New Build - Thoughts?

apb0703

Dabbler
Joined
Oct 14, 2014
Messages
27
I have been researching and working on a new Freenas build (See earlier post) Here is the most current hardware I am considering. I would love to get thoughts

Intel Core i3-6100 3.7 GHz Dual-Core Processor (updated)
Supermicro MBD-X11SAE-F-O ATX LGA1151
Kingston 16 GB (1 x 16 GB) DDR4-2400 CL17 Memory
Corsair RM (2019) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
Fractal Design Define R5 ATX Mid Tower Case
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler

I will be adding hard drives as needed so they are not factored into my budget. Mainly used as a Plex server with some 4k content accessed by about 5-7 users(not at the same time) a few other jails including Homebridge, Sonarr, Radarr. I have VM to run Ombi. Also used as file storage.

Would like to receive some feedback on this build.
 
Last edited:

joeschmuck

Old Man
Moderator
Joined
May 28, 2011
Messages
10,972
When it comes to running other VMs I tend to lead towards ESXi and then create VMs for FreeNAS/TrueNAS, and any other VMs you might like to run that do not run on FreeNAS/TrueNAS. It gives me the flexibility to do more with my system. With this setup you could also put in 64GB RAM to support any other VMs via ESXi, or maybe you want FreeNAS to have more RAM.

Okay, to comment on your system parts, I think it all looks good, except the CPU you selected does come with a boxed cooler, with that said I would prefer the boxed cooler over an aftermarket cooler as they actually work well and are fairly quiet.

The case, I don't recall if the thing comes with three fans or not (two front and one rear) but if not, I'd move the rear fan into the front of the case and then see how it the case keeps everything cool. If you need to add more fans, do it after the evaluation. Ensuring proper air flow it key and two fans to keep the hard drives cool is important.

Back to the RAM, I'd recommend buying two sticks of 16GB vice 1 stick. I haven't read the motherboard manual to find out if it requires two sticks or if it will run with 1 stick. But 32GB is a very healthy start if you plan to run other VMs as you have said you will.
 

apb0703

Dabbler
Joined
Oct 14, 2014
Messages
27
Thank you for the reply. I truly appreciate it.

Good information on the CPU cooler. I will forgo the Cooler Master and stick with the stock.

The case does only come with 2 fans, however I have a few laying around that I can add as needed.

I should have mentioned that I was planning on adding two sticks of the ram to get to 32, with a goal of getting to 64.

Performance wise how do you think this will handle as a Plex server?

Again thank you for the information.
 
Last edited:

joeschmuck

Old Man
Moderator
Joined
May 28, 2011
Messages
10,972
Performance wise how do you think this will handle as a Plex server?
[/QUOTE
Honestly when it comes to 4K content, I can't give you an experienced answer. However read this link, on initial viewing it sounds like your selected CPU (PassMark = 2238 single thread) will not be good enough to transcode 4K content. https://support.plex.tv/articles/201774043-what-kind-of-cpu-do-i-need-for-my-server/

If you are looking to host 4K content and also stream it to devices which cannot accept the content and must be transcoded, I would convert that content to 1080 format and maybe name it "Movie_Title_1080" and then you could select that file for lesser devices and still be good. But this results in creating duplicate files thus sucking down more space.

I'd hate to tell you that you need more CPU but you very well might.
 

jayecin

Explorer
Joined
Oct 12, 2020
Messages
79
Will plex users be watching in 4k only? If you want to stream a 4k movie to a 1080p device, it takes a lot of CPU power or GPU power to transcode live. I dont think that CPU will be able to transcode a single 4k video to 1080p without buffering issues. That cpu has a passmark score of 4151, you generally need a passmark score of 10,000 to transcode a single 4k video to 1080p. https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i3-6100+@+3.70GHz&id=2617
 

Inxsible

Guru
Joined
Aug 14, 2017
Messages
1,123
Go the used gear route for tremendous savings if you are in the USA.

Unless you are transcoding, you don't need too much cpu. I stream about 3 streams with a Pentium G3240 -- and 1 transcoded stream -- not 4K though.
 

ChrisRJ

Wizard
Joined
Oct 23, 2020
Messages
1,909
Not sure this helps. But you if you go for an X9... board from Supermicro, you should be able to find something cheap (less than half of the board you mentioned) on eBay. Also, used RAM is pretty cheap for these boards ....
 

JaimieV

Guru
Joined
Oct 12, 2012
Messages
742
Anyone Plexing in 4k would be well served by having their rips encoded in a codec and in a container that their Plex client understands natively, rather than doing any transcoding on the fly at all.
 

