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HTPC & NAS combo box

A

agent324

n00b
Joined
Jun 11, 2013
Messages
4
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
NAS, HTPC
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
~$1300 CAD
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Canada
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
Motherboard, CPU, RAM, PSU, hard drives, GPU
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
None
6) Will you be overclocking?
No
7) 7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
HDTV - 1080p
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Within 2 months
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? UEFI? etc.
6 SATA ports
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Will be using FreeBSD 9.1



Hey everyone,

At the moment, I've been using several external hard drives to store my media and a laptop to connect to my TV. It's getting to be a bit of a hassle so I'm looking to consolidate and build a NAS & HTPC combo box. I know the pros and cons of having both combined in one system, but the convenience of having everything all together was the deciding factor for me.

Ideally, I'd like to go with FreeBSD and XBMC for a couple reasons: 1) ZFS; 2) I'm familiar with XBMC; and 3) I found a handy guide at http://www.overclock.net/a/freebsd-htpc-and-home-server that seems to do exactly what I'm looking for. I've never used FreeBSD or ZFS before, so this will definitely be a learning process for me.

Anyways, on to the hardware - this is where I may need some advice! I have picked out the following parts:

Case: Fractal Design Refine Mini - $100
MB: ASUS M5A97 R2.0 - $100
CPU: AMD Bulldozer FX-6100 - $120
GPU: Gigabyte GeForce GT 610 - $45
RAM: Kingston KVR1333D3E9SK2/16G 16GB 2X8GB Kits - $152
HD: 5 x Western Digital Red 2TB - $111 each ($555 total)
PSU: Seasonic M12II 520W - $83

Total cost for the selected parts is about $1,200 CAD.

My rationale for the above parts is as follows:

1. MB/CPU - ECC memory is preferred and AMD has wider support for ECC. By going with AMD, I won't be limited to Intel server grade motherboards.
2. RAM - 16 GB ECC RAM selected as ZFS performs better with more memory.
3. GPU - Nvidia GPU chosen for VDPAU support.
4. HD - WD Reds chosen as they were designed for home NAS use. I already have one WD Red 2 TB and so will have a total of 6 for RAID-Z2.

I'd appreciate any advice regarding this build. Are there any obvious incompatibilities that I have missed? Thanks!
 
Will you leave it on 24x7? Consider the power used. Calculate kw/hr. Intel i3 may be a better choice.
 
Your parts list seems like overkill compared to most NAS and HTPC systems. Why are you going with server-grade equipment (and a dedicated video card)?
 
Thanks for the replies!

techbob: Won't be leaving it on 24/7, only when I need to access files on the server or am watching a movie. I thought about using an i3, especially since they also support ECC memory, but it honestly seems to be quite a bit more expensive than going with AMD. However, if you have hardware suggestions for an i3 alternative, I'm all ears!

tiraides: I don't necessarily want server-grade equipment, which is why I chose AMD instead of Intel. If you mean the ECC RAM and WD Reds, my research has indicated that it's better to use ECC RAM with ZFS to ensure data integrity. Also, WD Reds are supposed to be better for home NAS use than the green drives, right? I chose a cheap dedicated video card for output to my HDTV.
 
The power consumption for that setup is going to be pretty high even without keeping it on 24/7. And believe me, sooner or later, you're going to get lazy and just leave the server on rather than wait the few minutes for it to fully boot up.

All right, if you want to stick with AMD, switch the CPU out for the AMD FX-6300. It uses a little bit less power, creates a little bit less heat, is faster, and costs the same as that FX-6100:
http://www.ncix.ca/products/?sku=76934&vpn=FD6300WMHKBOX&manufacture=AMD&promoid=1288

Also, upgrade the GPU to the eVGA GT 620 for $5 more:
http://www.ncix.ca/products/?sku=75524&vpn=01G-P3-2625-KR&manufacture=eVGA

Also, that case won't work with that motherboard: That motherboard is a ATX mohtboerad and the case is a mATX case. Go for the bigger Fractal Design Define R4 to fit that motherboard and to provide better cooling for that relatively hot running AMD setup:
http://www.ncix.ca/products/?sku=75045&vpn=FD-CA-DEF-R4-BL-W&manufacture=Fractal Design&promoid=1288
 
Have you thought about buying a prepackaged NAS and something like a Boxee or apple TV to access your files?

I know its not a HTPC and doesnt allow for a lot of tinker in the OS, but when they are setup its so easy to use.

This may not be your cup of tea but I thought I would throw it out there.
 
Are you going to use RAID on those WD Reds? If so, what?

Do you have another HDD (or an SSD) on hand to serve as the OS drive?
 
I would go the Ubuntu route instead of FreeBSD (especially if you have never run it before). When it comes to HTPC use Ubuntu beats FreeBSD hands down.
 
