Hi All, this is my first time posting a thread here, though I've been reading through a number of topic threads and blog posts for a few weeks now. I'm looking to put together my first FreeNAS system specifically for the purpose of running PLEX, and looking to see if a few members of the community here could look over the HW options I've selected and let me know if I'm missing anything before I buying things:
Case: IN WIN IW-MS04 (includes PSU)
www.ipc.in-win.com
Board: ASRock Rack C246 WSI
www.asrockrack.com
CPU: Intel Xeon E-2176G (6C/12T/80W)
ark.intel.com
CPU Cooler: Dynatron T497 (Mostly because I know if fits on this board w/o any mechanical interference)
www.dynatron.co
RAM: 2x Innodisk M4C0-AGS1MCSJ (DDR4 2400 ECC UDIMM)
www.innodisk.com
OS Drive: Western Digital SDAPMUW-128G (M.2 NVMe 2242 128GB)
www.westerndigital.com
The case I already have (the only thing I'm re-purposing from an old NAS system) so all-in-all this config will run me about $760 before taxes. You will of course note the auspicious absence of any storage drives, and this is because I would definitely appreciate some guidance on this front. I've only got four drive bays, and so I'd like to go with 4x 12TB or 14TB using a RAID-Z config. I've thought about moving to a larger case to support more drives, but I need to small footprint.
I have read a decent amount online about people buying the WD easystores and shucking them, but it looks like these have mostly transitioned from the Red NAS to white labeled HDDs, and while I like the price point, I've not been able to find any reliability data on those anywhere. I really like the WD Ultrastar DC HC500 and WD Gold options, especially with the HelioSeal tech to minimize power consumption (and subsequently heat).
That brings me to another point. No matter which route I go down, I don't have the cash for the guts and the drives all in one go. I've been toying with the idea of starting with just one WD easystore to load my media onto and get things off the ground, then setting up the array later and moving the library over. I know that there's no redundancy at all by doing this, and that's fine it would just be temporary, but I haven't been able to find much info about using a single USB drive to start building the system out. Would that even be an option?
Finally, I'm definitely open to hearing suggestions on a cost-effective external backup. Any recommendations on this front?
Thanks in advance for reading my ramblings and for your insights.
Case: IN WIN IW-MS04 (includes PSU)
SOHO & SMB / InWin / IW-MS04
IW-MS04, 4 bays mini server tower, unique server design ideal for small office, supports SAS/SATA 6Gbps or Mini-SAS 12Gbps backplane
www.ipc.in-win.com
Board: ASRock Rack C246 WSI
ASRock Rack > C246 WSI
CPU: Intel Xeon E-2176G (6C/12T/80W)
Product Specifications
quick reference guide including specifications, features, pricing, compatibility, design documentation, ordering codes, spec codes and more.
CPU Cooler: Dynatron T497 (Mostly because I know if fits on this board w/o any mechanical interference)
T497 | Dynatron
_______________________________ CPU SUPPORTAMD | Intel CPU SOCKETAMD Socket |AM4, FM2+/FM2/AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+/FM1 Intel Socket |LGA1200/115X APPLICATION1.5U MAXIMUM POWER120W_______________________________
www.dynatron.co
RAM: 2x Innodisk M4C0-AGS1MCSJ (DDR4 2400 ECC UDIMM)
DDR4 ECC UDIMM | Long DIMM | Unbuffered ECC Memory | Server DRAM Module | Solutions – Innodisk
DDR4 ECC UDIMM is a memory module for networking and server applications that enables design in the smallest routers, switches, and bridges. The modules come equipped with 30μ” Gold Fingers a
OS Drive: Western Digital SDAPMUW-128G (M.2 NVMe 2242 128GB)
Western Digital PC SN520 NVMe SSD | Western Digital
Versatile Options for Mobility and Innovation
The case I already have (the only thing I'm re-purposing from an old NAS system) so all-in-all this config will run me about $760 before taxes. You will of course note the auspicious absence of any storage drives, and this is because I would definitely appreciate some guidance on this front. I've only got four drive bays, and so I'd like to go with 4x 12TB or 14TB using a RAID-Z config. I've thought about moving to a larger case to support more drives, but I need to small footprint.
I have read a decent amount online about people buying the WD easystores and shucking them, but it looks like these have mostly transitioned from the Red NAS to white labeled HDDs, and while I like the price point, I've not been able to find any reliability data on those anywhere. I really like the WD Ultrastar DC HC500 and WD Gold options, especially with the HelioSeal tech to minimize power consumption (and subsequently heat).
That brings me to another point. No matter which route I go down, I don't have the cash for the guts and the drives all in one go. I've been toying with the idea of starting with just one WD easystore to load my media onto and get things off the ground, then setting up the array later and moving the library over. I know that there's no redundancy at all by doing this, and that's fine it would just be temporary, but I haven't been able to find much info about using a single USB drive to start building the system out. Would that even be an option?
Finally, I'm definitely open to hearing suggestions on a cost-effective external backup. Any recommendations on this front?
Thanks in advance for reading my ramblings and for your insights.
