Small Home File-Server

[MtK]

Hey,
I'm trying to build a small home file-server.

Would this do the the job:

• CPU = AMD A4-5300 (or should I maybe get a A10-5800K)?
• Motherboard = Gigabyte GA-F2A75M-D3H FM2
• Memory = 1 x 8GB
• HDDs = 6 (not sure about their size yet).
• Case = FRACTAL NODE 304
• PSU = Seasonic S12II-430W

?

 

[gpsguy]

With 6 HDD's (of any capacity), you'll probably need at least 16Gb of RAM. That being said, I'd skip the mini-ITX route and go with at least a micro-ATX board that will hold at least 32Gb of RAM. Memory - you'll need more than 8Gb, but since we don't know the size of the drives, we can't spec that yet.

You haven't told us how you plan to use it. If CIFS, then you'll probably want a fast CPU. Look at jgreco's sticky about hardware suggestions.

 

[jgreco]

There's a guide to reasonable parts here. A Gigabyte board with an on-board Realtek ethernet will end up costing almost as much as just picking a reasonable server-grade board once you tack on the inevitable Intel ethernet add-on card to fix performance problems.

A decent "home server" alternative is to pick something like an HP MicroServer N40L or N54L.

 

[MtK]

With 6 HDD's (of any capacity), you'll probably need at least 16Gb of RAM. That being said, I'd skip the mini-ITX route and go with at least a micro-ATX board that will hold at least 32Gb of RAM. Memory - you'll need more than 8Gb, but since we don't know the size of the drives, we can't spec that yet.

the initial setup would be with 6 small drives (<1TB), since I have does already. but in the future they'll be replaced with larger drives (~2TB).

You haven't told us how you plan to use it. If CIFS, then you'll probably want a fast CPU. Look at jgreco's sticky about hardware suggestions.

it'll probably be Windows Sharing.

There's a guide to reasonable parts here. A Gigabyte board with an on-board Realtek ethernet will end up costing almost as much as just picking a reasonable server-grade board once you tack on the inevitable Intel ethernet add-on card to fix performance problems.

yes, of course a server grade is better, but the noise might be a problem...

A decent "home server" alternative is to pick something like an HP MicroServer N40L or N54L.

those cases have only have space for 4 HDDs.

 

[jgreco]

yes, of course a server grade is better, but the noise might be a problem...

What a weird thing to say. What "noise" are you referring to?

those cases have only have space for 4 HDDs.

Yes. Since you said you weren't sure of their capacity, the obvious solution would be to increase the size of the drives and decrease the number of them. With four 4TB drives in RAIDZ2, for example, you get 8TB worth of usable storage space in a small form factor. This reduces power consumption, reduces heat, reduces noise, etc.

 

[David Dyer-Bennet]

I can't speak for those specific server boxes, but servers designed for the datacenter environment tend to use high-speed small fans, and to make truly amazing amounts of noise. So I understand why people would be leery in general of suggestions of server boxes if they were going to put them somewhere noise-sensitive (like mine, which is over my desk, in the half of my bedroom that is my office). Ever heard a Sun "Thumper"? (Admittedly an extreme case; but yikes!)

 

[survive]

Hi David,

Jgreco said "a reasonable server-grade board", not a full-blown rack mount server.

You can get standard ATX\m-ATX boards that fit in a regular PC case, they are just designed to do more of a server role (e.g. several PCI-e 8x slots, ECC support, IPMI & genuine Intel NICs). We tend to recommend boards like the Supermicro X9S series because you get ECC support & once you factor in the $35 for an Intel NIC for your normal board you are within $20 of the server board. Obviously you would do the smart thing and stump up for a case with good cooling, quality fans & PSU and all the other bits so you might as well go a little farther & get the best board you can, you do want to aim for a 2U full of 50 watt Delta fans!

-Will

 

[David Dyer-Bennet]

I was responding to this bit:

A decent "home server" alternative is to pick something like an HP MicroServer N40L or N54L.

Purpose-built server boxes tend to be loud in my experience.

 

[jgreco]

I was responding to this bit:

Purpose-built server boxes tend to be loud in my experience.

No, purpose-built server boxes range from absolute dead silence all the way on up to jet-engine.

If you think they "tend to be loud," you mostly have experience with boxes whose primary purpose is heavy duty computation, where the deployment of two or four 150 watt CPU's in 2U of space means that there is a need for massive, noisy forced air cooling.

HP certainly has lots of offerings that meet that meet such a definition, but the N54L isn't one of them. They list the server, loaded, at less than 25 dBA.

 

[David Dyer-Bennet]

My initial statement is precisely accurate. But, of course, may not accurately reflect all server boxes. (And, actually, the loudest thing I've heard in a server room was a Sun X4500, the "Thumper", that puts 48 disk drives in a 4U rackmount case and moves enough air between them to keep them from melting; that one's definitely in the jet engine class!)

 

[jgreco]

My initial statement is precisely accurate.

Right, but it is useless "information". It would be like me saying all personal computers are noisy, energy-sucking beasts, just because I had seen some gamer's rigs. Both survive and I have attempted to provide correction of the misunderstandings of server "noise" displayed by posters in this thread; perpetuating that crap does nothing to further the OP's quest. Saying "My initial statement is precisely accurate" is merely an oblique way to saying you have insufficient experience in the server arena, without actually owning up to having made a mistake.

Put totally differently, the Bosch "SilencePlus" dishwasher I installed recently advertises 44 dBA, substantially louder than the suggested N54L. The N54L is a totally reasonable option for a low-noise server.

http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist2/projects/sixer/loud.pdf

But, of course, may not accurately reflect all server boxes. (And, actually, the loudest thing I've heard in a server room was a Sun X4500, the "Thumper", that puts 48 disk drives in a 4U rackmount case and moves enough air between them to keep them from melting; that one's definitely in the jet engine class!)

That's actually at the high end of the moderate noise class, only 83 dB. You have to go to the 1U and 2U high density stuff to get into "truly obscene". I'd say some of the worst stuff was deployed between 2006-2010, when they were trying to solve the speed problem with watts. Now, everyone is virtualizing and/or using blades, and the tendency is to avoid individual servers.

I have some totally awesome 40mm mega-fans from back in the day. Miniature jet engines.

 

[MtK]

A decent "home server" alternative is to pick something like an HP MicroServer N40L or N54L.

just curios, are those MicroServers a full system or just the case?

 

[jgreco]

http://bit.ly/1aBxj0L

 

[MtK]

http://bit.ly/1aBxj0L

I'm feeling lucky - thanks... :)

 

[MtK]

should having only 1 NIC (port), like the N54L has, be a problem?

 

[gpsguy]

should having only 1 NIC (port), like the N54L has, be a problem?

No.


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