My first FreeNAS build. . .

[TK-24601]

Hey everyone. The title says it all. This is my first build to run FreeNAS and to use the software. I have spent time reading the forums, the guide, Uncle Festers guide, but I really need to get something built to play with to really understand everything. My use case is really just Plex. I had a HTPC that the power supply died after about 10 years, so I convinced my wife we needed something with more storage capacity. We might use it to store photos to go along with storing them on Google photos.

What I own so far:

Chassis: Rosewill 4U Server Chassis/Server Case/Rackmount Case
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N9CXGSO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

HHDs: Two: HGST DeskStar NAS 3.5" 4TB 7200 RPM 128MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N7YOH4P/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I need to add 4 more before I build the first vdev. I am thinking having the 6 discs in a RaidZ2 configuration and then add a second vdev into the pool later with anther 6 drives (may go larger volumes). I planned on spreading the purchase between Newegg and Amazon just to avoid potential of bad batches.

Remaining hardware ideas:


Motherboard: Supermicro X11SSH-LN4F
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod...supermicro_X11SSH-LN4F-_-13-182-996-_-Product

What I like about the board is the M.2 slot, so I can install a SSD for the software and run Plex in a jail. Also, a couple of PCIe expansion slots that way in the future I can add a HBA for the next set of drives and a 10 gigabit card to have a direct connection for transfer of large video files across my network (my house has a ridiculous amounts of ethernet wires running to a central location.

SSD: Something under 100 GB range. I have not owned a M.2 SSD, so any recommendations?

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1240 V6 Kaby Lake 3.7 GHz
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117787

We don't have any 4K devices so 1080 is the max we will do and at most I might have 3 to 4 simultaneous streams going. It has a 10,148 passmark score, so I should be ok with some wiggle room.

Memory: Crucial 32GB Kit (2 x 16GB) DDR4-2666 ECC UDIMM

If anyone has any recommendations on quality used DDR4 memory, I am all ears.

PSU: Not entirely sure but something to cover power needs for the above and remaining 6 future drives.

This setup should cover me for the next few years storage wise. Moving forward after filling out this setup I may look at something that is more 24 bay or 48. I have a lot of bluray movies and we are looking into the 4k world for media.

Thanks for reviewing my build and welcome any feedback.

 

[Chris Moore]

If anyone has any recommendations on quality used DDR4 memory, I am all ears.

I would actually suggest staying away from the DDR4 equipment because it is ridiculously overpriced. You can build a perfectly good NAS using older gear that is much less expensive and I can give you some pointers if you would be interested.
Have you considered using retired enterprise server gear instead of buying all new hardware? For example:

a 10 gigabit card to have a direct connection for transfer of large video files across my network (my house has a ridiculous amounts of ethernet wires running to a central location

I recently bought a 10Gb switch from eBay that would have been a couple thousand dollars new, have a look at this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Aruba-S250...ASE-T-4x1000BASE-X-10GBASE-X-KMJ/232504836333
That switch needed a firmware update and the four 10Gb ports needed to be taken out of a staking configuration, but I am now able to connect three servers and a workstation to 10Gb networking and everyone else in the house can still access the NAS over the 1Gb links in the rest of the switch.
Here is the network card I used, one in the NAS and one in the workstation:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/MNPA19-XTR...0Gbe-SFP-Network-Card-NEW-PULLS-/122603690508
That Aruba switch has apparently got a brand lockout against Cisco (they are competitors) so you don't want to try and use Cisco cables, but these Arista brand cables worked perfectly for me:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/CBL-00005-...-TWINAX-PASSIVE-COPPER-3M-CABLE-/253017086622

 

[TK-24601]

Update: looks like the X9 boards on SM 's site are end of life.

Thanks for the reply. I am not opposed to using used parts. Are the X9 and X10 boards on Supermicro's site current production of past versions? I could review their site for ideas. If not I am not really sure how to pick out a decent board on ebay. One thing I would like from an older model is IPMI functionality. Any pointers on what to look for would be appreciated.

That switch would cover all of my runs. I do like that idea tying just the NAS together to a dedication station. I don't remember the brand but I did find one with 4 10Gb ports but only 8 other 1 Gb ports for twice the price! I have to look into your suggestion.

 

[Chris Moore]

Update: looks like the X9 boards on SM 's site are end of life.

Absolutely, which is why they are such a good value. They do all the things that a home user usually needs and don't cost an arm and a leg. There are people that come here and I suggest this to that just can't stand the idea of not buying new, but it is just a suggestion. I am not going to have my feelings hurt if you want to spend more money. It isn't my money. When I order hardware at work, we buy the new things because my employer just can't do business any other way, however the amount of performance gain between the latest generation (for what FreeNAS needs) and the equipment of three generations ago is negligible.

Here is an example build that I might suggest you can use these as a guide:

EDIT: My mistake, you wanted a rack case:
CASE: Fractal-Design-Define-R5-FD-CA-DEF-R5-BK-Black-Silent-ATX-Midtower-Computer-Case - US $89.24
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 $75.00
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: 8GB Memory RAM for SuperMicro X9 Series - - US $79.00 * 2 = $158
https://www.ebay.com/itm/163130855012

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.

