I've been running Usenet and Plex on a Windows 10 desktop (Windows 8 prior).  It's grown to 16TB and it's time to move away from Storage Spaces.  I'm planning to move to Unraid and I'm OMW to buy a used server here locally.  I know it's VERY last minute to ask advice but I'm hoping someone can offer some insight.  BTW, I'm only paying $100 for it which is the reason that I'm being a little hasty.  Here is the configuration:

 

Chenbro (w rails) RM31212B

HDD Bays        3.5 Hot Swap x12

Supermicro         Unknown

Intel                         Xeon 5405 x2

Unknown               32GB

Areca               ARC-1280ML (v2 256M cache)

Network Ports       Gig x2

Power Supply       Unknown x3

HDD               250GB (SATA 7200rpm) x3

 

I'm not too worried about the HDD's since I'll be adding my own.  I want to make sure that the hardware isn't too old or incompatible with Unraid and is able to run Plex with no hiccups.  From what I've found in my research, it seems like all of the components are being used in some part by other users in different configurations.  I've already got the wall mount racks for it.  Any advice?

 

Those controllers weren't supported probably a year or so ago. I'm not sure if they ever got included into newer versions or not. Maybe post specifically asking if that card works here or in the general support area for a quicker answer.

 

The rest would likely work but would probably be power hungry.

 

If the Areca card does work then it and the case plus some other small parts you could re-use are likely worth the $100.

I have the same Areca card in my system and it is indeed supported and works just fine.

Thanks to both of you for your quick responses.  The seller had to push back our meeting a couple of hours so I've got a little more time to research.

 

Lionelhutz, when you say "power hungry", what would the difference in power consumption be between an older server like this and something comparable but newer?  I realize that is a ridiculously generic question but just trying to get an idea if we're talking about $10 per month or $100 per month difference based on average usage of a 15TB server with 6 to 7 people regularly streaming from it.  I've never really considered the cost of power before although I should when my electric bill on a 1,400 ft townhome runs $400 / mo in Phoenix

It appears to be old server hardware so it might run at 200W even with the disks spun down. Picking the right newer hardware can run 50W with the disks spun down.

 

Take wattage times hours per year and divide by 1000 to convert to kWh. Then, multiply by your local kWh billing rate to calculate the electricity cost.

 

Hint - the final multiplier is 8.76 to calculate yearly kWh from wattage for always on usage.

 

Here, it could mean the difference between about $75/year and $300/year or about $6 a month vs $24 a month.

Thank you very much for the awesome explanation and detailed response.