[Newbie] Mini-ITX Mobo in 2023

[neetbuck]

Though none of those tested the same way your linked review did, so it might have eluded them.

Yeah, also I could see the SGX and PX being a bit different, as opposed to say two different models from the SPX line. Although those reviews do make me question what I should do a bit.

They're the exact same design with minor parts changes,

What do you think about other lines from the same year, such as the ones Davvo posted reviews of? would you consider those would alos have similar parts/design?

I think I'll pull the trigger tomorrow, I'm waiting on an email response from a seller to see how long they would take to get me one of the two.

While I'm at it - like I've been saying - I'm not very savvy when it comes to hardware... I'm a bit at a loss of how I will connect the HDDs to the PSU in this build... it seems like the backplate that comes with the Jonsbo N2 has some kind of port (besides SATA ports) for this - I looked at the manual for the case but didn't find any information on it.

 

[Davvo]

While I'm at it - like I've been saying - I'm not very savvy when it comes to hardware... I'm a bit at a loss of how I will connect the HDDs to the PSU in this build... it seems like the backplate that comes with the Jonsbo N2 has some kind of port (besides SATA ports) for this - I looked at the manual for the case but didn't find any information on it.

Those are Molex plugs.
You will use a cable like this, 100% included in your PSU bundle.

 

[Ericloewe]

They're AMP Mate-n-Lok connectors, sometimes manufactured by Molex, definitely not designed by Molex.

 

[Davvo]

As a side note you might need a couple of adapters like this since the two plugs look really close and the PSU cable pieces looks like they won't fit dise by side

I'm not sure about the use of a single Y splitter... wouldn't reccomend it.

 

[Etorix]

Why an adapter??? The male plug fits entirely in the female plug; there should be no issue with steric hindrance.
And most power cables provide at least two plugs per cable. The only question is whether to plug two different cables from the PSU, or to simply plug two connectors from a single cable.

 

[Davvo]

Why an adapter??? The male plug fits entirely in the female plug; there should be no issue with steric hindrance.
And most power cables provide at least two plugs per cable. The only question is whether to plug two different cables from the PSU, or to simply plug two connectors from a single cable.

Most PSU cables come with large side "cheeks" on the "Molex" female plugs. In this case, I doubt two will fit side by side.

More like extension than adapter tbh. Didn't have the right word in mind at the time.

 

[ChrisRJ]

In addition to the technical details there is the conceptual aspect to this. While perhaps not using the term, @jgreco effectively talked about risk management. Risk is an event that will materialize with a certain probability. The problem with this concept is that it is counterintuitive to most people. At the end of the day the decision for the maximum power of your PSU is like purchasing an insurance. How bad are the consequences for me if the "negative event" does actually happen. Am I willing to accept the consequences of it? In that case going for a smaller PSU is fine. Or do I want to avoid this situation no matter what? Well, I will have to get a completely oversized (at a first glance) PSU then. Or better a redundant one with with dual USPs and two connections to the electricity grid. At the end of day it is personal decision about how willing one is to take a risk.

 

[jgreco]

two connections to the electricity grid.

And two different utilities providing power, and two backup generators, and ...

 

[ChrisRJ]

And two different utilities providing power, and two backup generators, and ...

Goes without saying ;-)

 

[Etorix]

…and a Schrödinger NAS being at two different places at the same time to avoid disaster at one location. Now THAT would be a real use for quantum computing!

 

[neetbuck]

hey're AMP Mate-n-Lok connectors, sometimes manufactured by Molex, definitely not designed by Molex.

What am I looking for exactly? I tried searching for AMP mate-n-lok and was confused by the results.

As a side note you might need a couple of adapters like this since the two plugs look really close

Is there a chance I could find a power cable that I can connect from the PSU to the backplate without an adapter?

The only question is whether to plug two different cables from the PSU, or to simply plug two connectors from a single cable.

What's the difference?

I will have to get a completely oversized (at a first glance) PSU then. Or better a redundant one

How would that apply to this build? I can only fit an sfx psu inside the jonsbo n2.

 

[Etorix]

What am I looking for exactly? I tried searching for AMP mate-n-lok and was confused by the results.

Just one of the standard cables provided with the PSU.

This is the previous standard power connector for PATA HDDs or optical drives. Nothing exotic.

Is there a chance I could find a power cable that I can connect from the PSU to the backplate without an adapter?

