Review of my build

[TechSheep]

Hello all,
I've been reading the FreeNAS forums and docs for a few months now and I think I am ready to start a build. I wanted to run it by everyone on here to make sure I'm not missing anything. I appreciate any help.

My primary use case is storage, but I also plan to run a VM or two. I'm interested in a small form factor, but I want enough performance that I can support heavier use in the future (VMs, transcoding)

Motherboard: Supermicro X10SDV-4C+-TLN4F-O
CPU: Xeon D-1518
RAM: Crucial CT2K16G4RFD4213 32GB (16x2)
Case: Fractal Node 304
PSU: Seasonic G-450
Boot Drive: San Disk 16GB USB x 2
UPS: CyberPower CP850PFCLCD
Hard Drives: 4TB Western Digital Reds x 7 (6 hot + 1 cold spare)

I'm planning to put all 6 drives in a RAIDZ2.

Some questions
1.) Any concerns with this Motherboard/CPU? I haven't seen too many things about the 4C+, but the other boards in the line seem to be fairly popular.

2.) Any thoughts on going with 1x32GB stick of RAM instead of 2x16? Would allow me to max out the board in the future, but I'm skeptical that I will ever want to take this build to 128GB.

3.) The 'Tested Memory List' for this board on the Supermicro site only lists Hynix, Micron and Samsung models. Will this Crucial work?
Searching for the RAM models listed generally leads to product pages with 0 reviews and from somewhat random sellers, so that worries me.
I've also considered this Samsung RAM too, which is cheaper and is on the tested memory list. I've never bought Samsung RAM, so just a bit unsure.

4.) Should I buy hard drives from different manufacturers to reduce the risk of a massive failure?
I've seen some reference to spreading the drives over 2 or 3 manufacturers, which I can see benefit in. But, looking at a lot of builds on this forum it seems loading up on Reds is maybe more popular.

Thank you for taking the time to review this

 

[BigDave]

1. No experience - No opinion
2. With this board, I second that skepticism.
3. I run Samsung RAM in my server, it's been very dependable. Have used Crucial for an older X9 system and like them too.
4. I use the same model drives for my pools, but don't purchase all the drives from the same vendor in the same transaction. The goal is to avoid buying all your drives from the same manufacturing run, or lot number. If there's an issue with quality control or bad parts, that could lead to multiple drive failures in a very short period.

 

[Ericloewe]

The motherboard is bound to be fine, there are too many Xeon-D boards to keep track of.

 

[Jailer]

Aside from cost there should be no issue with that bard. Also Micron = Crucial. Crucials site has a nice memory configurator that should help you find compatible memory for your motherboard if you choose to go that route.

 

[religiouslyconfused]

I use Crucial for my FreeNAS system which uses a Xeon E3-1230v5. Then again Xeon-D can use RDIMM which is easier to find than ECC UDIMM and can allow you to have up to 128GB. Crucial is a good brand for memory.

 

[adamtaro]

I'm specifying a similar system. This Samsung RAM is on the Supermicro compatibility list, and looks to be considerably cheaper than Crucial's prices.

 

[SweetAndLow]

Buying HDD from different vendors or different manufactures is silly. Just test them before you use them. HDDs will die in the first 72h normally if they are bad.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

 

[TechSheep]

Thank you all for your replies!

I'm leaning towards the Samsung RAM since it is quite a bit cheaper ($100 per 16GB stick on Newegg for the model listed by Supermicro) and it sounds like quality isn't a concern.

I may order drives from multiple vendors since I am already ordering across a couple of different places for the other components. Planning to stick with all Reds though.

I'm now considering that 6C+ board from adamtaro's thread. I've been trimming back my price by shopping around, so may put those savings towards getting a couple more cores. Probably overkill (almost certainly), but I'm also the type that buys more upfront and then doesn't upgrade for a long time.

 

[adamtaro]

I'm now considering that 6C+ board from adamtaro's thread.

Ha! Keep in mind, though, that it's a 35W part instead of 45W, so you're not necessarily buying speed outright. Take a look at reviews and published benchmarks to see if it's right for you.