On 2/8/2018 at 3:32 PM, tdallen said:

Hi -

 

That would make a very capable unRAID server, capable of basic NAS duties plus several Dockers and some Plex transcoding.

 

The CPU you've selected appears to include a stock cooler, so evaluate whether you need the Hyper 212 EVO.

 

@Sap1ent My backup server is running a Haswell i5 which runs hotter than the Kaby Lake i5 you have selected.  It has the stock Intel CPU cooler and runs well within acceptable temps for this CPU.  Unless you are doing multiple simultaneous Plex trancodes for an extended period of time, I agree with tdallen that you can probably do without the aftermarket CPU cooler.  That is something I would skip for now and evaluate if you need later based on actual usage. 

 

You will be happy you went with the i5 over the G4560, although, the Pentium is a very capable chip as well.  The extra processing overhead will come in handy and allow you to add a few more capabilities to your server as your needs expand.

Edited February 9, 20188 yr by Hoopster

Excellent, thank you so much everyone, glad i've finally drawn a line under the specs.

 

My main worry with the cooler is that my server sits in my loft, which isn't the coolest place in the summer (though UK summers are hardly ever particularly warm).

 

But i'll go with the stock for now and then judge it going forward.

Edited February 9, 20188 yr by Sap1ent

31 minutes ago, Sap1ent said:

my server sits in my loft, which isn't the coolest place in the summer

 

My backup server CPU made it through three years in a Mexican tropical savannah climate.  It was generally very warm and humid and the AC sort of worked, but, often just quit until we got it repaired.  It got very warm (30-32C) and stuffy in the room quite often, but, we ran it 24x7 and never had a heat-related issue.  Fortunately, it's back in our permanent home in a more moderate climate. Although Summer temps here can top 40C, at least our AC is more reliable  

I'd up the RAM to 16G. 8G is not enough these days. You might even consider 32G if you have VMs in your future. 4G SDRAM sticks are too small to waste your slots on IMO. Sticks should be 8G or 16G.