Build advice - hardware parts

[michalrentka]

Hi,

I'd like to build a NAS / Media server for our home. The usage would be:
1. TrueNAS Core, storage of photos, videos, movies or documents. Some critical documents would be backed up to cloud.
2. Plex server for streaming media to all devices. 2-4 users, possibly concurrent.
3. Home Assistant to control some smart elements of our home.

Possibly more features would be added as time goes on.

I'm new in the server space, so I need some advice on hardware parts. Specifically CPU and MOBO. I picked these as a first draft:

MOBO: Supermicro MBD-X11SSH-F-O, https://www.supermicro.com/en/products/motherboard/x11ssh-f
CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1220 v6, https://ark.intel.com/content/www/u...on-processor-e31220-v6-8m-cache-3-00-ghz.html
RAM: 2x Samsung - 16GB DDR4-2133 1Rx4 ECC UDIMM RoHS, SMC certified - M391A2K43BB1-CPB, https://semiconductor.samsung.com/dram/module/ecc-udimm-ecc-sodimm/m391a2k43bb1-cpb/
SSD Boot drive: Transcend MTS400S, M.2 - 64GB
HDD: 8x Seagate IronWolf 8TB
PSU: Some 80+ Gold 500W power supply
Case: I'll re-use my old Fractal R5 with a cage to hold 8 HDDs.

The MOBO seems to have everything I'd need - supports given CPU, support for 64 gb of ram which I might expand later, 8 SATA3 ports, M.2 slot for boot drive, IPMI.
I'm not sure about CPU, is it enough, unnecessary overkill or maybe not enough? I read that Plex transcoding eats a lot of CPU. I'd like to avoid that as much as possible with multiple versions of video for different devices. But I assume it won't always be possible.
32 GB memory for now, with the possibility to buy 2 more sticks to upgrade to 64 GB.
8 HDDs in RAIDZ1, which would give around 40 TB storage. I understand the risks of RAIDZ1 and since I'll most likely backup critical documents to cloud I'm not too worried about loosing data. If some HDD dies I'll try to replace it as soon as possible and rebuild lost data.

Is any choice plain wrong or stupid? I'm the most uncertain about the CPU. I'm open to any suggestions as I'm just planning now. I don't have a tight budget, but I don't want to purchase complete overkill which will be wasted on my use case.

Thanks!

 

[pschatz100]

That CPU would be powerful enough for the basic requirements of a NAS, but if it were me I'd go for E3-1230 v6 or E3-1240 v6. The latter CPU's have hyperthreading and provide more performance. On the used market, they may be about the same price or just a few dollars more.

As for Plex, whether or not you will need transcoding during playback will depend on the source material and what your playback devices are. For instance, if you are using 4K compatible Roku's or Firesticks on your TV's, or the TV's natively support 4K material, chances are that you will not need to transcode in Plex. If you plan on streaming to devices outside your house via internet, then you might want to transcode to a lower bit rate in order to lower the bandwidth required. The CPU's I suggested should be able to handle two streams of 1080P material or one stream of 4K material if transcoding is necessary.