BUILD FreeNAS + Plex + other VMs/jails (+maybe ESX home lab)

[heloid]

Hi guys, first post after reading the forums for a few days trying to figure out where to go next with a brand new build.

Background/requirements:
I have a Microserver running Win2012 (w/8GB RAM, 2 3TB WD reds and a 250GB OS drive) which has been fine for almost 4 years but I've now got the following complaints:

1. The storage can't keep up with my new 1gbit connection (maybe due to the windows mirrored dynamic disks maxing out the CPU while doing other things on the server)
2. I was looking forward to trying Linux out but when I ran Win2012 as a ESX Guest storage performance was even worse and passthrough was wasn't supported so having an ESX home lab was taken off the table.
3. I can't transcode anything in Plex and with the increase in internet bandwidth I wanted to open it up to my friends without having to police how they used it
4. The microserver is really noisy and the only place I can put it is in my lounge so the focus will be on reducing the noise but keeping things small still
5. I'm pretty sure it wouldn't handle any DVR activity which I'm looking to try (my TV is no where near my aerial so I figured I'd try streaming over the network to my SmartTV instead w/ Emby or something similar.)

I found the following thread which gave me a bit of inspiration:
https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/advice-needed…miniitx-vs-matx…and-other-hardware.40843/

Here is what I've decided on so far but I've got some further questions:

1. Has the latest version of FreeNas caught up with Skylakes or is it still worth dropping back a v3 CPU?
2. 16GB RAM - is it worth getting a dual channel kit over a single stick? I was hoping to get 32GB at some point but I may as well have better performance now over a dubious requirement for future upgradability?
3. If I go down the ESX Host route I'll definitely need to get a SATA card to passthrough the 4 WD storage drives to FreeNAS? This might push me down the mATX route in case I want to add a TV tuner or capture card in the future (but I guess USB options are there?)
4. The Corsair RM850 in my main PC powers down the fan on low load, I'm guessing I'll need max 500Watt PSU, is there a reputable PSU brand for servers to go for that has the same feature? Or should I just go for a Seasonic like I've seen recommended a lot?

Thanks in a lot in advance for any advice/pointers!


PCPartPicker part list
Motherboard: ASRock Intel Xeon E3 E3C236D2I Mini ITX Server Motherboard (£186.00)
CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1240 V5 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (£248.08 @ CCL Computers) (hyperthreading was a must, price difference between this and 1230 was small so I figured why not, will check pricing and drop to 1230 if I need to at the end)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U14S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler (£49.99 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Kingston ValueRAM 16GB (1 x 16GB) DDR4-2133 Memory (£66.14 @ More Computers)
Storage: Samsung 256GB 830 SSD SATA 6GBPS (already owned)
Storage: Western Digital Red 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive (already owned)
Storage: Western Digital Red 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive (already owned)
Storage: Western Digital Red 6TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive (£192.97 @ CCL Computers)
Storage: Western Digital Red 6TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive (£192.97 @ CCL Computers)
Case: Fractal Design Node 304 Mini ITX Tower Case (£61.16 @ CCL Computers)
Total: £997.31

 

[Ericloewe]

Has the latest version of FreeNas caught up with Skylakes or is it still worth dropping back a v3 CPU?

Yes.

16GB RAM - is it worth getting a dual channel kit over a single stick? I was hoping to get 32GB at some point but I may as well have better performance now over a dubious requirement for future upgradability?

No, you'd get no real benefit. Upgradability is a real concern, too.

If I go down the ESX Host route I'll definitely need to get a SATA card to passthrough the 4 WD storage drives to FreeNAS?

Yes.

is there a reputable PSU brand for servers to go for that has the same feature? Or should I just go for a Seasonic like I've seen recommended a lot?

Seasonic is excellent, Corsair RM is pretty good.