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[_Will_]

Hello everyone,

I'm looking to build an NAS for use as my home media server. This is my first NAS build, so please bare with me. The NAS will contain Blu-Ray movies, music, and RAW photos that I edit using Photoshop. I would like somewhere in the range of 8-10 TB, so I'm trying to decide between 4 x 4 TB HDDs or 6 x 3 TB HDDs setup in RAID Z2.

I am trying to keep costs to a minimum where possible, however after reading Cyberjock's guide and JGreco's hardware suggestions I am convinced that I should utilize 16 GB of ECC RAM which will need to be taken into account when choosing a processor and mobo. I'm trying to keep the NAS (not including HDDs) below $750 if possible.

Please provide your hardware recommendations for this setup.

Also,

1. How would I go about choosing a processor. Xeon vs G2020 vs other? What are the driving factors for deciding on a processor?
2. If I do decide to go with 6 HDDs - do I need SATA 3 for all HDDs, or is mixing and matching some SATA 2 not a bottle neck?

Thanks in advance!

Will

 

[DJ9]

Start out by reading this thread. http://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/so-you-want-some-hardware-suggestions.12276/

 

[_Will_]

Start out by reading this thread. http://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/so-you-want-some-hardware-suggestions.12276/

Thanks for the suggestion. That was the last thread I read through prior to posting my questions. It was very helpful, however it didn't answer all of my questions.

 

[Ericloewe]

Hello everyone,

I'm looking to build an NAS for use as my home media server. This is my first NAS build, so please bare with me. The NAS will contain Blu-Ray movies, music, and RAW photos that I edit using Photoshop. I would like somewhere in the range of 8-10 TB, so I'm trying to decide between 4 x 4 TB HDDs or 6 x 3 TB HDDs setup in RAID Z2.

I am trying to keep costs to a minimum where possible, however after reading Cyberjock's guide and JGreco hardware suggestions I am convinced that I should utilize 16 GB of ECC RAM which will need to be taken into account when choosing a processor and mobo. I'm trying to keep the NAS (not including HDDs) below $750 if possible.

Please provide your hardware recommendations for this setup.

Also,

1. How would I go about choosing a processor. Xeon vs G2020 vs other? What are the driving factors for deciding on a processor?
2. If I do decide to go with 6 HDDs - do I need SATA 3 for all HDDs, or is mixing and matching some SATA 2 not a bottle neck?

Thanks in advance!

Will

1. Will you be transcoding? Any other CPU-heavy stuff? If not, stick to something like the i3-4130 (The Celerons and Pentiums should also work well, but it seems your mileage may vary with the G1820). Otherwise, get a Xeon.
2. Few SATA drives (namely the WD Velociraptors) are able to saturate SATA 1,5Gb/s. SATA 3Gb/s is absolutely fine.

 

[_Will_]

1. Will you be transcoding? Any other CPU-heavy stuff? If not, stick to something like the i3-4130 (The Celerons and Pentiums should also work well, but it seems your mileage may vary with the G1820). Otherwise, get a Xeon.
2. Few SATA drives (namely the WD Velociraptors) are able to saturate SATA 1,5Gb/s. SATA 3Gb/s is absolutely fine.

Thanks Eric.

1. I just started looking into transcoding. The TV I watch most of my media on is a Panasonic GT50 which supports most of the formats that I watch (including MKV). If I were only watching movies on this TV then I figure I would not need transcoding. However - I travel an awful lot for work and it would be great if I could view movies on my iPad via my NAS. Does transoding make this possible? If so then I will go with a Xeon. Any opinion on Xeon E3-1230v2 vs Xeon E3-1220Lv2?
2. Excellent, thank you.

 

[Ericloewe]

Thanks Eric.

1. I just started looking into transcoding. The TV I watch most of my media on is a Panasonic GT50 which supports most of the formats that I watch (including MKV). If I were only watching movies on this TV then I figure I would not need transcoding. However - I travel an awful lot for work and it would be great if I could view movies on my iPad via my NAS. Does transoding make this possible? If so then I will go with a Xeon. Any opinion on Xeon E3-1230v2 vs Xeon E3-1220Lv2?
2. Excellent, thank you.

