Build Verification for First FreeNAS Build

[Dragonblade]

Hello FreeNas Community.

This will be my first FreeNas/Server build and I would like to verify that I am not missing anything important. The intended use case for this system is to be a media server with plex, running a few jails and potentially a Linux VM.

Motherboard: SUPERMICRO MBD-X11SSM-F-O Micro ATX Server Motherboard LGA 1151 Intel C236
CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 BX80677E31230V6
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D9L
Memory: Samsung M391A2K43BB1-CPB 16GB DDR4-2133 ECC Un-Buffer LP Server Memory (x2 for 32 GB of memory total)
HDD: WD Red 8TB NAS Hard Disk Drive - 5400 RPM Class (x8)
Add-on Card: Dell H310 6Gbps SAS HBA
Cables: SFF-8087 Multi-Lane Forward Breakout
Boot Drive: SAMSUNG 850 EVO 2.5" 250GB SATA III
Power Supply: Seasonic SSR-550PX Power Supply
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 Black Silent ATX Midtower Computer Case

Questions and Concerns:

1. Will 32GB of memory be enough? It can be expanded to 64GB if necessary.
2. Another MB I considered was SUPERMICRO MBD-X11SSM-F-O Micro ATX Server Motherboard LGA 1151 Intel C236. However, without an m.2 slot I would have had to sacrifice a storage disk for the boot device as many people comment on the unreliability of USB thumb drives as boot devices and SSDs are the preferred boot device. Comparing the two boards they appear to be very similar but if necessary can reduce the HDD count to 7 instead.
3. The disk setup in either case is planned to be RAIDZ2, which I believe will leave me with about 42 TB of space ( 33.6 TB for 80% threshold).
4. Are there better cases for these builds? A friend recommended using Icy Dock cages but I haven't seen many other people using them. Is it worth it to use these or stick with standard case fans?

Thank you for your time in reviewing this parts list and providing answers to my questions.

Edits: Changed MB, boot disk plan, CPU cooler based on recommendations. Changed expansion card based on recommendation.

 

[Ericloewe]

CPU Cooler: Noctua CPU Cooler [NH-U12S]

Overkill. Get a 90mm cooler instead, such as the NH-D9.

Motherboard: Supermicro - MBD-X11SSH-LN4F Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard

That's not particularly suited for a NAS, unless you really want the four GbE NICs (and they're not really trivial to use for jails and VMs).

Boot Drive: Samsung 960 EVO Series - 250GB PCIe NVMe - M.2 Internal SSD

That's overkill. See if you can find a cheaper PCIe SSD.

Power Supply: Corsair CS Series, CS550M, 550 Watt (550W), Semi Modular Power Supply, 80+ Gold Certified

You really want something better than that. Corsair RM, Seasonic G-Series or Seasonic Focus are the lowest-end PSUs that are easy to recommend.

Will 32GB of memory be enough? It can be expanded to 64GB if necessary.

Probably, but it depends on the exact workload. If not, it's easy to double later on.

Another MB I considered was SUPERMICRO MBD-X11SSM-F

That's a better choice.

However, without an m.2 slot I would have had to sacrifice a storage disk for the boot device

No, you can buy a cheap PCI card to M.2 format adapter and you actually end up with a x4 M.2 slot, instead of the x2 on the X11SSH models.

The disk setup in either case is planned to be RAIDZ2, which I believe will leave me with about 42 TB of space ( 33.6 TB for 80% threshold).

Sounds about right.

A friend recommended using Icy Dock cages but I haven't seen many other people using them.

I have four of these in use and they're neat. The fans on my two units from 2014 are getting louder, though, so I have to replace them soon. They're pretty generic 80mm fans and easy to replace (outside the chassis, at least), but they're a bit louder than I'd like for an office and the cages would definitely benefit from some fan control (using new fans, as the ones included are two-pin jobs).
Even with low-30s ambient temperatures, the drives have never gotten beyond 36 or 37 degrees Celsius, so they're appropriately sized and have a big margin on colder days.

