upgrade on the cheap.

[rcrh]

I'm planning a server upgrade and am trying to do it on the cheap.  Demands on my server are pretty low.  It delivers some media to a couple of Kodi installs and that's about it.  My biggest driver is the number of drives I run.  I currently have eight drives totally 19tb of storage.  I'm currently running a 32bit pentium 4 processor with 4gig of RAM so just about anything I can buy today is going to move me ahead three or four years.

 

The biggest bottleneck I find on my system is the PCi controllers for the extra drives.  I currently have two controllers because I found running four drives off of one significantly impacted my performance.

 

So I'd like to get all of the drives onto the mobo, be able to move a couple of server processes (emby or plex) onto the server, and reduce the time needed to run a parity check.

 

asks:

budget <$150 including RAM

mobo with 8 SATA ports

RAM at least 8gig

 

I know I can pick up a Celeron g1840 for under $50 but I'm having problems finding an intel based mobo with the 8 sata ports.

 

The closest I've come to finding what I want is this

MSI 760GMA

$55.00

Sempron 145

$45.00

 

My concern with this is that the Sempron 145 is a single core processor and just barely an upgrade while the next gen AMD processors start to stretch my budget.

 

So in the end I think I'm looking for a suggestion for an LGA1150 socket mobo with 8 sata ports or a slap in the head for over emphasizing the ports.

 

Thanks in advance.

[garycase]

At that price point you probably need to compromise on performance and get an AMD system ... it won't have the performance of a good Core architecture Intel, but it'll be cheap.

 

But what I'd do is simply WAIT.  Save a few more $$, and spend what it takes for a Haswell-based system.  If you stay with a low-end CPU you can still be close to your targeted budget.

 

You didn't say what form factor you need for the motherboard -- i.e. whether or not your case supports full size ATX boards or is limited to micro-ATX, but as an example, you could do something like this close to your budget:

 

(a) Motherboard ($70):  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157512

(b) CPU ($45):  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116974

© Memory ($49):  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233186

 

Total:  $164    Personally I'd at least step up to a higher-end CPU, but this gives you an idea of what you can do for a really inexpensive Haswell setup.

 

You'd still need an add-on card to provide more SATA ports, as the board only has 6 ports; but at the price range you're looking for, a board with 8 ports will cost nearly your entire budget, so it's less expensive to simply add ports with a card.  A lot of full-size ATX boards have the ports you want, but they cost nearly your entire budget just for the board:  e.g. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157503

 

... Unless you buy a refurbished or used board

 

 

 

 

[DoeBoye]

EDIT: Hilarious! I was crafting a response while working, and after posting, I see that Gary has recommended mostly the same parts

 

 

I would stay away from the Sempron. I used to have one, and for pure NAS functionality, it was fine, but if you start adding dockers, it'll slow to a crawl. You'll also be limited on the upgrade path if you go with that chip. Better spending a few bucks more and adding years to the life of the system.

 

How about going with a 6 sata port board (which opens the field up considerably), and adding a cheap 2-port sil3132 board from monoprice?

 

Mobo

This one gets solid review and sells for $70: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157512&ignorebbr=1

 

SATA card

I've used this one before without issue ($12.40): http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=104&cp_id=10407&cs_id=1040702&p_id=2530&seq=1&format=2

 

Or, you could spend 5$ more and get a four port (Though I haven't used this one before. Seems popular and should be good, but you may want to poke around the forums first) ($17.74): http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=104&cp_id=10407&cs_id=1040702&p_id=2667&seq=1&format=2

 

EDIT: Didn't realize this was not PCI-E. Don't get that one.

 

CPU

http://www.ncixus.com/products/?usaffiliateid=1000031504&sku=99701&vpn=BX80646G1840&manufacture=Intel&promoid=1443 $40

 

or this one, a solid upgrade for $25 more (G3258): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KPRWAZQ/?tag=pcpapi-20

 

Ram

$49: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233186&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

 

 

Total (Using cheapest options):

 

$70 - Mobo

$12.40 - SATA card

$40 - CPU

$49 - Ram

 

$171.40 + tax.

 

A bit more than your budget. If you shop around, you may be able to find some deals for a few bucks less, but it won't be much.

 

To get much less than that, you'll need to be buying used.

 

HTH!

 

 

[tdallen]

If you are patient you can get a good deal on an 8 port PCIex sata card on eBay like the SASLP, SAS2LP, IBM M1015, IBM M1115, Dell Perc H310, etc.  You can also get 2 and 4 port versions from Syba, etc. pretty cheap on NewEgg or Monoprice.  Using a smaller MB and a sata card could give you more flexiblity and might cost less than an 8 port motherboard.  You won't see the performance hit on a PCIex sata controller that you did with a PCI controller.  You could also do your upgrade in stages - initially use motherboard sata ports and one of your old PCI controllers, and then upgrade to the PCIex controller when you find a good deal.

