Intel Xeon Supermicro X12 build

[Gaspetaahl]

I just don't want to waste so much space as I would with some cases. For example the MiniITX Board fits all my needs so I dont want to use a ATX case. Also I dont think I get more aiflow when the case is bigger but has some 5,25" slots in the front. If those would be fans this would make sense but not with things that I dont use that block airflow.
I found this case here which has fans on the sides. Maybe Im going for that one, but it's also ATX.
silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=709&area=de

 

[joeschmuck]

I could not open up the link you provided above. But regardless, airflow is very important for longevity of a system. Additionally a larger case can become very quiet as you can use slower spinning fans as there will be less resistance to airflow. We see this a lot here, people wanting a small quiet case and the main focus is on small. It's just unrealistic if you are expecting to use HDD's. If you stuff your system with SSD's then you have a good chance but then cost goes up significantly. We are trying to provide good advice but only you can decide on what you are going to purchase.

 

[jgreco]

I am aware that I need DDR4 UDIMMs. However I thought, that those RAM compatibility lists exist for a reason and for previous builds I selected DIMMs from that list. Can I just choose any ECC DDR4 UDIMMs? I would get at least 32GB and update later if needed.

The RAM compatibility lists exist to identify tested parts. If you buy Supermicro's version of recommended parts and put them on a Supermicro board, Supermicro will work with you in the unlikely event they don't work. Not quite a warranty, but close. There's a limited supply of ECC DDR4 UDIMM (it's a weird part). You can also order BTO systems from Supermicro that will come pre-tested and fully warranted.

I would note that the X12STL is a weedy board, limited by both memory and slots. Unless you are absolutely positive that there is no way you can afford the extra space, I recommend you consider the X12STH instead. Four DIMM slots and better PCIe expansion.

 

[Whattteva]

If we are talking about 2-way mirrors, why is it relevant that I can theoretically loose half my drives without data loss? I cannot choose which drives goes bad next. In my view this is about a purely pessimistic scenario, where the "wrong" second drive failing will kill my pool.

Sure, but that still doesn't change the fact that saying that the two are the same is just inaccurate mathematically. The possibility of a pool loss after you lose 2 disks in a RAIDZ1 is 100% regardless of the number of disks. That is not the case with a pool of mirrors, especially when you have 10+ disks.

I'm merely saying the way that some people portray it to sound like it is AS bad as RAIDZ1 is just plain wrong; Riskier, sure.

 

[Gaspetaahl]

Thank you for your feedback again. I reconsidered some things and decided to go with a small-ish 4U Rack mountable case without Hot-Swap Bays, that also gives me more space for the motherboard.

Case: Inter-Tech 4U-40240, 4HE
Motherboard: ASUS P12R-E
CPU: Intel Xeon E-2336, 6C/12T, 2.90-4.80GHz
RAM: 2x Kingston Server Premier DIMM 32GB, DDR4-3200, CL22-22-22, ECC
PSU: Seasonic Prime Titanium Fanless 600W ATX 2.4
Harddrives: 5 x Seagate Exos X - X18 16TB, 512e/4Kn, SATA 6Gb/s
Overview on geizhals.de: https://geizhals.de/?cat=WL-2701718

I have no experience with ASUS Server Motherboards and I always only saw Supermicro recommended here. However I thought as the case has enough space for an ATX board why not use it. But the ATX Supermicro Boards for Intel 1200 only came with 4 SATA slots because of the other chipset that does not provide the mini-SAS connector like the C256 chipset. Any advice here?

 

[Etorix]

The fanless PSU is a bad idea because the case will need as much airflow as it can get and a single NF-A8 won't cut it.
There's no reason the Asus server board would not work just as well as a Supermicro one. But older generation hardware (possibly second-hand) would reduce the bill.

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

I'll second @Etorix in saying buy used. @jgreco has written a lot of great guides in squeezing a TOTALLY impressive system out of a small budget and still having a quiet, reliable system. Others have too--not to discount any of the excellent member advice, if you read a bit you can save a bunch, read a lot and save a lot.

 

[jgreco]

ASUS Server Motherboards and I always only saw Supermicro recommended here.

I was the person who was largely responsible for pushing Supermicro here. A big part of the reason for this was that SM offers you "legos" with which to build a server; you can easily get dual or single processor systems, lots of memory (E5, etc) or limited memory (E3), and it is incredibly friendly to the community of prosumers, gamers, and SOHO users who frequent these forums. This differs greatly from HP and Dell, where you get a very limited selection of stuff that's already crammed into a chassis. Hard to find a used low power Dell chassis because all the used ones seem to have hot and heavy dual CPU mainboards with massive power supplies.

This does not mean that Supermicro is the only solution. I think that ASRock Rack has proven to be a competent alternative, even if their product line is shallow compared to SM. ASUS has always been great quality, but again a shallow product line for servers. You will find that I actually name ASUS for a 1U that was popular some years ago in my original Hardware Suggestions thread. Unlike some others like Gigabyte and Tyan, whose boards were unreliable with crappy components, I would not be particularly hesitant to pick up an ASUS.

That one you listed is interesting because it seems to have separate VGA connected to the IPMI and HDMI connected to the CPU, it's almost like someone at ASUS has some frickin' clue that the iGPU might best be kept separate from the IPMI/VGA video path. You're still tight on slots, but that seems normal for E-23xx systems. Bearing in mind that I haven't laid hands on one, I would give it a thumbs up.

 

[Jessep]

Building a home lab to tinker is NOT business use.

Get the right gear or pay someone to build it right.

If you set this up you are on the hook to support it FOREVER, they will keep calling even if you leave the business.
Make sure this is an accepted use of company time before you start, i.e. 10% of your time will be used for IT related work

• System support
• User support
• Network support
• Maintenance
• Monitoring
• Future planning
• Budgeting

If you still want to go forward:

Get a used Dell R730xd 3.5"
They are very quiet after disabling 3rd party PCIe

• HBA330.
• 2X E5-2637 V4
• 128-256GB 2400 RDIMM
• iDRAC Enterprise

(4-8) 10-12TB Disks (used are cheap, full bad blocks testing plus Z3 and spares)

• RAID Z2 or RAID Z3 depending on your appetite for risk

Get a decent UPS

• APC Smart UPS 1500VA or larger
• Setup Auto shutdown on mains power loss with APC tools