Time for an upgrade, need some good tips


KB36

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My current setup has run since 2013. There hasn't been any major problems.

But i feel like it's time for an upgrade.

 

The dream

 

- Update to the newest Unraid software.

- Run Plex mediaserver (to my xbox one in the livingroom, hope 3D SBS playback is possible)

- Get a faster transfer rate

 

So i need some help regarding the needed hardware, to make my dream come true.

 

If i choose to change as few parts as possible, will the following upgrades be enough?

 

CPU:  Intel Core i3 3250 3.5GHz LGA1155 socket (fits my mobo)

RAM: 2 x 8 GB (16 GB) / DDR3 / 1600 MHz

PSU: CX750M

 

The system is as follows

 

OS: 5.0-rc16c

CPU: Celeron G1610 2 MB (BX80637G1610)

MOBO: Asrock B75 Pro3-M (firmware 1.80)

RAM: Kingston ValueRAM 2 x 4 GB 1600mhz (KVR16N11S8K2/8)

Case: Enermax Ostrog GT (ECA3280A-B-F)

Drive Cage: Raidsonic IB-544SKK (added May 2016)

PSU: Corsair CX600 V2

SATA Expansion Card: LyCOM PE-120 (Have an adaptec 1430SA also, but not mounted)

USB key: Sandisk Cruzer Fit 4GB (pro licence ordered 18. august 2013)

Fans: The 3 fans that were included in the case.

Sata power splitter: Silverstone CP06

Sata data: sata 600 0,5m

 

Parity Drive: 3TB WD RED WD30EFRX

Data Drives: *

Cache Drive: None

Total Drive Capacity: 12 x 3,5" Drives & 2 x 2,5" drives

 

*

2 x 2TB WD20EARX Caviar green

1 x 2TB WD20EARS Caviar green

1 x 2TB WD20EACS Caviar green

2 x 2TB ST2000DM001 Seagate

4 x 3TB DT01ACA300 Toshiba

 

Primary Use: Media (movies, tvseries and backup)

 

Add Ons Used: preclear, unMenu, Screen

 

The movies and tvseries are being watched via a Mede8er Med600x3D (livingroom) and an android based "noname box" with kodi (bedroom)

 

The Mede8er pretty much eats everything i've given it, including 3D SBS files. (have 261 3D movies on my current box)

 

As written it's been a smooth ride for the last 3 years.

 

Only complaint is the transfer rate from Laptop to the box (Wired Gigabit LAN). For some reason i'm not able to get over 11 mb/s

My laptop and the mobo in my unraid box are both Gigabit, and i've even tried to connect my laptop as direct/close to the box as possible, And tried writing direct to a cache drive. Still the slow transfer rate. My guess is there must be a hardware bottle neck somewhere.

 

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Sounds like your issue is your network is only running 100mbit. is the 11MB/sec stable or does it go well below that at times also?

 

I would look if you network switch and or cables is causing problems and your speed is auto adjusted to 100 mbit instead of 1000 mbit

 

In regard to the rest of the hardware it looks okay, and a CPU upgrade in itself should allow you to do what you want ( i havent calculated your poweusage but a single rail 600w PSU should more than suffice).

 

Shameless self promotion: Should you feel like aquiring yourself some truly awesome server hardware i am currently selling some perfect (used hardware) for a unraid server on the Danish used stuff portal DBA.dk

http://www.dba.dk/server-supermicro-god-e3/id-1024966774/

 

 

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Sounds like your issue is your network is only running 100mbit. is the 11MB/sec stable or does it go well below that at times also?

 

I would look if you network switch and or cables is causing problems and your speed is auto adjusted to 100 mbit instead of 1000 mbit

 

In regard to the rest of the hardware it looks okay, and a CPU upgrade in itself should allow you to do what you want ( i havent calculated your poweusage but a single rail 600w PSU should more than suffice).

 

Shameless self promotion: Should you feel like aquiring yourself some truly awesome server hardware i am currently selling some perfect (used hardware) for a unraid server on the Danish used stuff portal DBA.dk

http://www.dba.dk/server-supermicro-god-e3/id-1024966774/

The 11MB/sec is somewhat stable. But can drop to 5MB/sec.

The unraid box is connected to my internet router. Have checked the settings on the router to be 1000. From the router to the box there is 1,5m cat6 cable. I've tried to connect my laptop to the other port on the router with a cat6 cable. Still the same speed. I'm gonna check the settings on the unraid box and on my laptop.

 

Thank you for the info regarding the upgrade.

 

Your add on DBA, is really nice.

 

Sendt fra min Nexus 6P med Tapatalk

 

 

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Hi -

 

You could upgrade your current system to unRAID 6.1.9 right now without any hardware updates.  You might want to go to the latest supported 5.06 first - but that's optional.

