I've been working on a server build for a while. The software selection keeps changing but I've been picking up hardware along the way.
Beside nas functions, I want a virtualization lab too so some of my hardware is overkill compared to my storage.
Initially I was looking at AMD apus because they have impressively low idle current draw but I could not see any upgrade path so I went with an Intel lga1155 platform.
The initial configuration used an MSI z68ma-ed55 board with an i3-3220 ivy bridge CPU and 8gb of Samsung green ddr3 ram.
The green ram was just a placeholder for the Crucial Ballistic VLP 32gb setup that took a long time to ship.
A little good fortune came my way and I decided now is a fine time to upgrade the CPU so I got a Xeon e3-1245v2 which is essentially twice the CPU of that i3, with all of the server features added.
In hindsight, maybe I should have gone for ecc ram and a super micro motherboard but the MSI was about $50 and the ram was about $160 so I saved at least $200.
For the power supply I got a Rosewill Capstone 450m I think. Its ~modular with 80+ gold certification. I also got a Cyber Power PFC LCD, etc ups to go with it.
I got tired of looking at the oversized hand-me-down atx case I put it in and tired of the fact that my Xigmatek Gaia heat sink was too tall to fit under the side panel so I bought a case along with that Xeon CPU.
This post is mostly about that case because it is pretty cool for a compact home server.
What I bought was a Cougar Spike m-ATX "mini gaming tower" for $35+5.00 shipping.
The front is kind of ugly and the steel is pretty thin but for something that's going to sit in a corner, I can ignore those weak points.
On the inside everything fits with little room to spare, including my tall heat sink. I'm glad I have vlp ram, taller sticks would not fit if your hard drive is in the top (external) slot and the two lower 3.5" slots can not be filled with a hard drive if you've got a big, tall heat sink blocking you.
This might sound really bad for a server, having limited access to the drive bays but they did that because its designed for gamers and can take a 13" graphics card. Since I'm intending to use integrated graphics only until I figure out how to run it headless, I don't care if I limit my graphics card clearance to 10" by adding a removable 3*3.5" drive bay below the difficult to use standard 3.5" bays. I'm hoping I can mount it sideways which should free up more space.
Any way for $40 to my door and about $55 after adding the extra 3.5" bay, my case will be perfect for 3 disk raidz1, up to two optical drives and an SSD or three.
There are some good reviews of this case and that's why I spent my $40 but its better than they say. Xigmatek Gaia on lga1155 fits and the side panels can be swapped to put the perforations behind the motherboard tray. If you flip the panels and move the exhaust fan to the front for an intake, the air flows through the whole length of the case, much better than the hot air loop created by the rear fan and perforated side.
I haven't swapped in my Xeon yet because I misplaced my heat sink paste but soon I'll be able to post idle and load power figures. I am hoping for about 40 watts idle and 100 under load.
With the low rpm 120mm fans on the intake, heat sink and power supply, it is pretty quiet already, if I ever start to think its too loud, I can throw some dynamat at it, change the fan settings or change the intake fan which I am sure will quiet it further but I doubt I'll ever bother.
To round it all out, I've got an Intel dual port gigabit Ethernet card, a 256 gb Samsung 840 Pro ssd, an LG BD-rw drive and 3tb WD red drives.
Beside nas functions, I want a virtualization lab too so some of my hardware is overkill compared to my storage.
Initially I was looking at AMD apus because they have impressively low idle current draw but I could not see any upgrade path so I went with an Intel lga1155 platform.
The initial configuration used an MSI z68ma-ed55 board with an i3-3220 ivy bridge CPU and 8gb of Samsung green ddr3 ram.
The green ram was just a placeholder for the Crucial Ballistic VLP 32gb setup that took a long time to ship.
A little good fortune came my way and I decided now is a fine time to upgrade the CPU so I got a Xeon e3-1245v2 which is essentially twice the CPU of that i3, with all of the server features added.
In hindsight, maybe I should have gone for ecc ram and a super micro motherboard but the MSI was about $50 and the ram was about $160 so I saved at least $200.
For the power supply I got a Rosewill Capstone 450m I think. Its ~modular with 80+ gold certification. I also got a Cyber Power PFC LCD, etc ups to go with it.
I got tired of looking at the oversized hand-me-down atx case I put it in and tired of the fact that my Xigmatek Gaia heat sink was too tall to fit under the side panel so I bought a case along with that Xeon CPU.
This post is mostly about that case because it is pretty cool for a compact home server.
What I bought was a Cougar Spike m-ATX "mini gaming tower" for $35+5.00 shipping.
The front is kind of ugly and the steel is pretty thin but for something that's going to sit in a corner, I can ignore those weak points.
On the inside everything fits with little room to spare, including my tall heat sink. I'm glad I have vlp ram, taller sticks would not fit if your hard drive is in the top (external) slot and the two lower 3.5" slots can not be filled with a hard drive if you've got a big, tall heat sink blocking you.
This might sound really bad for a server, having limited access to the drive bays but they did that because its designed for gamers and can take a 13" graphics card. Since I'm intending to use integrated graphics only until I figure out how to run it headless, I don't care if I limit my graphics card clearance to 10" by adding a removable 3*3.5" drive bay below the difficult to use standard 3.5" bays. I'm hoping I can mount it sideways which should free up more space.
Any way for $40 to my door and about $55 after adding the extra 3.5" bay, my case will be perfect for 3 disk raidz1, up to two optical drives and an SSD or three.
There are some good reviews of this case and that's why I spent my $40 but its better than they say. Xigmatek Gaia on lga1155 fits and the side panels can be swapped to put the perforations behind the motherboard tray. If you flip the panels and move the exhaust fan to the front for an intake, the air flows through the whole length of the case, much better than the hot air loop created by the rear fan and perforated side.
I haven't swapped in my Xeon yet because I misplaced my heat sink paste but soon I'll be able to post idle and load power figures. I am hoping for about 40 watts idle and 100 under load.
With the low rpm 120mm fans on the intake, heat sink and power supply, it is pretty quiet already, if I ever start to think its too loud, I can throw some dynamat at it, change the fan settings or change the intake fan which I am sure will quiet it further but I doubt I'll ever bother.
To round it all out, I've got an Intel dual port gigabit Ethernet card, a 256 gb Samsung 840 Pro ssd, an LG BD-rw drive and 3tb WD red drives.
