Custom Built Rig or PowerEdge R820

[ScrotalSack]

Hi all!

I come seeking opinions on the two paths I'm looking at for my NAS/Home Lab setup! Which would you choose/recommend, given my use case & keeping in mind that the PowerEdge would have some mileage on it (Amazon Renewed from circa 2014) vs. the custom build that would have minimally used parts I had on hand & other brand new parts -- exception being the drives which I'm seriously considering getting from Amazon Renewed stock.

Needs/Wants:
I have a bevy of ProRes RAW video footage that's taking up a horrendous amount of SSD, NVMe, and spinning disc space, and it's hellacious trying to keep it all organized! First order of business is a fast storage setup that can be used for editing w/ Premiere & Resolve. On top of that, I'm very interested in virtualization and the possibilities it offers for security, home automation, and some multimedia/gaming.

The constant:
I think I'd like to start out with TrueNAS Core with 12x 20TB Exos drives running in mirror, to allow me roughly 120gb of space.

Server Design #1 / Custom Rig - Currently have some parts on-hand from previous builds / $2446 additional investment + $3500 for drives:

Show : Server Design #1 (Custom Rig)

Parts List:

MB: ASRock Rack TRX40D8-2N2T
CPU: AMD 3960X TRX4
RAM: (4) Hynix ECC 32GB UDIMM
HBA: LSI 9400-16i w/4 MiniSAS HD internal ports
PSU: EVGA 1000W T2
Case: Fractal Define 7 XL w/4 extra drive trays
Cooling: Noctua NH-U14S & all Noctua 3000 RPM 140MM fans for case

(Still need to acquire SPF+ NIC )
NIC: H!Fiber X540-10G-2T

Server Design #2 / PowerEdge R820 - Would need to purchase everything but would total about the same investment at $2625 + $3500 for drives:

Show : Server Design #2 (R820)

Parts List:

Server: https://www.amazon.com/Dell-PowerEd...f7-9948-b6a52b8ed32d&pd_rd_i=B08YFLYLDS&psc=1
HBA: Need an equivalent to "LSI 9400-16i w/4 MiniSAS HD" w/ external ports
Disk Shelf: Need to acquire a 24 disk shelf, preferably.
Rack: Probably an18U rack
NIC: Would need to acquire / perhaps a H!Fiber X540-10G-2T

TIA for your wisdom & guidance!!!

 

[NugentS]

The second, unless you are planning on lots of SSD's, is probably a mistake (opinion) as its got lots of slots you won't be doing much with. That being said you are talking about editing off the NAS, so may want some SSD's for that purpose, although NVMe would probably be better - thus the question below
Does the Asrock Rack unit support bifurcation?

 

[ScrotalSack]

Good question; haven't found any articles that indicated one way or the other. Is bifurcation a concern with 88 lanes available on the TR? I'm a complete novice with server builds, so any enlightenment would be greatly appreciated!!

Also, while searching for info on bifurcation, I found a great write up at STH that mentions a built in X710 network interface. This is somewhat exciting as it's higher end than the NIC I was considering, but it appears to be an RJ-45 connection. This brings me to my next question: wouldn't it be foolish to fish in a bunch of new 6a attic runs vs. just futureproofing with fiber? My editing PC also has 10gb built-in with an RJ-45 connection, so copper would be easier & cheaper to deal with now, but in the long-run (no pun intended) fiber seems much more palatable.