 

The biggest reason for an upgrade sounds like the XBox.  If the XBox can consume media directly like the Mede8ter then you'd be fine but my assumption is that it will require Plex to do some transcoding and that would benefit from a CPU upgrade.  Your current CPU is 2519 Passmarks and the Core i3 3250 is 4450 Passmarks.  The Celeron could struggle with a 1080p stream but the Core i3 could probably handle a single stream of whatever you throw at it though I haven't tried 3D SBS.  If you ever wanted Plex to transcode for a couple of devices, though, you might want to go for a Core i5.  Plex transcoding loves CPU, but doesn't need a lot of RAM.

 

8GB of RAM is fine for unRAID 6 and several Dockers.  You can go higher, but I'd try the 8GB you have first.  Is there a reason you want to do a PSU upgrade?  If you really need to do one, I'd recommend going a little higher in the Corsair product line - for instance the RM or HX lines.  The CX line has caused issues for some people.

 

I agree with gert that is sounds like you have a network hardware issue and are dropping down to 100mbit.

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Hi -

 

You could upgrade your current system to unRAID 6.1.9 right now without any hardware updates.  You might want to go to the latest supported 5.06 first - but that's optional.

 

The biggest reason for an upgrade sounds like the XBox.  If the XBox can consume media directly like the Mede8ter then you'd be fine but my assumption is that it will require Plex to do some transcoding and that would benefit from a CPU upgrade.  Your current CPU is 2519 Passmarks and the Core i3 3250 is 4450 Passmarks.  The Celeron could struggle with a 1080p stream but the Core i3 could probably handle a single stream of whatever you throw at it though I haven't tried 3D SBS.  If you ever wanted Plex to transcode for a couple of devices, though, you might want to go for a Core i5.  Plex transcoding loves CPU, but doesn't need a lot of RAM.

 

8GB of RAM is fine for unRAID 6 and several Dockers.  You can go higher, but I'd try the 8GB you have first.  Is there a reason you want to do a PSU upgrade?  If you really need to do one, I'd recommend going a little higher in the Corsair product line - for instance the RM or HX lines.  The CX line has caused issues for some people.

 

I agree with gert that is sounds like you have a network hardware issue and are dropping down to 100mbit.

Which is better an i5 2,4 or a i3 3,5 when we look at my "dream"

 

Sendt fra min Nexus 6P med Tapatalk

 

 

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If your only real complaint is the transfer rate to the laptop, then that's really all you need to resolve.

 

But if you want to increase your "horsepower" (to perhaps support multiple simultaneous Plex transcodes), then the i3 you suggested is fine ... this will increase your PassMark score from 2519 (your current Celeron) to 4450.    A socket 1155 Core i5 would almost certainly have even more performance ... although I don't know what you're referring to with your question r.e. a 2.4GHz version, as none of them are clocked that low.  Just look up the specific CPU you're thinking about here to see what its PassMark value is:

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

 

But your real issue seems to be that your network connection to the laptop is only 100Mb.  If your router has Gb ports, then most likely the laptop only has a 100Mb adapter.  (In which case you'll need to add a USB Gb adapter to get better speeds).  http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-Gigabit-Ethernet-Network-Adapter/dp/B0095EFXMC?ie=UTF8&qid=1465491393&ref_=lp_13983791_1_15&s=pc&sr=1-15

 

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Which model Core i5 do you mean?  I don't see any third gen (LGA1155) Core i5s that run at 2.4GHz...

Sorry! It's a i5 called 2400

 

00a12c55b95cb349ba5668e6a4e14f80.jpg

 

A guy is selling it (used) for about the same price as a new i3

 

Sendt fra min Nexus 6P med Tapatalk

 

 

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If your only real complaint is the transfer rate to the laptop, then that's really all you need to resolve.

 

But if you want to increase your "horsepower" (to perhaps support multiple simultaneous Plex transcodes), then the i3 you suggested is fine ... this will increase your PassMark score from 2519 (your current Celeron) to 4450.    A socket 1155 Core i5 would almost certainly have even more performance ... although I don't know what you're referring to with your question r.e. a 2.4GHz version, as none of them are clocked that low.  Just look up the specific CPU you're thinking about here to see what its PassMark value is:

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

 

But your real issue seems to be that your network connection to the laptop is only 100Mb.  If your router has Gb ports, then most likely the laptop only has a 100Mb adapter.  (In which case you'll need to add a USB Gb adapter to get better speeds).  http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-Gigabit-Ethernet-Network-Adapter/dp/B0095EFXMC?ie=UTF8&qid=1465491393&ref_=lp_13983791_1_15&s=pc&sr=1-15

The system works as it is. And on all counts it seems like the slow transfer rate is a caused by some wrong settings.

