New to unRAID, need a powerful, low power and silent new rig!


bluepr0

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Hello guys,

 

I think this is my first post in the forum but I have been reading for like 2 months. I'm loving more and more unRAID and wanted to give it a try. I currently have a QNAP NAS which is quite slow and 'dumb' if you ask me. I think unRAID will be a much better fit for me.

 

So I'm looking to build a rackmount case, my goal is to have a powerful machine with low consumption and silent, really silent. It will be turned on 24/7. I'm not going to do gaming for now, but I might in the future.

 

Here's a few things I would like to do:

  • It's ok for me if the hardware is workstation or server level. It's not a must to run ECC memory, for example.
  • 6-8 HDD + 2 SSDs for cache. Not sure if there's support for PCIe SSDs with NVMe?
  • Motherboard with at least Dual LAN (a good ones, from Intel)
  • Expandability for future proof, for example have a few PCIe for to add more NICs or to install a good GPU. My idea is to buy a rackmount case 4U.
  • Dockers I will be running all the time: PlexMS, jDownloader, Torrent, Homeassistant, influxdb, grafana, homebridge, Couchpotato and ivideon. More could come
  • I usually do a direct play with Plex, but having enough power for 2 1080p transcoding would be enough (maybe future proof-it for 4k) so I guess around 8000-10000 passmark points could do it (rule I read on the forum was 2000 passmark for every 1080p transcoding)
  • A couple of VMs (usually Win8 and Win10) but these are for testing and won't be running all time nor will be doing CPU-intensive tasks
  • IPMI port (or similar), I need this yes or yes! It's awesome :)
  • Backup 2 Macs through TimeMachine (one thing is not clear to me, I know unRAID support AFS but not sure if there's a chance to create a valid TimeMachine volume for usage?)

 

MB (I'm adding new ones as I discover them. Let me know if you have any suggestions considering all the info I provided)

 

CPU (need an integrated graphic card either in the CPU or in the MB)

  • Intel Xeon E3-1240L v5 (TDP 25w), 7157 Passmark.
  • Intel Xeon E3-1240 v5 (TDP 80w), 10177 Passmark.
  • Intel Xeon E3-1275 v5 (TDP 80w), 10342 Passmark (integrated GPU)
  • Intel Xeon E3-1230 v5 (TDP 80w), 9277 Passmark (it costs 100€ less than 1275!, but no integrated GPU)

 

For budget, well I think around 800€ for CPU + MB. I don't have any spare parts to use in this rig.

 

Current build idea

  • CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 v5 (TDP 80w), 9277 Passmark (it costs 100€ less than 1275!, but no integrated GPU). Can I use the IPMI port with unRAID or do I need a GPU?
  • MOBO: Supermicro X11SSH-LN4F https://www.supermicro.nl/products/motherboard/Xeon/C236_C232/X11SSH-LN4F.cfm SATA x8, LAN 4x
  • RAM: Kingston ValueRAM 8GB DDR4 2133MHz Module ECC 15-15-15-33 (2x8GB)
  • Power: Corsair RM550x 80+ gold single rail
  • Disks: 2x4TB WD RED NAS, 1x3TB WD, 1x2TB WD, 1x500GB WD, 1x250GB SSD Samsung Evo 850 (these are the disks I currently have)

 

Thanks a lot!

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Sounds like a fun build.  You're laying out a lot of options, though.  Each of those CPUs requires a different class of motherboard (well, they'll be a little overlap with the Core i7 6700T and the E3-1240L v5).  You might want to narrow it down a little.  Speaking of that, you're looking at a server class motherboard in order to get IPMI.  Why not get a Xeon and ECC RAM to go along with it?  That would focus your options from the start.  Otherwise you're looking at Haswell, Skylake, Skylake-Xeon, and Xeon-D motherboards.

 

I'm not really a fan of the T and L class processors, they trade off a lot of horsepower in order to get the lower TDP so they're capable of doing less work and need to be sized properly for the job.  If noise management is the priority, though, then you just need to be careful not to undersize them.

