My first unraid setup

[batbucket]

INTRODUCTION

Hello everybody,

 

First things first I don't know if i have posted this in the right category, if you could be so kind and move this into the right category would be a big thanks.

 

After months of research between freenas, linux and unraid I was going to pick freenas but as luck would have it unraid 6 came out with apps this was important as I'm going to install sickbeard and couch potato to my nas system.

 

Due to my job I don't earn huge amounts of money unfortunately so this topic may be open for a while as I buy parts, words can not describe how much I will appreciate your time to share with me your knowledge and advice.

 

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OBJECTIVE

To build a home network attached storage system to store my website files, music, movies, TV shows, backups and images as well as installing sickbeard and couch potato and sell my ever growing collection of dvds resulting in more space in my tiny flat lol  .

 

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PARTS

Now these are the parts I have brought, feel free to judge them how you will lol.

 

CASE

Sharkoon T28 green of course lol .

 

http://i57.tinypic.com/349819d.jpg[/img] http://i61.tinypic.com/11qsl1x.jpg[/img]

 

MOTHERBOARD

Asus Z87 Deluxe

 

http://i58.tinypic.com/263dl34.jpg[/img]

 

CPU

Intel Xeon E3-1270V3 CPU (3.5GHz, 4 Core, 8 Threads, 8MB Cache)

 

http://i61.tinypic.com/2cxepg1.jpg[/img]

 

MEMORY

4x HyperX Savage 4 GB 2133 MHz

 

http://i57.tinypic.com/j5uql3.jpg[/img]

 

PSU

Seasonic  M12II-520 Bronze 520w fully modular easy to replace if the powersupply dies.

 

http://i60.tinypic.com/2m5o6yt.jpg[/img]

 

SSD

2x KingFast 128GB + 128MB DDR3 Cache

 

http://i61.tinypic.com/ampr83.jpg[/img]

 

RAID CONTROLLER

I will be using this to connect my two ssd's for cache eventually I will replace it to a sas controller when my storage is full and i need more space.

 

http://i59.tinypic.com/2gtw0t2.jpg[/img]

 

USB

32gb usb for unraid operating system.

 

http://i60.tinypic.com/vgr2h1.jpg[/img]

 

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So if you could be so kind as to give me your opinions or alterations on my hardware choices and requirements I would be so grateful.

 

Reagrds Callum.

[tdallen]

I'm more of an Intel person, but I think I'd characterize that CPU as a "nice little file server" CPU.  Which would be fine if all you wanted was basic file services, but you seem interested in Dockers and I'm not sure how much further you will go than Sick Beard and Couch Potato (at a minimum you will need SABnzbd).  I tend to recommend a minimum of a Pentium G class CPU or Core i3 if you want to do application work and that CPU looks more like an Atom class CPU.  I'd go with something higher, and I'd also go with at least 8GB of RAM - 4GB would work for starters, but you won't regret 8GB.

[batbucket]

I am more of an Intel person myself this is my first amd build and i forgot to mention i have two 4GB 2133MHz memory

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00N8H06SI?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00

 

what CPU would you recommend as i brought this for the low power but all of you guys are the experts and every comment counts good or bad.

 

any other suggestion as I am new to dockers and unraid total noob here lol.

 

regards Callum

[tdallen]

4th Generation Intel Haswell CPUs are excellent CPUs for the power conscious (and third generation Ivy Bridge CPUs weren't bad either).  I don't see a need for an Intel guy to go AMD to get a low power solution.  Keep in mind that the important consideration for a NAS is idle power usage.  I have a recent Core i7 desktop build that idles at less than 30 watts, and I wasn't aiming for a low power build.

[batbucket]

that sounds good to me I may have an i5 laying around Just need a motherboard with large amount of sata ports

 

regards callum

[batbucket]

would this be a better CPU or would you recommend changing my motherboard

 

AMD Athlon X4 860K Quad-Core 3.7GHz 4MB Socket FM2+ 95W

 

regards Callum

[Frank1940]

First thing, you have NO onboard graphic support with this MB unless you get a chip with the GPU built into it.  And neither of your two CPU choices will provide this support.  SO you will need a discrete graphics card with either of them.  And that board is currently unavailable at Newegg which probably indicates that it has been discontinued. 

 

Now I have built several computers in the past and have used AMD CPU's for all of them.  I really liked AMb in the past!  It pains me to say this but Intel is now a better choice except that the basic built does cost a bit more. 