 

The system can run version 6, CPU and mobo are both 64 bit.

 

But my research with finding a drive cage and sata card, have hit my UCD I WANT MORE.

And for what seems like a small investment, my possibilities increases.

 

Sendt fra min Nexus 6P med Tapatalk

 

 

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Hmm, that's a little more difficult call.  The second gen "Sandy Bridge" Core i5 2400 is a 5839 Passmark CPU with a 95W TDP.  The Core i3 3250 is third gen "Ivy Bridge" and is 4450 Passmarks and 55W TDP.  Core i5s have 4 real cores, Core i3s have two cores with hyperthreading.

 

The bottom line to me - I think that the jump from Sandy Bridge to Ivy Bridge was reasonably significant in terms of the horsepower and power efficiency of the chips.  I would go with the Core i3 3250 unless I really felt that I needed the extra horsepower of the Core i5 2400.  Now, if you could find a good deal on a Core i5 3450, 3470, etc - that would be a nice way to go.

 

The only thing you've described about your "dream" system so far that would need much horsepower is potentially a single stream of Plex transcoding.  I like to over-provision servers so I usually bring higher CPUs into the discussion - but the Core i3 3250 is probably fine for your use case if that's all you want to do.

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Hmm, that's a little more difficult call.  The second gen "Sandy Bridge" Core i5 2400 is a 5839 Passmark CPU with a 95W TDP.  The Core i3 3250 is third gen "Ivy Bridge" and is 4450 Passmarks and 55W TDP.  Core i5s have 4 real cores, Core i3s have two cores with hyperthreading.

 

The bottom line to me - I think that the jump from Sandy Bridge to Ivy Bridge was reasonably significant in terms of the horsepower and power efficiency of the chips.  I would go with the Core i3 3250 unless I really felt that I needed the extra horsepower of the Core i5 2400.  Now, if you could find a good deal on a Core i5 3450, 3470, etc - that would be a nice way to go.

 

The only thing you've described about your "dream" system so far that would need much horsepower is potentially a single stream of Plex transcoding.  I like to over-provision servers so I usually bring higher CPUs into the discussion - but the Core i3 3250 is probably fine for your use case if that's all you want to do.

 

I hear you on the Sandy vs Ivy.

We are only two adults in the household, so the transcoding will be a single stream to the living room. So the CPU just have to have the horsepower to handle the different files and bitrates.

 

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You said earlier your router was a Gb router => have you confirmed that?

 

If so, note what I said earlier ...

 

... But your real issue seems to be that your network connection to the laptop is only 100Mb

 

... and the easy resolution to that:

 

...  If your router has Gb ports, then most likely the laptop only has a 100Mb adapter.  (In which case you'll need to add a USB Gb adapter to get better speeds).  http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-Gigabit-Ethernet-Network-Adapter/dp/B0095EFXMC?ie=UTF8&qid=1465491393&ref_=lp_13983791_1_15&s=pc&sr=1-15

 

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Yes the Router is Gigabit, the same goes for my two switches.

I might have a cat5e cable running over the attic.

So for it to be perfect i need to check/change it all to cat6 i guess.

 

 

You said earlier your router was a Gb router => have you confirmed that?

 

If so, note what I said earlier ...

 

... But your real issue seems to be that your network connection to the laptop is only 100Mb

 

... and the easy resolution to that:

 

...  If your router has Gb ports, then most likely the laptop only has a 100Mb adapter.  (In which case you'll need to add a USB Gb adapter to get better speeds).  http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-Gigabit-Ethernet-Network-Adapter/dp/B0095EFXMC?ie=UTF8&qid=1465491393&ref_=lp_13983791_1_15&s=pc&sr=1-15

icotera.jpg.a4a19133188553878e0536648c6d1b91.jpg

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As noted in the comment above, Cat-5e is good enough to run well over 100Mb ... it won't always hit the max Gb rate, but it'll get plenty close, so that's not likely the problem.  [Cat-5 is a different story ... but as long as the cable is 5e it's not an issue]

 

It seems almost certain that your issue is the laptop doesn't have a Gb network adapter.

 

Go to Device Manager; expand the Network adapters; and note exactly what it shows for your network adapter.

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Checked your motherboard specs, and it indeed has a Gb NIC, so with a Gb router and switches I'm even more convinced that the issue is the adapter on your laptop.

 

Post the exact details (as I just suggested above) for the NIC in the laptop (from Device Manager) and we can confirm for sure whether or not that's the issue.

 

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Checked your motherboard specs, and it indeed has a Gb NIC, so with a Gb router and switches I'm even more convinced that the issue is the adapter on your laptop.

 

Post the exact details (as I just suggested above) for the NIC in the laptop (from Device Manager) and we can confirm for sure whether or not that's the issue.

