A bit more visual..

 

A bit more visual..

 

also, their label is NOT correct.  The jumper is needed on Linux if your partition starts at sector 63.

Would anyone with some knowledge of RAM let me know if these two are comparable?

 

HP 2GB Smart RAM

 

and

 

Kingston 2GB Value RAM

 

This is for my SuperMicro X7SBE motherboard which calls for DDR2 800/667 MHz of ECC/Non-ECC Unbuffered DDR2 SDRAM.

 

I would really like to buy the HP at the lower price, but the Kingston is documented as working with the motherboard by other Unraid users.

I'm using Kingston KVR800D2E5K2/4G RAM on this MB.  I think the important spec to look for is

 

CAS Latency 5

Voltage 1.8V

ECC yes

Unbuffered

 

I couldn't find anything that specifically defines the HP latency or voltage.  Otherwise it looks the same.

I ended up ordering the Kingston KVR800D2E5K2/4G after my order for the HP Smart Buy RAM got canceled due to insufficient stock.  I too could not find the voltage and CAS Latency specifications for the HP RAM.  Also the 1 year warranty on the HP RAM compared to the limited lifetime on the Kingston made me go the expensive route, especially when I do not know when I will have all the parts to put this server together.

Well, I think I just purchased my last component except for the Norco case and SATA to SFF-8087 Mini SAS reverse breakout cables.  See the first post for the updated list of components.

 

For the power supply, I went with the Seasonic X750 Gold since the Corsair CMPSU-750HX was mainly out of stock everywhere.

 

Hopefully Norco will either release the 4224 case or the 4220 with the 120mm fan plate.

The Seasonic X750 Gold is the better choice as it doesn't rotate its fan if not needed. If you want I may swap my 750HX for your X750 :-)

Looks like my piecemeal server build has been dormant for too long.  Just saw that the Norco RPC-4224 is now available for pre-ordering with an anticipated shipping date of August 2010.

 

Hmm...should I be a little more patience for some promotional pricing?

 

Look like I have to brush up on the Unraid documentation again.

Nice!  If you have some time to spare, I would wait until the 4224 is released...and then buy the 4220 since it will likely be heavily discounted.

Nice!  If you have some time to spare, I would wait until the 4224 is released...and then buy the 4220 since it will likely be heavily discounted.

 

That is exactly what I was thinking.  The main question is if the discount is greater and by how much to the price of the 120mm fan mid-plane plus 3x 120mm fans.

Nice!  If you have some time to spare, I would wait until the 4224 is released...and then buy the 4220 since it will likely be heavily discounted.

 

Not necessary, it is a different case, it has a CD-ROM slot, space for additional smaller drives, etc.

Can someone recommend an alternative to the Norco 4224 without price consideration?

 

I am considering going with a better build quality rather than waiting for Norco to get it right.  Any suggestions?

 

Here are some criteria:

 

01. 20-24 drive bays.

02. Does not include power supplies (I already have a Seasonic Gold 750).

03. Good but quiet airflow or the ability to easily swap out fans.

04. Excellent build quality.

 

I know Supermicro make server cases, but I can't seem to find the right one without having to buy their power supplies too.

All such cases will be extremely loud as you can't cool that disk density otherwise. You will need thick fans with high pressure, high CFM that go high RPM to pull air. If noise is an issue, go with an Antec, it has more room and space between the drives for home usage. All server type cases you either keep drives cool and it is loud or drives overheat. If you insist on a server type case and want better than average build quality, check out the Supermicro cases also the Chenbro (they even make a 50-bay 9U case, http://www.chenbro.com/corporatesite/products_detail.php?sku=45).

How about an Antec 1200 packed with 5-in-3s?  Or perhaps one of these Lian Li cases:

 

LIAN LI PC-P80 Black Aluminum ATX Full Tower Computer Case

 

LIAN LI PC-A77F Black Aluminum ATX Full Tower Computer Case

 

If price were no object, I would only ever buy Lian Li, their case quality is unparalleled.

I think I will stick with the Norco 4224 with the 120mm fan plate.

 

The SuperMicro X7SBE fan headers are 4-pin for PWM fans.  The manual states that you cannot mix 3-pin and 4-pin fans.

 

Does this include the CPU fan?  I have the E6500, but haven't looked to see if it came with a fan yet.

 

Also is there a consensus on which 120mm and 80mm PWM fans to use for silence and cooling?

 

Is there a way other than the motherboard BIOS, to control these PWM fans based on SMART temperature?  I believe the motherboard BIOS control the fans based on CPU load, which may not be optimal for an Unraid server.

