First POST - Checking to see if this computer will suffice for a NAS build

[VoltagGatlov]

Ok, was looking at buying a QNAP or SYNOLOGY but think that I will just build my own. That way if something
goes wrong I can just swap out the offending part with east to find COTS.
The system I'm looking at using is my old home workstation.

Thermaltake COSMOS case
MSI ECLIPSE SLI x58 MOTHERBOARD
currently has 3 2gb sticks of CORSAIR TR3X6G1600C8D
ATI RADEON VIDEO WITH 1 GB ddr3 2 dvi 1 hdmi and 1 dlp
SAMSUNG 840 EVO for boot drive and a smattering of SATA hard drives.
OCZ 600MXSP Power Supply

I plan on using 4 Seagate Ironwolf 10tb hard drives.

This was a nice unit when I first put it together but it's a little dated.

 

[JohnK]

you can possibly reuse the Case, Evo drive and power supply. The rest in not recommended. Read the Hardware guide. It is quite good. Also ebay can be your friend for some good 2nd hand hardware.

 

[Chris Moore]

This was a nice unit when I first put it together but it's a little dated.

Being dated is not the issue, if you are wondering. The equipment is not the kind of thing you want to use for a storage server.

MSI ECLIPSE SLI x58 MOTHERBOARD

First thing, you should never use a 'gaming' system board to build a server. NEVER.

currently has 3 2gb sticks of CORSAIR TR3X6G1600C8D

Second, that isn't enough memory. Eight (8) is the absolute minimum for FreeNAS. Also, ZFS, the file system that FreeNAS uses exclusively, needs ECC memory so that the memory can be relied upon because it uses RAM to cache read and write operations. Bad memory can create bad data on disk. We have seen it happen in the forum. Bad memory can also lead to system crashes that are difficult to determine the cause of. A crash in a storage server is a much bigger issue than a crash in a gaming rig. The system board and processor must also support ECC memory for ECC memory to do the thing it is supposed to do.

ATI RADEON VIDEO WITH 1 GB ddr3 2 dvi 1 hdmi and 1 dlp

Is that a separate video card? FreeNAS only generates a text console. No point in having any advanced graphics. It can't be used for anything. NOTHING.

a smattering of SATA hard drives.

You need to have some idea how much storage you need so you can work out how many dives (and what size) you will need. You can't just glom a bunch of random drives together. So, this is no help at all.

I plan on using 4 Seagate Ironwolf 10tb hard drives.

How did you think to use them, a pair of mirrors? It isn't a good plan. Most people are better served (in a home environment) by a RAIDz2 pool that protects the data from drive failure of up to two drives at the same time.

Here is some reading material that you should work through:

Hardware Requirements
http://www.freenas.org/hardware-requirements/

Slideshow explaining VDev, zpool, ZIL and L2ARC
https://forums.freenas.org/index.ph...ning-vdev-zpool-zil-and-l2arc-for-noobs.7775/

Terminology and Abbreviations Primer
https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/terminology-and-abbreviations-primer.28174/

Why not to use RAID-5 or RAIDz1
https://www.zdnet.com/article/why-raid-5-stops-working-in-2009/

FreeNAS® Quick Hardware Guide
https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?resources/freenas®-quick-hardware-guide.7/

Hardware Recommendations Guide Rev 1e) 2017-05-06
https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?resources/hardware-recommendations-guide.12/

ZFS RAID size and reliability calculator 2017-05-17
https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?resources/zfs-raid-size-and-reliability-calculator.49/

Building, Burn-In, and Testing your FreeNAS system
https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?resources/building-burn-in-and-testing-your-freenas-system.38/

Github repository for FreeNAS scripts, including disk burnin
https://forums.freenas.org/index.ph...for-freenas-scripts-including-disk-burnin.28/

Uncle Fester's Basic FreeNAS Configuration Guide
https://www.familybrown.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=fester:intro

 

[VoltagGatlov]

Chris, Thanks. This is exactly what I was looking for. I have a lot of reading and learning ahead of me but I have the time and resources and want to learn something new. Looks like I will have to purchase new hardware but I can at least keep my case :)

 

[Chris Moore]

Chris, Thanks. This is exactly what I was looking for. I have a lot of reading and learning ahead of me but I have the time and resources and want to learn something new. Looks like I will have to purchase new hardware but I can at least keep my case :)

It does not need to be new. You can buy perfectly serviceable, used server gear on eBay for a fraction of the cost of buying new.

Just a few weeks ago, I suggested something like this to someone else, and I thought you might want to see it as an example.
Here is what I suggested for a tower build that is quiet and very inexpensive while still capable.
These exact auctions are probably done, but you can use these as a guide:

CASE: Fractal-Design-Define-R5-FD-CA-DEF-R5-BK-Black-Silent-ATX-Midtower-Computer-Case - US $104.99
https://www.ebay.com/itm/253026336681

POWER: NIB Corsair CS-M Series CS550M 550W 80 Plus Modular Power Supply - US $69.00
https://www.ebay.com/itm/163279426704

System Board: Super Micro X9SCM-F Motherboard w/ Heatsink/Fan & I/O Shield - US 79.99
https://www.ebay.com/itm/192561781616

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230V2 3.30GHz Quad-Core CPU Processor SR0P4 LGA1155 - C737 - US $85.00
https://www.ebay.com/itm/283158542659

Memory: Samsung 8GB M391B1G73QH0-YK0 DDR3 1600MHz 240p UDIMM PC3-12800E ECC 2Rx8 - - US $62.88 * 2 = $125.76
https://www.ebay.com/itm/282764333255

Drive Controller: LSI-SAS-9211-8i-8-port-6Gb-s-PCI-E-Internal-HBA-Both-Brackets-IT-MODE - US $59.99
https://www.ebay.com/itm/152937435505

Drive Cables: Mini SAS to 4-SATA SFF-8087 Multi-Lane Forward Breakout Internal Cable - - US $12.99
https://www.ebay.com/itm/371681252206

Thermal Compound: Noctua NT-H1 Thermal Paste Grease Conductive Compound for CPU/GPU - US $6.95
https://www.ebay.com/itm/302624513215

I may have missed some accessories, and I didn't include drives, but this should get you all the key components.

Total: 544.67