My alternative to ML10

[Benc]

I was almost decided on ML10 E3-1225v5, but somehow it just didn't felt right. Only one NIC, no IPMI and that stupid displayport adapter made it feel just like something is missing. So I re-read forums, hardware guide etc, and returned to original plan - to find components and build it on my own.
I will be using it mostly for file storage and plex server with some transcoding.

This is what I came up with:

• MB: Super Micro SUPERMICRO X11SSH-F - Motherboard - 2 x Gigabit LAN - Onboard-Grafik - BULK (MBD-X11SSH-F-B)
• CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1225V6 - 3.3 GHz - 4 Kerne - 4 Threads - 8 MB Cache-Speicher - LGA1151 Socket - Box
• RAM: Samsung - DDR4 - 16 GB - DIMM 288-PIN - 2400 MHz / PC4-19200 - CL17 - 1.2 V - ungepuffert - ECC (M391A2K43BB1-CRC)
• Chassis: Fractal Design Node 804 - Desktop - Mikro-ATX - ohne Netzteil - Gebürstetes Aluminium / Schwarz - USB/Audio (FD-CA-NODE-804-BL-W)
• PSU: Sea Sonic G Series 550 - Stromversorgung (intern) - ATX12V / EPS12V - 80 PLUS Gold - Wechselstrom 115/230 V - 550 Watt - aktive PFC (PCGH-550RM)
• HDD: 5x Seagate IronWolf ST4000VN008 - Festplatte - 4TB - intern - 8,9 cm (3.5") - SATA 6Gb/s - 5900 U/min - Puffer: 64MB (ST4000VN008)
• Boot SSD: Transcend MTS400 SSD (TS64GMTS400)

This configuration is 1450 eur and is cca 160 eur more expensive than similar ML10. But if additional 16GB RAM for ML10 would play nice with original 8GB, I'd have 24GB instead 16GB in my own build. Although 16GB should be enough for now.

I'd say own build has mostly positive points:
- server grade motherboard with 2 NICs and IPMI
- M.2 on MB so I spare one SATA port
- chassis and MB allow 8 disks so I have room for additional disks later if I would need them
- CPU is a bit faster
On negative side I'd say its just already mentioned less RAM and in case of trouble I have more components to deal with.
So the question for community would be - have I missed anything and is this worth extra 160 eur?

One more option is also to replace E3 with i3-7100 and save about 100 eur. I know there is also ML10 with i3, but I haven't found it in EU and even if I would price difference would be small as G4400 version is only cca 90 eur cheaper than E3.
For my use i3 is probably enough for now, but I'd like it to be powerful enough for future 4k transcoding as I will probably need it sooner than I will replace server. From what I read E3 should be ok, not so sure about i3. Both are 7th generation so they support 10bit decoding but I didn't find info, if software supports this (or if it needs to).

 

[Inxsible]

Only one NIC, no IPMI

- server grade motherboard with 2 NICs and IPMI

I am all up for IPMI in server applications. In fact, if it were me, I wouldn't buy a board without IPMI (for server applications). But what are you going to do with dual NICs? Link aggregation? That's pointless unless you at least have a managed switch in your network.

From all the reports I have read about the ML10, the memory does play well with any additional that you might put in. So yeah, you could have gotten 24GB RAM instead of 16 in your own build. But that alone shouldn't be reason enough to buy the ML10.

 

[Ericloewe]

MB: Super Micro SUPERMICRO X11SSH-F - Motherboard - 2 x Gigabit LAN - Onboard-Grafik - BULK (MBD-X11SSH-F-B)

Not a good choice. The X11SSM-F is better in pretty much every way, unless the X11SSH-F is significantly discounted.

- M.2 on MB so I spare one SATA port

A 20 buck adapter on the X11SSM-F accomplishes the same thing - you're limited to PCIe M.2 drives either way.

Both are 7th generation so they support 10bit decoding but I didn't find info, if software supports this (or if it needs to).

You mean in the GPU? That's not supported at all on FreeBSD.

For my use i3 is probably enough for now, but I'd like it to be powerful enough for future 4k transcoding

You'd probably want the Xeon then.

But what are you going to do with dual NICs?

It doesn't matter. All remotely usable server boards available on their own have at least two NICs.

 

[Inxsible]

It doesn't matter. All remotely usable server boards available on their own have at least two NICs.

True. But one of @Benc reason to not buy the ML10 was "only one NIC". I just wanted to know what he intends to do with dual NICs.

 

[Benc]

I am all up for IPMI in server applications. In fact, if it were me, I wouldn't buy a board without IPMI (for server applications). But what are you going to do with dual NICs? Link aggregation? That's pointless unless you at least have a managed switch in your network.

From all the reports I have read about the ML10, the memory does play well with any additional that you might put in. So yeah, you could have gotten 24GB RAM instead of 16 in your own build. But that alone shouldn't be reason enough to buy the ML10.

