First build, U-NAS NSC-810A chassis/case

[cfcaballero]

I'm all but decided on this same exact case and power supply.

I don't see a better power supply. I'll be using a motherboard with staggered spin-up of drives, so I'm not worried about overloading the PSU.

I have two questions for you:
1) What is the max cooler height for this case? Of course I want the biggest (and quietest) cooler I can fit in this case. I've found a number of Noctua low-profile server coolers, however I'm not sure the max height and do not have the luxury of fast shipping. I'll be waiting 1-2 months for a shipment and want to get it right the first time.
2) In one of the photos on U-Nas' website, they show a fan mounted on the side near where the 2.5" "bay" is located. Is that 80mm? Again, don't want to get it wrong.

The two 120mm fans will be replaced with 120mm Noctuas as well. Likely all in a "pull" setup.

1) The 66mm height Noctua's would be the tallest you could put in there and still leave some room between the cooler and the cover.
2) This fan comes with the case.

 

[Chris Moore]

but I believe the side fan will keep the motherboard cool and the heat away from the drives.

I went back and looked at the photos again and I think you might want to flip that side fan around and have it blow air into the case also. That way all cool air (add a filter) is going into the case and the only way out is to pass through the drive bays. This would allow all the intake air to be filtered and exhaust through the drive bays instead of coming in through the unfiltered drive bays and out the fans.
I had some chassis like this:

The problem I had with them was the amount of dust that came in through the drive bays and clogged up the system. I was having to clean them out every 3 or 4 months. I ended up making a filter to put over the front of the unit to keep the dirt out. If you can have all filtered air going in, it should really cut back on the amount of dirt that gets inside the chassis.

 

[rossthompson89]

@cfcaballero did you end up using a RAID card for your setup? If so, which one?

 

[Chris Moore]

@cfcaballero did you end up using a RAID card for your setup? If so, which one?

FreeNAS is not supposed to be used with hardware RAID controllers.

 

[rossthompson89]

FreeNAS is not supposed to be used with hardware RAID controllers.

I am looking for a RAID card because you suggested one, lol.

From my original thread:

Since you say it so nicely, I will give suggestions...
<snip>

Drive Controller: LSI-SAS-9211-8i-8-port-6Gb-s-PCI-E-Internal-HBA-Both-Brackets-IT-MODE - US $59.99
https://www.ebay.com/itm/152937435505
<snip>

 

[Chris Moore]

I am looking for a RAID card because you suggested one, lol.

That is not a "RAID" card, it is a SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) HBA (Host Buss Adapter) and I recommended it because it is the thing that you should use.
What is your question, which one to get?

Current best value:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-H220-6G...9205-8i-P20-IT-Mode-From-US-Ship/192639052923

 

[rossthompson89]

FreeNAS is not supposed to be used with hardware RAID controllers.

Also the hardwear buying list shows RAID controllers:
https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?resources/freenas®-quick-hardware-guide.7/

I won't lie, the whole RAID card/controller bit has me confused. I would love to NOT use one and just get a SATA port expander. It's been a PITA trying to find one that physically fits into my box.

 

[rossthompson89]

That is not a "RAID" card, it is a SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) HBA (Host Buss Adapter) and I recommended it because it is the thing that you should use.
What is your question, which one to get?

Current best value:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-H220-6G...9205-8i-P20-IT-Mode-From-US-Ship/192639052923

On Ebay it is not described as a "RAID" card, yes, but other websites selling the same product, such as amazon, describe this as a "RAID Controller", verbatim. The whole thing is confusing.

 

[Chris Moore]

On Ebay it is not described as a "RAID" card, yes, but other websites selling the same product, such as amazon, describe this as a "RAID Controller", verbatim. The whole thing is confusing.

I can see how you are confused. The key difference is the firmware. The IT mode firmware removes the RAID software from the card and makes it operate in IT (Initiator Target) mode instead of RAID mode.

Also the hardwear buying list shows RAID controllers:

The cards listed under HDD Controllers are not "RAID" cards. They are drive controllers, because of the firmware change.

 

[Chris Moore]

Here is a good guide to help you understand:

Don't be afraid to be SAS-sy
https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?resources/don't-be-afraid-to-be-sas-sy.48/

and just get a SATA port expander.

SATA Port expanders are not reliable in use with FreeNAS.