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Here's a few things I would like to do:

  • 6-8 HDD + 2 SSDs for cache. Not sure if there's support for PCIe SSDs with NVMe?
  • Backup 2 Macs through TimeMachine (one thing is not clear to me, I know unRAID support AFS but not sure if there's a chance to create a valid TimeMachine volume for usage?)

There are nvme support in 6.2 beta, not in 6.1.9

Yes you can create a TimeMachine share.

 

width=200https://i.imgur.com/8vVOpOT.jpg[/img]

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Here's a few things I would like to do:

  • 6-8 HDD + 2 SSDs for cache. Not sure if there's support for PCIe SSDs with NVMe?
  • Backup 2 Macs through TimeMachine (one thing is not clear to me, I know unRAID support AFS but not sure if there's a chance to create a valid TimeMachine volume for usage?)

There are nvme support in 6.2 beta, not in 6.1.9

Yes you can create a TimeMachine share.

 

width=200https://i.imgur.com/8vVOpOT.jpg[/img]

 

Thanks! that's great :)

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I'm very impressed by the Xeon-Ds, but whether I'd use one would depend as there are tradeoffs.  The cost and slower single core performance on one side, and number of cores and integrated platform with better heat and power management on the other.  I think one poster said he was getting 18w at idle with a Xeon-D setup? And you have the option of going with a passive CPU cooler (albeit with good case cooling).  I'd probably go with a standard Xeon for most use cases, but there are setups where a Xeon-D would make sense.

 

Looking at your case..  Future expandability argues for a micro-ATX or ATX motherboard.  A couple of VMs for testing benefit from single core performance.  Use of Dockers rather than VMs for core functionality means real cores aren't as necessary.  And, as you're finding, most boards with IPMI won't take Core i7s.  Finally, the Xeon-Ds look pretty expensive.  So if it were me I'd focus on an E3 Xeon.  There are tons of ways to put it all together, though  ;).

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Thanks all again, I've updated the MB and CPU list.

 

About CPU, the E3-1240 and E3-1240L cost the same, but the L version has a much lower TDP, interestingly it doesn't go in proportion with the Passmark points, so it seems to be VERY energy efficient as it has around 70% of 1240 performance but a much lower TDP. Am I missing something here? or it's just that good?. BTW, the integrated graphic in the CPU can be used for unRAID? (I read it will need one graphic card)

 

For the MB, I've found these 2 options which seems quite good. I particularly like the 4 LAN ports as I could passthrough 2 of them to a pfSense VM and sell my current MacMini which has pfsense on it. They both have 8 SATA ports, which will be ok for a while... then I guess I will just have to replace some disk or buy an external SATA controller

 

Do you have any more suggestions or ideas? Any hardware incompatibility you can think of? Thanks for all the help!

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Hello! I've updated the main post with a current build idea... pleas let me know what do you guys think. Also, I have a doubt regarding IPMI... can I use it as a GPU for unRAID? My idea is to have a headless server but I read unRAID needs one GPU to boot up?

 

Thanks!

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I think you'll be happier with the 9200 Passmark server.  2,000 Passmarks per 1080p stream is only a rule of thumb - it can easily require more than that (or less).  In particular high bit rate full BD rips can require a lot more, and if you happen to try to transcode two of those you'll be glad to have a more powerful CPU.

 

I thought that IPMI required a GPU of some kind, but I could be wrong.  I don't think unRAID requires a GPU to boot, though some motherboards do.  In any case, the Supermicro motherboard you linked has IPMI and onboard video, so you'd be covered with that hardware.

 

The general recommendation for unRAID is a PSU with a single 12v rail.  The one you linked has 4 rails - I'd look at other options.

 

Looking good :).

