Based on previous threads I've posted and looking at the prices of some newer hardware I've decided to look over what I already have lying around to see if it can function at least for the next 6 months - 1 year as my NAS / media server. Here is the left over hardware I currently have. Will this be good enough to transcode 1 HD movie or other media if need be and provide streaming services?

 

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+

Mobo: Asus M2R32-MVP

RAM: 4GB DDR2

Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 8500GT

 

I also have a Dell Optiplex 760 with an Intel Core 2 Duo and 8 gb ram. I believe the only issue is the fact that they are built for these Dell boxes. I don't know if I can put it in a new box. Anyone know?

 

My concern with my first machine is the my RAM, CPUs ability to handle streaming and transcoding up to HD content and the fact that there are I believe there are 4 lower end SATA ports on the mobo. Thoughts? If you need any additional information please let me know.

RAM isn't really a determining factor in transcoding. CPU horsepower is. Without know much about AMD architecture, that dual core 3Ghz should easily get the job done (depending on how many concurrent transcodes you need).

Ok. I suppose for the time being I could always buy two 3tb drives and put them in the Dell Optiplex. One for parity and one for data. Then when the need arises to expand my storage space I could plan a more appropriate upgrade. If I was to store data on the drives and decide to upgrade hardware (mobo and CPU) would I lose my data on the drives or could I simply add the new hardware?

well this is the strength of software raid vs hardware raid

and especially UnRaid system.

 

unRiad and most software raids are hardware agnostic.

you can move the drives to any setup and use it with no data loss.

what you would do before upgrade/hardware change  is

1. run a parity check,

2. shut down(take it off-line )  the array,

3. shut down unRaid.

 

4. do the upgrade/update

5. boot on new configuration

6. turn on  array on line

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah, I really think either of those setups can get the job done in the short run. And the benefit of waiting for new hardware is that prices always fall and specs always go up.

4. do the upgrade/update

5. boot on new configuration

 

In between I would perhaps do some thorough testing of the new hardware with

a trial license. Do some preclear runs, memtests, some data copy, parity checks, a.s.o.

Of course not with your valuable array drives 

Somewhere (I think it was the wiki) I saw a checklist for a new build.

 

Just to feel more confident with the new horse prior to saddling it. 

4. do the upgrade/update

5. boot on new configuration

 

In between I would perhaps do some thorough testing of the new hardware with

a trial license. Do some preclear runs, memtests, some data copy, parity checks, a.s.o.

Of course not with your valuable array drives 

Somewhere (I think it was the wiki) I saw a checklist for a new build.

 

Just to feel more confident with the new horse prior to saddling it. 

 

well that goes without saying.

#4 on my list implies that you go through all the upgrade/update procedures you deem needed to ensure all is well. however if you upgrading some parts of your hardware you might not have the ability to test it until you actually do update.

you might not have all the hardware needed to build a test rig and run it in test configuration.

so while  a good advice it might not be possible.

example I am updating a MB.

I might not have ALL other things I need to do a test build.

as in CPU/CASE/PSU/RAM free HDD to use in test.

 

or if I do total hardware upgrade sans hard-drives, I might not have HDD to use for tests.

 

 

Since I'm short on large hard drives for my Dell box, what is the recommended brand for an unRAID NAS and mediaserver?

I think most people would say "Whatever brand you like best".  There is no required brand.  Many use green drives,  NAS caliber drives and 7200rpm drives.  Now if you want to know which drives are more reliable that is a different question but still subject to different opinions.

 

I like WD Red drives.  I don't like WD Greens.  I like Hitachi/Toshiba's and Seagate's too.  I have 4 unRAID servers.  HP N40L is full of 2TB WD Red Drives.  2nd is full of 15 3TB WD Reds.  3rd is full of Hitachi 2TB, 3TB, 4TB drives in 5400rpm and 7200rpm speeds.  Fourth is 3 Toshiba's and the rest are Seagates of 2 and 3TB sizes.

Since I'm short on large hard drives for my Dell box, what is the recommended brand for an unRAID NAS and mediaserver?

