Upgrading Current Build

[laevy]

Hello,

 

I currently have an Unraid set-up that is running components from 2008. I would like to run the plex media server off the unraid so I need a bit more processing power in order to do that.

 

My needs:

- Mobo supports 8 sata with PCI slot for Sata controller for a total of 12 drives

- I currently have a 600 W power source which should do

 

My budget is around 800 dollars

 

What are your thoughts? How much RAM/CPU power do I need?

 

Thanks

[Ford Prefect]

...I take it that by "running plex" you do silently include "transcoding" to the feature list?

 

...you are sure about that PCI slot requirement?..not PCIe, as this would be the common variant as of today?

If this is for an "old" PCI based HBA, what about upgrading this as well?

 

[laevy]

I'd be up for upgrading everything as long as it runs much faster.

 

I would include transcoding in "running plex".

 

 

[Ford Prefect]

...a modern socket 1150 with an i5 CPU (or even XEON, when going for a server board) will do niceley...8GB is still considered plenty of RAM.

 

However, running faster as in geting more throughput over the network for streaming/reading/writing files

will also depend on your disks.....this is unRAID after all..no striping inside the array...so the speed of disk is the upper limit.

With a green disk, you will not saturate a Gb-NIC, no matter what CPU and how much RAM you have in there.

[laevy]

I have all WD Reds 4TB drives.

[Ford Prefect]

...nice disks.

 

I'd recommend a 1150 server board, like the SM X10SL7-F: http://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/Xeon/C220/X10SL7-F.cfm

This already has a LSI based HBA on board...cheaper than buying a combo.

Add a XEON E3-12xx-V3 of your liking and 2x4GB, maybe 2x8GB ECC(UDIMMS) RAM.

 

-> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813182821&cm_re=x10sl7-f-_-13-182-821-_-Product

-> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117316

-> 2x http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820239829&cm_re=KVR16E11S8%2f4KF-_-20-239-829-_-Product

 

Edit: what PSU do you have already? SM boards and S1150 can get picky...

[laevy]

It's this one here:

http://www.corsair.com/en/tx750w

[Ford Prefect]

..I can *not* confirm that this PSU will work with a Haswell platform or with a SM board and IPMI.

The TRX750 comes in at least two versions/releases and I *think* some people had problems with the 1155 platform and this PSU.

 

BTW: that PSU is seriously overkill for 12x WD-Reds...that board I recommended comes with 14 ports...a single rail PSU delivering 34-38 Amps on 12V should do fine.

 

If you can afford it, I'd recommend a newer PSU, supporting haswell low-power states and maybe 80P-Platinum...seasonics are a safe bet IMHO.

[garycase]

Agree with Ford ... some of the lower end Corsair's have specification compliance issues and won't work with some Ivy Bridge and Haswell systems.    The CX series is particularly bad about this ... MOST TX units work okay;  but I've never seen any problems with the HX or AX units.    Seasonic is also an excellent choice.

 

Since you already have it, it won't hurt to try the TX750.  It won't hurt anything ... it'll either work or not (if it doesn't work, the symptoms are usually a brief "attempt" to boot, then a shutdown).    If it works, it'll clearly be fine.    If you do replace it, I'd get one of these:

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151119

 

 

[laevy]

Perfect. Thanks guys. Appreciate the advice and I'll let you know how it goes.

[laevy]

...nice disks.

 

I'd recommend a 1150 server board, like the SM X10SL7-F: http://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/Xeon/C220/X10SL7-F.cfm

This already has a LSI based HBA on board...cheaper than buying a combo.

Add a XEON E3-12xx-V3 of your liking and 2x4GB, maybe 2x8GB ECC(UDIMMS) RAM.

 

-> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813182821&cm_re=x10sl7-f-_-13-182-821-_-Product

-> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117316

-> 2x http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820239829&cm_re=KVR16E11S8%2f4KF-_-20-239-829-_-Product

 

Edit: what PSU do you have already? SM boards and S1150 can get picky...

 

 

Just doing some final research before I buy my stuff. From what I have been reading, the WD Reds are incompatible with the LSI 2308 SATA ports. What other board should I go with if this is the case?

[garycase]

Where did you see that the WD Reds are incompatible with that controller?    I'd be very surprised if that's true.

 

[laevy]

Where did you see that the WD Reds are incompatible with that controller?    I'd be very surprised if that's true.

 

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=27800.0

 

The OP states recently as of May that the controller wasn't recognizing the Reds.

[garycase]

Very interesting indeed.  I vaguely recall that post; but I had thought it was due to using an expander.  But that's not the case -- so you're right about not being able to use Reds.    I wonder if a firmware update to the board will resolve that ... although nothing seems to be available (yet) to do that.

 

[garycase]

Can you think of another board with that many SATA ports?

 

There are a couple of other boards with similar configuration (AsRock has one with 22 ports) ... but they all use the LSI 2308  for some of those ports, so I suspect they have the same issue.

 

I'd be inclined to just use a board with fewer ports and an add-in 8-port controller.

 

[laevy]

Can you think of another board with that many SATA ports?

 

There are a couple of other boards with similar configuration (AsRock has one with 22 ports) ... but they all use the LSI 2308  for some of those ports, so I suspect they have the same issue.

 

I'd be inclined to just use a board with fewer ports and an add-in 8-port controller.

 

 

I was thinking the same thing. I'm putting in my order tomorrow. Is there one you can recommend?