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It's frequently called out in the description, but not always.  You can also see in the technical specs for output, for instance the be quiet! shows:

 

+12V1 (A)18

+12V2 (A)18

+12V3 (A)20

+12V4 (A)20

 

So you have several 12v rails, and 18/20 amps per rail.  That's a pain - when you're hooking up hard drives and using splitters, etc, you don't want to worry about whether you've maxed out the current rail and need to move to another one.  So if you see a 12v rail with 45-60 (or more) amps on the rail you know you're getting a single 12v rail and can hook up everything to it without worrying about splitting loads.  FYI, hard drives typically pull 3-6 amps per drive.

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Great, glad to hear that as I want it as silent as possible!

 

Then you should be starting to investigate case fans and CPU coolers.  That will be your biggest challenge in this whole process!  Getting enough air flow and not having the fans sound like a tornado is an engineering art form that cost real dollars and a lot of very careful research on your part.  If you don't find sound levels specs on any fan you are looking at, it will be noisy!!!!

 

Even cases have varying levels of sound suppression.  Cheap flimsy cases can vibrate like a drum.  Some cases actually have insulation bonded to the side panels to help quiet things down. 

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What did you end up going with? Also which case are you using?

 

You're build is similar what I would like to do so I'm curious :)

Here's the list:

 

  • CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 v5 (TDP 80w), 9277 Passmark (it costs 100€ less than 1275!, but no integrated GPU). Can I use the IPMI port with unRAID or do I need a GPU?
  • MOBO: Supermicro X11SSH-LN4F https://www.supermicro.nl/products/motherboard/Xeon/C236_C232/X11SSH-LN4F.cfm SATA x8, LAN 4x
  • RAM: Kingston ValueRAM 8GB DDR4 2133MHz Module ECC 15-15-15-33 (2x8GB)
  • Power: Corsair RM550x 80+ gold single rail
  • Disks: 2x4TB WD RED NAS, 1x3TB WD, 1x2TB WD, 1x500GB WD, 1x250GB SSD Samsung Evo 850 (these are the disks I currently have)

 

For the case, I will go with a rack-mount 4u, just not sure which one yet... but I'd like to have at least 8 hot swappable trays!

Link to comment

What did you end up going with? Also which case are you using?

 

You're build is similar what I would like to do so I'm curious :)

Here's the list:

 

  • CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 v5 (TDP 80w), 9277 Passmark (it costs 100€ less than 1275!, but no integrated GPU). Can I use the IPMI port with unRAID or do I need a GPU?
  • MOBO: Supermicro X11SSH-LN4F https://www.supermicro.nl/products/motherboard/Xeon/C236_C232/X11SSH-LN4F.cfm SATA x8, LAN 4x
  • RAM: Kingston ValueRAM 8GB DDR4 2133MHz Module ECC 15-15-15-33 (2x8GB)
  • Power: Corsair RM550x 80+ gold single rail
  • Disks: 2x4TB WD RED NAS, 1x3TB WD, 1x2TB WD, 1x500GB WD, 1x250GB SSD Samsung Evo 850 (these are the disks I currently have)

 

For the case, I will go with a rack-mount 4u, just not sure which one yet... but I'd like to have at least 8 hot swappable trays!

 

Thanks! Have you chosen a heatsink yet?

 

Keep us updated on how the build goes.

Link to comment

What did you end up going with? Also which case are you using?

 

You're build is similar what I would like to do so I'm curious :)

Here's the list:

 

  • CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 v5 (TDP 80w), 9277 Passmark (it costs 100€ less than 1275!, but no integrated GPU). Can I use the IPMI port with unRAID or do I need a GPU?
  • MOBO: Supermicro X11SSH-LN4F https://www.supermicro.nl/products/motherboard/Xeon/C236_C232/X11SSH-LN4F.cfm SATA x8, LAN 4x
  • RAM: Kingston ValueRAM 8GB DDR4 2133MHz Module ECC 15-15-15-33 (2x8GB)
  • Power: Corsair RM550x 80+ gold single rail
  • Disks: 2x4TB WD RED NAS, 1x3TB WD, 1x2TB WD, 1x500GB WD, 1x250GB SSD Samsung Evo 850 (these are the disks I currently have)

 

For the case, I will go with a rack-mount 4u, just not sure which one yet... but I'd like to have at least 8 hot swappable trays!

