BUILD Newbie Build - Suggestions/Critiques Welcome

[MrMcLargeHuge]

An intro: I've been looking into a NAS for months now, primarily to be used as a Plex Media Server (transcoding required), but I will also use it for Time Machine backups, file-sharing, and probably some web hosting. OwnCloud intrigues me as well. My plan is to have 6 drives in a RAIDZ2 configuration.
With all that in mind, after reading the stickies, here's the build I've come up with:

• Case: Fractal Designs Define Mini (uATX)
  • $99.99
  • http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352011
• Board: SuperMicro X10SLL-F-O LGA1150 6xSATA DDR-1600 DIMM ECC Unbuffered
  • $152.99
  • http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=MB-X10SLL
• CPU: Intel Quad-Core Xeon E3-1220 V3 3.1GHz LGA1150
  • $204.99
  • http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116907
• Memory: Kingston 8GB DDR3-1600 ECC Unbuffered (x2)
  • $178.98
  • http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820239370
  • Leaving two slots open for later upgrade to 32GB total
• PSU: Seasonic G-750 SSR-750RM 750W
  • $99.99
  • http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151132

So, see anything glaringly wrong? Any suggestions on where I can cut the price? I have two specific questions:

1. With regards to the board, I believe it's overkill, but seemed to be the best value. I don't need dual-LAN or IPMI support. Anyone know of a cheaper board that is known to work? My requirements are MicroATX, 6X SATA, and 32GB memory support. I'm willing to change the CPU if that's what it takes to save some money, though I'd still like it to be quad-core Xeon for future-proofing.
2. I'm pretty much useless when it comes to selecting a power supply. I chose one I thought would have sufficient wattage, based on a VERY rough estimate (that I'm not even sure I did correctly). For those of you that do this more often, do you believe my selection is appropriate at first glance? Consider that there will be 6 HDD attached to it. Is it overkill? Not enough?

 

[Michael Wulff Nielsen]

I think that is a classic FreeNas system. It should work and is nicely dimensioned, though the PSU might be overkill.

I run almost the same system with a 500W PSU and it is more than enough.

You could go for a Core I3 4130, it is a bit cheaper and also does transcoding nicely.

 

[MrMcLargeHuge]

You could go for a Core I3 4130, it is a bit cheaper and also does transcoding nicely.

That CPU definitely interests me as it is significantly cheaper. Do you have any experience transcoding 1080p Blu-Ray rips with the i3 4130? If so, would it be capable of transcoding more than one simultaneously? While I currently don't need to transcode more than 1 or 2 at a time (iDevices), if I'm going to spend the money, I'd like to future-proof as much as possible (though I guess a future upgrade of the CPU is always possible).

 

[Michael Wulff Nielsen]

Well it depends on the transcoding target as well.

I mostly transcode to iPad and the i3 does that just fine. Also for 2 streams if need be.

 

[indy]

Some rough estimate for the psu load on startup:
80W cpu + 15W chipset, ram + 6x 24W hdd = 215W
The Seasonic G-360 still provides a healthy safety margin, runs at a higher efficiency and costs a lot less.

Personally I choose the Seasonic 400W Fanless Platinum because I like the passive cooling and the fully modular connectors.

 

[DJ9]

That Seasonic 400W Platinum is going for $129.99 though.

 

[indy]

Yep, definitely not the winner in the price/performance-ratio category.
But it has all those cool features... ;)

 

[MrMcLargeHuge]

Here's my final build:

• Case: Fractal Designs Define Mini (uATX)
• Board: SuperMicro X10SLL-F-O
• CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1270V3
• Memory: 2x Kingston KVR16E11/8
• HDD: 6x4TB Western Digital Red (RAID Z2)
• PSU: SeaSonic S12G-450W
• UPS: CP850PFCLCD

I've been running it on FreeNAS for about a week, and it seems to work great. No issues so far. Just wanted to post this here for posterity, in case any others are looking at any of these parts.

 

[MtK]

Here's my final build:

• Case: Fractal Designs Define Mini (uATX)
• Board: SuperMicro X10SLL-F-O
• CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1270V3
• Memory: 2x Kingston KVR16E11/8
• HDD: 6x4TB Western Digital Red
• PSU: SeaSonic S12G-450W
• UPS: CP850PFCLCD

I've been running it on FreeNAS for about a week, and it seems to work great. No issues so far. Just wanted to post this here for posterity, in case any others are looking at any of these parts.

Hey,
Have you checked the HDD temperature? Are they ok?

 

[MrMcLargeHuge]

Hey,
Have you checked the HDD temperature? Are they ok?

Yeah, they're fine. Under my normal use they never go above 33C. The case I chose came with one built-in 120mm fan for the upper hard drive bay, and I added another for the lower bay since I'm using all six slots.

 

[MtK]

Yeah, they're fine. Under my normal use they never go above 33C.

what's the average temperature outside (weather)?
or where do you live (country)?

cause here is Israel:
two on the front, one on the back, one on top, don't always help...
it's hot in here! :D

The case I chose came with one built-in 120mm fan for the upper hard drive bay, and I added another for the lower bay since I'm using all six slots.

which fan did you add?

 

[MrMcLargeHuge]

what's the average temperature outside (weather)?
or where do you live (country)?

cause here is Israel:
two on the front, one on the back, one on top, don't always help...
it's hot in here! :D


which fan did you add?

I'm in the United States. Where I'm at, the winters can go as low as -30C, the summers as high as 43C. The house is kept between 20C and 24C throughout the year. The fan I bought is here (a 4-pack of them).

 

[MtK]

Thanks!

 

[MtK]

btw, how is the noise of the server?

 

[MrMcLargeHuge]

btw, how is the noise of the server?

I can hear only the exhaust fan. The case has noise-cancelling foam on the inside, so it stays very quiet.

 

[jgreco]

We love success. You'll have a first class NAS box for years to come...

 

[MtK]

I can hear only the exhaust fan. The case has noise-cancelling foam on the inside, so it stays very quiet.

I'm asking because with my case I can actually hear the drives humming...

 

[jotaisf]

Hi MrMcLargeHuge,

May I ask what made you decide to stick with the Xeon processor? I picked out an almost identical build after reading these forums for info, but my needs are very simple and I am looking for ways to cut costs. CPU seems the obvious route for me. What was the total price when all was said and done?

 

[MrMcLargeHuge]

Hi MrMcLargeHuge,

May I ask what made you decide to stick with the Xeon processor? I picked out an almost identical build after reading these forums for info, but my needs are very simple and I am looking for ways to cut costs. CPU seems the obvious route for me. What was the total price when all was said and done?

I stuck with the Xeon for future-proofing. I can see a time in the not-so-distant future where Plex Media Server on my server will need to transcode multiple streams, and nearly all of my media is 1080p. This CPU should be able to transcode at least 4 1080p streams simultaneously. I could have upgraded the CPU a few years down the road, but Newegg was offering 0% financing for 12 months, so I just bought it now.

Including the hard drives, flash drives, system fans, etc., the total cost was just shy of $2100. Choosing a different CPU is certainly an easy way to save a few hundred dollars, just find one that fits your needs.

 

[jnas]

I'm looking to do basically the exact same build. I had a question about that motherboard. It seems like SuperMicro has two, with almost exactly the same model number:

• http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813182853
• http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813182819

One is called X10SLL-F-O and one is X10SLL+-F-O. Despite looking various places, including the SuperMicro site, I can't see what the difference is– other than one costs about $10 more. Can anyone clarify the difference for me?