If the "easy release" plastic tabs get in the way, use a knife…

What's the difference?

The idea was, possibly, to spread the load between two cables and between different components within the PSU. The above power cables
(4-pin "Molex" or 15-pin "SATA") all come with four connectors, so the internal components are designed to supply power to four drives from one cable: They should be able to handle five drives on a single cable. Case closed.

We really should stop frightening you for no reason.

 

[neetbuck]

I'm back with some updates after a vacation.

I ordered received the corsair SF600 platinum PSU, and I got my hands on a set of 90degree SATA cables while I was abroad, which apparently are sort of a must for the Jonsbo N2 case, because anything else will void the warranty of the product.

These are the cables I got.

I just arrived home but I'm looking into which HDDs to buy and where to buy them safely in my country (Spain) I'm considering getting 5x 6TB, 8TB or 12TB ironwolf pros (size depending on how frugal or not I'm feeling).

I'm also looking at the exos line though, is it worth it over the ironwolf pro line?

Also I'm looking at possibly buying this molex adapter to make sure everything fits well in the case when I change the proprietary fan for the short profile Noctua fan I got - I found it recommended somewhere for a Jonsbo N2 build. What do you guys think?

I'm so excited to be so close to getting on with actually putting this bad boy together, I will be documenting it all.

 

[ChrisRJ]

I'm also looking at the exos line though, is it worth it over the ironwolf pro line?

Whenever I compared prices in the past (in Germany) the Exos drives were considerably cheaper than the Ironwolf and even more so than the Ironwolf Pro.

The one downside with Exos drives, since they are data center, is that they have a very short timeout for parking the heads. I have turned the latter off with a set of startup commands. Strictly speaking those commands need to be issued only once. But I had a case where a drive needed replacement and I forgot to perform said change. So I now have a single drive now that has 100k+ head parking operations. And with adding this to the startup I avoid to repeat this mistake.

 

[neetbuck]

Whenever I compared prices in the past (in Germany) the Exos drives were considerably cheaper

Are there any other reasons to go for the Exos? The price is also cheaper on Spanish amazon.

Do you have any recommendations or tips for buying HDDs online? On amazon I'm planning on only sticking to sellers that have prime (ergo, free returns and hassle free refunds) - even if they are more expensive. That said, should I buy them from different sources if possible?

Also, do you have any thoughts on the twin 90 degree molex adapter?

 

[MrGuvernment]

Are there any other reasons to go for the Exos? The price is also cheaper on Spanish amazon.

Do you have any recommendations or tips for buying HDDs online? On amazon I'm planning on only sticking to sellers that have prime (ergo, free returns and hassle free refunds) - even if they are more expensive. That said, should I buy them from different sources if possible?

Also, do you have any thoughts on the twin 90 degree molex adapter?

In a perfect world buying from difference suppliers means you are less likely to get several drives that could be a bad batch, as in 1 fails, others are likely going to fail during rebuild...

 

[neetbuck]

In a perfect world buying from difference suppliers means you are less likely to get several drives that could be a bad batch, as in 1 fails, others are likely going to fail during rebuild...

Oh I see... so ideally I would buy every one of the 5 HDDs I need from 5 separate sources? I don't see it making a lot of sense otherwise, the probability of two drives being from a bad batch isn't reduced as significantly if I source from just two vendors.

When you say in a perfect world, do you mean it's not worth it or something?

 

[Etorix]

It indeed does not, or should not, matter much…

 

[MrGuvernment]

Oh I see... so ideally I would buy every one of the 5 HDDs I need from 5 separate sources? I don't see it making a lot of sense otherwise, the probability of two drives being from a bad batch isn't reduced as significantly if I source from just two vendors.

When you say in a perfect world, do you mean it's not worth it or something?

Personally, back in my raid days, i seldom had drives die on me and I always got all my drives from the same source when buying. So long as you have a solid backup plan, and do some initial drive testing when they arrive, you are likely fine.

 

[Constantin]

Personally, back in my raid days, i seldom had drives die on me and I always got all my drives from the same source when buying. So long as you have a solid backup plan, and do some initial drive testing when they arrive, you are likely fine.

Agree. Though some sources (like buying used from a reputable refurbishment house) will automatically yield a lot of build-date / batch entropy. So far my helium drives have held up very well and my biggest worry is how to replace them long term as no one is building He-filled 10TB drives anymore?