[Chugiak]

The Sempron in my sig only does NAS and is more than adequate for that purpose.  if you want the option of doing more with the server then you are wise to go the newer generation route.  You can't beat Haswell chips for performance on the cheap, so I concur you should go with the LGA1150 plan.  Plex streaming with video conversion uses a lot of CPU cycles so you want one with some muscle.

 

The Passmark performance rating appears to be a useful metric for gauging a CPU's ability to stream Plex.  The guidance on this forum is to have a passmark rating of about 2000 for each media stream.  So if you want to run two consecutive streams a Passmark score of 4000 is recommended.  As a rule of thumb there may be some slop in that, and you might get away with two streams on a Celeron G1840, which has a Passmark score of 2939.

 

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_list.php

 

If you look at bang for buck (Passmark divided by cost) in the <$100 processor range the Pentium G3258 is king.  With a Passmark score of 3977 it should be able to deliver two Plex streams handily.  I would build a system around that CPU and make whatever other compromises needed to get that minimum level of performance.  Plus if you find you need more horsepower in the future you can replace the G3258 with an i7 or whatever.

[Chugiak]

See this post by MrHexen regarding the G1840 and Plex transcoding.  What I know about Plex is limited to what I read on these forums, but if you want that option you probably should go with at least a Pentium.

 

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=39507.msg382726#msg382726

[garycase]

Definitely agree ... as I noted above, "... I'd at least step up to a higher-end CPU ."

 

I'd use at least a Pentium, and preferably nothing lower than a Core i3.  You'll never be sorry you have more CPU "horsepower" than you need; but you'll regret having less 

[Chugiak]

if cheap and performance are your two main criteria, one option is to pick up a Xeon E5520 and an LGA 1366 motherboard.  Assuming you can pick up said motherboard on the cheap.  But the processor scores an admirable 4446 Passmark score and can be had for $40 new and considerably less used.  What you don't get is recent generation tech, nor an upgrade path.  But it's cheap! 

[rcrh]

Thanks to all for the feedback.  This has been an interesting read.  One thing I'll add is that while I mentioned plex or emby I have no desire to have them do transcoding on the server.  I want them to manage a centralize database and scrap metadata but I don't need them to transcode.  This should significantly reduce the demands on a processor.

 

[00b5]

Agree with most of the suggestions here.

 

Intel mb w/ 6 sata slots, pentium or better cpu. Depending on the mb/ram slot setup, get one 4GB dimm, add another later if you need (not optimal at first, but should work for a simple server setup)

 

Add a pci-e x1 (or better) 2 port sata card.

 

Going intel 1150 lets you swap in a much faster CPU if needed down the road, etc.

 

Here is a completely untested, unknown if it works together, add any other disclaimers here:

 

ASROCK H97M Pro (6sata, 4 dimm) $80

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157512

 

Intel Pentium G3258 (haswell, seems to be popular around here) $70

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117374

 

Cosair 4GB DDR3L 1600 $29

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233789

 

Total: $179 + $20 for a 2 port sata card (or up from there)

 

Little over your $150, depends on your goals (can you wait and get a few more $$$, is the server down and needs replacing now, etc)

[garycase]

The system listed above would be a good choice, with one caveat:  Not all boards work well with low voltage RAM, so I'd buy standard DDR3 modules.

 

This would be a good choice instead of the one listed:  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820239312

 

I'd also spring for a bit more and buy two of them ... giving you 8GB of RAM that will operate in the optimal dual channel mode.

 

[TripKnot]

The G3258 has an artificially high passmark because it is unlocked and a high proportion of this CPU's passmark scores are for overclocked CPU's.  Most people running unRaid would probably frown upon overclocking due to corruption and instability risks.  Several other pentium models may be more appropriate.  You can get the G3450 stock clocked 200MHz higher than the G3258 for $73 ($3 more) or the locked G3250 at the same speed as the G3258 for $58 ($12 less). 

[00b5]

The G3258 has an artificially high passmark because it is unlocked and a high proportion of this CPU's passmark scores are for overclocked CPU's.  Most people running unRaid would probably frown upon overclocking due to corruption and instability risks.  Several other pentium models may be more appropriate.  You can get the G3450 stock clocked 200MHz higher than the G3258 for $73 ($3 more) or the locked G3250 at the same speed as the G3258 for $58 ($12 less).

 

That explains a few things, I had originally picked the 3250 for less. Either way, idea here is to go with any of these haswell 1150 cpus, as they can all be swapped out for a wide range of faster cpus down the road.