 

[cfcaballero]

I think we are getting off-topic and might want to start a new thread. @rossthompson89 , you should indicate what motherboard you are using. The one I used (listed in the OP) had 6+4 SATA ports and worked fine. I only wanted a PCI HBA card because I am using an all-in-one setup where I run ESXi and pass-through the HBA adapters to FreeNAS. I can only pass-through 6, which I am just living with right now.

 

[Chris Moore]

I think we are getting off-topic and might want to start a new thread. @rossthompson89 , you should indicate what motherboard you are using. The one I used (listed in the OP) had 6+4 SATA ports and worked fine. I only wanted a PCI HBA card because I am using an all-in-one setup where I run ESXi and pass-through the HBA adapters to FreeNAS. I can only pass-through 6, which I am just living with right now.

Sorry, didn't intend to derail your thread. What HBA did you use that limited you to six?

 

[rossthompson89]

I think we are getting off-topic and might want to start a new thread. @rossthompson89 , you should indicate what motherboard you are using. The one I used (listed in the OP) had 6+4 SATA ports and worked fine. I only wanted a PCI HBA card because I am using an all-in-one setup where I run ESXi and pass-through the HBA adapters to FreeNAS. I can only pass-through 6, which I am just living with right now.

Sorry to hi-jack. My Mobo only has 6 SATA ports. I will try and figure this out.

 

[cfcaballero]

Sorry, didn't intend to derail your thread. What HBA did you use that limited you to six?

No worries, Chris! It was the integrated HBA on the mobo (SuperMicro X10SRM). There are 6 SATA ports on the board, plus 4 more inside a funky connector ("iPass" in mobo manual) for which you have to get a special pigtail cable that gives you the last 4 SATA ports. It's a separate PCI device for the 6 and 4, and since I have ESXi on the bare metal, must leave the 4 port HBA for ESXi and pass through the 6 port HBA to FreeNAS.

 

[Bozon]

Is there any concern with a 350W power supply with 8 drives + quad core CPU? Seems to be cutting it kind of close in terms of maximum power draw, but I don't see other options to go with that case/form factor.

I was thinking of using the same case with this power supply:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIABP956S3335

It is 500W and Platinum. What does everyone think?

 

[rossthompson89]

I was thinking of using the same case with this power supply:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIABP956S3335

It is 500W and Platinum. What does everyone think?

That PSU looks like it would work, but the specs are limited. Just make sure the power cable is correct. One thing that should be noted is that the length of the power + CPU cable may be a little short with the way that the case is oriented and set up.

This is the PSU I went with is:
SilverStone Technology SST-FX350-G

The power cables were not long enough, so I just got some simple extension cables:
https://goo.gl/YyJYMY
https://goo.gl/xFbHaX

 

[cfcaballero]

I was thinking of using the same case with this power supply:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIABP956S3335

It is 500W and Platinum. What does everyone think?

Seems fine to me, but agree to check the cable length. Nice to know there is 500W available in that form factor to give you plenty of power margin, but I have run 7 drives in my server with 350W and no issues.

Best bet is to check with the case vendor. Found them to be very helpful when I bought my case.

 

[Bozon]

Seems fine to me, but agree to check the cable length. Nice to know there is 500W available in that form factor to give you plenty of power margin, but I have run 7 drives in my server with 350W and no issues.

Best bet is to check with the case vendor. Found them to be very helpful when I bought my case.

I saw this thread posted by Chris Moore and it made me reconsider using a 350W power supply. I am probably over compensating now by getting the 500W.

Proper Power Supply Sizing Guidance
https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/proper-power-supply-sizing-guidance.38811/

 

[Bozon]

That is not a "RAID" card, it is a SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) HBA (Host Buss Adapter) and I recommended it because it is the thing that you should use.
What is your question, which one to get?

Current best value:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-H220-6G...9205-8i-P20-IT-Mode-From-US-Ship/192639052923

This is very intriguing because I had planned to buy a Mini-ITX card with 12 Sata Ports: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157475

But with a Card like this I could use a different Mini-ITX card, as long as it supports

• x8 lane, PCI Express 2.0

So any good suggestions for a mini-ITX card or Micro-ATX . I'll start looking around on my own. I don't really need anything but up to 64G support of ECC memory and a couple of sata ports to mirror the boot volume with SATA-DOM's, and of course good ethernet support.

Plus using a SAS card would reduce the cabling in the tight U-NAS NSC-810A chassis because you could use those sas to 4 sata adapters.

 

[Chris Moore]

any good suggestions for a mini-ITX

The case will accommodate a larger board, so I would stay clear of the mini-ITX form factor entirely. Not enough PCIe connectivity.