There is a TON of info over in the wiki and forums, but too much for what I can handle.  Unfortunately, a lot of the build reccomendations on the wiki use parts that have been discontinued for some time, and I'm a novice at building a PC from scratch. My needs are very simple, so let me lay them out.

 

Physical

1) No rackmount server cases. I live in a Manhattan apartment, and square footage is at a premium. Just like buildings here, I can build tall, but the footprint needs to save space.

2) Along the same lines, the server will be in a non-ventillated coat closet. Let me know how many fans I'll need to keep the rig cool. Noise isn't a huge concern as, again, it's going to be in a closet.

 

Usage

1) I am ripping my Blu-Rays to disk, and this server will house them. As such I will, at most, stream two blu-ray disks at once. (One stream to the bedroom and one to the living room.) 24 hours of most days this thing will sit idle, and will only run for the length of a movie, or the ripping of a movie, on the other days.

 

I would like this build to be a "one-and-done" where I don't plan on replacing any hardware besides hard disks for the life of the server. I'm also pretty sure that unraid will never require a quad-core processor, so I'm thinking a build with a budget celeron will be sufficient, and will probably keep the heat down as well. I'd also like the option to use all 20 drives that unraid supports with the case originally purchased (and 4 into 3, or 5 into 3 backplanes), but don't need them this minute and 16 may make more sense economically. I don't need hot-swap cages, and I don't think unraid supports a hot-swap rebuild anyway. (I could be wrong) My thought was that I'd use a tower with 12 5.25" external bays to get me where I need to be. I'll probably only put in four drives at the start, but I'd rather buy all of the hardware to get me to the final destination unless there will be a HUGE cost savings in waiting for the price of E-SATA cards and hard drive cages to drop in cost.

 

If anyone would be kind enough to give me specific part reccomendations on the motherboard (preferably with an internal USB header and 1Gbps LAN), processor, E-SATA cards, and PSU, I'm sure I can find a case, USB drive, and some RAM to finish things up.  Thanks for any help.

-Seth

 

This post will set you on the right path..just use an Antec 1200 case and you'll have your basic setup. Look for a motherboard with multiple 4x or better pcie slots. Make sure they are not video only slots.

 

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=4568.0

 

cheers db

The 5-in-3 disk stackers are way too expensive, have smaller fans behind making LOT of noise and are a pain to work in a small desktop case. You may face troubles with cables coming out of your mobo and the back of the 5-in-3 stackers... Why not getting a Norco 4020 case? You get everything for under $300 including all drive cages and plenty of space. You may also consider the newer Norco 4220 case. Take a look here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1149005

The 5-in-3 disk stackers are way too expensive, have smaller fans behind making LOT of noise and are a pain to work in a small desktop case. You may face troubles with cables coming out of your mobo and the back of the 5-in-3 stackers... Why not getting a Norco 4020 case? You get everything for under $300 including all drive cages and plenty of space. You may also consider the newer Norco 4220 case. Take a look here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1149005

 

His requirements said

Physical

1) No rackmount server cases. I live in a Manhattan apartment, and square footage is at a premium. Just like buildings here, I can build tall, but the footprint needs to save space.

2) Along the same lines, the server will be in a non-ventillated coat closet. Let me know how many fans I'll need to keep the rig cool. Noise isn't a huge concern as, again, it's going to be in a closet.

 

It's known no rackmount server cases, and it;s going to be in a closet. So heat is going to be a problem.

The norco is known to have heat issues. I don't think it fit the requirements.

 

A nice point regarding the Antec 1200.  two 120MM and a 140MM exhaust fan. A number of 120MM intake fans.

However, I do think that eventually the whole closet will equalize to a hot temperature, therefore it should be monitored closely.