Any reason why you're looking at old processors? Xeon E3 v3 use significantly less power when idle, are slightly faster and typically aren't more expensive. In any case, low-power CPUs are a waste of money - you'll get worse performance when you need it and will not get better power consumption when you don't need said performance.

As for transcoding, I suggest you read about Plex, which is pretty much the default option around here, and see what it offers.

 

[_Will_]

Any reason why you're looking at old processors? Xeon E3 v3 use significantly less power when idle, are slightly faster and typically aren't more expensive. In any case, low-power CPUs are a waste of money - you'll get worse performance when you need it and will not get better power consumption when you don't need said performance.

As for transcoding, I suggest you read about Plex, which is pretty much the default option around here, and see what it offers.

Thanks again.

I just researched Plex and confirms that I would definitely like transcoding capabilities.

I saw that someone posted that JGreco's hardware suggestions were still up-to-date and the answer was "yes", but obviously that post itself was out-of-date. I just started researching the Xeon E3 V3's on Intel's site and it seems there are a variety of options. Is there a specific model number Xeon E3 V3 that is preferred for my goals?

 

[Ericloewe]

That thread is more of a general recommendation and shouldn't be taken too literally. It's still valid, but Haswell has proven to be a good choice in the meantime.

Thanks again.

I just researched Plex and confirms that I would definitely like transcoding capabilities.

I saw that someone posted that JGreco's hardware suggestions were still up-to-date and the answer was "yes", but obviously that post itself was out-of-date. I just started researching the Xeon E3 V3's on Intel's site and it seems there are a variety of options. Is there a specific model number Xeon E3 V3 that is preferred for my goals?

Not really. I'd avoid the ones with an iGPU, as that will be absolutely useless in a server.

 

[_Will_]

That thread is more of a general recommendation and shouldn't be taken too literally. It's still valid, but Haswell has proven to be a good choice in the meantime.



Not really. I'd avoid the ones with an iGPU, as that will be absolutely useless in a server.

Perfect. I think that is all of the information I need for the moment.

Later today I will put together a full list of hardware that I am looking to use. If you (and anyone else) can provide feedback/suggestions on what I've put together it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[diedrichg]

You want to use a server OS as a HTPC? Unless you need critical data backed up, I'd strongly suggest just going with a AMD APU system running Linux Mint or Windows. You'll save twice the money going this route. I have a dedicated HTPC connected to my TV though HDMI and optical audio to my receiver. I run Plex, SABnzbd, Sickbeard, and Couchpotato. I then have FreeNAS as our dedicated home server for storing our critical personal files.

 

[_Will_]

You want to use a server OS as a HTPC? Unless you need critical data backed up, I'd strongly suggest just going with a AMD APU system running Linux Mint or Windows. You'll save twice the money going this route. I have a dedicated HTPC connected to my TV though HDMI and optical audio to my receiver. I run Plex, SABnzbd, Sickbeard, and Couchpotato. I then have FreeNAS as our dedicated home server for storing our critical personal files.

Thanks for your input. Please elaborate a little bit on uses of an NAS versus the HTPC you mentioned. Would the HTPC also be configured in a RAID?

My main goals (in order of priority) are:

1. Begin building a system with redundancy that can withstand at least 2 drive failures. (Currently I manually backup my disk once in a while. Not a great method)
2. A system that will be able to hold ~10 TB of Blu Rays, photos that are modified with Photoshop, and music.
3. Something that can be accessed remotely (offsite)
4. Something that can be accessed to view 1080p movies remotely (offsite)

Does this point towards an NAS or an HTPC?

 

[diedrichg]

Since you are looking for redundancy then yes, FreeNAS will suit you well. I personally consider videos expendable and not requiring a raid setup. But yes, FreeNAS will perform all the functions you require

 

[_Will_]

The first piece of hardware I'm trying to pick out is my CPU. From our discussions above it seems that an Intel Xeon E3 would work well for my needs.

I went to Intel's website and started researching the E3's and there are (24) different types. I'm assuming I want to avoid the ones with processor graphics so that eliminates a bunch and leaves me with the following (12):

E3-1220L v3
E3-1220 v3
E3-1230L v3
E3-1230 v3
E3-1231 v3
E3-1240L v3
E3-1240 v3
E3-1241 v3
E3-1270 v3
E3-1271 v3
E3-1280 v3
E3-1281 v3

I know from reading through a lot of threads and people's signatures that the E3-1220 V3 and E3-1230 V3 seem to be popular options. It looks like the E3-1230 has the advantages of a higher clock speed and hyperthreading, but I'm not sure if I need either of these. It looks like these are 2 of the lower priced options out of the Xeon E3 family and maybe that's why people go with them - because they offer enough performance but are not as expensive as the higher clocking CPU's?

