Summer Lovin (New Build)

[Capt.Insano]

Warning: Very long OP, I have been thinking way too much about the joys of upgrading!!

 

Nearly 2 yr ago I stumbled across unRAID when my old Freecom network drive died.

 

I needed network storage fast and cheap, so I bought a 2nd-hand PC to convert into an unRAID box:

 

What €150 bought me in 2013 (a complete 2nd-hand PC for sale):

Case: Antec NSK6500: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129015

PSU: Antec SU-430 430W: http://www.hardwareinsights.com/wp/antec-su-430-review/

MoBo: Asus M2N-SLI Deluxe: http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/M2NSLI_Deluxe/overview/

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ (AM2): http://products.amd.com/en-us/DesktopCPUDetail.aspx?id=52

GPU: ASUS ATI Radeon EAX 1600 PRO: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121549

***GPU removed, replaced cheap with 8MB PCI Graphics Card for unRAID***

RAM: 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 800 RAM (Generic Cheap RAM) ***upgraded to 8GB (4x2GB)***

 

to this system I added (will carry all these forward to new build):

 

Flash Drive: Cruser Blade 8GB

Parity: WD Red 3TB: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236344

Cache: SanDisk 64G Sata III SSD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820171645

Storage:

Disk 1 : WD Red 3TB: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236344

Disk 2 : WD Red 3TB: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236344

Disk 3 : WD Caviar Green 1TB: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136317

Disk 4 : WD Caviar Blue 500GB: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136784

***Drives 3 & 4 were old drives lying around the house after some PC upgrades, all other drives were new***

 

I am now unRAID obsessed and have migrated friends and family members to it.

 

I run approx 10 Dockers since early unRAID v6 beta days:

BTSync
DDClient
Couchpotato
Sabnzbd
FoldingAtHome
KODI-Headless
MariaDB
ruTorrent
Tonido
Ubooquity

 

and 2-3 Virtual Machines

 

TVHeadend
VortexBox
XP (for TeamViewer access to home network)

 

 

It has been 2 yrs, .... I really want to get more into virtualisation: ... I need an upgrade!!

 

What I was thinking, (based on some of what I have been reading in the forums) is the following:

 

Case: Currently unknown (might keep current case until I get more €€€)

PSU: Need advice on good performance/value mix (750W I reckon)

MoBo: ASRock Z97 EXTREME6: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157500

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690 / Intel Core i5-4690K : Advice Needed

RAM: 16GB+ DDR3 (8GB x2) **add more in future when i have more €€€**

GPU: Cheap PCI GPU for unRAID (pass intel GPU on to VirtualMachine)

 

As you can see, I have very little ideas yet!!

I liked the look of the Asrock Z97 Extreme6 due to 1150 socket, plenty (10) SATA III ports, and great price but I would love any advice

CPU: I saw the above, Intel Core i5-4690 recommended by garrycase.

 

What I want from my new build:

I would love to add a proper GPU when I get more cash and turn this into my Desktop/Gaming PC (light enough gamer, do NOT need ultra settings) via a Windows 10 Virtual Machine with IntelGraphics and Dedicated GPU.

 

 

All advice, comments, beratement welcome!!

 

Thanks (sorry for VERY long post),

 

The Capt

[Ashe]

Generally any Intel processor with a K at the end won't support IOMMU which means you cannot pass through a GPU. It should still support HVM so you could create VMs with basic USB passthrough.

 

[Capt.Insano]

@Ashe: Intel Ark seems to list all Virtualisation technologies under each CPU:

 

Intel i5-4690 and Intel i5-4690K

 

is "Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)" not what I should be looking at?

 

[Ashe]

That is the correct item to look at, it seems Intel may have changed this with the latest processors but best to see if someone can verify this before purchase.

 

https://forum.teksyndicate.com/t/vt-d-on-i5-4690k-and-i7-4790k/63391

 

[jonp]

Can confirm K does not mean no VT-d. I used to think the same thing, but my main rig has a 4790k i7 and it works with VT-d just fine.

 

However, you cannot pass through integrated graphics chips to a VM. This is all over the wiki and the hardware requirements page on our website.

 

[Capt.Insano]

However, you cannot pass through integrated graphics chips to a VM. This is all over the wiki and the hardware requirements page on our website.

 

Thanks jonp. I misread that info. I thought that if I booted from another (minimal) PCI graphics card for unRAID it would free up the Intel Graphics for a VM.

[jonp]

Nope.  It's not an issue of "freeing up" but rather, an issue with how integrated GPU devices work in general, which is to say, not by any real standards. Only discrete GPUs will work, and not all of them at that. Check the hardware requirements page for more information, its a new page off the support menu on our website (added in just the last few weeks).

[Capt.Insano]

Thanks jonp!

 

P.S: congrats on such a successful v6 launch.

 

[jonp]

No problem and thanks for the kind words!  We got lots more in store too...

[dirtysanchez]

K does not mean no VT-d, it means the clock multiplier is unlocked, meaning the CPU can be over-clocked.

 

That said, in the past, K-series CPU's generally DID NOT support VT-d. It appears Intel is changing their tune recently as there seem to now be K-series CPU's that DO support VT-d.

 

As always, the Intel ARK website is your friend when determining what features a given CPU supports.

[Ashe]

I never stated that K meant no VT-d however It was very true of the 2nd generation as rarely did an Intel cpu with a K at the end support VT-d, and even some that were marked on the Ark site as supporting it, did not support it. I was caught out by this with an i5-2500k in 2012 so thought it worthwhile to mention.

 

It seems Intel have had a rethink on this so all is good.

 

[CHBMB]

As an aside is the extra cost of a K CPU worth it?

 

I mean I'm not sure I'd be overclocking on my Unraid server.

Stability & heat would be the two things that'd concern me, and if you're running it as stock what's the point of buying the K?

[HellDiverUK]

 

Personally, I like the S models.  Lower normal clock speed, but tend to turbo up as fast as the normal chips.

 

http://ark.intel.com/compare/80812,80811,80810

 

There's NO need for a K in an UnRAID box IMHO, even if you're doing the whole gaming VM nonsense.

[CHBMB]

 

Personally, I like the S models.  Lower normal clock speed, but tend to turbo up as fast as the normal chips.

 

http://ark.intel.com/compare/80812,80811,80810

 

There's NO need for a K in an UnRAID box IMHO, even if you're doing the whole gaming VM nonsense.

 

Yeah I use an S chip

[Capt.Insano]

I agree with above, no need for K version of chip. I will have to look at S versions however.

 

Any other chips to be advised? I was looking @ Intel Core i5-4690 just because I saw garrycase mention it in another thread!!

 

Any advised on MoBo? is the ASRock Z97 EXTREME6 a good bet?

Any more efficient way of getting similar results? Is IPMI worth the investment?

 

 

[HellDiverUK]

If the machine is stable, I don't see any reason for IPMI.  I've got board that have it, and for my uses all the IPMI is add 2-5W of power consumption and eat a port in the switch for no reason.

 

Once I have my UnRAID box up and running I never need access to the console.  On the very rare occasion I do, I just plug a VGA and USB in to the back, job jobbed.

[uldise]

I agree with above, no need for K version of chip. I will have to look at S versions however.

 

Any other chips to be advised? I was looking @ Intel Core i5-4690 just because I saw garrycase mention it in another thread!!

 

Any advised on MoBo? is the ASRock Z97 EXTREME6 a good bet?

Any more efficient way of getting similar results? Is IPMI worth the investment?

 

if you plan run this PC headless then IMPI is a must have IMHO

it's very useful too when you are away from PC location for a long time, like me when i'm at my summer house for all summer ..