At the moment - nothing. But I plan to keep this server for a while and I'd rather spend a bit more today than going through upgrades later. Of course it is impossible to be prepared for everything, but I'll try to get as close as possible. Maybe 10Gbit NIC will become cheap enough sooner than I expect and those 1Gbit will become useless.

 

[Benc]

Not a good choice. The X11SSM-F is better in pretty much every way, unless the X11SSH-F is significantly discounted.

A 20 buck adapter on the X11SSM-F accomplishes the same thing - you're limited to PCIe M.2 drives either way.

I was wondering about differenciesm then I read your answer in another thread, but I am not sure I understand. I get the part of exchanging M.2 for PCI connector, but you said SSM is better in pretty much every way and here is where you lost me. Are there other PCI lanes missing? How many PCI cards could I use? Otherwise, X11SSM-F is 20 eur less, so is same as M.2 PCIe card.

You mean in the GPU? That's not supported at all on FreeBSD.

OK, so this is wasted on this setup. BTW, where is it used, in linux? I was suprised to see this in Xeon processor anyway.

 

[Ericloewe]

I was wondering about differenciesm then I read your answer in another thread, but I am not sure I understand. I get the part of exchanging M.2 for PCI connector, but you said SSM is better in pretty much every way and here is where you lost me. Are there other PCI lanes missing? How many PCI cards could I use? Otherwise, X11SSM-F is 20 eur less, so is same as M.2 PCIe card.

The X11SSM-F has a x4 PCIe slot. The X11SSH-F reroutes two of those lanes to the M.2 slot. The other two are routed to the empty location where the -LN4F's extra NICs would be. So, you pay more and lose PCIe lanes.

 

[Ericloewe]

OK, so this is wasted on this setup. BTW, where is it used, in linux? I was suprised to see this in Xeon processor anyway.

It's an i7 with ECC enabled. That's why it's there.

 

[Benc]

The X11SSM-F has a x4 PCIe slot. The X11SSH-F reroutes two of those lanes to the M.2 slot. The other two are routed to the empty location where the -LN4F's extra NICs would be. So, you pay more and lose PCIe lanes.

I've never used m.2 disk before - should I expect problems booting from it, either I choose to use X11SSH-F or X11SSM-F with addon m.2 card?

 

[Ericloewe]

No, booting from AHCI or NVMe are both supported.

 

[SweetAndLow]

No reason to care about dual nics. But other than that looks like a decent setup if you included all the other feedback you have gotten.

 

[Benc]

No, booting from AHCI or NVMe are both supported.

I think I made myself quite a mess with this m.2. SSD I choose is sata and if I get it, it won't work with this mb. And as it seems pci-e versions are next to impossible to find. And I thought it's simpler this way.
So I suppose it's better to go with 2.5'' ssd?

Poslano z mojega A0001 z uporabo Tapatalk

 

[Ericloewe]

Yeah, SATA SSDs won't work in a PCIe-only slot.

 

[Benc]

No reason to care about dual nics. But other than that looks like a decent setup if you included all the other feedback you have gotten.

Yes, many good advices, thank you all.
I did some final changes, this shoud do it:

• MB: SUPERMICRO Motherboard X11SSM-F (retail pack) (MBD-X11SSM-F-O)
• CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1225V6 - 3.3 GHz - 4 Kerne - 4 Threads - 8 MB Cache-Speicher - LGA1151 Socket - Box

I was thinking about 1220 but price difference is small and 1225 is 3,3 GHz and I read somewhere speed is important for SMB (I am not sure about that, maybe it was something else).

• RAM: Samsung - DDR4 - 16 GB - DIMM 288-PIN - 2400 MHz / PC4-19200 - CL17 - 1.2 V - ungepuffert - ECC (M391A2K43BB1-CRC)
• Chassis: Fractal Design Node 804 - Desktop - Mikro-ATX - ohne Netzteil - Gebürstetes Aluminium / Schwarz - USB/Audio (FD-CA-NODE-804-BL-W)
• PSU: Sea Sonic G Series 550 - Stromversorgung (intern) - ATX12V / EPS12V - 80 PLUS Gold - Wechselstrom 115/230 V - 550 Watt - aktive PFC (PCGH-550RM)
• HDD: 5x Seagate IronWolf ST4000VN008 - Festplatte - 4TB - intern - 8,9 cm (3.5") - SATA 6Gb/s - 5900 U/min - Puffer: 64MB (ST4000VN008)
• Boot SSD: Super Micro Supermicro SATA DOM (SuperDOM) - SSD - 32GB - intern - SATA 6Gb/s (SSD-DM032-SMCMVN1)

I choose superdom because it's simple solution without cables and from what I read on forum should be comparable to standard SSD and better than USB.

Anything else?