HP 800G3- Setting up for the very first time.

[Sykotik]

Hi all , iv just bought a HP Elitedesk 800 , and im going to install Truenas on to it, with the sole purpose ( for the time being) of using Plex,
Hardware is i5 7500 , 8gb ram 120ssd and two WD reds 3tb ( will probably increase these at a later date )
Now , is there anything i need to change in the BIOs before trying to install the software ?
im i right in saying that truenas just needs to be install on a Flash drive or can it be installed on a sata SSD/NVMe ?
it will be 99% of the time direct play to my Nvidia shield pro , with the odd time that it will be used to stream ( transcoding ) to a 4k LG tv
i think im right in saying that the CPU should be a 8th gen to make use of the better Quicksync with h.265,
if i can't do nay transcoding to the LG tv , can i just install a Nvidia/ AMD GPu? ( what would be the lowest GPU i could use RX480 or GTX 1050ti )
how would i go about installing the GPU , is it a just the case of installing it and TN will find/see it ?

after setting up TN , it will be something that will be used maybe once/ twice a week , so i was thinking of just turning the Pc off and starting as and when needed , would this be ok? will i run into any issues be doing this ?

sorry with all the questions , but if i get all the info i can it should make the process a bit simple.

cheers

 

[Sykotik]

Can some please help me , im trying to add Plex with in TNS but i keep getting this message ,

Iv mapped the drive within windows and can add files/folder to it , but im so confused right now as to why plex will not install.

 

[Sykotik]

 

[MrGuvernment]

Your TV can likely transcode fine, assuming wired and pending on video source size. Also,those WD Reds if they are not PRO drives, they are SMR, which are not recommended for TrueNAS...

Steo back, deep breaths, always read the error messages and any log files, they usually tell you exactly whats wrong, or pasting it into google will get you an answer, likely on these forums.

 

[ChrisRJ]

Also,those WD Reds if they are not PRO drives, they are SMR, which are not recommended for TrueNAS...

I would rather say they are effectively incompatible. Yes, they will work initially. But down the road there is increased risk of data loss. More details can easily be found on the internet.

 

[NugentS]

my 2p worth:

1. RAM is light. 16GB would be a lot better. 32GB much better
2. TrueNAS needs to be installed on its own disk
3. Disks look like SMR - thats essentially fatal unless you don't care about your data
4. Do not install TN on a thumb drive. They are crap - if you do install on a thumb drive make sure you have:
   1. At least one spare drive plus a copy of the ISO on USB and
   2. A regular copy of the config file. At which point a re-install turns into nothing more than a mild nusiance
5. An alternative to using a SATA port is to install on an M.2 attached to a USB port.
6. As for plex - you seem, and its difficult to tell, to be trying to mount the config volume rather than the data volume. I suggest installing plex with all defaults - and make sure it installs first - then change one thing at a time.

 

[Sykotik]

Thanks guys
So you suggest getting some pro drives or even the ironwolfs?

Taking a breath and and break ( it's doing my head in ) like you say , will come back and try again.

 

[ChrisRJ]

Any proper CMR drive will be ok.

 

[NugentS]

Seagate Exos are quite often the "cheap" option - or so I have found
Toshiba MS09's are also at the "cheap" end

No issue turning it off and then back on once a week.