Looking to upgrade my unRAID box as my current build struggles to support transcoding to a single device currently.  I will need to get a new processor regardless but I'm not sure what motherboards I should be looking at:  brand, models, NIC's, etc.

 

My build use case:

-6 drives (1 cache)

-Handle transcoding for up to 2 roku boxes

-Running Plex, Sickbeard, CouchPotato, Sabnzbd, Crashplan

 

Any suggestions on what I should be looking at?

 

I've seen a number of recommendations for supermicro boards.  They seem solid but I feel like I'm over buying for my use case.

This very nice mini-ITX board has 6 SATA ports and supports any of the Ivy Bridge CPU's

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131841

 

If you're not using a mini-ITX case, you can still mount it in your larger case and have LOTS of free "working space" in the case, along with very good airflow.    Or you could put it in the superb Lian Li PC-Q25B case, which is a superb case for a 6-drive system.

 

Pop in an i5-3570 or an i7-3770 and you'll have FAR more "horsepower" than you need for your plugins 

Or just buy any micro-ATX or ATX motherboard with Ivy Bridge or Haswell (Socket 1150) support and at least 6 SATA ports.

 

This very nice mini-ITX board has 6 SATA ports and supports any of the Ivy Bridge CPU's

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131841

 

If you're not using a mini-ITX case, you can still mount it in your larger case and have LOTS of free "working space" in the case, along with very good airflow.    Or you could put it in the superb Lian Li PC-Q25B case, which is a superb case for a 6-drive system.

 

Pop in an i5-3570 or an i7-3770 and you'll have FAR more "horsepower" than you need for your plugins 

 

Aren't there issues with the Realtek NIC's?  This one is 8111F but I've read numerous issues with 8111E being unsupported. 

There are no issues with the NIC.    That board works perfectly in my system => and also happens to be the same board LimeTech  is using in their new AVS-10/4 server 

(at least in the Atom-based version of it)

 

http://lime-technology.com/avs-104-server/

 

I'm hesitant on that board you recommended.  Not a lot of positive reviews with it which scares me.

Whoops !!  I got two threads mixed up ==> the board I use (and that Tom uses in his new server) is the Atom-based SuperMicro motherboard, but that's not what I suggested for you.

 

What I suggested for you is the Asus board that supports Ivy Bridge CPU's.  But that board is also an excellent choice => in fact, if I wanted more "horsepower" it's exactly what I'd use for a SFF system.    I'm not sure what you've read that scares you ... but there are plenty of very positive reviews on it (and with ANY board you'll find both positive and negative reviews).

 

Read this thread about a very nice build (in the same Lian-Li PC-Q25B case I use) that uses that exact board.  The thread also has (at my prodding) at lot of details on the power consumption -- it's a very power-efficient board (although not as much so as my Atom):

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=24786.0

That just made me feel a lot better about that board.  My concern was with all the DOA's and failures in 6 weeks.  Seeing that its being used in other builds though is encouraging. 

 

Now its off to convince the the wife to let me spend the money on the upgrade  

Not sure what case you're using; but if you want a SLICK, VERY quiet, VERY small, case, take a look at the Lian-Li PC-Q25B.  This makes a VERY nice system for up to 7 drives (or 6 3.5" and 2 2.5")

 

I'm rocking an Antec 300 right now which I picked up for $30 on a newegg deal.  Keeping my eyes open for a new case but don't really need one yet.  I do love those Lian-Li cases though.  VERY SLICK INDEED.