February 20, 201412 yr Hi all. Looking at a large unit (trying to keep it under $3000 AUD) to replace my current small ESXi box and my Synology. Parts so far are as follows: Intel Xeon E3 1270 v3 http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/CPU/Intel_Socket_1150/50995-BX80646E31270V3 Supermicro X10SLM-F http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/Motherboards/Server_&_Workstation/51265-X10SLM-F Corsair CMV8GX3M1A1600C11 8GB (1x8GB) 1600MHz DDR3 x 4 http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/Memory/DDR3/52131-CMV8GX3M1A1600C11 Lian Li PC-D8000 http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/Cases/ATX/47673-PC-D8000 Corsair RM550 Gold 550W http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/Power_Supplies/ATX/51782-CMPSU-RM550 LSI SAS 9207-8i x 3 http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/Controllers/SATA_&_SAS/50563-9207-8i-SGL
February 21, 201412 yr Have you considered the X10SL7-F mobo? That already incorporates 8 SAS ports, plus the six SATA ports, eliminating the need for one of the SAS cards.
February 21, 201412 yr Author Have you considered the X10SL7-F mobo? That already incorporates 8 SAS ports, plus the six SATA ports, eliminating the need for one of the SAS cards. That saves me about $400 and I get 26 SATA3 ports out of it. The second PCI-E port on that though is only PCI-E 2.0, is that going to be a problem for the LSI cards?
February 21, 201412 yr Have you considered the X10SL7-F mobo? That already incorporates 8 SAS ports, plus the six SATA ports, eliminating the need for one of the SAS cards. That saves me about $400 and I get 26 SATA3 ports out of it. The second PCI-E port on that though is only PCI-E 2.0, is that going to be a problem for the LSI cards? PCI-e 2.0 will still provide adequate bandwidth for eight rotating drives. In any case, you still have exactly the same capability as the SLM - that has two 3.0 slots and one 2.0 slot. The SL7 simply substitutes the on-board SAS for one of the 3.0 expansion slots. As far as I can see, the only feature you do lose is two of the USB 3.0 ports. If you really do expect to install more than 20 drives, I presume that you would 5in3 & 3in2 drive cages in the 5.25" bays. Again, if you are going to fit that many drives, I would question whether the 550watt PSU is adequate - I would be thinking in terms of 750/850 watts..
February 23, 201412 yr Author Thanks for your help so far PeterB I have changed my mind on the whole ESXi thing though, it seems at this point that it increases the cost and I am not really sure I need it given UnRaid has more and more ways these days to run VMs. Here is the two new proposed builds: Norco SS-500 x4 http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/125634/HDD_DRIVE_BAYS/Norco/SS-500.asp Antec Twelve Hundred V3 http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=25_733&products_id=6916 Intel Core i7 4771 http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=187_1490&products_id=25796 Corsair CMV8GX3M1A1600C11 8GB x2 http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=186_218&products_id=22896 Asus P9D-WS http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/Motherboards/Server_&_Workstation/52014-P9D-WS HighPoint Rocket 2720 x2 http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=210_385&products_id=26821 Corsair RM-750 80 Plus Gold PSU http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15_354&products_id=25690 OR: Norco SS-500 x4 http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/125634/HDD_DRIVE_BAYS/Norco/SS-500.asp Antec Twelve Hundred V3 http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=25_733&products_id=6916 Intel Xeon E3 1270 V3 http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/CPU/Intel_Socket_1150/50995-BX80646E31270V3 Corsair CMV8GX3M1A1600C11 8GB x2 http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=186_218&products_id=22896 Supermicro X10SL7-F http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/Motherboards/Server_&_Workstation/51264-X10SL7-F HighPoint Rocket 2720 x2 http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=210_385&products_id=26821 Corsair RM-750 80 Plus Gold PSU http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15_354&products_id=25690 Questions: What is the advantage of a Supermicro board and Xeon? Is it just better quality? I picked basic ram, to me RAM is RAM, more is better but faster stuff won't matter unless I overclock. Lastly, if I go for a Xeon CPU and Supermicro board should I go the whole way with ECC ram?
February 23, 201412 yr I see you are in Aus as well. Supermicro stuff here is expensive. I'm currently putting together an ESXi AMD build which would a lot cheaper. Josh Sent by tapatalk
February 23, 201412 yr Author I see you are in Aus as well. Supermicro stuff here is expensive. I'm currently putting together an ESXi AMD build which would a lot cheaper. Josh Can you elaborate please?