I just go with whatever drives I can find on newegg that have large capacity, good price-per-GB, and good reviews.  I think I've got three different brands and three different sizes in my array. I just grow it one drive at a time as I fill it up. The beauty of unRAID is that it doesn't really care.

 

If space is already an issue and you're just starting, you'll probably need two drives since your largest will have to be used for parity, and then you'll want another to actually store stuff.

I like WD Red drives.  I don't like WD Greens.  I like Hitachi/Toshiba's and Seagate's too.  I have 4 unRAID servers.  HP N40L is full of 2TB WD Red Drives.  2nd is full of 15 3TB WD Reds.  3rd is full of Hitachi 2TB, 3TB, 4TB drives in 5400rpm and 7200rpm speeds.  Fourth is 3 Toshiba's and the rest are Seagates of 2 and 3TB sizes.

 

Why do you have 5400rpm drives? Any benefit to having those over the 7200rpm?

I like WD Red drives.  I don't like WD Greens.  I like Hitachi/Toshiba's and Seagate's too.  I have 4 unRAID servers.  HP N40L is full of 2TB WD Red Drives.  2nd is full of 15 3TB WD Reds.  3rd is full of Hitachi 2TB, 3TB, 4TB drives in 5400rpm and 7200rpm speeds.  Fourth is 3 Toshiba's and the rest are Seagates of 2 and 3TB sizes.

 

Why do you have 5400rpm drives? Any benefit to having those over the 7200rpm?

5400 are usually cooler (although the DM Seagates seem to be as cool as my 5400s) and with 1TB platters the 5400s are just as fast as the 7200s with 800GB platters and fast enough for me.  I don't need allot of speed.  I stream back media at a much lower speed than even a 800GB platter 5400 drive will produce.  The only time the extra speed is nice is when I'm moving files around on the server or copying to it.  But then you are limited by the write speed in unRAID anyway so it doesn't really matter.  I just setup the copying to happen over night.  Biggest advantage to my WD Red's are that they are designed for NAS duty and have a longer warranty than my Seagate's.  The 5400 Hitachi's (and the 7200s Hitachi's for that matter) are older drives with a few newer ones scattered in to fill out the array.  For my BluRay share I have used the 7200 Hitachi's since they get used by more than one HTPC at a time and I had them.  The 5400s are for backups and a single HTPC's recorded files.  My Seagate's are also a mix and many are older than the DM 1TB platter drives and will be replaced as problems occur.  I already have one Seagate drive out of the array because of speed problems.  It is running at half the speed of the others and drops my Parity Checks to 35 MB/s.  It is probably on it's way to death now.  So I removed it from the array to be used for offline backups only until it is completely dead.

Ok thanks for the explanation. I'm thinking of going with the WD 3tb Red drives. I was going to get two. One for data and another for parity to start. I just need to save up the cash to buy them. They're a little pricey.

Ok thanks for the explanation. I'm thinking of going with the WD 3tb Red drives. I was going to get two. One for data and another for parity to start. I just need to save up the cash to buy them. They're a little pricey.

Yes they are.  That is why I have the others.  I basically bought whatever was cheapest and had the warranty length I wanted.  When I first started I used WD Greens that had 3 year warranties so I bought those.  I had allot of those WD Greens go bad so have decided not to buy them any more.  I do like to keep the same type of drive on a server where I can.  At least the same manufacturer anyway but that is just an OCD thing.  The most recent unRAID server was of the Seagate's and is mostly of old drives.  I would have done all Seagate NAS drives if they had been out when I was buying them.  They are a big mix of drives because they were used as recording drives on my SageTV servers originally and were not used in my unRAID servers until my most recent build.

 

 

Out of ~26 WD 2TB Green drives I have 6 in working shape but even though 12 of the 20 failures were my fault (I had them in a case with a fan that had failed and they got to 59-62c on a parity check) the other 8 were just bad drives.  Those 20 failed drives are now my off line backups they still work but I would never trust them in an array any more - too many age related smart errors.