Hi guys,

 

I am about to upgrade my UnRAID server that I mainly use as a remote Plex Server (server is located at my office and not at home).

 

Here is what I currently have:

* i3 CPU (upgraded from a dual-core) which is not enough for my Plex transcoding needs

* 8 SATA discs inside a Rosewill RSV-S8 connected to a PCIe x1 card (very slow parity checks - 15mb avg) - I am upgrading this card to a Rosewill RC-218 which is x4 hoping that speed will get better

* 8 SATA discs connected to a SuperMicro AOC-SASLP-MV8

* 4 discs connected into MOBO SATA ports (current MOBO is a cheap Foxcomm)

 

This is what am looking at:

* i7-4770K CPU - I need more, more transcoding power

* keep my same discs and cards (AOC-SASLP-MV8 + RC-218)

 

And optionally (not a must have):

* 2 additional MOBO SATA ports (for cache and spare disc pre-clear)

* dual NIC

* 1 additional PCIe port (x4 at least) for further expansion

* PCI slot for NIC (in case internal NIC is not detected by UnRAID)

 

Notes:

* power consumption not an issue for me

* I am using v5.0 but looking to upgrade to v6 to use VM features

 

I am having a really hard time picking one up at Newegg (I am in the US now but in 2 weeks I will be back to South America so there's no room for mistakes) - I am very afraid about drivers support on UnRAID, specially in regards to disc detection and parity check errors (I won't be able to test this here before I head back home)

 

Budget wise, I am willing to spend up to $200 in this MOBO (I was hoping to find something for less than $100 but then I found out that would be impossible and also unwise from me to have such CPU running in a cheap MOBO)

 

What MOBO would you guys recommend for me?

 

Really appreciate your help!

 

Regards,

chopeta

 

I agree you don't want to go "cheap" with the motherboard.

 

This is a good choice:  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132046

 

It has 3 PCIe x16 slots (one runs at x4 speed) ... so you'll have plenty of room for your x4 Rosewell card (which should indeed give you a very nice speed boost) plus the SASLP-MV8 and a spare x16 slot for any later expansion.

 

If you don't need the 3rd PCIe x16 slot, and would prefer a uATX form-factor, go with this instead:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131990

 

It still has 2 PCIe x16 slots, and is a smaller and more compact motherboard (I've used it for several builds).

 

Also, don't buy a 4770K ... just get the 4770.  There's a very minor difference in performance, and if you ever want to use passthrough with a VM, you'll be glad you have vt-d support (the 4770k does not support this).    If you want a bit more performance, get a 4790 or 4790k (the 4790k DOES have vt-d support -- this is the maximum performance Socket 1150 CPU currently available).

 

 

Big thanks G!

 

Just ordered the ASUS Z87-PRO (V EDITION) on Amazon Warehouse Deals for $130 bucks

 

I didn't knew about the missing VT-x on the 4770K, very important detail.

 

Just ordered the 4790K - someday I may decide to do some overclock

 

In 2 weeks when I get back home I will assemble everything and post the results here.

 

Thanks once again!

The 4770k does support vt-x,  it doesn't support vt-d (passthrough).

 

But the 4790k supports both, and is also a faster CPU, so it's a much better choice.    I doubt you'll ever need to overclock it ... but with that motherboard and that CPU you certainly have the option 

 

I agree with Gary mostly.

 

But what and why do you need to transcode. In my opinion transcoding should be limited to a minimum.

 

I would have gone with a 4770 if at all, don't see any point in overclocking.

My Plex is located in my office and my devices are at home. I play from Android and Chromecast and always need subtitles. Transcoding is a must for me (I didn't need it when my server was at home). I just got back today, I hope to have time this week to connect everything :-)

BTW: I had time to test the mobo and CPU and everything was properly detected by UnRAID. I've even precleared 2 WD Reds (2TB each). So far so good...

Glad it's going well.    You'll be very happy with the performance of the 4790k.  I'm not an overclocker, so really don't need the "k" version -- and haven't bought them in the past due to the missing vt-d support;  but now that Intel's added that with the 4790 units, my next CPU will be a 4790k unless they release something even faster in the next couple months (building a new system for my wife when we get back from a trip next month).

 

 

Sorry to bring this 2014 topic back, but I was wondering about your experience with Vt-d support on the Asus Z87-Pro motherboard.

 

Did you ever pass through any cards to a VM? Any problems?

Edited November 5, 20178 yr by muzo178

As noted, this CPU does not support passthrough. Although a valid question about the motherboard, asking this particular user with the 4770k, which is intentionally hobbled with no vt-d support, may not get you an answer. Although others using this motherboard with non-k versions of a Haswell CPU may be able to answer.

 

My educated guess it's that this MB would passthrough just fine.