• Some users have recently had their accounts hijacked. It seems that the now defunct EVGA forums might have compromised your password there and seems many are using the same PW here. We would suggest you UPDATE YOUR PASSWORD and TURN ON 2FA for your account here to further secure it. None of the compromised accounts had 2FA turned on.
    Once you have enabled 2FA, your account will be updated soon to show a badge, letting other members know that you use 2FA to protect your account. This should be beneficial for everyone that uses FSFT.

NAS or bigger server?

N

Nadd

n00b
Joined
Mar 20, 2012
Messages
18
Hello everybody, I'm pretty new to this forum. I found you through a gigantic thread on the AVSforum regarding media storage solutions. I'm really hoping you can guide me to the correct, or best decision regarding my situation.

I want to have a device that will do the following:
  • Store multimedia files (Music, Videos, Pictures, etc.)
  • Remote access to these files over the internet, and LAN
  • Send video/music to my PS3 for watching.
  • Possible backup of my main computer.
  • Parity or loss-prevention (raid 1 or 5)
  • 24/7 always on, with as low consumption as possible
  • At least 3-4TB of space (I have around 2TB of data right now)

I want to eventually rip my entire DVD collection, and possibly my blu-ray in the future, as well. I know that will take a huge amount of storage, but it's not needed right this moment. I am running very low on storage on my gaming machine, and I'd rather start up a NAS or server, than to just put in another hard drive in my computer. I really don't know what to get, I've been looking at some Synology systems, but it seems like they aren't powerful enough to transcode for my PS3, so that might be a problem. My budget is somewhat flexible, but I want to start off low, I'm willing to invest in the long-term if that's advisable.

I was thinking about getting a NAS now, and building a server next year when the HDD prices fall, and I have more money, but I don't want to waste money on something that will only cover half my needs. The end goal is to build a rack-mountable server that has a lot of expandablility and possibly bring it to my friend's local LAN events and such to run servers/share music or whatever.

Any advice is appreciated! Thank you.
 
what is your budget?
what OSes are you comfortable using? are you willing to use linux?
 
I'd prefer not to spend more than 200-400 for a NAS (before HDD's of course). Maybe 800-1000 for a big server if I really need to.

I have very limited knowledge of any linux system, but if it's the best solution I'm willing to learn. I am on here to learn, not to just be given the easiest (and possibly not the best) solution.

Hope that helps.
 
well best rarely equals the easiest, you need to put work into something to make it the best
you can build a pretty decent server for less than $800 and it would still be faster than a NAS
you could use windows server too...

do you have any old computer laying around? you could use that as well.
 
I'm okay with learning a lot, but maybe not the hardest thing possible, lol.
I don't really have much laying around, maybe a few things that are kinda old. I don't want to use the case, if that's what you are asking.
 
DS412+.jpg

DS411.jpg



I purchased a Synology DS211J from Newegg and I absolutely love it. I am looking to purchase a DS411 after the new DS412 and DS412+ is released as last years model should be going on sale soon. If you get the 4 bay NAS from Synology you will get something that can:


-Store multimedia files (Music, Videos, Pictures, etc.)
I have my RAID1 configured 2tb drives storing all my music, videos, and pictures
-Remote access to these files over the internet, and LAN
Synology has Android Apps, IOS Apps, Web-based access with DynDNS Support, 'Cloud' Storage, and now VPN access with the DSM 4.0 update that just got released
-Send video/music to my PS3 for watching.
My roomate has a PS3 and as long as videos are in the correct codecs, the PS3 can play 1080p streaming video files without issue from the NAS
Possible backup of my main computer.
It also has backup software available at their Download Center for Windows, Mac, and Linux
Parity or loss-prevention (raid 1 or 5)
Synology Hybrid RAID would work well for 3 or more disks since it dynamically changes to allow drives to be added later in case you only have a couple to start with. It also has classic RAID options if you don't want it dynamic.
-24/7 always on, with as low consumption as possible
Check the Specs on any Synology Model to see the power consumption(usually 10-15W in hibernation and 35-45W being accessed)
-At least 3-4TB of space (I have around 2TB of data right now)
Get the 4 bay NAS and then you can upgrade to more drives later(DRIVES WILL NEED TO BE FORMATTED WHEN FIRST INSTALLED, BACKUP YOUR DATA FIRST!!!)

Pros:
-Free Android, iOS, and Web-based Apps to access Music, Pictures, and Files remotely
-'Cloud' Backup that acts like dropbox(syncs one folder with subfolders remotely)
-VPN Server
-DynDNS Support to access NAS remotely
-Synology Hybrid or regular RAIDs
-Backup through Windows, MAC, or Linux
-File sharing over Windows\SMB networks
-Easy user, file, server management
-Installable apps for the NAS to add functionality including: Antivirus, Download Station, Directory Service, DNS Server, etc...


Cons:
-Price(Synology does not come with any drives and they are kind of expensive right now)
Starting around $300-500 for mid range solutions without HDDs

You can also try a demo of the web-based NAS management software.

