Hardware struggle

[Misterdjus]

Hi Guys,

I was wondering if you guys could help me make the best choice for hardware for my new nas.
I currently own a Qnap 419PII, but it's time to upgrade to a more powerful nas.

First of a little explanation: I have got the option to buy me 2 type of servers from work, but I'm struggling what would be the best option for me. And how to use the hardware to get the best set up.

Server 1:
Dell PowerEdge R720xd
Xeon E5-2640 2.5GHz
8x 8GB 1600 memory 1RX4
12x SATA Harddisk Seagate Constellation ES.3 ST4000NM0033, 4TB

Server 2:
Dell PowerVault DX6112
Xeon E5-2630 2.3GHz
3x 8GB 1333 memory 2RX4
12x SAS Harddisk Seagate Constellation ES.3 ST4000NM0023, 4TB

The server itself is too big to fit the closet I want it in, so I want to make optimal use of the hardware and build a nice nas. I know the hardware of the poweredge is little better, but that only matters if I'm going to use that. The most difficult thing for me is the SAS or SATA choice. I first of made a list of hardware I wanted to use and I was planning to use only the sata disks of the 1 server with this setup because of the 10 sata ports on the board:

Setup:
Board ASRock Z97 Extreme6
CPU Intel Core i5-4460 Boxed
Case Fractal Design Define R5 Zwart (fits 8 disks but i figured i could fit 2 more somewhere)
Kingston SSDNow mS200 120GB for the OS (bit overkill for the OS as I read, but fits the M.2 slot so takes no space)
Power Seasonic G-series 360 watt (should be enough)

This setup would cost me about 550€ that's also the max i want to spend on it because of the server price. But after a lot of reading at different topics, I gathered so much information about stuff like the importance of ecc memory and lan drivers and so on, I thought maybe it would be better to buy the recommended X9SRH-7F Board, but it almost gets me at the max of my budget by buying the board itself (€410). And also I can attach 2 less disks to the board because of the 8 sas connections instead of 10 sata. And no M.2 port so i would have to use a sata port with a ssd fot the OS.

I'm kinda stuck here and have already read so much but it doesn't clear things up for me. Should I just go for the "consumer hardware" set up and just use the disks or should I really use the server hardware and if so what should i get with this?

Every time I start reading again I see so many new things that i get confused again :p Can you guys shine a bright light on this one?

I hope i mentioned all the information, but if i missed something crucial let me know and I will try to update it :)

Thanks!

 

[jgreco]

A 360 watt power supply is not suitable to the task of spinning up 12 drives.

Darn it anyways, I've been wanting to write up something on this for awhile now.

You should pobably follow one of the build recommendation threads. Do note that X9 is older generation technology, X10 is current.

 

[depasseg]

Can you confirm the powervault model number? Can't find anything about it.

I don't understand the intent behind listing 2 servers and then show a parts list. Are you comparing the option to build a server with 2 prebuilt ones (sounds like they might be used from work)? Or do you plan to upgrade the components in the servers?

You also say you don't have room for the server. How much room do you have? And it's a closet? Do you have ventilation?

 

[jgreco]

It sounds like he's thinking to strip parts out, so he'd probably get the SATA one...

 

[jgreco]

Power Seasonic G-series 360 watt (should be enough)

Congratulations for ruining all your hard drives. Or being the fellow who finally pushed me over the edge to write a new sticky.

Please see our all new sticky on Proper Power Supply Sizing.

Figure in the 800-900 ("should be enough") range instead. Unless you want to get very intimate with staggered spinup and other ways to shed load.

 

[Misterdjus]

Thanks for the replies... I Think :p

@jgreco A good way to make me see that the power supply is not gonna do for a 10 disk system ;) I will change my plans there for sure! Thanks again for the eye opener I will do some calculations ;)

@depasseg : Sorry for being unclear. I have the option to take over 1 of the 2 systems for a good price (They are no longer being used, altough only 1 or 2 years old and with warrenty on the disks (until oct 2018). I was planning to strip them apart a bit and use the disks to build a nas. Because buying only 10 disks will cost me more then the entire system. So if I can use any hardware from it, thats a big plus.