February 23, 201412 yr I like the Supermicro/Xeon build, and it will still be a very capable platform for running ESXi, if that is what you want. On the other hand, opting for Xen virtualisation under unRAID 6 may be a better option. However, I would make two comments about your selection of CPU. The E3-12x5 series includes an integrated graphics processor. This will be absolutely no use with the Supermicro board, which includes its own graphics capability, which is not dependent on support from the CPU. Secondly, I am not convinced that you will see a real-life performance benefit from the 1270 over, say, the 1230 or 1240, unless you are doing some heavy number crunching/video manipulation. The Supermicro/Xeon combination is definitely 'server class', intended for 24/7 use. One of the benefits is the support of ECC memory, and I would advise you to purchase ECC modules. I do wonder why you've chosen the HighPoint Rocket cards in place of the LSI cards - not saying it's a bad decision, just wondering why?
February 23, 201412 yr Author I like the Supermicro/Xeon build, and it will still be a very capable platform for running ESXi, if that is what you want. On the other hand, opting for Xen virtualisation under unRAID 6 may be a better option. However, I would make two comments about your selection of CPU. The E3-12x5 series includes an integrated graphics processor. This will be absolutely no use with the Supermicro board, which includes its own graphics capability, which is not dependent on support from the CPU. Secondly, I am not convinced that you will see a real-life performance benefit from the 1270 over, say, the 1230 or 1240, unless you are doing some heavy number crunching/video manipulation. The Supermicro/Xeon combination is definitely 'server class', intended for 24/7 use. One of the benefits is the support of ECC memory, and I would advise you to purchase ECC modules. I do wonder why you've chosen the HighPoint Rocket cards in place of the LSI cards - not saying it's a bad decision, just wondering why? Thanks for your help mate, I am really digging it so far. I have modified it to the 1270 v3, I assumed if there was no dedicated graphics then I needed the CPU with the built in graphics but if not then I save. As for the selection you are probably right that lower models would be fine but I like to buy good stuff when I can and dropping the model is an easy way to bring the built price down. (I am looking at sharing a Plex server and could have up to 6 streams going so thats a factor) I will look into ECC memory though its hard to find on the sites listed. The reason for the highpoint cards is they have everything I want but are cheaper and since ESXi compatibility is no longer a factor then I am ok. Last pain point is that the Supermicro board doesn't seem to have the required x8 for the PCI-E. The two cards need x8 from what I see.
February 23, 201412 yr I see you are in Aus as well. Supermicro stuff here is expensive. I'm currently putting together an ESXi AMD build which would a lot cheaper. Josh Can you elaborate please? It's not all up and running but so far so good. I've gotten ESXi stable with win 7 and ubuntu. I haven't got any hdd other than data store the moment but all hardware is being picked up. UnRaid free runs and picks up what i pass through. I haven't moved my unRaid over yet as family don't want down time. AMD FX 8320 Asrock 970 extreme4 With ESXi on this board I can pass through the first four sata ports and use the fifth for a data store. 3 IBM 1015 run and are detected on it. I'm waiting on a raid card to raid 0 the data store for a bit more speed maybe. When that's all up I'll transfer my unRaid across. Josh Sent by tapatalk
February 23, 201412 yr Author Thanks for the post joshpond, I am not familiar with AMD stuff so I think I will stick to Intel. Do I want registered ECC or just ECC?
February 23, 201412 yr Do I want registered ECC or just ECC? Buffered = Registered. You want un-buffered.
February 23, 201412 yr Author Do I want registered ECC or just ECC? Buffered = Registered. You want un-buffered. http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/Memory/ECC_&_Registered/48017-KVR16E11_8I ??
February 23, 201412 yr Thanks for the post joshpond, I am not familiar with AMD stuff so I think I will stick to Intel. Do I want registered ECC or just ECC? There isn't much to be familiar with. AMD does have a higher power draw but in idle it's closer. Better multithread. Heaps cheaper. It just builds like an intel, normal ddr3 ram. The intel is popular but more expensive. I'll write up my build one day when I've got it all done but it's nothing special hardware wise. Software is the same. Josh
February 24, 201412 yr Do I want registered ECC or just ECC? Buffered = Registered. You want un-buffered. http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/Memory/ECC_&_Registered/48017-KVR16E11_8I ?? That should be fine - it's similar to the modules I'm using on my X9SCM-iiF
February 24, 201412 yr Author Here is the new near final build: Norco SS-500 x4 http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/125634/HDD_DRIVE_BAYS/Norco/SS-500.asp Antec Twelve Hundred V3 http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/Cases/ATX/26996-TWELVE-HUNDRED Intel Xeon E3 1270 V3 http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/CPU/Intel_Socket_1150/50995-BX80646E31270V3 Kingston KVR16LE11/8I 8GB x2 http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/Memory/ECC_&_Registered/52858-KVR16LE11_8I Supermicro X10SL7-F http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/Motherboards/Server_&_Workstation/51264-X10SL7-F HighPoint RocketRAID 2740 http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/Controllers/SATA_&_SAS/39249-RR2740 Corsair RM-750 80 Plus Gold PSU http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/Power_Supplies/ATX/52215-CMPSU-RM750 The only trouble I have is that the Highpoint card requires a x16 slot but the machine only offers x8 (so close)
February 24, 201412 yr You can also use 1.5V memory - this one. I'm not sure what real-world savings you get from using 1.35V devices.
