Building a FreeNAS in 2017

[nine09]

I am going to build my first NAS with FreeNAS and I have done a lot of research on what hardware to get. Still, since this is my first build I am a little worried that I might miss something. The main thing I want to use my NAS for is Plex, and sharing videos with my family across households.

These items are based on the fact that I live in Norway, so not all hardware is available here.

KVR21E15D8/8 - Kingston ValueRam DDR4 2133MHz 8GB ECC

I chose this because it supports ECC. However it is not "registered/buffered" and I do not know this is important.

BX80662E31275V5 - Intel Xeon E3-1275 V5 Prosessor

I chose this because it supports ECC and Intel says on their site that it is good for "HD and UHD video transcoding" and it has a high operating frequency which is great for Plex transcoding. It also has integrated graphics so I don't need to buy a dedicated GPU.

CP-9020090-EU - Corsair RM550x 550W PSU

I have good experience with Corsair and my current PSU is dead quiet. 550w seems enough for my build. Not sure if this is "good enough" quality though.

WD60EFRX - WD Red 6TB 3.5" NAS HDD

Based on what I have heard WD red are some of the most reliable HDs for a NAS. I also have great experience with WD.

C236A WORKSTATION - MSI C236A Workstation, Socket-1151

I chose this motherboard mainly because none other were available. However it does support ECC RAM (I think), Xeon CPUs and it supports GPU in the CPU. It is not too expensive and it has enough SATA ports.

Let me know if you think this is a good way to go or not :) I can't wait to get started!

 

[Chris Moore]

I am going to build my first NAS with FreeNAS and I have done a lot of research on what hardware to get. Still, since this is my first build I am a little worried that I might miss something. The main thing I want to use my NAS for is Plex, and sharing videos with my family across households.

These items are based on the fact that I live in Norway, so not all hardware is available here.

KVR21E15D8/8 - Kingston ValueRam DDR4 2133MHz 8GB ECC

I chose this because it supports ECC. However it is not "registered/buffered" and I do not know this is important.

BX80662E31275V5 - Intel Xeon E3-1275 V5 Prosessor

I chose this because it supports ECC and Intel says on their site that it is good for "HD and UHD video transcoding" and it has a high operating frequency which is great for Plex transcoding. It also has integrated graphics so I don't need to buy a dedicated GPU.

CP-9020090-EU - Corsair RM550x 550W PSU

I have good experience with Corsair and my current PSU is dead quiet. 550w seems enough for my build. Not sure if this is "good enough" quality though.

WD60EFRX - WD Red 6TB 3.5" NAS HDD

Based on what I have heard WD red are some of the most reliable HDs for a NAS. I also have great experience with WD.

C236A WORKSTATION - MSI C236A Workstation, Socket-1151

I chose this motherboard mainly because none other were available. However it does support ECC RAM (I think), Xeon CPUs and it supports GPU in the CPU. It is not too expensive and it has enough SATA ports.

Let me know if you think this is a good way to go or not :) I can't wait to get started!

The GPU is not used in FreeNAS. Does anyone know if PLEX inside a jail can use the GPU for rendering?

I am running PLEX on my FREENAS using a server board that has an extremely poor integrated GPU and PLEX works great. You may find that a server board is available and might be a better choice.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk

 

[Jailer]

Workstation motherboards in general are not recommended but if you truly have no other choice then it may work out ok. I'd double the memory if you plan on running Plex as you say.

 

[Jailer]

The GPU is not used in FreeNAS.

But he needs something for console output and the integrated GPU will provide that.

Does anyone know if PLEX inside a jail can use the GPU for rendering?

No it does not and Plex has has mentioned before on their support forum they have no intention of adding this functionality.

 

[Chris Moore]

C236A WORKSTATION - MSI C236A Workstation, Socket-1151

I chose this motherboard mainly because none other were available. However it does support ECC RAM (I think), Xeon CPUs and it supports GPU in the CPU. It is not too expensive and it has enough SATA ports.

You might want to look at this site: https://www.nextron.no/main.php3?PI=list&MG=527&SG=3020&SO=price
They are Supermicro vendor for Norway. You may be able to get a server board from them and server boards have some features like remote management that make them much better for the application.

 

[Stux]

How many of the 6TB HDs are you planning on using?

BTW, I like the Corsair RMx supplies. 10 year warranty, and dead silent.

 

[nine09]

Yeah, the GPU is just for console output. I just wanted to avoid buying a dedicated GPU just to view the console (once probably).

Thanks for taking time to find a Norwegin Supermicro retailer, Chris Moore.

Now, I know server grade boards are made to last longer and probably have better quality, but is there any specific disadvantage with the C236A? Or are you guys just speaking in general. The Supermicro board are very pricey and I am already beyond budget :/

 

[Ericloewe]

Well, IPMI is awesome, but it's much easier to not have it if you've never used it before.