BUILD Mini-ITX C226 Haswell build

[Aikimaniac]

Im happy ive found this thread :)

I plan to use nearly same config as ive seen here except CPU will be Intel Core i3-4160. Purpose is the same as in first post, so mainly samba with stored movies watched with XBMC installed on raspberrypi (Raspbmc) board. Looking forward to get components in november. Thanks alot for inspiration. KUDOS

 

[Aikimaniac]

I've ordered the following parts for my first FreeNAS build...

CPU: Intel i3-4130
PSU: SeaSonic SSR-360GP
HDD: 6x 3TB Western Digital Red (configured in RAIDZ2)
RAM: Kingston 16GB ValueRAM 1333 MHz ECC CL9
Case: Fractal Design Node 304
Mobo: ASRock E3C226D2I LGA 1150 Mini-ITX

So this ASRock mobo... there is also a C224 variant (supposedly) but I couldn't find it for sale anywhere. Even this variant is only at a couple of non-mainstream sites (www.superbiiz.com is where I found it). Basically, it's the only mITX Haswell board with ECC that I could find, period. On paper, it's almost an exact clone of the Supermicro X10SLM+-F, just shrunk down. Only 2 RAM slots, but I won't need more than 16 GB of RAM for my system... since I'm filling up the case and board SATA slots (yes, there are actually 6 SATAIII ports on this board) I won't need any expansion card either.

So the obvious risk is that I haven't found a single case of this board being used for FreeNAS... but it does list FreeBSD 9.1 on the list of compatible OS's, and the Intel GigE chipsets have worked for other builds. So I'll be the guinea pig! But I figured there might be some interest out there with regard to a Haswell mITX board. It's a little pricier, but I decided it was worth it to have a smaller system instead of just another mid tower (let's be honest... uATX cases aren't really all that small).

10 months passed since you started to use mITX NAS you wrote about in this thread. How are you satisfied with your baby?

 

[DKarnov]

Bumping this thread since I used it for info for my build. Hardware here: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/ywYcmG

I went with the C224 instead of the C226 simply because it was a few bucks less and, as far as I could tell, the only advantage of the C226 board was six SATA6 ports instead of 4 SATA6 + 2 SATA3, which is irrelevant. Boot USB stick is a Sandisk Cruzer Force.

I'm running all the fans off the mobo's PWM headers to keep the box quiet. The HGSTs run hotter than WD Reds (makes sense, more RPM) so I replaced the front stock fans with Noctua NF-A9s and they seem to be staying at/below 40C during stress testing. My CPU also hovers in the low 50s C and I'm considering picking up something like a Scythe Kotetsu to replace the OEM CPU heatsink (with the possible added bonus of the fan pulling more air past the drives) but cable management is very tricky.

 

[Aikimaniac]

Bumping this thread since I used it for info for my build. Hardware here: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/ywYcmG

I went with the C224 instead of the C226 simply because it was a few bucks less and, as far as I could tell, the only advantage of the C226 board was six SATA6 ports instead of 4 SATA6 + 2 SATA3, which is irrelevant. Boot USB stick is a Sandisk Cruzer Force.

I'm running all the fans off the mobo's PWM headers to keep the box quiet. The HGSTs run hotter than WD Reds (makes sense, more RPM) so I replaced the front stock fans with Noctua NF-A9s and they seem to be staying at/below 40C during stress testing. My CPU also hovers in the low 50s C and I'm considering picking up something like a Scythe Kotetsu to replace the OEM CPU heatsink (with the possible added bonus of the fan pulling more air past the drives) but cable management is very tricky.

Hello... i recommend this cooler http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-cpu-cooler-cw9060015ww cause the airflow in this box is very poor even when there are only 2 drives, by 6 its critical...

 

[SweetAndLow]

Hello... i recommend this cooler http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-cpu-cooler-cw9060015ww cause the airflow in this box is very poor even when there are only 2 drives, by 6 its critical...

There is absolutely no reason to get a better cooler. This case's airflow is just fine and there is tons of space around the cpu. The downward facing stock fan is probably better than that cooler because it also cools the motherboard components. You are not overclocking this cpu so there is no need for a fancy cooler.

 

[Aikimaniac]

Well.. imo its about personal preference.. you want to use Scythe Kotetsu which will intake the hot air from HDDs into the coolers body.... wont be better to use NOCTUA NH-L12 instead? Regarding the water cooler..its 20 bucks difference... Friend of mine uses this case as gaming rig with i5 and GTX770.. water cooling (no OC) had the CPU on 31°C idle and full load (BF4 game) at 52°C... with mentioned NOCTUA NH-L12 which he tested was temperature at 36°C/58°C... but if it works great for you, nothing needs to be changed... im just curious about the life time of your HDDs with that RPM in such small environment...

 

[SweetAndLow]

So your friend is 30c under the CPU thermal limit at full load. He has plenty of room left before he even come close to affecting the longevity of the CPU, Intel shutdown limit is 105c. So what he is doing is way overkill unless he is going for a more silence theme.

And since HDD temp is very important FreeNAS comes with built in HDD temperature monitoring features that even emails you when things get to hot. My drives have never seen anything over 34c (wd reds) during stress testing and scrubs. One suggestion I would make wouldto not use 7200rpm drives like posted above because they have proven thenselves as being hot and harder to cool.

 

[underpickled]

10 months passed since you started to use mITX NAS you wrote about in this thread. How are you satisfied with your baby?

Sorry I never responded and am now YEARS late, but it works great! The only issues I have had are purely software related. Hardware has been rock solid and high performing. I have no trouble saturating my GigE line with reads and writes, and the i3 has no trouble transcoding all manner of media.