Intel i3-540 or Intel i3-550 for Drive Beast?

[CompAudioOne]

I'm working towards acquiring the recommended parts for the 20 Drive Beast http://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php?title=Hardware_Compatibility#20_Drive_Beast. I was wondering if all other parts are as recommended would there be any benefit installing the Intel Core i3-550 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115065 rather then the Intel Core i3-540 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115221? I have seen the Intel i3-550 priced at $99.99.

[ohlwiler]

It depends on your planned use. I would include the G6950 into the mix and get what is cheapest.

[CompAudioOne]

Thanks for the reply. I'm totally new to building a server, so I don't want to stray to far from recommended parts list as I learn the insides & the makings of a server. I've already purchased the case [Norco RPC-4220] & PSU [Corsair CMPSU-650TX]. I will be storing my media (music/movies) on the server. I want to be able to access this media via Mac computer & a Windows computer, also through media players (currently I have 2 Squeezebox Touches & 1 Squeezebox Radio - I'm undecided about what player to get for movies). I'd like to also be able to access this content when I'm away from home via computer. My understanding is that the Supermicro MBD-X8SIL-F-O motherboard supports this function [WAK-On-LAN]? Any cheaper motherboard recommends that equal or better than Supermicro motherboard? Currently the Supermicro is going for ~$190.00 + $8.00+ for S/H http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813182211. What near future (or recent) price discounts can one expect for this motherboard? With these stated goals what are the pros & cons of the 3 CPUs mentioned so far?

[prostuff1]

A beefier CPU will do you almost no good for the things you listed. Event he CPU listed in the build is overkill for 99% of unRAID users.  The only reason to update would be if you were going to run VMWare, Airvideo, Handbrake, etc at the same time.

 

 

My understanding is that the Supermicro MBD-X8SIL-F-O motherboard supports this function [WAK-On-LAN]?

The board may support it, but good luck getting it working completely correctly with 2 of the Supermicro SASLP cards installed.  I am not positive that it will not work, but many have had problems getting it all to play nice together.

 

Any cheaper motherboard recommends that equal or better than Supermicro motherboard?

The C2SEE would probably work also and be a cheaper solution.

 

What near future (or recent) price discounts can one expect for this motherboard?

Probably none.

 

With these stated goals what are the pros & cons of the 3 CPUs mentioned so far?

They will all give you near identical performance for what you want to do.  If you want to run many many things all at the same time then you probably need to look at a Quad Core CPU.

[CompAudioOne]

prostuff1, thanks much for your replies. A lot for me to think & learn about. Since prices on all 3 CPUs are similar (sale prices + S & H factored in) I guess it would not be detrimental to purchase the i3-550 (although I have made no final decision). I'm a total NEWB at even using a server. So I hope my questions aren't irksome. I've been only using MACs with a Drobo as my main media storage hooked via FW to my Mac (Not much Windows - just a tad - or any other OS experience). After looking at all the alternatives (pre-made NAS's, etc.), unRAID has the most appeal, interest & challenge to me. I'm not sure what all I would be running on the server - except the main thing is media. Although, if by spending not much more I have more options open to me I'd probably choose that route. I read briefly in the forums that Squeezebox Server can run on unRAID (difficult - but possible - is one persons opinion) which I'd like to put on the server to free up my computer for other things. If one was using a program like Handbrake to rip a DVD (I use a program called RipIt) would one place this program on the server to free up resources on there computer (that is if the server has a better components all around - e.g. processor, motherboard, RAM, etc. than the computer)? Those are 2 programs I can think of at the moment. Or would much of the performance still be dependent on the computer?  

