July 2, 200917 yr Hi all. I've been reading the forums and wiki like crazy the past couple of weeks, but I still have some lingering questions. I'm building an unRAID server that I'd like to eventually get to 6 x 1TB drives (1 parity, 5 data). Here are the components for my initial build: Motherboard -- GIGABYTE GA-MA74GM-S2 AM2+/AM2 AMD 740G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail CPU -- AMD Athlon 64 LE-1640 Lima 2.7GHz Socket AM2 45W Single-Core Processor Model ADH1640DPBOX - Retail RAM -- Transcend JETRAM 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model JM2GDDR2-8K - Retail Power Supply -- CORSAIR CMPSU-400CX 400W ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail 1 x Hitachi 1TB HDT721010SLA360 SATA2 U300 72 2 x SAMSUNG EcoGreen F2 HD103SI 1TB 5400 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM The only thing I'm lacking is a case. I've seen recommendations for the Cooler Master Centurion 590, but it seems ridiculous to have to tape something up to get it to flow correctly. For 60$, is that case really that much better than something like.. say.. this?: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147110 . I'm sure I'd have to put a big fan up front, but that's not a problem. I'm a fairly technical user, but I haven't built a PC in a few years. It seems like in that span of time, cases have become more and more gaudy in an attempt to appeal to gamers. I just want a case that's simple and affordable, that will adequately cool my first attempt at unRAID. I'm not unwilling to spend US$60 for a case, as long as it really is worth it. Thanks in advance for your opinions and guidance. I'm sure I'll have more questions when I start the build next week.
July 2, 200917 yr The only thing I'm lacking is a case. I've seen recommendations for the Cooler Master Centurion 590, but it seems ridiculous to have to tape something up to get it to flow correctly. For 60$, is that case really that much better than something like.. say.. this?: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147110 . I'm sure I'd have to put a big fan up front, but that's not a problem. I'm a fairly technical user, but I haven't built a PC in a few years. It seems like in that span of time, cases have become more and more gaudy in an attempt to appeal to gamers. I just want a case that's simple and affordable, that will adequately cool my first attempt at unRAID. I'm not unwilling to spend US$60 for a case, as long as it really is worth it. The benefit of the cooler master case is that you can have 5 120MM exhaust fans (+ the power supply exhause). In addition, you have the ability to put in 9 or 12 embedded or removable drives or 15 drives removable drives with a 5in3. If you do not mind going in your case to install / uninstall hard drives, then your choice of case is fine for a small system. I would recommend installing a front fan over the drives if you use that case. If not, you will need to tape up the side vents or the drives will not get enough air flow. In today's day and age where we store more and more electronically having the ability to upgrade easily saves time. With unRAID and removable drives, you could upgrade a drive in a matter of moments, reboot expand onto the new drive and be ready to go a short while later (practically tool less). Here's my setup. http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=2031.msg20486#msg20486 See the whole pimp your rig thread to get an idea of what people are using. http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=2031.msg14752#msg14752
July 3, 200917 yr Author OK, decided to invest in quality. Picked up the 590 locally. WeeboTech -- did you cover up all the side and top vents? I can't tell by looking at the pics of peoples' rigs. With my initial 3-disk setup, will the two 120mm fans be enough? Obviously I'll need to monitor the temps when I first boot, but I'm just not sure what to expect. One more thing. Would you recommend installing the PSU first, or the mobo first? I'm feeling incredibly rusty right now. Two years of phone-based helpdesk support has really killed my hardware confidence
July 3, 200917 yr OK, decided to invest in quality. Picked up the 590 locally. WeeboTech -- did you cover up all the side and top vents? I can't tell by looking at the pics of peoples' rigs. With my initial 3-disk setup, will the two 120mm fans be enough? Obviously I'll need to monitor the temps when I first boot, but I'm just not sure what to expect. One more thing. Would you recommend installing the PSU first, or the mobo first? I'm feeling incredibly rusty right now. Two years of phone-based helpdesk support has really killed my hardware confidence If you think $60 is a lot for a case, wait till you start looking at the 5x3 modules! First install your CPU and memory on the motherboard. Second install the PSU in the case. Third, install the motherboard I/O shield. Fourth, install the MB.
July 4, 200917 yr WeeboTech -- did you cover up all the side and top vents? I can't tell by looking at the pics of peoples' rigs. With my initial 3-disk setup, will the two 120mm fans be enough? I covered the two vents on the left side that hold 2 120MM fans with clear packing tape. There is an 80mm vent on the right side that is under the motherboard cpu area. I covered that. I covered the vents at the PCI slots I covered the vent underneath the power supply and choose to have the power supply upside down drawing air from within the computer. I installed 2 coolermaster fans on the top of the computer, 1 in the back, then there is the exhaust from the power supply. This has been decent enough for me.
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