Thanks in advance for any/all as interested in the build of comps (and unRAID servers), as I am, who can offer input. This will be my first unRAID build and I want to make sure that my list is "professionally" scrubbed.

 

Case: Was going to go with the standard Cooler Master Centurion 590, however, newegg is done carrying it and thus prices have gone through the roof. Is this a case worth the extra $? Are there any similar cases that you might recommend? (I do like the possibility of 15 bays, which is why this was of interest to me).

 

PSU: Thermaltake 775W single rail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153127

 

Mobo: Gigabyte GA-EP43-UD3L (dual-core with 6 on-board SATA and gignet)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128380

 

Processor: Intel Pentium Dual-Core E5400 Wolfdale 2.7GHz 2MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor BX80571E5400 (2mb L2 and a 2.7 GHz processor should be more than sufficient, or ?)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116076

 

Controller: Adaptec 2240900-R PCI Express 4-lane 2.5 Gb/s Low Profile Ready SATA 1430SA Kit

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816103058

 

Memory: 2x1gb (Is 4 "better" for streaming multiple 720p or 1080p movies over a LAN?)

 

Parity: WD Black 2TB/64mb cache/7200rpm (Going with parity and no cache drive and this will be my only 7200 drive)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136456

 

UPS: 810watt CyberPower

http://www.provantage.com/cyberpower-systems-cp1350avrlcd~7CYPR03E.htm

 

Extras: I like the hot swappable cages (like in the Rajahal, funbubba builds, among others) for accessibility, the additional airflow (even though some say they are too loud), and "hot swapping" - and here is where I may be a little under-researched - When a drive is kapoot, will I need to boot down the server or is it fully swappable live? (are there benefits on either side of my question?!)

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=2031.240

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=2031.255

 

Any other nice-to-haves or something glaringly-missing? Thanks again!

-jay

Well, I'm basically going to recommend that you change everything

 

I recommend that you follow the my 15 Drive Budget Box design as closely as possible.  If you need more power for add-ons, you can always upgrade the CPU to something dual core.

 

The CM 590 is a great case, but it really isn't anything special.  It used to be the default for unRAID because it was reasonably priced and easily available.  Since that is no longer the case, there's no reason to use it if you don't want to.  This thread lists some places where they are still available, and some alternatives.  What you choose primarily depends on your budget and your aesthetic preferences.  If you have a big enough budget, I can't speak highly enough of the Antec Nine Hundred Two.

 

Here's the problems with your build:

PSU - overpowered, waste of money

Mobo - no onboard video, potential HPA problems

CPU - likely overpowered unless you plan on running CPU intensive add-ons

Controller - only 4 ports for the same price as the SASLP (which has 8 ports but needs special cables)

RAM - generally I recommend a single stick of 2 GB RAM as it offers you more expandability in the future.  However, if you already own this RAM then don't worry about it.  More RAM won't help you stream, but it can be handy for certain add-ons.

Parity - Don't bother with a 7200 rpm drive if it will be your only one.  In most cases you won't see any performance benefits.  Go green for both parity and data drives, doesn't matter if you use a cache drive or not.

UPS - Generally APC brand UPSs are easier to work with and more compatible with unRAID (if you care about the package that allows the UPS to tell your server to gracefully shut down if it is running out of battery power).  However, this one may be fine, I don't really know.  If you want to play it safe, I would recommend APC though.

Extras - I heartily endorse hot swap cages, but they are an optional luxury.  Some can be loud, but the good quality ones generally aren't.  unRAID does NOT support live hot swap, you have to shut down the server to swap drives.  Hot swap bays simply make your server much more of a pleasure to maintain.  No messing with cables, no messing with screws (with trayless units, at least), physically swapping drives becomes a <1 minute process.  However, if you are building on a tight budget there's nothing wrong with forgoing them.  You can always upgrade to them later as well.

 

Oh, one more thing.  The Corsair 650w is currently on sale.  While it is more than you'll need for a 15 drive build, it would come in handy if you think you may ever go for a 20 drive build.  Your call.

Thanks for the quick one back Raj. Ouch, heavy-handed ... but that's why I asked. Any recommendations on the Intel side?

 

I certainly have expandability in mind, as I'm sitting at 12-drives that need a home right now. But, I don't want to go beyond a ~15 drive build as my initial unRAID.

 

Also, I have an old video card that will be re-purposed - specs aren't anything special. Though, I had read (and obviously overlooked) the HPA issue for Gigabyte. And the Antec Nine Hundred Two is definitely something I had considered, though I did like the simplicity yet flexibility of the CM-590.

A motherboard with onboard graphics is a much better option than using your old graphics card.  Not only will it keep all your PCIe slots available for SATA controller cards, it will also save a bit of power.  All that unRAID ever displays is text, so you don't need anything even remotely fancy.

 

I generally prefer AMD builds as they tend to be cheaper, but here's a great Intel option:

 

SuperMicro C2SEE

+

Intel Celeron 430 or Intel Celeron E3300 if you want dual core (power usage is similar between the two)

 

The beauty of this board is that it actually can support a 20 drives if you ever went that route.  I know you say you won't, and that's fine.  Even still, it is a great value for the price.  You may want to shop around for it too.  Many of us got it for $54 and even $20 during recent Newegg sales.

 

I actually bought two, so if you want one I would be willing to sell it for cheaper than $80.  Probably $50ish.  I'm in 89503 if you want to estimate shipping.

Thanks again. Ill keep you (all) posted with pix/etc. The specs of the mobo and processor look to definitely be a better fit given my current building mindset. (Ill pass on the offer to get the hardware off of you since Im 05089, this time, but thanks). And as of now I'd like to keep the unRAID build to 15 drives or under to simply test the waters ... only time will tell where I will go.