Silly question time: Why a dedicated GPU? You won't need it for a HTPC.
If you really do want to stick with AMD then i'd suggest a FM2 board/chip. Works great for HTPC applications. (i've got a FM1 based HTPC with a low-ish end dual core. Plays blu-ray media fine)
 
kac77 said:
I would go the Ubuntu route instead of FreeBSD (especially if you have never run it before). When it comes to HTPC use Ubuntu beats FreeBSD hands down.
Click to expand...
That would be a good idea except for the fact that the OP plans on using ZFS. ZFS on Linux isn't as stable or ready for prime time as ZFS on FreeBSD.
FnordMan said:
Silly question time: Why a dedicated GPU? You won't need it for a HTPC.
If you really do want to stick with AMD then i'd suggest a FM2 board/chip. Works great for HTPC applications. (i've got a FM1 based HTPC with a low-ish end dual core. Plays blu-ray media fine)
Click to expand...
There's no onboard video capability for the AMD AM3+ socket. In addition, the FM2 socket doesn't support ECC RAM AFAIK. He's going to want ECC RAM for ZFS.
 
Danny Bui said:
That would be a good idea except for the fact that the OP plans on using ZFS. ZFS on Linux isn't as stable or ready for prime time as ZFS on FreeBSD.

There's no onboard video capability for the AMD AM3+ socket. In addition, the FM2 socket doesn't support ECC RAM AFAIK. He's going to want ECC RAM for ZFS.
Click to expand...

I beg to differ. ZoL is quite stable. Been using it for quite a long time now. (without ECC, it's not exactly required)
 
Danny Bui said:
The power consumption for that setup is going to be pretty high even without keeping it on 24/7. And believe me, sooner or later, you're going to get lazy and just leave the server on rather than wait the few minutes for it to fully boot up.

All right, if you want to stick with AMD, switch the CPU out for the AMD FX-6300. It uses a little bit less power, creates a little bit less heat, is faster, and costs the same as that FX-6100:
http://www.ncix.ca/products/?sku=76934&vpn=FD6300WMHKBOX&manufacture=AMD&promoid=1288

Also, upgrade the GPU to the eVGA GT 620 for $5 more:
http://www.ncix.ca/products/?sku=75524&vpn=01G-P3-2625-KR&manufacture=eVGA

Also, that case won't work with that motherboard: That motherboard is a ATX mohtboerad and the case is a mATX case. Go for the bigger Fractal Design Define R4 to fit that motherboard and to provide better cooling for that relatively hot running AMD setup:
http://www.ncix.ca/products/?sku=75045&vpn=FD-CA-DEF-R4-BL-W&manufacture=Fractal Design&promoid=1288
Click to expand...

D'oh, stupid mistake on my part! Thanks for the catch and the suggestions. Would you have any recommendations for a cost effective Intel set up? I'd definitely be open to it if the cost differential isn't too big.

Hollow4 said:
Have you thought about buying a prepackaged NAS and something like a Boxee or apple TV to access your files?

I know its not a HTPC and doesnt allow for a lot of tinker in the OS, but when they are setup its so easy to use.

This may not be your cup of tea but I thought I would throw it out there.
Click to expand...

I've thought about it, but data integrity is becoming increasingly important to me especially as my collection of photos and media grows in size. ZFS seems to be the best solution available in that sense. As far as I know, there isn't a prepackaged NAS using ZFS.


tiraides said:
Are you going to use RAID on those WD Reds? If so, what?

Do you have another HDD (or an SSD) on hand to serve as the OS drive?
Click to expand...

I'm planning on setting up a ZFS RAID-Z2 pool with 6 WD Reds. At the moment, I'm thinking of using a flash drive to serve as the OS drive.
 
agent324 said:
D'oh, stupid mistake on my part! Thanks for the catch and the suggestions. Would you have any recommendations for a cost effective Intel set up? I'd definitely be open to it if the cost differential isn't too big.
Click to expand...
Not as much as you would think:
$125 - Intel Core i3-3220 CPU
$189 - Supermicro MBD-X9SCM Intel C204 mATX Motherboard
----
Total: $314 plus tax and shipping

Only $50 CAD more and uses far far less power.
 
Danny Bui said:
Not as much as you would think:
$125 - Intel Core i3-3220 CPU
$189 - Supermicro MBD-X9SCM Intel C204 mATX Motherboard
----
Total: $314 plus tax and shipping

Only $50 CAD more and uses far far less power.
Click to expand...

Very interesting. For only $50 more, I'll probably go with that option. Thanks, Danny!
 
Danny Bui said:
Not according to one of the ZFS experts here on our forum:
http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1039775707&postcount=3
Click to expand...

I've run ZFS in enterprise environments and at home. The solaris offshoots all have different issues and none of them run as well as Solaris. Putting them above ZoL I just wouldn't do.

If it was a straight up file server and nothing else then FreeBSD makes sense. But once you start getting into HTPC's with packages that are not available or compiled for FreeBSD things go south quickly.
 
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