 

Thanks! Have you chosen a heatsink yet?

 

Keep us updated on how the build goes.

 

Yep! Will go with this one http://noctua.at/en/nh-d9l

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Hello guys,

 

I'm still waiting components to arrive. One of the things I'm still missing is the case. I've been searching a lot and trying to adjust to Europe options. I've found this one http://inter-tech.de/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1139%3Aipc-4u-4410&catid=136%3A4u-storage-gehaeuse&Itemid=961〈=en which seems pretty good for my needs. HOWEVER it has a note in the product's description:

 

By use in combination with an Intel Onboard SATA-Controller the Controller has to be set to Raid-Mode (Hot-Plug will be set automatically) or every port separately to Hot-Plug/ external Port (depends on your Bios). If these settings are not available in your Bios, maybe an error-free use is only possible by using an additional SATA-Controller.

 

Is this normal in these hot swap cases? is this going to create problems with unRAID?

 

2XRZVMze+

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Hello guys,

 

I'm still waiting components to arrive. One of the things I'm still missing is the case. I've been searching a lot and trying to adjust to Europe options. I've found this one http://inter-tech.de/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1139%3Aipc-4u-4410&catid=136%3A4u-storage-gehaeuse&Itemid=961〈=en which seems pretty good for my needs. HOWEVER it has a note in the product's description:

 

By use in combination with an Intel Onboard SATA-Controller the Controller has to be set to Raid-Mode (Hot-Plug will be set automatically) or every port separately to Hot-Plug/ external Port (depends on your Bios). If these settings are not available in your Bios, maybe an error-free use is only possible by using an additional SATA-Controller.

 

Is this normal in these hot swap cases? is this going to create problems with unRAID?

 

 

OK, First thing!  unRAID is not RAID, hence its name!  I believe that unRAID does not support 'hot swapping' of drives in any case.  However, the use of 'hot swap' drive bays is recommended by many of us.  They make the addition and changeout of drives so much easier which is a minor point.  What their use does do is to prevent problems when one has to open up a case, unplug a drive, and get it physically out of the case and reverse the process to get a new one installed.  If you are familiar with SATA connectors, you should have realized by now that they are the mechanically deficient connector arrangement that has ever been put into wide use.  It  is not a bad situation when you are only dealing with two or three drives but when you have more than seven or eight, the rat-nest of wire harnesses becomes unmanageable and loosing one connector while working on another seems inevitable.  Plus if they are loosened up a little, they can vibrate off at a later time.  Therefore, the use of hot=swap' cages is the norm for experienced unRAID users as I don't believe that there is any front quick-change drive housing that is not a 'hot-swap' compatible one.

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Hello guys,

 

I'm still waiting components to arrive. One of the things I'm still missing is the case. I've been searching a lot and trying to adjust to Europe options. I've found this one http://inter-tech.de/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1139%3Aipc-4u-4410&catid=136%3A4u-storage-gehaeuse&Itemid=961〈=en which seems pretty good for my needs. HOWEVER it has a note in the product's description:

 

By use in combination with an Intel Onboard SATA-Controller the Controller has to be set to Raid-Mode (Hot-Plug will be set automatically) or every port separately to Hot-Plug/ external Port (depends on your Bios). If these settings are not available in your Bios, maybe an error-free use is only possible by using an additional SATA-Controller.

 

Is this normal in these hot swap cases? is this going to create problems with unRAID?