An interesting point, the difference in passmark score is a little over 1100 points, but look at the difference in price:

Intel Xeon E3-1240 v6 @ 3.70GHz has a n average CPU Mark of 10148
https://www.ebay.com/itm/312234018390
cost: US $280.00

Intel Xeon E3-1230 V2 @ 3.30GHz has a n average CPU Mark of 8856
https://www.ebay.com/itm/273496245592
cost: US $79.99

You can get more performance, as an example:

Intel Xeon E3-1280 V2 @ 3.60GHz has a n average CPU Mark of 9468
https://www.ebay.com/itm/173544013880
cost: US $179.00

But you pay for those additional numbers. I imagine that the $80 processor will be enough because I see my processor sitting idle most of the time.

We don't have any 4K devices so 1080 is the max we will do and at most I might have 3 to 4 simultaneous streams going. It has a 10,148 passmark score, so I should be ok with some wiggle room.

As for 4K, I think that thinking about it and trying to prepare for it are pretty much a waste of time. Here is an explanation for that:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxNBiAV4UnM

Also, this article if you rather read about things: https://www.cnet.com/news/why-ultra-hd-4k-tvs-are-still-stupid/

 

[TK-24601]

Chris, thank you for the suggestions. I do struggle with the idea of buying used PC parts just because I have zero experience buying and using them. I think since this is my first setup I will go the used route. I had started looking at the X10 boards, but the one you have linked meets what I am looking for. I see you recommend Kingston for ram, and I have seen several posters here shy away from it. Is it really a concern or others just posting about their bad experiences?

When the time comes for me to add the additional 6 hard drives would I an additional controller card or find one that can handle 12 drives?

Amazing that $100 more for the E3-1280 V2 doesn't really give that much more of a passmark benefit. I agree with your statement that I won't be taxing the cpu with playing video.

As for 4K, I think that thinking about it and trying to prepare for it are pretty much a waste of time. Here is an explanation for that:

I am right there with you. I will let others figure out the hardware requirements. I do not to be on the forefront of a new technology.

Again, thank you for your input. I plan on posting my experiences working through the program and I hope it doesn't bug too many people!

 

[Chris Moore]

Is it really a concern or others just posting about their bad experiences?

I have not had any problems with Kingston memory. I can't say what or why other people may have seen issues. If you are worried about it, you can get Samsung memory instead:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Samsung-8G...z-240p-UDIMM-PC3-12800E-ECC-2Rx8/282764333255
I have a lot of Samsung memory in a lot of systems at work and at home and have never had problems with any of it.

When the time comes for me to add the additional 6 hard drives would I an additional controller card or find one that can handle 12 drives?

The drive controller I posted, a SAS controller, is able to drive as many as 256 drives using SAS expanders like this one:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-IBM-46...r-16-Port-SAS-Expander-US-seller/142748488909
This expander works kind of like a splitter, like a network switch, in that where you could attach eight drives directly to the SAS host controller, you can attach 16 to this card, then attach this card to the SAS controller using this kind of cable:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/15-SFF-808...-Pin-Server-Hard-Disk-RAID-Cable/162274036831

 

[TK-24601]

I have not had any problems with Kingston memory. I can't say what or why other people may have seen issues. If you are worried about it, you can get Samsung memory instead:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Samsung-8G...z-240p-UDIMM-PC3-12800E-ECC-2Rx8/282764333255
I have a lot of Samsung memory in a lot of systems at work and at home and have never had problems with any of it.

The drive controller I posted, a SAS controller, is able to drive as many as 256 drives using SAS expanders like this one:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-IBM-46...r-16-Port-SAS-Expander-US-seller/142748488909
This expander works kind of like a splitter, like a network switch, in that where you could attach eight drives directly to the SAS host controller, you can attach 16 to this card, then attach this card to the SAS controller using this kind of cable:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/15-SFF-808...-Pin-Server-Hard-Disk-RAID-Cable/162274036831

Thank you for the education. I knew there had to be some kind of expansion piece, but I wasn't quite sure what to look for. On cases with many bays that have a backplane, the need for cables is moot, correct? The drives plug into the backplane and that acts as the "cable" to the motherboard?

 

[Chris Moore]

On cases with many bays that have a backplane, the need for cables is moot, correct?

Depends on the backplane. I have (in my 48 bay Chenbro chassis) two 24 port backplanes where the SAS expander is integrated into the backplane, so there is one connection from each backplane to the SAS controller. In my 24 bay Supermicro chassis, because I was being cheap, I bought one that doesn't have a SAS expander in the backplane, so each port on the backplane needs a cable to a controller. I will try to get a photo if I have time later (when I am home) but it is a lot of cable clutter, still it works and I have two of these SAS expander cards with 12 drive bays cabled to each card and the two SAS expanders cabled back to a single SAS controller. There are other models I could have had, but they were more expensive. Still, it is an upgrade I can do later, but it works the way it is.
If you want to look, this is the kind of backplane that is in my 24 bay Supermicro:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/SuperMicro-BPN-SAS-846TQ-846-4U-24P-3-5-SAS-Server-Backplane/123298033879
This is the kind of backplane I would like to upgrade to:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/SuperMicro-Server-24-Slot-Backplane-Board-BPN-SAS2-846EL1/323003543798
If you look at the back of those, you will see that there is a heatsync on the more expensive backplane and that is where the SAS expander chip lives.

The drives plug into the backplane and that acts as the "cable" to the motherboard?

There are a couple steps in the chain. The backplane acts as a wiring harness and there is still a cable from that to a SAS controller. The SAS controller is often a card that is in a PCIe slot but some system boards have the SAS controller integrated on board. It all depends on the specific hardware being connected.