Getting ready to build a NAS... AMD?

[-RYknow]

Hey all,

I'm getting ready to build my first NAS. My question is simple, does FreeNas work ok with AMD based systems? I've read numerous threads, articles, and posts on reddit about FreeNAS. In my opinion it is split 50/50. Some say Yes, and some say No.
I plan for the machine to run ECC. Appearance is important to me. This will all be housed in a Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 with a window. So I prefer a board with a black PCB. I've been building computers for a number of years and Asus, Asrock, and Gigabyte haven't failed me. So if possible, I'd like to stay with one of them as well.
I've read various threads suggesting that the GA-990FX-ud3, ud5, and ud9 will run with ECC, but then I've read where some people are saying they have one of those boards running with ECC and they can't seem to confirm that it is actually working. I know according to Gigabyte the board does not support ECC.
So I come here ultimately to ask;

- Does AMD play well with FreeNAS?
- If so, can someone point me in the right direction as to which chipset supports ECC so i can start to dig around and pick out a board?

Thanks for your time,
-RYknow

 

[joeschmuck]

I run an AMD system without issue (see my tag line). I am getting ready to test out my system to see if it's compatible with FreeBSD 9.3 and 10.0 as the next versions of FreeNAS are based on it and there is a concern that some hardware may not support it. This is not only an AMD concern, Intel platforms are also affected. The idea is that some motherboards may require a BIOS upgrade. My particular MB will never see another BIOS upgrade which is why I need to test it out before I can recommend it. However as of right now (FreeNAS 9.2.1.8) yes, many of the AMD CPUs work fine. And I mean CPUs, only a few APUs have been reported to work. So I will only recommend the hardware I specifically have tested and/or use.

As for the MB selection. I would not get caught up in how great it looks. Odds are the system will have some noise and you will want to find a place to hide it. Select a case that gives you lots of airflow as lots of hard drives create lots of heat and they need to stay below 40C as a rule of thumb to ensure longevity.

Scour these threads for systems that have several people using them without issue.

One important thing to know is the NIC, buy an Intel NIC if the MB doesn't have an Intel NIC onboard. RealTek NICs are just not reliable under FreeBSD.

 

[gpsguy]

Don't say never ... BIOS version 2001 (9/11/14) was released in October.

I'm using the same mobo on my primary Win 7 desktop and updated the BIOS last night.

My particular MB will never see another BIOS upgrade which is why I need to test it out before I can recommend it.

 

[joeschmuck]

Holy cow! There have been a few upgrades. Thanks for letting me know. Guess I'll be doing that update today and then testing FreeBSD 9.3 and 10.0 compatibility.

 

[cyberjock]

Actually, there's some more going on than just this. I don't want to say much right now because I need to validate some of the new information I got, but if it is true:

- Going with AMD on FreeNAS 10.x is potentially going to be impossible. Note that just because the current 10 build works is not an indication future compatibility with the concern I have as the new code for FreeNAS hasn't been added yet.
- Recommending Pentium G2020/G3220 is a bad idea because 10.x may not work. This is almost certainly true right now, but I don't like to do things without some validation first. ;)

 

[-RYknow]

Ok... so which chip should I go with to be "future proof" with FreeNAS?

 

[joeschmuck]

Apparently there is no such thing as future proof when it comes to FreeNAS. This irritates me because it sounds like the hardware requirements are going to change if Cyberjock's suspicions are true. But as he said, he's checking into it.

And for the record, FreeNAS 9.2.1.8 does everything I need it to do. It's still a low cost option for high speed and secure data storage.

 

[-RYknow]

Well, this is just for a home NAS. From the reading I've done the current version of FreeNAS is going to do anything and everything I want it to do. So I may just go with that.

So, I have a Gigabyte GA-990FZ-UD5 with an FX6300. In theory, can I put ECC ram in this rig, and be good to go?

-RYknow

 

[joeschmuck]

The FX6300 is a bit overkill and I'd only purchase it if the price was lower than the FX4300. I can't speak the the MB selection.