[batbucket]

Thank you Frank for your honesty i will now be looking for a intel motherboard with 8 sata ports or more do you have any ideas on a good reliable intel motherboard for unraid regards callum

[Frank1940]

Thank you Frank for your honesty i will now be looking for a intel motherboard with 8 sata ports or more do you have any ideas on a good reliable intel motherboard for unraid regards callum

 

That i5 would do the job very well.  Have a look here:

 

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&IsNodeId=1&N=100007627%20600054097%20600438202%20600360495

 

Hopefully, you will have a list of LS 1150 Motherboards with 8 or 10 STAT ports on them.  Otherwise simply do a your own search for LGA 1150 boards with the required number of SATA ports.  Be sure to read the user's reviews.  High number of dissatisfied users tend to indicate designs  and manufacturing/quality problems that it is usually best to avoid.  You could probably save a bit of money by reducing that number back to six ports. 

[batbucket]

Hello Frank i have this CPU.

 

CPU

 

and a friend has offered me his old motherboard might need two raid controllers or sas controllers though what do you think.

 

Motherboard

[batbucket]

The i5 i gave to a friend and forgot i did just me brain like a seive lol

[Frank1940]

Hello Frank i have this CPU.

 

CPU

 

and a friend has offered me his old motherboard might need two raid controllers or sas controllers though what do you think.

 

Motherboard

 

If the MB is free (or close to it, get it.  However, if you check the CPU does  not have a GPU in it and this MB needs that.  BUT you you could buy an i3 and have all the Horsepower you would need for the apps you are considering.  (You really don't want to use up that PCI Express X16 slot for a graphics card!) 

 

By the way, what is your fixation on 8+ SATA ports?  You said you were on a budget and with six SATA ports, you could easily built a 24TB server with both parity and a cache drives.  Even using 3TB drives, you would still have 12TB...  (If you are using older smaller drives, you will probably be replacing them as they probably have lots of hours on them and will fail sooner than later.)  You could get a SATA card later that uses that PCI express slot that would support another 8 drives for a bit over $100US.

[batbucket]

its not so much a budget its just time as being paid monthly and all that jazz and thats ok i will get the i3 I thank you so much and the fixation is due to my dvd collection i have 1325 dvds to add and loads of tv shows to add.

 

I also design flash websites and as a horder every image I create or raw image I download I keep.

 

And most of the time ill be using putty to ssh into it.

 

Any advice is good advice.

 

Regards Callum

[tdallen]

You can buy a $12 PCI video card from Amazon if you want to use that CPU, which is a very nice little CPU for a small server.

 

You can get an 8 port SATA controller for as little as $50-100 when the time comes.

 

Though I think the i3 is a great chip, I wouldn't hesitate to build a server with what you have.

[batbucket]

which system would you prefer to build lol I am to open to ideas and suggestions and love learning so if you think there is somthing missing or needs changing just tell me

 

Regards callum

[batbucket]

I have got my hands on a AMD A8-5600k APU 3.6GHz Quad Core 4MB and I will eventually upgrade the motherboard and cpu

[tdallen]

Horsepower wise, that AMD A8 chip is only a little better than the Pentium you linked earlier and lags behind Haswell Core i3s.

 

If your main goal is build a server now for your future needs, you should probably lay those out and say "I want a server capable of XYZ".  Either the Pentium or A8 is capable of supporting a NAS with a couple of Dockers, if that's the extent of your plans. 

 

If your main goal is to tinker with unRAID and figure out what you'd like to do, then I'd spend the least amount of money possible to get a server up and running and evaluate unRAID, Docker, and what you can do with this platform.  Once you have a better idea then you can decide on upgrades or a completely new system.

[batbucket]

all changed after reading your reviews and everything that was said I will be doing an intel build I can get a Asus Z87-DELUXE for the motherboard and a Intel i3 4160 3.6GHz proccessor will they be ok as of next pay day i will be buying some more ram another ssd for cache and hopefully 8 WD Green 4TB hdd Regards callum

[tdallen]

I built a desktop system using a similar Asus motherboard recently, it's been working well.  The Core i3 is a good middle of the road CPU for unRAID - you'll be able to run some Dockers and do some Plex transcoding if you need.  I only use my cache drive for Docker, I don't find much need for traditional write caching.

[batbucket]

oh good Yea well i have got the i3 for free will be changing it to either i5 or i7 depending on budget what do you reckon is there any chance you can get round-robin mode to work with the two nics or would you recommend buying a intel nic card regards callum

[tdallen]

unRAID supports Link Aggregation, also known as Teaming or Bonding so I believe you should be able to get both NICs working.

[batbucket]

Thank you Allen and frank for all your advice I will keep you posted on my build and any problems I have got and open to any suggestions that you would apply regards callum

[batbucket]

The new power supply came today I went with a seasonic 520w fully modular which should make it easy to replace in the even of the unit faliure.