First Build: Home Storage and Media

[unknownexception]

Hey everyone,

After stalking the boards for some time I've finally put my build together. Purpose will be home storage (photos, portfolio work), and plex media. Not sure how many streams I'll push out of it. I have ATT fiber at home so I hope I can get some decent quality streams out while I travel. Any red flags I should be aware of? I appreciate any advice, slap on the wrists, etc.

Case: Fractal Design R4 ($40)
Motherboard: X10SL7-F ($140)
RAM: 4x8GB CT102472BD160B ($75 each x 4 $300)
CPU: E3-1271v3 ($220)
Cooler: EVO 212 LED ($20)
Storage: WD Red 8TB WD80EFAX (256MB Cache) x 6 ($139 each) [ZFS2]
Fans: Noctua NF-P14s redux-1500 PWM ($10 each x 4 $40)
OS: SanDisk Extreme 32GB (SDCZ80-032G-GAM46) x 2 ($20 each)
PSU: EVGA 700 B1 80+ BRONZE 700W ($39)

Total: ~$1200

Just a follow up question, should I swap out the thumb drives (they have high read/write) for a normal SSD? I have a Toshiba/OCZ SSD 120GB laying around, not sure if I need that redundancy there.

I'm freelance webdev, so I might end up running a few web servers there for Drupal dev -- but it's less homelab and more bulk storage and plex streaming.

 

[Jailer]

should I swap out the thumb drives (they have high read/write) for a normal SSD?

IMHO, yes. The peace of mind and reliability are worth it. A single SSD will likely outlive your FreeNAS box.

Any reason for not going with newer gen hardware? And where are you getting that hardware so cheap?

 

[unknownexception]

IMHO, yes. The piece of mind and reliability are worth it. A single SSD will likely outlive your FreeNAS box.

Any reason for not going with newer gen hardware? And where are you getting that hardware so cheap?

Will do, i'll repurpose those flashdrives -- thanks! I was kind of on the fence on which way to go anyways.

I was trying to get the most bang for my dollar, tried to keep it around $1000 -- but failed obviously. It seemed to be jumping up to the next platform was going to be significantly more expensive.

The case and motherboard (I couldn't believe someone was selling that board on FB) came from Facebook Marketplace, RAM and fans from Amazon, CPU from eBay, WD Reds came from the Bestbuy EasyStor external HDD deal they had going on (Shucked and was pleasantly surprised with the Red 256MB models, not the white label), CPU cooler from microcenter and PSU from EVGA.com during blackfriday.

Also nice to see another Michigander @Jailer -- i'm from Rochester, MI

 

[Jailer]

Well you did some frugal shopping and your parts list looks good. It should serve you well for your intended purpose.

 

[Squar0L]

Yes, lose the thumb drives. The OS wears them out in 6 months, even the glorified SanDisks.