So I am very very new to unraid.  I am moving from a gaming rig that has turned into a media server.  So I have decided to build a dedicated NAS that is going to be strictly a storage server.  Its going to house movies and personal docs.  Wanted to get everyones thoughts.  Thanks in advance.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Pentium G4400 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($49.99 @ Newegg Business) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-L9i 33.8 CFM CPU Cooler  ($39.95 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Supermicro - MBD-X11SSL-F-O Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($179.98 @ Newegg) 
Memory: G.Skill - Aegis 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory  ($61.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Fractal Design - Node 804 MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($104.78 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic - FOCUS Plus Platinum 650W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($79.99 @ Newegg) 
Other: WL 3TB 7200RPM 64MB Cache SATA III 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Desktop Hard Drive (For RAID, NAS, DVR, Desktop PC) w/1 Year Warranty  ($56.99 @ Amazon) 
Other: WL 3TB 7200RPM 64MB Cache SATA III 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Desktop Hard Drive (For RAID, NAS, DVR, Desktop PC) w/1 Year Warranty  ($56.99 @ Amazon) 
Other: WL 3TB 7200RPM 64MB Cache SATA III 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Desktop Hard Drive (For RAID, NAS, DVR, Desktop PC) w/1 Year Warranty  ($56.99 @ Amazon) 
Other: WL 3TB 7200RPM 64MB Cache SATA III 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Desktop Hard Drive (For RAID, NAS, DVR, Desktop PC) w/1 Year Warranty  ($56.99 @ Amazon) 
Other: WL 3TB 7200RPM 64MB Cache SATA III 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Desktop Hard Drive (For RAID, NAS, DVR, Desktop PC) w/1 Year Warranty  ($56.99 @ Amazon) 
Other: Samsung 860 EVO 250GB 2.5 Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-76E250B/AM)  ($57.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $859.62
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-09-28 10:05 EDT-0400

Marsch,

 

The specs for my prior server were less powerful than you are proposing (primarily the processor):

• Intel Atom D510 Processor (2 Core, 1.66GHz)
• 8GB of RAM
• Supermicro AOC-SASLP-MV8 Motherboard

 

It worked great as a NAS and I was able to run 1-2 dockers (Plex being the largest).  However, it simply could NOT handle XFS array encryption or any additional load.  Even file transfer for disk balancing was maxing out the processor.  So, if you are looking for just a basic little NAS, this config will run fine.  If you want to take advantage of the entire UnRAID ecosystem (Dockers, VMs, File Integrity, Encryption, etc), I think you may be a little light in the processor and memory.

 

Lastly, I used the Node 804 in my current build.  I suggest ordering one additional fan for the disk compartment as you do not get sufficient cross flow across the drives.  Adding a fan lowered the ambient temp of my drives almost 8 degrees Celsius. The Fractal Design Silent Series R2 120mm Silence Optimized Hydraulic Bearing Black/White Computer Case Fan is what is in the 804. Also, check the number of fan headers on the motherboard, so you can take advantage of the PWM functionality.  If you can't handle 4 fans, don't use the reostat on the 804.  Consider something like a DeepCool Fan Hub - CPU Cooler / Case / Chasis Cooling Fan Power Cable Splitter 1 to 4 Adapter - PWM Supported. 

 

Good luck with the build. 

On 9/28/2018 at 2:26 PM, DivideByZero said:

Marsch,

 

The specs for my prior server were less powerful than you are proposing (primarily the processor):

• Intel Atom D510 Processor (2 Core, 1.66GHz)
• 8GB of RAM
• Supermicro AOC-SASLP-MV8 Motherboard

 

It worked great as a NAS and I was able to run 1-2 dockers (Plex being the largest).  However, it simply could NOT handle XFS array encryption or any additional load.  Even file transfer for disk balancing was maxing out the processor.  So, if you are looking for just a basic little NAS, this config will run fine.  If you want to take advantage of the entire UnRAID ecosystem (Dockers, VMs, File Integrity, Encryption, etc), I think you may be a little light in the processor and memory.

 

Lastly, I used the Node 804 in my current build.  I suggest ordering one additional fan for the disk compartment as you do not get sufficient cross flow across the drives.  Adding a fan lowered the ambient temp of my drives almost 8 degrees Celsius. The Fractal Design Silent Series R2 120mm Silence Optimized Hydraulic Bearing Black/White Computer Case Fan is what is in the 804. Also, check the number of fan headers on the motherboard, so you can take advantage of the PWM functionality.  If you can't handle 4 fans, don't use the reostat on the 804.  Consider something like a DeepCool Fan Hub - CPU Cooler / Case / Chasis Cooling Fan Power Cable Splitter 1 to 4 Adapter - PWM Supported. 

 

Good luck with the build. 

The mobo will allow me to upgrade to i3 or even a xeon processor in the future if/when I decide to take advantage of the ecosystem.  I just want to get my feet wet with a NAS for now.  I just doubled checked the fan headers, and I can up to 5 fans total, so I should be good there..  Thanks for the advice, Ill pick me up another fan today so I can be ready for the build this weekend.