[prostuff1]

prostuff1, thanks much for your replies. A lot for me to think & learn about. Since prices on all 3 CPUs are similar (sale prices + S & H factored in) I guess it would not be detrimental to purchase the i3-550 (although I have made no final decision). I'm a total NEWB at even using a server. So I hope my questions aren't irksome. I've been only using MACs with a Drobo as my main media storage hooked via FW to my Mac (Not much Windows - just a tad - or any other OS experience). After looking at all the alternatives (pre-made NAS's, etc.), unRAID has the most appeal, interest & challenge to me. I'm not sure what all I would be running on the server - except the main thing is media. Although, if by spending not much more I have more options open to me I'd probably choose that route. I read briefly in the forums that Squeezebox Server can run on unRAID (difficult - but possible - is one persons opinion) which I'd like to put on the server to free up my computer for other things. If one was using a program like Handbrake to rip a DVD (I use a program called RipIt) would one place this program on the server to free up resources on there computer (that is if the server has a better components all around - e.g. processor, motherboard, RAM, etc.)? Those are 2 programs I can think of at the moment. Or would much of the performance still be dependent on the computer? 

 

Squeezebox server can be run on unRAID, as can Handbrake.  SqueezeBox gets installed and then stet up through a web interface.  Handbrake on an unRAID server is controlled entirely through the CLI (command line interface).

 

For those tasks you mentioned above a beefer CPU would not be a bad thing.  Especially the Handbrake encoding.

 

 

I just recently bought a Q9300 for use in my server when I upgrade it in about 2 months.  I plan on making it into a VMWare plus extras box so a 4 core CPU was in the cards for me.

[ohlwiler]

You might want to check out ewiz for Supermicro motherboards. They will frequently run a special that will allow you to get $15 dollars off. You may also wish to consider the X8SIL-V and X8SIL-O as well. If you do not wish to use IPMI the X8SIL-V is otherwise identical. Most people who choose this board do so to get IPMI, a 1156 socket and the extra PCIe slots.

 

There is no better board that is lower priced than this board (that I'm aware of).  If I had to do it all over again I would buy a Norco 4224, three Supermicro SASLPs and a Supermicro X8SIL-F.

[jbrodriguez]

My understanding is that the Supermicro MBD-X8SIL-F-O motherboard supports this function [WAK-On-LAN]?

The board may support it, but good luck getting it working completely correctly with 2 of the Supermicro SASLP cards installed.  I am not positive that it will not work, but many have had problems getting it all to play nice together.

 

prostuff1, do u have any links about problems with more than one saslp card and the x8sil-f-o ?

[prostuff1]

My understanding is that the Supermicro MBD-X8SIL-F-O motherboard supports this function [WAK-On-LAN]?

The board may support it, but good luck getting it working completely correctly with 2 of the Supermicro SASLP cards installed.  I am not positive that it will not work, but many have had problems getting it all to play nice together.

 

prostuff1, do u have any links about problems with more than one saslp card and the x8sil-f-o ?

 

I do not, though there are reports of people having issues using the SASLP cards in the C2SEE and having trouble with Sleep and WOL.

 

I have a X8SIL-O-F with 2 SASLP's I am setting up for a client but have not tested Sleep and WOL.  If I get a chance I may see if it will work.  I am hesitant to do much though as WOL is not a requirement for the client and I would prefer to not add stuff to the system if not needed.

 

The earliest I will be able to test this would be tomorrow night (and most likely would not happen until next week).  If I get a chance to test it out I will, but don't count on it for right now.

[gbdesai]

My understanding is that the Supermicro MBD-X8SIL-F-O motherboard supports this function [WAK-On-LAN]?

The board may support it, but good luck getting it working completely correctly with 2 of the Supermicro SASLP cards installed.  I am not positive that it will not work, but many have had problems getting it all to play nice together.

 

prostuff1, do u have any links about problems with more than one saslp card and the x8sil-f-o ?

 

I do not, though there are reports of people having issues using the SASLP cards in the C2SEE and having trouble with Sleep and WOL.

 

I have a X8SIL-O-F with 2 SASLP's I am setting up for a client but have not tested Sleep and WOL.  If I get a chance I may see if it will work.  I am hesitant to do much though as WOL is not a requirement for the client and I would prefer to not add stuff to the system if not needed.

