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[highelve0065]

hi guys, i have been reading lots about making a NAS for the last few months now and i think i have my build down pat. but i was hoping for some input with the build, obviously i going to be using FreeNas as the operating system. Here are the specs so far.
Case: fractal design define r4
Motherboard: asrock z77 extreme4
CPU: intel core i3 3220
Drives: 8x wd green 2TB
Ram: corsair 8gb 1600mghz
Controler Card: highpoint pocket raid 620
PSU: coolermaster gx 750w

let me know what you guys think, i would like to bring the cost down a bit, and i am still not really the confident with the raid controler cards and which one is the best it just doesn't make sense. once i have worked out the build il start working on the FreeNas Install.

 

[Stephens]

Understood that you want to get the build first, then the install. But you kind of have to play both off on each other so they match up. For instance, what's the total data storage space you're looking for? What layout will you be using (RAID0, RAID1, RAID-Z1, ZRAID-Z2)? Also, have you looked into the WD Red line? If you can get them for about the price of the Greens, it's worth considering. The rule of thumb is 1GB of RAM for each 1TB of data storage. Are you aware that you really don't want to use hardware RAID with FreeNAS because it'll handle the RAID chores better if it has direct access to the drives? So if you're using a highpoint card, you want to put it in non-RAID mode. There are threads here about that line of cards (check noobsauce80's signature).

You may know all or none of this, but it's what immediately popped into mind so I'm throwing it out there for you. Oh, and your power supply is Active PFC so you may need to get an active PFC compatible (sine wave vs square wave) UPS if you get one (and you should).

 

[highelve0065]

i do have a UPS and yes i'm pretty sure it is PCF compatible. i was planning on doing an 8TB raid 1 array, if you recon it will work better using the freenas raid software then i will do that, but as you can imagine i don't have 8 sata ports on the motherboard so i think il still need the controler card, even if i just use it in non raid mode. thanks for the help

 

[Stephens]

Please read ZFS Raid Levels and noobsauce80's ZFS Primer if you haven't already. Generally, it's better to pass through the drives and let FreeNAS/ZFS handle them. You will definitely need a controller card. Some use highpoint. Some use IBM M-1015 flashed to IT mode (they're available reasonably on ebay).