BUILD Build suggestions for a home server

[mooboy]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to put my first FreeNas build together, and would really appreciate your input. I want a home server to be able to run Plex (probably never more than one transcode at a time), probably OwnCloud... and a file server of course. I'm leaning towards a 2750 mboard based build. So, thinking something like:

* SUPERMICRO MBD-A1SAi-2750F-O
* Samsung 8GB DDR3-1600 2Rx8 1.35V SO-DIMM * 4 (Ouch.. $160 each!)
* Fractal Design Node 304
* Seasonic P-400 Fanless Platinum 400W V2
* 6 * 4TB WD Red (as RAIDZ2)

So, my questions are:
1) Supermicro versus the ASRock C2750D4I
I'm leaning towards the Supermicro due to the reports it uses a lot less power: https://forums.freenas.org/index.ph...lection-for-mini-itx-build.26413/#post-168316
And the Supermicro name in Server level hardware. Still, the ASRock does seem popular here and, although it is a little pricier, the memory should be cheaper. Any suggestions?

2) Any idea if the I need to do more to cool the CPU, or should the two HDD fans and exhaust fan on The Node 304 be sufficient?

3) Is 32GB ram strongly recommended over just 16GB if using 6 * 4TB WD Red as RaidZ2?

Plus, anything I might have missed :)

Thanks so much for anyone's advice!

 

[Ericloewe]

The extra SATA ports on the ASRock, from the Marvell controllers, don't work very well. So it's basically personal preference. Honestly, I'd go with a larger case and a bigger motherboard. Either the ASRock E3C224D4I-14S, ASRock MTC224 or a Supermicro X10.

Not really familiar with cooling in that case, so I can't offer much advice there.

For now, 16GB should be enough. Of course, more is always better when it comes to RAM.

 

[marbus90]

You don't need that fanless PSU, a Seasonic G-360 is fine.

You can go for the C2750D4I - it may use 79kWh more annually. At $0.1 per kWh the asrock is still cheaper over 5+ years tho...