Would a dual core CPU (like the Intel Celeron G1820T or G1620T) be sufficient for an unRAID server which...

• mainly serves videos to a HTPC via Gigabit LAN,
  
• runs 24/7 for downloading and extracting files from Usenet,
  
• might occassionally stream files to other devices (iPad, notebook, iPod, etc.),
  
• might be used as a webserver and cloud storage server?
  

 

Do I need a better CPU?

Can I get away with a cheaper CPU?

 

I currently use a G1610 and it works fine for your purpose.

 

You probably don't want to run a webserver directly on Unraid but in a VM instead (v6 beta) for security puposes. In this case you might want a bit more horsepower (and a CPU that support VT-D).

 

Tom

Thanks! So I won't run into issues regarding the transcoding job? I'm a bit confused because I saw people using Xeon CPUs for that while the Wiki says a dual core should do fine.

 

Is there something like a "CPU x Applications" matrix where one can check what kind of CPUs can handle what applications and vice versa?

 

Don't wanna overspend but don't want to run into issues either.

With the G1610 I have no problem transcoding. It buffers on bluray rips but that is because I stream via wireless. So you should be fine with a last gen Celeron and ethernet to the HTPC. You want a Xeon if you will be transcoding to multiple devices (more than 3) at the same time.

 

I have sab/sickbeard/transmission/couchpotato/plex media server running.

 

I would spend a bit more on a nice motherboard to have extra sata connections and pcie over a better CPU

Originally my server had an Intel Celeron G540 Sandy Bridge 2.5GHz CPU and it could transcode one (1) 1080p movie just fine, however I only had 2 GB of RAM at that time and that was not enough to transcode the 1080p movie. I ended up upgrading the RAM to 16 GB for good measure and the G540 worked just fine. Shortly after I ended up upgrading the CPU to the i3 listed in my signature so that I could transcode more movies at once (the i3 will do 3-4 1080p movies at once).

 

Thanks for your answers.

 

Is the Haswell/Ivy Bridge Celeron the best CPU for my situation (downloading+extracting, transcoding max. one 1080p movie)? Or is there a cheaper/less power consuming CPU (AMD maybe?)

 

The only thing the amd chips beat the intel chips at the celeron price point is the gpu. For the server, that would not be an advantage. Just go for the celeron and you probably don't even need the t version. You can go for the regular. It will really only make a difference in power consumption when they are maxed out. At idle speeds, there won't be much of a difference. Your server is not likely to be maxed out unless you're transcoding and even then it is only part of the time (plex transcodes ahead at full speed, and waits for the stream to catch up, then goes full speed again, so you will see bursts)

Thanks for your answers.

 

Is the Haswell/Ivy Bridge Celeron the best CPU for my situation (downloading+extracting, transcoding max. one 1080p movie)? Or is there a cheaper/less power consuming CPU (AMD maybe?)

 

While there are a few AMD enthusiasts, you are typically getting a better bang for your buck with Intel. While you may find a cheaper route than going with Haswell there doesn't seem to be a huge difference in CPU costs between them and the previous generation. For power consumption nothing will beat the Haswell solution as Intel is improving it's power consumption with every generation.

 

I would recommend investing in a Haswell setup - it typically makes sense to be current as it will provide the most headroom moving forward. If next year or the following you decide you need more horsepower you will be a in a better position to just switch out the CPU whereas if you use an older CPU with an older motherboard pin count you limit your options.

Great, thanks a lot. So I'll probably go the Haswell route.

 

If you have motherboard recommendations for Haswell CPU (6 SATA ports, ECC RAM) I'd love to hear. Having issues finding boards with ECC RAM support.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

its harder to find non server mbs that support ECC.

 

You'll have to really flex your googleFu.

 

But if you are ok with an actual server board, start here:

 

Newegg Intel Server MBs with ECC and 6+SATA