Any advice on deciding this first piece of hardware would be appreciated!

 

[Ericloewe]

First of all, ignore all the L models, they're the low-power ones.
Second, if the 1230 isn't much more expensive than the 1220, that's the one I recommend, since the extra threads will definitely help in threaded scenarios (transcoding being one of them).

 

[Maturola]

Haswell refresh are out, and they are price just about the same price as the old haswell, go for one of those.

the E3-1231 V3 should be the sweet spot.

 

[Ericloewe]

Haswell refresh are out, and they are price just about the same price as the old haswell, go for one of those.

the E3-1231 V3 should be the sweet spot.

It's a bit early - the motherboard may come with an older BIOS version and not boot with the new processors before the new BIOS is flashed. Just the other day a guy had the exact problem and had to buy an older processor to flash the new BIOS.

 

[_Will_]

Thanks guys for providing feedback on the E3-1231 V3.

Right now I have a list of the following hardware (still haven't looked at a power supply and a CPU cooler if I need one) and I'm at about $1,480. That's over the budget I had put aside for this. Is there any chance I can drop down to an I3 even though I would like the ability to transcode 1080p video? If not, are there any other ways to cut costs?


-Fractal Design Node 304 Mini-ITX Hybrid Computer Case
-Intel Xeon E3-1230 V3
-ASRock E3C226D2I Mini ITX Server Motherboard LGA 1150 Intel C226 DDR3 1600/1333
-Crucial 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) ECC Unbuffered Server Memory Model CT2KIT102472BD160B
-SanDisk Cruzer Fit 8GB USB 2.0 Low-Profile Flash Drive- SDCZ33-008G-B35
-6 x WD Red 3 TB NAS Hard Drive: 3.5 Inch, SATA III, 64 MB Cache - WD30EFRX

 

[engmsf]

For all of those that run an Xeon, when does your CPU Usage exceed 75%, or even 50% for that matter? What process in Freenas will take you this high?

On my Freenas Plex box (Intel G3220 and RaidZ1) with a single 1080p full hardware tanscoding 10-20gb files to a Roku3 only hits 80%. It might go slightly higher if I'm transferring a file at the same time. I would only consider a Xeon if I had a requirement to transcode three or four HD devices at a time.

 

[Ericloewe]

Thanks guys for providing feedback on the E3-1231 V3.

Right now I have a list of the following hardware (still haven't looked at a power supply and a CPU cooler if I need one) and I'm at about $1,480. That's over the budget I had put aside for this. Is there any chance I can drop down to an I3 even though I would like the ability to transcode 1080p video? If not, are there any other ways to cut costs?


-Fractal Design Node 304 Mini-ITX Hybrid Computer Case
-Intel Xeon E3-1230 V3
-ASRock E3C226D2I Mini ITX Server Motherboard LGA 1150 Intel C226 DDR3 1600/1333
-Crucial 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) ECC Unbuffered Server Memory Model CT2KIT102472BD160B
-SanDisk Cruzer Fit 8GB USB 2.0 Low-Profile Flash Drive- SDCZ33-008G-B35
-6 x WD Red 3 TB NAS Hard Drive: 3.5 Inch, SATA III, 64 MB Cache - WD30EFRX

The i3 should be enough if you only transcode one thing at a time. If you buy the boxed version of whatever processor you choose, the stock cooler is enough (if you buy the tray version, you need to supply your own cooler).

 

[_Will_]

For all of those that run an Xeon, when does your CPU Usage exceed 75%, or even 50% for that matter? What process in Freenas will take you this high?

On my Freenas Plex box (Intel G3220 and RaidZ1) with a single 1080p full hardware tanscoding 10-20gb files to a Roku3 only hits 80%. It might go slightly higher if I'm transferring a file at the same time. I would only consider a Xeon if I had a requirement to transcode three or four HD devices at a time.

Thank you for giving me an idea of what your current system is capable of. It makes me think that an I3 is still a good option for me.