[SILVERSTONE DS380 i3-3225 BUILD] unServer Media Server (LOTS of pictures)

[garycase]

There's a very simple way to determine whether or not the thermal paste is an issue ==> just monitor your CPU temps.  If the CPU isn't running too hot, you're fine 

 

 

Any way I can do that in the unRaid Telnet sessions or on the Server Management Utility?

 

Install UnMenu => then you can go to System Info - CPU Info and see the temps

 

[AT0MAC]

... they all stayed between 40-50 degree.

 

Low 40's is okay, but if they were getting close to 50 I'd consider either removing the filters or speeding up the fans a bit.  Ideally your drives should be in the 30's in normal operation, and no higher than the low 40's during extended operations like parity syncs/checks.

 

 

Here is a picture from when they were still pre-clearing.

 

 

And here one when they were done.

 

 

I have to link directly to them as if I shrink them down the terminal windows will not be readable (unless I zoom in the pictures but this is just easier).

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I have assigned them to the array they were in the low 40s and 30s when they was formatting.

 

 

 

 

I came to think about it after why they might be so high in temps (not high but higher than what would be ideal) - I have started mounting from the bottom where the fans don't cover so well. The first drive bay in both ends is kind of on the edge of the fans so they don't get full effect.

 

 

 

 

And why did I start from the bottom? Because atm I am using on board SATA ports, and they sit very close to the lowest drive bays so I can use nicely short cables.

[AT0MAC]

There's a very simple way to determine whether or not the thermal paste is an issue ==> just monitor your CPU temps.  If the CPU isn't running too hot, you're fine 

 

 

Any way I can do that in the unRaid Telnet sessions or on the Server Management Utility?

 

Install UnMenu => then you can go to System Info - CPU Info and see the temps

 

 

Thanks.

I already have unMenu and absolutely love it!

In there it say 37degree C as the highest temp. Thats actually not bad for a i3 3225 in my opinion...

I have a Pentium G2030 in another machine running with a much bigger modified Noctua cooler and that one stays around 27degree C (but has NO spinning hard drives to heat the case up and a cooler almost 4 times the size with two 120mm fans attached).

[AT0MAC]

OMG unRAID is SO NICE!

 

 

I think I just managed to setup three SMB shares I can access from both Windows and Mac for the entire family library of media, software and important documents we would like to share among us, the exact purpose of this server (for now).

 

 

This is SO SO cool!

 

 

I just need to tranfer my media and after that do a parity sync.

[Rick Sanchez]

Great thread.  I'm buying this case right now

[AT0MAC]

I now have all my media in the server and done my parity sync and a few days later a parity check just to be sure.

One thing though, because I am using very low noise fans the machine is close to silent - but it also gets a little warm in the drive bays.

During a parity check my parity drive was all the way up to 52degree C... Still some good 8 degree to go before we hit 60, and it never came above 52, but just something to have in mind when you build a low noise server like mine = drives might not last as long as they could.

 

 

When that is said, remember that my parity drive is in the very lowest bay and the side fans don't cover the lowest and the highest bay very well.

 

 

I actually have a fan splitter laying around, so I could always find a way to fill in one more fan somewhere inside - in my system there is a good deal of free air because I am using the very very tiny CPU cooler from Noctua (it NEVER goes above 36degree C with my i3-3225)

[dmacias]

There is a script on here somewhere to control your fans based on hard drive temps.  If your motherboard supports it.

 

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

 

 

[SSD]

I (personally) would not run a drive at anything north of 50C (I'd shut it down). With temps over 45C I'd be seriously looking at added cooling.

[AT0MAC]

There is a script on here somewhere to control your fans based on hard drive temps.  If your motherboard supports it.

 

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

 

 

The motherboard controls my CPU fan and back fan very well, but the case fans are connected to a fan splitter on the drive cage, so they draw power directly from a Molex plug like the rest of the cage. Therefor no fan control (and also the fact my motherboard only have two fan headers)

[dalben]

I (personally) would not run a drive at anything north of 50C (I'd shut it down). With temps over 45C I'd be seriously looking at added cooling.

 

Living in the tropics and my unRAID server being where it is, when spun up my draves are always above 40C.  I can't say I've had more issues than others with my drives.

 

On parity checks or rebuilds they easily pop over 50C

[dmacias]

I (personally) would not run a drive at anything north of 50C (I'd shut it down). With temps over 45C I'd be seriously looking at added cooling.

I just removed the magnet fan filter.  The mesh on that is just too fine.  I might look at replacing or modding it.  I also modded the drive cage by drilling a bunch of extra 1/4" holes in it.

[AT0MAC]

I (personally) would not run a drive at anything north of 50C (I'd shut it down). With temps over 45C I'd be seriously looking at added cooling.