 

Much appreciated again - and hopefully some posts under the "pimp" thread in the soon-future.

Rather than start another 'check my build' thread I thought I would just post my proposed build here. I am new to unRAID and while reading these forums I have noticed that hardware compatibility can be an issue (especially motherboards). So I would really appreciate it if someone could have a quick look over my proposed build.

 

Corsair 4GB "Voyager Mini" USB2.0 Flash Drive (http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=32092)

AMD Sempron 145 2.80 GHz (http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=49132)

Asus M4A88T-M-USB3 (http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=46331)

Corsair DDR3 2GB PC-10600/1333 (http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=39455)

3 x Samsung 1.5TB 5400RPM 32Mb SATA 2 (http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=47032)

Cooler Master Elite 335 - Black Tower Case (No PSU) (http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=43420)

Corsair VX-450 450W ATX Power Supply (http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=33851)

 

Sub-Total: $608.60

 

It's a small budget build which suits my needs for now (although I'm sure I will outgrow it in a few years). However I figure I could at least get 6 drives natively and if I decide to expand further install a 4 in 3 device to have 10 drives, before needing a larger case.

 

Thanks. 

I might as well post my proposed build here too. I'm also new to unRAID and was at first planning to build a totally new server, but then I got cheap and figured I could salvage my old PC for some parts and just buy a new case and HDD:s for now. I was successful at booting unRAID from an USB, so it seems promising. The motherboard only has 4 sata connectors, but as I'll upgrade the mobo and cpu in the future that isn't an issue at the moment. I just want to be able to run 3-4 green harddrives, with the option of expanding to up to 12 drives in the years to come. (I'm aiming for the budget build long term, either the 12 or 15 hdd version)

 

Salvaged parts

Mobo: Fujitsu Siemens D1826-G

CPU: P4 650 3,4GHz

GPU: ATI Radeon X850XT 256mb

RAM: 4x512mb DDR

PSU: 500W Seasonic (SS-500HT, 2 x 12V rails at 16A/17A)

 

To buy

Case: Cooler Master 590

HDD: 3 x WD20EARS

Gigabit PCI: DGE-528T

 

My question is: How far will the salvaged PSU get me? It's around 5 years old at the moment and has seen almost daily action since then. Will I put my harddrives at risk with the old PSU? If I get a new PSU I want one that can handle 12-15 green hdd:s on startup without any problem. A TX-650 seems overkill as I will probably use no more than 4-6 harddrives for the next 2 years(College = low on cash). I'm considering CX-430, VX-450 and TX-650. CX-430 is cheap, but it has some negative reviews on Newegg. Will it last more than 2 years and will it be sufficient to power 12 green drives on startup? Which one would you go for in my situation?

 

Any comments on the rest of the salvaged parts?

My question is: How far will the salvaged PSU get me? It's around 5 years old at the moment and has seen almost daily action since then.

Your old Seasonic power supply probably uses one of its two 12 volt rails for the PCI-e connectors.  The other is shared by the 24 pin connector for the motherboard and the molex/sata drive connectors.

 

You probably therefore have 12 amps or less for the disks.  5 low power drives might be possible... but not much more.

You probably therefore have 12 amps or less for the disks.  5 low power drives might be possible... but not much more.

 

Thanks for the answer. I'll probably buy a new PSU right away. I've been looking at the 450VX, but I saw just now that I can get the 550VX for $13 less. To be sure that I don't have to upgrade my PSU in the future it makes sense to buy the 550VX, right?

You probably therefore have 12 amps or less for the disks.  5 low power drives might be possible... but not much more.

 

Thanks for the answer. I'll probably buy a new PSU right away. I've been looking at the 450VX, but I saw just now that I can get the 550VX for $13 less. To be sure that I don't have to upgrade my PSU in the future it makes sense to buy the 550VX, right?

15 green drives would require a 12 volt rail with at least 35 Amps capacity.  A single rail supply of sufficient size makes this possible.  a multi-rail supply often has most of its capacity intended for current hungry video cards and not available for the SATA drive connectors.

15 green drives would require a 12 volt rail with at least 35 Amps capacity.  A single rail supply of sufficient size makes this possible.  a multi-rail supply often has most of its capacity intended for current hungry video cards and not available for the SATA drive connectors.

 

Thanks Joe. The 550VX has a single rail with 41 Amps capacity, so I'll go for that one.

Rather than start another 'check my build' thread I thought I would just post my proposed build here. I am new to unRAID and while reading these forums I have noticed that hardware compatibility can be an issue (especially motherboards). So I would really appreciate it if someone could have a quick look over my proposed build.

 

Corsair 4GB "Voyager Mini" USB2.0 Flash Drive (http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=32092)

AMD Sempron 145 2.80 GHz (http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=49132)

Asus M4A88T-M-USB3 (http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=46331)

Corsair DDR3 2GB PC-10600/1333 (http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=39455)

3 x Samsung 1.5TB 5400RPM 32Mb SATA 2 (http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=47032)

Cooler Master Elite 335 - Black Tower Case (No PSU) (http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=43420)

Corsair VX-450 450W ATX Power Supply (http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=33851)

 

Sub-Total: $608.60

 

It's a small budget build which suits my needs for now (although I'm sure I will outgrow it in a few years). However I figure I could at least get 6 drives natively and if I decide to expand further install a 4 in 3 device to have 10 drives, before needing a larger case.

 

Thanks. 

 

Looks fine to me.  I personally wouldn't use that case, but instead buy a case that will allow you more upgrade options such as the CM 590 or Antec Nine Hundred.

Thanks Rajahal.

 

After more consideration I think I have selected a different case as per your suggestion. Now I just have to wait for the parts to arrive.