I did just upgrade my BIOS and it works fine. I also upgraded to 9.2.1.8 (I'm no longer an early adopter on my main FreeNAS machine) and it appears to be working fine too.

 

[-RYknow]

Well, I'm just asking about that board and chip because I already have them and they aren't being used.

 

[joeschmuck]

If you already have them and they aren't being used, that is a cost savings for certain. The CPU is fine for the task. What have you done to see if the MB can support ECC? The manufacturer website should list compatible RAM, of which ECC should be listed.

 

[joeschmuck]

A quick bit of internet research (you could have done this yourself) shows the following:
1) I couldn't locate a Gigabyte GA-990FZ-UD5 but I found GA-990FXA-UD5. Everything that follows is for that MB.
2) NIC = RealTek so I'd disable that and install a $30 Intel PCIe NIC.
3) No Onboard Video = Need a cheap no frills video card, PCIe of course.
4) The Supported Memory List does not list any ECC RAM.
5) The User Manual does not list any ECC BIOS option, it doesn't mention ECC even once in the manual.
6) There is a BIOS version for a AHCI fix, if you don't have it, get it even if you don't use this MB for FreeNAS.
7) I found one reference on another forum that the GA-990FXA-UD5 does unofficially support ECC RAM with some BIOS tweaks. I'm not sure I trust a single data point so more searching would need to be done. Also need to find out what RAM that person used.

There you go, have a blast.

 

[cyberjock]

Right now, if you want to be "future-proof" for the forseeable future my conservative answer is a board with a i3 or xeon. No Pentiums or Celerons and no AMD at all. There's a chance that a small number of AMD CPUs will work fine, but the Pentiums and Celerons are quite possible going to be a problem. I won't say more and I'm hoping to get with "the old man" to see if he can test some of this on his AMD system.

I don't own AMD systems and I refuse to spend money on AMD-based hardware because of how much money I've lost in the past. So all I can say is what I just said above.

 

[no_connection]

Why won't FreeNAS work with the G3220?

 

[Ericloewe]

Why won't FreeNAS work with the G3220?

It's unconfirmed at the moment, but the Celerons and Pentiums may be missing certain instructions that may end up being required.

It's all still hypothetical, but given the price difference, moving to an i3 might be worth the extra certainty that it'll keep working.

 

[chrisjbarry]

I am using AMD Athlon II x4 630. My ram is non-ECC 32gb corsair vengeance pro 1866mhz (thinking about selling 16gb, as this was a ESXI but now baremetal). Motherboard is Asus M5A97 network integrated is working ok but will be replacing with another dual nic. Currently running 5-4tb seagate drives and system running on a Sandisk 32gb usb stick.
My setup is mainly for FTP, PLEX,


Sent from pay phone in the airport.

 

[no_connection]

What instruction is it that would be required then ?

 

[Ericloewe]

What instruction is it that would be required then ?

I don't know the specifics... A FreeBSD dev was supposed to provide detailed information, but this hasn't happened yet, AFAIK.

 

[cyberjock]

It's like this, the hardware sticky will be revised if and when appropriate. Until then you can either be proactive and just not include the possible bad choices or you can keep on your current path. Keep in mind that the reason why I wouldn't be recommending AMDs is NOT the same as the other reasons. Even if this one isn't a problem, there's plenty of other potential show-stoppers.

If you want to plan ahead, you should throw AMD plans away forever (it will eventually bone you), and Pentiums are just mostly "not the most ideal" as they can be easily replaced. But if you go with AMD and it is a mess the "solution" for that is a whole new system.

I am not discussing it any more than that. Speculation makes a mess for everyone and I'm NOT about to start those games.

Go Intel and go i3 or higher if you are concerned. Go Pentium if you are willing to risk potentially having to buy a new CPU. Go AMD if you are willing to risk needing a whole damn new system. OK?

 

[joeschmuck]

I am not discussing it any more than that. Speculation makes a mess for everyone and I'm NOT about to start those games.

I've got your back.