February 24, 201412 yr You're selected Registered RAM modules -- that motherboard requires unbuffered ECC modules. They are NOT compatible.
February 24, 201412 yr The only trouble I have is that the Highpoint card requires a x16 slot but the machine only offers x8 (so close) The motherboard has an x16 slot and an x8 slot. You can use the x16 slot for your Highpoint controller. The slot does run at x8 speed, but that's still plenty of bandwidth for 16 drives unless they're SSDs
February 24, 201412 yr Author You're selected Registered RAM modules -- that motherboard requires unbuffered ECC modules. They are NOT compatible. Can you by any chance pick a suitable model out, I hate to sound like a noob but I am finding it a little difficult. http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/Memory/ECC_&_Registered I thought this one but it doesn't say whether it is or it is not registered: http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/Memory/ECC_&_Registered/46245-KVR13E9_8I The only trouble I have is that the Highpoint card requires a x16 slot but the machine only offers x8 (so close) The motherboard has an x16 slot and an x8 slot. You can use the x16 slot for your Highpoint controller. The slot does run at x8 speed, but that's still plenty of bandwidth for 16 drives unless they're SSDs I at this stage plan to run unRaid but want the option to run ZFS etc. in future. My big worry is that I am spending this money and I am bottlenecking by putting a x16 card in a x8 slot. According to this page (http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/printpage/Everything-You-Need-to-Know-About-the-PCI-Express/190) I can only expect upto 4000MB/s My fear is that one day I am either running a busy unRaid box or something like ZFS where all drives are active during read/write and I hit that limit. I did a little googling but couldn't really see anything about this around. Lastly garycase, PeterB and joshpong do you guys have DogeCoin addresses, I would like to tip you all. (its trying to be the internet tipping currency)
February 24, 201412 yr You're selected Registered RAM modules ... What makes you think that? If it was registered, there would be an 'R' in the part number, following the capacity, thus: KVR16LR11. KVR16LE11 is unbuffered.
February 24, 201412 yr Nah, don't use dogecoin, plenty of people have helped me, least I can do is give back. Sent by tapatalk
February 24, 201412 yr You're selected Registered RAM modules ... What makes you think that? If it was registered, there would be an 'R' in the part number, following the capacity, thus: KVR16LR11. KVR16LE11 is unbuffered. I thought the model # indicated that as well. However, I noted the description in the link: Kingston KVR16LE11/8I 8GB x2 http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/Memory/ECC_&_Registered/52858-KVR16LE11_8I Then did a search for the model # and found this at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Kingston-Technology-ValueRAM-PC3-12800-KVR16LE11/dp/B00CLBJP2K ... which shows it as a "•240-pin Registered DIMM" In any event, you need to be CERTAIN that you're buying unbuffered ECC modules.
February 24, 201412 yr Nah, don't use dogecoin, plenty of people have helped me, least I can do is give back. Indeed. I think that it is dangerous to establish a practice of tipping on the forum. We all participate in this forum because we are passionate about the product and we give assistance when and where possible, freely and without any expectation. If tipping becomes a wide-spread practice, there will be those who post copiously (possibly with little merit) in the hope of receiving financial reward.
February 24, 201412 yr Agree completely r.e. no tipping. Not a good precedent. One other thought r.e. the memory modules you listed: I agree the model # doesn't match what I'd expect from a Kingston Registered module ... but the fact both your vendor and Amazon list it as registered certainly shows you need to be cautious about buying the right thing. In fact, the Kingston datasheet for those modules doesn't even confirm this: http://www.kingston.com/datasheets/KVR16LE11_8.pdf Note that this document never says "buffered", "unbuffered", or "registered" -- a very strange omission. Just be sure that what you buy are unbuffered ECC modules.
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.