May 6, 201610 yr Hello all, I've been using unraid for a few years now and I think it's time to upgrade that old "server" for a new shiny one. at first I thought to build 2 systems: - get the "Intel S2600CP Motherboard Dual E5-2670 64GB" deal from natex and build a new server around that. NOTE: this is a complete overkill as i use unraid server for storage + few dockers for torrent+usenet+sickbreard etc. but i guess it future proof for now upgrading for LONG time. - nice gaming build around the 6700K + Z170 mobo + GFX 980. NOTE: my current PC is usually idle most of the time (or shutdown). then i've read here about the KVM virtualization and seen the videos of LinusTech and Jon Panozzo and thought that maybe i can scrap the Dual E5-2670 server and just use gaming rig for both. sounds like a good idea? That said, I need some help with the components. From the current server I'll take most disks (3TB parity, 2X2TB data, 1TB data) I have some smaller drives (cache + data) that i won't be using as they are 500GB or less. my problem is mostly with the sata ports on the Z170 mobos. If I use M2 it will disable 2 SATA ports on most mobos that is a big problem (and I want M2 ssd). this is my build so far, any ideas for improving it will be great: PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($334.99 @ Amazon) CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.49 @ Amazon) Motherboard: MSI Z170A SLI PLUS ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($138.89 @ OutletPC) Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($69.99 @ Amazon) Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($69.99 @ Amazon) Storage: Samsung 950 PRO 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($317.99 @ Amazon) Storage: Mushkin Reactor 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($219.99 @ Newegg) Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($497.99 @ SuperBiiz) Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($94.99 @ NCIX US) Power Supply: Corsair CX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($77.98 @ Newegg) Total: $1852.29 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-06 08:32 EDT-0400 Sata ports should not conflict with M2 on this mobo. case gives me enough 3.5" bays. the 2 ssds (m.2 and sata) are for cache. the M.2 will be used for the VMs main "disk" and the 1TB will be used as unraid cache and VM OS storage (game installs etc.). VM os will be WIN10, maybe another VM for ubuntu instead of all the dockers. Thanks for reading, and ideas will be more than welcomed!
May 6, 201610 yr You shouldn't overclock your RAM (or CPU) if you are using it as a 24/7 NAS. The risk of instability (or worse, data corruption) far outweigh any gain in performance. Get at least 80+ Gold PSU. 80+ Bronze is gonna run hoter and potentially noisier (and cost more electricity). PSU running at higher temp has a higher chance of failure => that's just physics. The 950 Pro is a NVMe drive. You will need 6.2.0 (currently in beta - which I have found to be very buggy with my VM) to use it properly (or alternatively just pass through the PCIe controller).
May 6, 201610 yr Author I'll get the machine in a month or so, hopefuly that 6.2 will be more stable by than. i have no intantion to OC anything (that 6700K just have a higher clock that the 6700 and i7 will be a good choice in my oponion for a system with VM(s)). this looks like a good alternative for the PSU? http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-220p20750x1 how about all of the other parts?
May 11, 201610 yr I think it is an established fact that nobody (even LT) knows when their beta will be stable. In the mean time if you want unRAID, get the SM951 AHCI (which should still be selling for cheaper than 950 PRO). It has been proven by reviewers that the 950 PRO doesn't offer any significant real life improvement over the SM951 AHCI version (or even the SM951 NVMe version). The usage that a typical Joe uses, you will barely even stresses it.
May 12, 201610 yr Author I use unraid already (on an old server). the idea here is to get a system that will stay as-is for a few good years. I thought that for the VM windows i should get the fastest drive to reduce the "lazyness" that I know we can get from normal HDs in VMs. I've also decided to swap the motherboard for one with more SATA ports: GIGABYTE GA-Z170X-UD5. maybe i'll get a different one. i need to decide on a configuration for the drives so i will not disable some of the ports (cuz of the M2 drive). Aswell as a USB3 PCIe card for easy attach and detach usb drives to the VM system: http://www.amazon.com/Anker%C2%AE-Express-Connector-Desktops-Chipset/dp/B005ARQV6U
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