 

 

A note to AOC-SIM1U+ card owners

 

I am attaching a tool that might be copied to the unRAID flash stick and run directly from within unRAID after booting in order to list or set settings of the IPMI card! Works like a charm. No need for a monitor and keyboard at anytime, even while setting up an used SIM1U+ with already programmed IP address.

 

Boot into unRAID and call the attached executable. The file is an ELF executable, so check/set +x and execute.

Calling it without parameter list possible cmdline parameters.

 

 

I am a little confuse about executing this tool to setup SIM1U+.  Do you mean boot up Unraid and then logon via telnet?

Boot unRAID and then execute the IPMI tool directly on the server, either from the console or telnet from remote and execute on unRAID server.

Well my server build will continue shortly.  Just placed the order for the Norco RPC-4224.  I just could not hold out for it to go on sale since I am getting pretty tight on storage.

 

Wish me luck on my build.  I still have not decided what to do about the fans to reduce noise.  I will definitely order the 120mm fan plate.  But the first ithing is to get the server built, all the disks pre-cleared, and migrate over my data.

Yeah, get the 120mm fanboard, this is a must. I am using DELTA AFC1212DE 120mm PWM fans and they cool fast and hot 7200 Seagate's very good.

 

I would probably choose Supermicro X8SIA today, it's a much newer board, same server class, but chances are pretty high that you'll be able to control the fans (same gen as the X7SPA-HF). It has onboard but dedicated IPMI so that you do not need to buy an extra card, three 8x PCIe, one 4x PCIe, two 1x PCIe and plenty of memory for VM environments:

 

http://www.supermicro.com/xeon_3400/Motherboard/X8SIA.cfm

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813182235

 

Yeah, get the 120mm fanboard, this is a must. I am using DELTA AFC1212DE 120mm PWM fans and they cool fast and hot 7200 Seagate's very good.

 

I would probably choose Supermicro X8SIA today, it's a much newer board, same server class, but chances are pretty high that you'll be able to control the fans (same gen as the X7SPA-HF). It has onboard but dedicated IPMI so that you do not need to buy an extra card, three 8x PCIe, one 4x PCIe, two 1x PCIe and plenty of memory for VM environments:

 

http://www.supermicro.com/xeon_3400/Motherboard/X8SIA.cfm

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813182235

 

 

Unfortunately, I have already purchased the SuperMicro X7SBE a few months ago.  I will need to make do with the BIOS controlling the fans.

 

Is the Delta AFC1212DE quiet?  Or are the 120mm PWM quiet fans by Arctic Cooling, Scythe, Noctua, Nexus, Cooler Master, and MASSCOOL too weak to support 20 drives during parity check?

The DELTAs are very smooth running and "silent" for 3900 rpm 120mm fans. They are server calss, thick, high CFM fans, so they can't be totally silent. You wan't be able to cool the 4224 with any other fans and especially not if ambient in't below 16..18C and during parity checks. But you should probably try as you will be using cool running 5400/5900 RPM drives...

 

I guess the AFC1212DE-PWM would be just awesome if the mobo will control them depending on drive temp! Here a link http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835706028 but they are cheaper on ebay.

I think the NORCO uses temp sensors or fan controller to adjust how fast the PWM fans should run. If it blindly ran the fan at full speed, it would be deafening.

 

At full tilt 100% the DELTAs are speced to be 51 dba. The classic NewEgg reviews indicate "OMGWTF HELICOPTER SOUNDS" and "Loud at full load, 75 percent is bearable". That's to be expected for a ~ 150 CFM fan!

 

The Norco doesn't control the fans at all. They are connected to the mobo. Those Supermicros have three headers for the mid fanboard fans, two for the case on the back and one for the CPU, so in total 6 fan headers, all 4-pin PWM type. Being server boards they are specially designed for such type of cases. And yes, after powering on the mobo drives them at full speed, after several seconds they get at least half speed and are lot less noisy. But doesn't matter what happens, drives run all time cool.

How is the full speed noise compared to a furnace blower?  I might relegate the location from my HT closet to my mechanical room.

 

What fans are other Norco owners using to lower the noise?  I read on AVS that user odditory is using 4x 80mm MASSCOOL fans for his 20 x Hitachi 2Tb 7200RPM drives.

I beleive starcat is using the Delta AFC1212DE-PWM (120x38mm) fans in the middle fan plate.  So I assume that the 38mm thickness is not an issue in the Norcor 4224?

 

Secondly, I believe the fan is listed here for a good price, but the specification list it has having the Dell 5-pin connector.  If this is the same fan, could I snip off the extra pin slot?