-aes-ni-and.html

 

It seems very unlikely that's an issue in your case, since all you want to do is install ESXi and build a virtual machine for UnRAID ... but it's a limitation you should be aware of.    It's the only feature that's missing from that CPU that has any impact on ESXi.

 

Does it affect the entire X34 family? I have the option to get an X3450.

 

IMHO, this will only be relevant when using vMotion/VCenter, which is not free.

Edit: ...and AFAIK this is only relevant when moving VMs around between hosts, where CPUs have different instruction sets/capabilities...AES-NI in this case...I think the whole family of 1156 XEONs lacks this feature, BTW.

Agree -- it's an excellent combo to use for the free version of ESXi.  And in fact it even works fine with vMotion (a paid feature) IF you mask the AES instructions, as noted in the link I provided earlier.

 

Gonna go with the X3450 anyhow. It's a more "capable" processor with hyperthreading. It's 50 Euros more. Might add another 2 sticks of 4 GB RAM too. Any advice which RAM?

...what's the model of the 2x4GB kit you already have in the combo?

AFAIR you cannot combine Registered and unbuffered ECC.

 

 

...what's the model of the 2x4GB kit you already have in the combo?

AFAIR you cannot combine Registered and unbuffered ECC.

 

Got this info from the seller/shop:

 

KVR1333D3D8R9SK2/8G Kingston ValueRAM Memory 2 x 4 GB

 

Couldn't find it in Holland. Is it OK to add another of these kits or is getting a 2x8 GB kit instead better?

...these are RDIMMs, dual-rank.

According to the X8SIL-F manual, the maximum RAM amount supported is 4x4GB modules in dual-rank (16GB).

So I'd get another of the same kit to add it...no use getting a 2x8GB kit...this will not work.

In order to get up to 32GB with 4x4GB RDIMMS, you need quad-rank modules, which is what I am using.

The X8SIL-F manual population guidelines on page 2-11 aren't completely clear about whether you can mix a pair of 4GB Registered modules with a pair of 8GB registered modules.  It appears you CAN, since it shows that as long as you populate 2 DIMM slots in the channel with the same modules, you're okay.

 

If you want to add more RAM, I'd be inclined to buy a pair of 8GB quad-rank DIMMs -- if they DO work with the current 4GB modules, you'll have 24GB.  If they don't, you'll still have 16GB (same as if you'd bought another pair of 4GB modules) ... and you can (a)  sell the pair of 4GB modules; and (b) have two spare memory slots in case you later decide to upgrade to 32GB.

 

Details are on Page 2-11 here:  http://www.supermicro.com/manuals/motherboard/3420/MNL-1130.pdf

...these are RDIMMs, dual-rank.

According to the X8SIL-F manual, the maximum RAM amount supported is 4x4GB modules in dual-rank (16GB).

So I'd get another of the same kit to add it...no use getting a 2x8GB kit...this will not work.

In order to get up to 32GB with 4x4GB RDIMMS, you need quad-rank modules, which is what I am using.

 

Shouldn't that be 4x8G RDIMMs?

Can you tell me what memory you have? Also Kingston?

 

Would these work?

 

http://www.ebay.nl/itm/NEW-SAMSUNG-DDR3-PC3-10600R-1333-8GB-ECC-REG-Server-Memory-M393B1K70CH0-CH9-/271182665231?pt=US_Memory_RAM_&hash=item3f23bf160f

....4x8G it is indeed, 

 

I am using 2 kits of these: KVR1066D3Q8R7SK2/16G

 

4 modules will run on low 800MHz only, so I resorted to the CL7 variant.

...the Samsung modules on ebay are dual-rank, as stated in the item description

Gonna stay with 2x4 for a while. Maybe add 2x4 later. Easy to oversee things. 2 or 4 rank, registered, unbuffered.

 

 

It seems the RAM I got doesn't work. There is a yellow LED LE3 that blinks. According to the manual it indicates unsupported RAM.

 

 

I have thes modules: Kingston KVR1333D3D8R9SK2/8G.

 

 

According to Kingston, that should be compatible.

...silly question: you did test with the XEON, not with any other CPU listed for the X8SIL, like an i3?...only the XEON will work with RDIMMs.

 

I am not an expert...based on that thread http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=895830 modules needs to be organized in x8 chips....I can't tell from the datasheet if that is the case.

According to Kingston, that should be compatible.

 

Thought so too. What else can be wrong? Motherboard defect? CPU? PSU?

...silly question: you did test with the XEON, not with any other CPU listed for the X8SIL, like an i3?...only the XEON will work with RDIMMs.

 

I am not an expert...based on that thread http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=895830 modules needs to be organized in x8 chips....I can't tell from the datasheet if that is the case.

 

I checked with a L3406.

What motherboard BIOS are you running?

 

 

Find out what is on the board and if it is not the newest try updating.