 

The earliest I will be able to test this would be tomorrow night (and most likely would not happen until next week).  If I get a chance to test it out I will, but don't count on it for right now.

 

Another point of reference.  I have a Norco 4224 with a X8SIL-F-O running 3 SASLP's connected to 20 array drives, a parity drive, and a cache drive with 8GB RAM, and a i3-560.  Works perfectly.  

 

The only thing to watch out for is that on the Norco 4224.  You MUST connect all the power connectors (not just a single set as indicated by Norco) to get the system to work properly.  Last week one of the pins in my lead cable to one set of connectors came loose and I started getting write errors and disabled disks.  After reconnecting the power properly all is well.  With WD 2TB Green drives I get great temps with the new 120mm fan board from norco (even with new quieter 80mm fans on the back) temps are around 30 to 34 deg F at full load.

 

Some people may say the RAM and CPU are overkill, but I use the server to do transcoding of video, have SABNZBD+ installed and unRARing a lot, Sickbeard, and a host of other activities.  I eventually plan on putting the Plex Media Server on it (when it comes out in a Linux version) and that will require some processing muscle to transcode video on the fly.

 

 

[CompAudioOne]

gbdesai, I'm curious about the average daily power consumption with your build, because eventually the server I'm thinking about building would be very similar to yours [i'll be using 4220 case rather than 42224]. How is the noise level using the new fan board? Do you use WOL? Thanks in advance.

[prostuff1]

Another point of reference.  I have a Norco 4224 with a X8SIL-F-O running 3 SASLP's connected to 20 array drives, a parity drive, and a cache drive with 8GB RAM, and a i3-560.  Works perfectly.  

 

The only thing to watch out for is that on the Norco 4224.  You MUST connect all the power connectors (not just a single set as indicated by Norco) to get the system to work properly.  Last week one of the pins in my lead cable to one set of connectors came loose and I started getting write errors and disabled disks.  After reconnecting the power properly all is well.  With WD 2TB Green drives I get great temps with the new 120mm fan board from norco (even with new quieter 80mm fans on the back) temps are around 30 to 34 deg F at full load.

 

Some people may say the RAM and CPU are overkill, but I use the server to do transcoding of video, have SABNZBD+ installed and unRARing a lot, Sickbeard, and a host of other activities.  I eventually plan on putting the Plex Media Server on it (when it comes out in a Linux version) and that will require some processing muscle to transcode video on the fly.

 

 

 

I am building almost exactly the same server for my client.

[wsume99]

I do not, though there are reports of people having issues using the SASLP cards in the C2SEE and having trouble with Sleep and WOL.

I just installed a C2SEE-O into my server and I'm having trouble with it waking from sleep and I don't even have a SASLP card installed.

 

@CompAudioOne...Deciding between a i3-530/540/550 is not really a big deal.  Just get whatever is the best value (like if the 550 is only $5 more than a 530 then get the 550).  I think the real decision is what kind of socket do you want.  LGA775 motherboards and processors are cheaper but not quite as powerful or efficient as their LGA1156 counterparts.  If the $50-$100 difference in price between the 775 and 1156 setup is not a big deal to you then I'd get the 1156.  Go with a i3-530/540/550 to start and it will most likely be more than you'd ever need.  The silver lining with the i3 is that it will use very little power at idle so if you can't get sleep and WOL working you won't be using as much power than if you had went with a LGA775 solution.  If in the future you find yourself doing A LOT more with the server than you had anticipated the you can always step up to an i5 quad core.  

[CompAudioOne]

wsume99 - I see I could step up to a i5 650 now for ~ $40.00 more than the i3 550. i3 550 = $99.99 + tax & i5 650 = $139.99 + tax, also i5 655 = $149.99 + tax. Would stepping up to either of those 2 options at this time be a good value judgement (price/performance) compared to the i3 options? Or would the performance benefits of the i5 be wasted for my needs at this time?