 

 

I know, but its only during parity check it happens. Rest of the time it is between 40-45 degree when being used.

If the drives are just spinning and not doing anything they idle around 30-32 degree until they go into sleep.

I live in Denmark so not tropical around here, but the box is at the moment in my living room on a table right next to the window, so yes it does get some sun from time to time (we are soon moving and it will be placed inside a thermally controlled closet).

 

 

A very simple solution could be buy a fan filter for the backside fan and switch it around so it is blowing into the case, and then also remove my fan speed limiters from my Noctua side fans. I decided to use the limiters as the drive cage makes the fans a bit too noisy for my taste, If there had been a little more space or a little less metal in the way for the air from the fans I am sure they would be pleasant enough without the limiters.

[AT0MAC]

I just removed the magnet fan filter.  The mesh on that is just too fine.  I might look at replacing or modding it.  I also modded the drive cage by drilling a bunch of extra 1/4" holes in it.

 

 

Nice, but does the extra holes give some noise because of the added airflow or it just helps the temps?

[dmacias]

I didn't even think of switching the direction of the air flow.  Why couldn't you have told me that before I installed the Noctua's?! My fans run around 400 rpms most the time so I really could tell if there was more noise. Although I don't think it would amount to much.  I just drilled it cause I had the cage out to switch fans.  I notice areas like the upper and lower drives were lacking air flow.  And the center plastic piece completely blocked air to that drive.

[dmacias]

The most effective thing for temps was simply removing the filter.  But now I may  switch the fans around.

[Rick Sanchez]

I'm about to purchase this case, is it worth it?

[dmacias]

I got it off Amazon for $150. The only problem I have with it is the fan filter and maybe better drive cage air flow but mostly just the filter. It's a very solid, functional,  nice looking case. I don't regret buying it one bit.

[SSD]

I (personally) would not run a drive at anything north of 50C (I'd shut it down). With temps over 45C I'd be seriously looking at added cooling.

 

Living in the tropics and my unRAID server being where it is, when spun up my draves are always above 40C.  I can't say I've had more issues than others with my drives.

 

On parity checks or rebuilds they easily pop over 50C

 

There is not a lot of good data here. But I've had drives in PVR applications that got heavy use in a hot environment. They failed twice and I did a mod to add an extra exhaust fan to the sweatbox they were in. Drives ran great for years until I decommissioned it.

 

Heat is generally a bad thing and we're talking about a magnetically coated surface and an analog type process and it would seem that it would wear greater in the presence of heat.

 

But most unRaid arrays sit idle most of the time, spun down. This is not putting much stress on the magnetic surface. Very unlike my PVR application.

 

I have read conjecture that temperature variation is a bigger problem than absolute temperature. So having a drive idle at 20C and then go up to 45C in use is worse than one that idles at 40C and goes up to 50C in use. But no one really knows for sure.

 

My server is in an unfinished basement and I routinely have temps ~12C in the winter. They go up to upper 20s in use. In the summer the idle gets to the lower 20s, and usage into the low to mid 30s sometimes. Knock on wood my drives have stayed very healthy.

 

Most important thing I suppose is buying reliable drive, monitoring consistently, and if you start to see a pattern of drive failures and things are running warm, add cooling.

 

I personally recommend trying to keep temps under 45C.

[Netbug]

What would be the most cost-effective way to expand this past 4 SATA drives (which is what the MB supports)?

[SSD]

It has an x16 and an x1 slot, right?

 

Unless you have another need for it, I'd put a SAS2LP in the x16 slot. A SASLP would also work but the price is almost the same.

 

The x1 slot can hold a 2 port card but that would only take you to 6 total drives not 8.

 

Maybe someone will recommend an inexpensive 4 port card.

[jamesjfa]

I have been thinking about the same case for my build. How much of a difference do the replacement case fans make? Would you recommend replacing the stock ones?

 

Cheers,

James

[Rick Sanchez]

I'd also like to know this!

[dmacias]

I have been thinking about the same case for my build. How much of a difference do the replacement case fans make? Would you recommend replacing the stock ones?

 

Cheers,

James

I replaced the fans with Noctuas on mine because my motherboard only supports pwm fans. I wanted to control them through the bios and possibly through linux.  The hard drive fans need to operate separate from the cpu fan or rear fan.  Right now I have the side fans running fixed at about 800 rpms without the filter on. Drives during parity syncs,  checks and rebuilds stay under 45 C most stay lower. I will probably bump up the rpms and put the filter back on.

 

The stocks fans worked fine but with the filter off.

 

[Rick Sanchez]

Can you tell us what model fans you bought please

[dmacias]

I got Noctua 120mm F12 PWM would have got P12 if the store had them. Expensive but nice.  It just depends on how much you want to use the filter and how much noise you want and how much $. No filter and stock side fans full speed are ok.