 

rcrh: I've almost convinced myself to upgrade the core of my system as well (cpu/mb and a gold rated powersupply, already have some spare ram), but in my case I only have 3 data drives, and I think I'd rather work on the "approval" for more storage, not so much a hardware refresh, even though it would be better on the monthly power bill. More storage, then a core hardware upgrade for me.

[Chugiak]

I obsess a bit over the merits of various PSUs and have done some calculations on the costs versus benefits of going with the more expensive and efficient PSU compared to the cheaper and less expensive PSU.

 

If you're buying new, 80+ Gold is generally the most economical option when calculating in the cost of your electricity.  If you're running a system 24/7 that uses 125 watts or more continuously, then a gold PSU will save electricity, enough to pay for itself in a few years.

 

But if your system is on occasionally, uses less electricity, or your electricity is relatively cheap, then it doesn't make economic sense to invest in a gold PSU when bronze will do just fine.  A server system that averages 50 W will in three years consume 1,314 kilowatt-hours of electricity.

 

Most PSUs, regardless of overall efficiency rating, will be pretty inefficient at such low power, probably in the ballpark of 75% - 85%.  Based on U.S. average residential electricity cost of $0.1235 per kwh, the cost to run the 75% efficient PSU will be $216.37 whereas the cost to run a unit with an 85% efficient PSU will be $190.92.  If the purchase cost premium for the more efficient PSU is less than $25.45 then it makes sense to get the more efficient PSU.

 

If your system idles at 25 W and spends most of its time in idle, then two things happen: 1) the PSU is even less efficient, and 2) the overall cost is reduced by consuming less electricity.  In this case it's probably pointless to invest in gold over bronze if energy savings are the only consideration.

 

All that said, if your current PSU is more than a few years old it is probably a good idea to consider replacing it or at least having a spare PSU on hand for when it or another power supply meets its maker.

[Chugiak]

I'm inclined to think that the reported Passmark score is for factory or near-factory clock speeds.  The overclocked database gives the G3258 an average score of 4666, compared to the stock speed score of 3966.

 

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/overclocked_cpus.html

 

Passmark is aware of overclocking and addresses it in this post:

http://www.passmark.com/forum/showthread.php?3575-New-algorithm-for-determining-overclocking-in-charts

[garycase]

The G3258 has an artificially high passmark because it is unlocked and a high proportion of this CPU's passmark scores are for overclocked CPU's.

 

The CPUMark scores PassMark reports are NOT for overclocked CPU's  (there are actually separate charts that show the PassMark at some common overclocked clock rates).

 

The 3998 shown for the G3258 is at stock speed.

 

[TripKnot]

So what then is the difference between the G3250 and G3258 that causes a 660 passmark score difference, besides being unlocked?  They are identical feature wise --> http://ark.intel.com/compare/83538,82723

 

The G3258 has faster passmark scores than every other pentium, even those clocked 400mhz higher, eg G3470.  Granted the sample sizes are lower for some of these other pentiums and there appears to be some statistical noise, but its very odd that the G3258 is so much higher than other pentium chips.  I really would like to know what accounts for this, besides being overclocked.

 

 

Edit:  Found this anandtech review of the G3258

http://www.anandtech.com/show/8232/overclockable-pentium-anniversary-edition-review-the-intel-pentium-g3258-ae

 

They compare a G3258 (not OC'd) with a G3420.  Same clock speed, but G3420 supports DDR3-1666 ram and G3258 supports only DDR-1333.  The G3420 was a head by 1-3% for most tests, essentially identical except for some minor ram speed benefits.  The G3258 has a 500 point higher passmark.  The latest G3258 benchmark result claiming to be at stock 3.2ghz is 5137, if you believe that.  https://www.passmark.com/baselines/V8/display.php?id=42648133658    I don't trust passmark scores for overclockable processors.

[Chugiak]

TK, you've got me pondering the wisdom of recommending the G3258 based on the Passmark CPU score.  It's certainly a capable chip and can do some remarkable overclocking, but is the reported Passmark score indicative of what one will see in the way of performance at stock speeds?

 

http://ark.intel.com/compare/83538,82723

 

Comparing the specs of G3258 agains the G3250 it appears that the only difference is being unlocked.  I suspect that specs aren't written consistently even between these two processors, as differences in the comparison (clear graphics, security key) may be down to how a clerk put in the info rather than having distinctly seperate specs.

 

 

[garycase]

Simple fact is that either one of those two CPUs will work just fine 

 

If I was looking for a low-end CPU, I'd use the G3258, but I'm sure it doesn't really matter.