 

I flipped my laptop and found the model number. Found the model om HP's homepage. And it says it clear as day. 10 and 100 mbit. So my laptop has been the slow part all along.

 

But back to the topic about the new CPU and RAM.

 

Is i5 overkill for the tasks that i want my unraid box to do?

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Not the least bit surprised -- it's been obvious for some time that the laptop was the culprit  :)

 

An i5 isn't really "overkill"  (never hurts to have a bit of extra processing headroom) ... and a PassMark of 5839 is almost 1/3rd more "horsepower" than the 4450 you'd get with the i3-3250, so it'd be a nice bump.  As already noted, you could get a bit more if you went with an Ivy Bridge i5 ... e.g. an i5-3450 has a PassMark of 6451 ... about 10% more power than the Sandy Bridge i5-2400 you're looking at, while using slightly less power at full load (77w vs. 91w).

 

HOWEVER ... the FIRST thing I'd do is buy a Gb adapter for your laptop, as I suggested earlier.  You may very well find that your performance issues simply go away.  Although a USB-based Gb adapter won't get Gb speeds if your laptop has USB v2 ports (which is likely), it will still provide about triple the speed you're getting with the 100Mb network.

 

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Ive found an i5-3570K on the danish eBay site (DBA)

When i look at my mobo CPU support page it's listed as supported and that it's an Ivy.

The seller is asking 850 dkk / 129 $ / 115 euro (used, with CPU fan)

Found the retail price i Denmark to be 1523 dkk / 231 $ / 205 euro

 

The Passmark is 7141

 

i5-3570k.jpg.88bba3860dee3a29efe3379eab3d38f3.jpg

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Not the least bit surprised -- it's been obvious for some time that the laptop was the culprit  :)

 

An i5 isn't really "overkill"  (never hurts to have a bit of extra processing headroom) ... and a PassMark of 5839 is almost 1/3rd more "horsepower" than the 4450 you'd get with the i3-3250, so it'd be a nice bump.  As already noted, you could get a bit more if you went with an Ivy Bridge i5 ... e.g. an i5-3450 has a PassMark of 6451 ... about 10% more power than the Sandy Bridge i5-2400 you're looking at, while using slightly less power at full load (77w vs. 91w).

 

HOWEVER ... the FIRST thing I'd do is buy a Gb adapter for your laptop, as I suggested earlier.  You may very well find that your performance issues simply go away.  Although a USB-based Gb adapter won't get Gb speeds if your laptop has USB v2 ports (which is likely), it will still provide about triple the speed you're getting with the 100Mb network.

There are 2 usb 3.0 ports.

 

Sendt fra min Nexus 6P med Tapatalk

 

 

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With a USB v3 port you'll get full speed from a Gb adapter like the one I suggested much earlier:

 

... But your real issue seems to be that your network connection to the laptop is only 100Mb.  If your router has Gb ports, then most likely the laptop only has a 100Mb adapter.  (In which case you'll need to add a USB Gb adapter to get better speeds).  http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-Gigabit-Ethernet-Network-Adapter/dp/B0095EFXMC?ie=UTF8&qid=1465491393&ref_=lp_13983791_1_15&s=pc&sr=1-15

 

The i5-3570k you found will indeed provide a nice bump in CPU "horsepower" (nearly triple your current CPU) ... but as I've already noted, your likely to see MUCH more improvement by updating your network speed than with a beefier CPU.    If you DO decide to get the new CPU, be sure you have the appropriate version of the BIOS installed BEFORE you switch CPUs => you may simply want to upgrade to the latest BIOS while your current CPU is installed to ensure there are no support issues with the Ivy Bridge CPU.

 

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I've checked the Mobo's CPU support list.

 

1155 Core i5 i5-3570K(E0) Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz BCLK 100MHz 6MB 77W P1.20

 

Support from bios version 1.20, i'm on version 1.80

 

Have allready bourght the CPU.

 

I'm with you on the gigabit thing. Gonna get on of those dongles.

Beside the transfer issue, i wanted to update the system to make sure that future PLEX transcoding will run smoothly. That will not be the case if i kept the Celeron CPU.

 

I'm still between chairs, when it comes to the PSU.

 

The calculation is based on

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=12219.0

 

CX 600 v2 Has 46A

Mobo 5A = 41A

7x 7200 HDD’s 21A = 20A

4x greens HDD’s 8A = 12A

 

There is a slot free in the drive bay, gonna keep it as a preclear garage for now. The first of my green’s from the original setup has been swaped, do to a high read error count. Have the feeling that some of the other green’s may go the same way in the near future.

 

No headroom calculated, no cache disc and (a bit) locked to green(blue) drives in the future, to be on the safe side.

 

Or is the calculation outdated?

 

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