 

[Stux]

I run an icy dock cage in my backup system. Not as quiet as my 4U rack. But fine and no muss.

 

[Dragonblade]

Overkill. Get a 90mm cooler instead, such as the NH-D9.


That's not particularly suited for a NAS, unless you really want the four GbE NICs (and they're not really trivial to use for jails and VMs).


That's overkill. See if you can find a cheaper PCIe SSD.


You really want something better than that. Corsair RM, Seasonic G-Series or Seasonic Focus are the lowest-end PSUs that are easy to recommend.


Probably, but it depends on the exact workload. If not, it's easy to double later on.


That's a better choice.

No, you can buy a cheap PCI card to M.2 format adapter and you actually end up with a x4 M.2 slot, instead of the x2 on the X11SSH models.


Sounds about right.


I have four of these in use and they're neat. The fans on my two units from 2014 are getting louder, though, so I have to replace them soon. They're pretty generic 80mm fans and easy to replace (outside the chassis, at least), but they're a bit louder than I'd like for an office and the cages would definitely benefit from some fan control (using new fans, as the ones included are two-pin jobs).
Even with low-30s ambient temperatures, the drives have never gotten beyond 36 or 37 degrees Celsius, so they're appropriately sized and have a big margin on colder days.

Thanks for the recommendations, I have edited the original post with updates to reflect these recommendations.

 

[Chris Moore]

Did someone suggest that Syba card?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk

 

[John Doe]

this setup sound pretty serious. but just in case it is for private use and downtime is acceptable and noise level should be low, consider sharkoon vibe fixer.
https://www.amazon.de/Sharkoon-Hdd-...urahmen-Entkopplung-Festplatten/dp/B000FLR8PE

benefit:
-really silent
- no vibrations!
- enough space for good cooling

cons:
-need 5,25"
-replacement will take longer

according to the datasheet of WD the non pro series of the reds is able to absorb the vibrations of 8 disks.

 

[Dragonblade]

Did someone suggest that Syba card?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk

No, it was something I added after the recommendation to switch motherboards. If there is a better way to increase the number of available Sata III ports I am open to suggestions. Originally the motherboard I was using had a m.2 port I was using for the boot drive. The m.2 drive itself was considered overkill so the idea currently is to get a cheap SSD instead and use the expansion card to provide the necessary additional connection.

 

[Chris Moore]

No, it was something I added after the recommendation to switch motherboards. If there is a better way to increase the number of available Sata III ports I am open to suggestions. Originally the motherboard I was using had a m.2 port I was using for the boot drive. The m.2 drive itself was considered overkill so the idea currently is to get a cheap SSD instead and use the expansion card to provide the necessary additional connection.

I use these in my three systems: Dell H310 6Gbps SAS HBA. I find them to be very reliable.
You could connect all 8 storage drives to the one controller.
You would need this type of cables to connect to SATA drives: SFF-8087 Multi-Lane Forward Breakout

 

[Chris Moore]

Are there better cases for these builds? A friend recommended using Icy Dock cages but I haven't seen many other people using them. Is it worth it to use these or stick with standard case fans?

The Icy Dock is not so much about the fan as it is the convenience of being able to pull the drive out the front of the case like you can with a server. Personally, I bought rack mount server cases and stand them on their edge like they are tower PCs. I get all the benefit of the tray-loaded hard drives and when I figured the cost of putting all those drives in something like the Icy Dock, with all the associated cost of buying a case and power supply, a used server chassis that comes with a hot-swap redundant power supply was actually a bargain.

 

[Dragonblade]

I use these in my three systems: Dell H310 6Gbps SAS HBA. I find them to be very reliable.
You could connect all 8 storage drives to the one controller.
You would need this type of cables to connect to SATA drives: SFF-8087 Multi-Lane Forward Breakout

Updated build with the controller card and cables. Will look into server cases later to see if I can find one that seems to fit.

 

[gamedude9742]

Keep in mind you will need to cross flash the Dell h310 for best compatibility with FreeNAS. I actually did it for the first time a few days ago and it was very easy. Just follow one of the available guides.