The model should be ok:

210-AAIR : PowerVault DX6112-SN
770-BBBR : ReadyRails Sliding Rails With Cable Management Arm
405-AABD : PERC H310 Integrated RAID Controller
400-ABVC : 12x4TB 7.2K NL SAS 3.5 HDDs
374-BBCH : No Additional Processor
370-AAIN : 8GB RDIMM, 1333 MHz, Low Volt, Dual Rank, x4
591-BBBP : PowerEdge R720 Motherboard, TPM
540-BBBW : Broadcom 5720 QP 1Gb Network Daughter Card
450-AADX : C13 to C14, PDU Style, 10 AMP, 2 Feet (.6m), Power Cord
350-BBBY : Bezel
350-BBBX : Chassis with up to 12, 3.5" Hard Drives
340-AARQ : DX6112 EMEA1
338-BCCC : Intel Xeon E5-2630 2.30GHz, 15M Cache, 7.2GT/s QPI, Turbo, 6C, 95W with heat sink
450-AAGR : Dual, Hot-plug, Redundant Power Supply (1+1), 750W

I just don't want to have a bigg pizza box shaped server in my closet :p There is ventilation, but i would like a tower based model more. And the board is not easy to build in a tower I suppose.

Sorry for any noob questions or thinking, but I figured out that building a nas is a complete different thing then building a htpc or power computer :p Anyways here to learn something :)

 

[HoneyBadger]

I just don't want to have a bigg pizza box shaped server in my closet

makes Jedi hand motion

Yes, yes you do. Join the dark side. We have cookies.

Seriously, the the R-series Dells are solid, proven chassis and that one's already packing 64GB of RAM, prebuilt, and just needs to be plugged in.

I'd look at finding a way to physically house that machine somewhere as-is; although you will have to reflash (if PERC H310) or replace (if PERC AnythingElse) the storage controller, and probably drop some Intel networking gear in there since the Dell onboards are Broadcom.

 

[jgreco]

Join the dark side. We have cookies.

And ice cream with sprinkles. And cool lightsabers.

 

[depasseg]

Ah, ok. Seems like an expensive way to buy drives, but maybe your employer is giving you a great deal.

That R720xd is a great setup and they are very quiet. If you can figure out a way to mount it, it would be great. Or take the drives out and I'll send you a shipping label to dispose of the chassis carcass.

 

[cyberjock]

I wouldn't recommend the desktop motherboard and i5 CPU. That can cause problems, nevermind the fact that you have no ECC then.

 

[jgreco]

Also guessing the PowerEdge memory is registered, which won't work in a desktop board.

 

[Misterdjus]

Thanks for the info guys. I think i will go for the r720xd and use it just as it is. I gues i will put the pizza box somewhere :P There is a perc h310 in it so i should be able to flash that. I will do some research in it.

I can currently take over the system for €700,- if i'm right so thats a lot cheaper then buying disk and hardware to put them in.

Thanks again for the info!

 

[jgreco]

Thanks for the info guys. I think i will go for the r720xd and use it just as it is. I gues i will put the pizza box somewhere :p

Under the sofa? Make a coffee table out of it? Under the bed? ;-)

There is a perc h310 in it so i should be able to flash that. I will do some research in it.

I can currently take over the system for €700,- if i'm right so thats a lot cheaper then buying disk and hardware to put them in.

Thanks again for the info!

There's no doubt in my mind that that's a great deal just for the 12 Constellation disks, assuming they're in good condition and still under warranty.

 

[Misterdjus]

So about the network card. I have read that an Intel card is adviced. But furthermore there is not much to find about buying a pci card. So you guys think something like this is ok?

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us...rver-adapters/gigabit-ct-desktop-adapter.html

I have read some experiences from other users with this card and it seems to work fine with FreeBSD and has nice performance. You guys think it's ok or any other tips?

 

[jgreco]

Yup. The Intel desktop cards are just fine. The server ones MAY sometimes be just a little faster, but the desktop ones are such high quality compared to your average consumer desktop card that the price isn't usually justifiable.