[gbdesai]

The problem I had with the i5 was higher power consumption.  I personally didn't think it was worth the extra power for the performance bump.  Plus the motherboard I picked doesn't support the i5 but does have 3 slots that support the Supermicro SASLP cards at PCIe ×4 rates.

[wsume99]

CompAudioOne I understand your dilema (I always seem to go for the more powerful hadware for a little more $$) but I think I'd have to agree with gbdesai and stick with the i3.  The difference in performance between a dual core i3 and i5 will be minimal in unRAID - other than the i5 will use more power.  The only reason I can see to go for more than a i3 is if you really want to get into virtual machines.  In which case you would probably want a quad core and I think that all the quad core i5's don't have on-chip graphics so you have to factor that in as well. 

[CompAudioOne]

gbdesai, I've read a few complaints about the heat sink that comes with the i3s (I believe these were comments when they first came out) did you use the heat sink that came with the i3-560?

[gbdesai]

No I got a Dynatron K666 60mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler, I heard the the included fan was loud and I purchased the Dynatron with the same order but tried the i3 stock fan just to see and it was quite a bit louder than the Dynatron (which is effectively silent to my ears).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835114105

 

In case anyone is interested, I replaced all stock fans on the Norco 4224, I could here the case all the way from the other side of the house! 

 

I used 2 x MASSCOOL FD08025B1M3/4 80mm Case Fan for the back of the Norco 4224

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835150053

 

Finally I am used 3 x COOLER MASTER SickleFlow 120 R4-L2R-20AR-R2 120mm Silent operation Green LED case fans for the Norco 120mm fan plate

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103090

 

 

[CompAudioOne]

gbdesai, thanks for the references. I'll have to research the Dynatron further to see if it supports the i3-550, according to the details from newegg it only supports the 530 & 540 of the i3s. How's the sound level with the new fans installed. BTW do you have any data on the average amount of daily power your Beast consumes? Thanks in advance.

[gbdesai]

gbdesai, thanks for the references. I'll have to research the Dynatron further to see if it supports the i3-550, according to the details from newegg it only supports the 530 & 540 of the i3s. How's the sound level with the new fans installed. BTW do you have any data on the average amount of daily power your Beast consumes? Thanks in advance.

 

1. I have an i3-560 and it works fine, I think they just wrote the description before the CPUs came out, it is running at 24.5C right now while doing some light work.  In comparison the system temp is 31C.

2. Sound level is quieter than many workstations I've had, a constant hum, I don't have a dB meter to check actual levels, but you could easily work or watch TV in a room with this box now.  Before I couldn't stay in the room for 10 minutes without getting a headache and definitely could not have a conversation with anyone in that room.

3. I had a Kill-a-Watt on the box and got some readings; a little about my setup, I have 4 x Hitachi 7200 RPM 2TB drives, 1 x WD 1.5TB Green drive (5400RPM), 17 x WD 2TB Green drive (5400RPM), so here is what I found:

Parity Check - 240W (+/- 10W) All drives spun up, all except the cache drive actively being accessed (I changed the fans out recently and consequently removed the Kill-A-Watt so I am assuming power consumption should be a bit lower)

All Drives Spun Down 75W (+/- 10W) - System still running SABNZBd, Sickbeard, Unraid-Web, Cache_Dir script, various other scripts, Crashplan, and a few other things

 

Hope that helps.

 

[BRiT]

I run two Intel i3 530 Clarkdale CPU with retail heatsink fan. One is in a mini-itx enclosure as my main WinOS system and the other in my Linux unRAID fileserver in a tower case. I can't ever hear the heatsink fans at all on either system.

 

I have power management properly enabled on my systems. Most of the time it's barely running the fan at all with a 964 RPM. The CPU likes to downclock to 1200 Mhz with a temp of 27-28 C on the WinOS and a temp of 27-30 on unRAID. The full clockspeed of the i3 530 CPU is 2933 Mhz.