Inxsible

Guru
Joined
Aug 14, 2017
Messages
1,123
Anyone Plexing in 4k would be well served by having their rips encoded in a codec and in a container that their Plex client understands natively, rather than doing any transcoding on the fly at all.
Agreed. It's better to have 2 copies of the same video in different formats --- then to have to upgrade a server for that fringe case when you would have the need to transcode.
 

jayecin

Explorer
Joined
Oct 12, 2020
Messages
79
Agreed. It's better to have 2 copies of the same video in different formats --- then to have to upgrade a server for that fringe case when you would have the need to transcode.
But all that does is eat up storage space and doesnt even guarantee no transcoding for the resolution you transcoded it to. If you have a 4k move than you encode to x264 1080p and a device tries watching it in 720p, like a table or cell phone or remote user, you are transcoding. Or if the device trying to watch the movie cant utilize the encoding method you used, it gets transcoded. Its way cheaper to buy a higher end processor than it is to double your storage or worry about making sure every movie/show you have on your plex is also encoded into a smaller format.
 

Inxsible

Guru
Joined
Aug 14, 2017
Messages
1,123
But all that does is eat up storage space and doesnt even guarantee no transcoding for the resolution you transcoded it to. If you have a 4k move than you encode to x264 1080p and a device tries watching it in 720p, like a table or cell phone or remote user, you are transcoding. Or if the device trying to watch the movie cant utilize the encoding method you used, it gets transcoded. Its way cheaper to buy a higher end processor than it is to double your storage or worry about making sure every movie/show you have on your plex is also encoded into a smaller format.
That's why I don't like to build something in a case which only takes 6 HDDs or 8 HDDs. Using a rackmount 2U/3U/4U gives you enough HDD caddies, so that you are not concerned about having multiple copies of the same video.

But I for one, surely wouldn't like to upgrade my entire rig, just to satisfy streaming a video to my phone which cannot do 4K. I'd rather just watch something else -- because I have so many other options -- as I don't have a lack of HDD space :)

I can wait to watch that 4K video when I am home in front of my 4K TV.
 

jayecin

Explorer
Joined
Oct 12, 2020
Messages
79
That's why I don't like to build something in a case which only takes 6 HDDs or 8 HDDs. Using a rackmount 2U/3U/4U gives you enough HDD caddies, so that you are not concerned about having multiple copies of the same video.

But I for one, surely wouldn't like to upgrade my entire rig, just to satisfy streaming a video to my phone which cannot do 4K. I'd rather just watch something else -- because I have so many other options -- as I don't have a lack of HDD space :)

I can wait to watch that 4K video when I am home in front of my 4K TV.

I share out my plex server to a lot of family and friends.
 

kherr

Explorer
Joined
May 19, 2020
Messages
67
I share out my plex server to a lot of family and friends.
... do you have a license that allows that ..... ????? Or is everything in the Public Domain ?????
 

jayecin

Explorer
Joined
Oct 12, 2020
Messages
79
... do you have a license that allows that ..... ????? Or is everything in the Public Domain ?????
..is this a serious question?
 

JaimieV

Guru
Joined
Oct 12, 2012
Messages
742
I've served 4k from a Microserver N36L, a dual 1.3GHz CPU from 2012. OP can happily do the same from their i3 as planned.

It depends on your client and your source video. Most smart TVs, phones, pads, 'set top boxes' (usually sticks these days), games consoles etc that have a Plex client will support h.264 or even h.265 natively and do any rescaling at their end in their GPU for almost zero computational effort. Vs spending $300 extra on an i7 system that just sits there burning power the other 22 hours a day.

Why are you, Jayecin, so dead set on recommending brute forcing things on threads today? Smart design trumps throwing hardware at an issue.
 

jayecin

Explorer
Joined
Oct 12, 2020
Messages
79
this is my server with a single 4k move transcoding to 1080p on my computer. https://imgur.com/a/Lcnz7Ic
Its also cheaper to buy one high end CPU now then it is to buy a low end and mid level cpu. Spending a few bucks more now can save you a lot more later and when it comes to the grand scheme of things, its not that much more. No one builds a gaming PC to play their current games ok, they build it to last several years and with expanded uses. Why shouldnt a home server/nas be the same way?
 
Last edited:

demon

Contributor
Joined
Dec 6, 2014
Messages
117
The configuration here is too heavy on the power supply (likely going to end up under its efficiency range much of the time), and you've chosen an odd board for it. It will work with the board you've indicated, but it's a "workstation" type board. Has audio and lots of video outputs that won't benefit a NAS use case. An X11SSH-F or X11SSH-LN4F would seem a better choice.
 
Top