As a new user to unRAID, I really want to thank the people who are taking the time to respond to all the questions!  The information on this board has extremely helpful.  I've read a ton but I'm at the point where I need to start asking my own questions

 

I was initially going to build one of the popular PC-Q25 / ASUS H87I-PLUS systems but I thought I'd investigate whether I could move up to a more powerful system that could handle virtual machines better.

 

My main reason for building a server is to host Plex and Crashplan.  I have them on an older desktop now and I am running out of space and processor power.  I'd like to be able to transcode two bluray streams and perhaps another two DVD streams simultaneously. The clients are ROKU, Chromecast, and various Android tablets mostly. 

 

I'll probably go with Virtualbox for VMs so I don't have to worry about direct IO of the SATA controller.

 

I'd like to stay with the Q25 case so I'm looking at the ASRock E3C226D2I board:

  http://www.asrock.com/server/overview.asp?Model=E3C226D2I

It has 6 SATA3, ECC, VT-d and IPMI so it seems to cover all the bases.  I was thinking of either the Xeon E3-1245 (with GPU) or E3-1240 (no GPU).  I'd start with a single 8GB ECC DIMM. 

 

In terms of the array, I was planning to start with 2 data disks and 1 parity disk, all 4GB Seagate NAS drives.  I'll add a cache drive later and eventually another two data disks.

 

 

So my questions are:

* Do you see any problems with this setup, other than it is way overpowered for a small unRAID array   I'm hoping the extra headroom will handle some VMs nicely.

* I haven't been able to find out how big the stock CPU cooler is on a Xeon, will it even fit under a SFX power supply in this case?

* Has anyone else run an 84 watt processor in this case?  Do you expect it would be able to handle the heat?

* Although it has the potential to use a lot of power under load, it should idle similar to an I3, right?  It will be on 24x7

* Since the C226 chipset only supports VGA, is there any benefit to getting a CPU with a built-in GPU?  Will virtual machines be able to take advantage of it in some way?

 

Thanks!

Not overkill at all with virtualization in mind.

 

I've not used this board; but have suggested it to several others who wanted to build a mini-ITX system that supported virtualization.  As you've noted, it supports ECC RAM, has IPMI, and has 6 SATA ports, so it's nearly perfect for what you want to do.

 

There's no problem using a stock cooler in that case -- especially if you use an SFX power supply (which you absolutely should).

 

As for using a 84w CPU ... no problem at all.  I've used CPU's up through an i7-4771 in these little Lian-Li cases with no issues at all.  Even the i7 idles at VERY low power -- the fact it CAN use over 80w doesn't mean it DOES.    But the extra horsepower is certainly nice to have at your disposal.

 

There's NO reason to use a CPU with integrated graphics, since the board has an onboard video controller to support the IPMI function.

 

 

 

 

Thank you garycase!  That helps a lot.

 

I hadn't realized the VGA output wasn't from the Intel chipset, thanks for pointing that out.  I think you said this, but I just want to be sure... there is no way that any software can use take advantage of the integrated GPU?  Even in a remotely accessed VM that wouldn't use the VGA output anyway?

 

The price of the two chips is pretty close, if the GPU could be used by *something* I'll go ahead and get it.  But if it would be completely useless, I'll go for the non-GPU version since it has a slightly higher passmark.

If you install a CPU with on-chip graphics, I believe this will override the onboard graphics on the motherboard for the VGA port ... but I don't see any reason to do this, since you're likely to access the box via IPMI and don't need any local display/keyboard/mouse on the server.

 

I'd go for the higher Passmark 

By the way, even if you weren't planning to virtualize, I like this board better than the H871-Plus because of the ECC memory support and IPMI.    I suspect I'll use it for my next PC-Q25B build.

 

That's exactly what I was thinking, thanks for the confirmation on all of this (and thanks for all the helpful info on your other threads too!)

By the way, SuperBiiz has the ASRock E3C226D2I for only $199 with coupon:

  http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=MB-E3C226I

Nice price -- $20 isn't enough to entice me to build a system I don't need (yet) ... but if WD had released their 5TB WD Reds I'd go for it !! 

 

... my next PC-Q25B system will have 6 5TB WD Reds -- and almost certainly this C226 board unless something better comes along very soon (not likely).

 

Just thought I'd follow up as I sit here waiting for the second round of preclear to finish...

 

This is a great case! The built-in drive cage is awesome, and I like the toolless design.  I do have a couple of complaints though...

• The case fans are not as quiet as I was hoping, I'll probably switch to Noctua at some point.
  
• I'm afraid the power button will be too easy to bump, I think I'll just disconnect it.
  

I really like having IMPI on the motherboard.  Now that I think about it, I don't think I have even used the power button yet, I've only turned it off and on using IMPI   I even flashed the bios over IPMI, which is kind of amazing to think about. 

 

Oh and there is a USB slot directly on the motherboard, which is perfect to boot unRAID from.

 

The SATA connectors are in a different position than the H87I, so I went with 12" cables.  I'm pretty happy with that length.

Good feedback on the board.

 

I don't find the power switch a problem -- but it's certainly true that with an IPMI board you can do without it.  I suppose it depends on just where you've got the case and what the likelihood of an inadvertent "bump" is 

 

I definitely like onboard SATA ports -- the SuperMicro I use has that as well.    On boards that don't, I use a cable that connects to a header and provides a plug, so you can still put the flash drive internally.