 

 

OK, First thing!  unRAID is not RAID, hence its name!  I believe that unRAID does not support 'hot swapping' of drives in any case.  However, the use of 'hot swap' drive bays is recommended by many of us.  They make the addition and changeout of drives so much easier which is a minor point.  What their use does do is to prevent problems when one has to open up a case, unplug a drive, and get it physically out of the case and reverse the process to get a new one installed.  If you are familiar with SATA connectors, you should have realized by now that they are the mechanically deficient connector arrangement that has ever been put into wide use.  It  is not a bad situation when you are only dealing with two or three drives but when you have more than seven or eight, the rat-nest of wire harnesses becomes unmanageable and loosing one connector while working on another seems inevitable.  Plus if they are loosened up a little, they can vibrate off at a later time.  Therefore, the use of hot=swap' cages is the norm for experienced unRAID users as I don't believe that there is any front quick-change drive housing that is not a 'hot-swap' compatible one.

 

Hello Frank, thanks for your reply. Indeed, I was aware that I will have to turn off the computer to manage drives... but as you said it's much easier to have these hot-swap cases for that matter.

 

However what worried me is what the case's description was saying, do you know if this is normal on any hot-swap case? or should I avoid these kind of cases requesting changes in the BIOS, etc?

Link to comment

Hello guys,

 

I'm still waiting components to arrive. One of the things I'm still missing is the case. I've been searching a lot and trying to adjust to Europe options. I've found this one http://inter-tech.de/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1139%3Aipc-4u-4410&catid=136%3A4u-storage-gehaeuse&Itemid=961〈=en which seems pretty good for my needs. HOWEVER it has a note in the product's description:

 

By use in combination with an Intel Onboard SATA-Controller the Controller has to be set to Raid-Mode (Hot-Plug will be set automatically) or every port separately to Hot-Plug/ external Port (depends on your Bios). If these settings are not available in your Bios, maybe an error-free use is only possible by using an additional SATA-Controller.

 

Is this normal in these hot swap cases? is this going to create problems with unRAID?

 

 

OK, First thing!  unRAID is not RAID, hence its name!  I believe that unRAID does not support 'hot swapping' of drives in any case.  However, the use of 'hot swap' drive bays is recommended by many of us.  They make the addition and changeout of drives so much easier which is a minor point.  What their use does do is to prevent problems when one has to open up a case, unplug a drive, and get it physically out of the case and reverse the process to get a new one installed.  If you are familiar with SATA connectors, you should have realized by now that they are the mechanically deficient connector arrangement that has ever been put into wide use.  It  is not a bad situation when you are only dealing with two or three drives but when you have more than seven or eight, the rat-nest of wire harnesses becomes unmanageable and loosing one connector while working on another seems inevitable.  Plus if they are loosened up a little, they can vibrate off at a later time.  Therefore, the use of hot=swap' cages is the norm for experienced unRAID users as I don't believe that there is any front quick-change drive housing that is not a 'hot-swap' compatible one.

 

Hello Frank, thanks for your reply. Indeed, I was aware that I will have to turn off the computer to manage drives... but as you said it's much easier to have these hot-swap cases for that matter.

 

However what worried me is what the case's description was saying, do you know if this is normal on any hot-swap case? or should I avoid these kind of cases requesting changes in the BIOS, etc?

 

As I recall, the disk interface has to be set AHCI for hot-swapping to be enabled.  Perhaps this is what they are referring to.  It is so difficult to accurately translate technical information that I always want enough material that I cam sure that who ever did the translating was truly technically fluent in BOTH languages.  (I am thinking of those manuals that I have seen that come out of China that are almost comical in the way they are written.)

 

Oh, and I just found this on WIKIpedia which, perhaps, explains the RAID reference. 

 

"Some operating systems, notably Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10, do not configure themselves to load the AHCI driver upon boot if the SATA controller was not in AHCI mode at the time of installation. This can cause failure to boot, with an error message, if the SATA controller is later switched to AHCI mode. For this reason, Intel recommends changing the drive controller to AHCI or RAID before installing an operating system.[1] (It may also be necessary to load chipset-specific AHCI or RAID drivers at installation time, for example from a USB flash drive.)"      (I added the emphasis.)

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