Just my suggestion though(from weeks of pain-staking internet research during breaks at work :D). The DS211J I got has a 1.2ghz proc with 128mb of RAM and it can handle multiple users without issue. The newer NAS systems for this years models are quicker and go up to 1gb for the memory in the NAS\Server and 1.6-1.8 ghz processors. I was pleasantly surprised and the snappiness of the unit with such underpowering stats the DS211j has. Synology is absolutley wonderful with their software and ease of use. I was only planning on using it for files and then when I got it I found it was soooo much more than just another NAS. I got a couple of coworkers hooked on it already and one of them wants to get a 4 bay now too.
 
Last edited:
Yeah, that's what I was thinking as well loosegravel, I was just concerned that it would be worth more to put that money towards a full server instead. I'm not sure.
 
Same boat, Nadd, almost exactly. Except I wasn't thinking rackmount for me and I'm not taking it anywhere (but I'm still listening with interest).

If my experience/research so far can benefit here ...

I started out with a 2x 1TB WD NAS for home backups, mirrored. Then the baby was born and the HD home videos forced me to 2x 2TB mirrored ... except I'd bought Samsung drives not realizing WD was going to be all proprietary about it. The worst experience of my 20yr tech life was the 3wks @ Christmas I spent hacking the WD linux until I got it to take the Samsungs. My conclusion was never to go proprietary again, so I'd personally recommend a mostly DIY job to ensure ultimate flexibility and no such surprises imposed by "the man."

Now the toddler is 2, I've gained an HDTV+HTPC, my NAS is almost full again, and I want what you want.

If my thought process helps you ... my original plan was 2 separate boxes:
A) 1 or 2 sets of mirrors for the image backups that simply cannot be lost, and to scan my file cabinets of papers.
B) a RAID5 for the ripped entertainment, to RESIST loss, but not fatal if the raid breaks
I figured I could start small, eSATA these to my existing desktops, move them to different PCs or swap h/w between them for troubleshooting, server them up later if needed. I also assumed h/w RAID in each box was the only way to go and I had started to figure out how to do that DIY, UNTIL ...

... UNTIL I ran across ZFS and it's really winning me over, as a concept (b/c I haven't tried it). It's an FS from Solaris, not on many other OS's right now, but my research leads me to believe it's best on FreeNAS (if you want easy) or FreeBSD (if you want it most flexible/full-featured) ... not "all that" on OpenSolaris ... or you can pay for full-blown Solaris, which is likely the best implementation. I'm favoring FreeBSD right now.

If you haven't looked into ZFS, I'd highly recommend doing so to see if it's a fit for you. For me, it promises the ability to:
- take "snapshots", so I can return to how everything looked on any previous day ... and it reuses the files that haven't changed so it doesn't take nearly as much space as a "full backup" ... hardly more than w/o snapshots if not much changes every day
- run the RAIDs I want, but in software, and with "healing" that can detect forms of data corruption (which h/w RAID would just replicate), and heal them as they occur, and constantly check for data corruption while I sleep soundly knowing there's no silent corruption I've yet to find
- easily expand the size of the RAIDs over time (NOTE: must requires a 1-at-a-time all-drive replacement w/ their RAID5, called raidz, but RAID1 mirrors can be added and removed without limit)
- can use that mirrors feature to basically pop in an HDD, let it make a copy, and take that HDD offsite as another backup
- runs its journals in a way that nearly guarantees minimal data loss and no loss of a RAID set in the event of a crash/failure
- can use SSDs as cache to make it even faster
- probably other things I can't remember because it's 2AM (and "the fear has gone")

In short, I read ZFS to be a very smart file system that would give me a lot more piece of mind about never losing key data than with h/w RAID. The "price" to be paid is at least 8GB RAM (it eats the stuff), not having separate boxes I can randomly connect to Windows PCs, and running a command line unix server, but I'm game if it serves AND PREserves my data so well.

Whaddaya think, Nadd?
 
Wow, that sounds really interesting, especially the software RAID and flexibility of that. Does it accept all different sizes of HDD's? Also, how easy is it to access from a windows computer, either from a LAN or remotely? I'm quite interested actually.

You didn't put a link up, so I'll try and google it, but if there is a specific version or site, would you be so kind and throw up a link?

I'm fine with having a lot of RAM, that is actually not that expensive at all.
 
you really shouldn't create an array of different size drives
and accessing from windows is simple, you just make a SMB share and it works
FreeNAS makes it even easier
 
Nadd said:
Wow, that sounds really interesting, especially the software RAID and flexibility of that. Does it accept all different sizes of HDD's? Also, how easy is it to access from a windows computer, either from a LAN or remotely? I'm quite interested actually.

You didn't put a link up, so I'll try and google it, but if there is a specific version or site, would you be so kind and throw up a link?

I'm fine with having a lot of RAM, that is actually not that expensive at all.
Click to expand...

A ZFS pool is build from vdevs. Each vdev should be build with disks of the same size.
If the vdevs are different in size, its not a problem. Your data are then not always striped over all disks which means
a lower average performance compared to a balanced pool with vdevs of the same size.

But if you add more vdevs to your pool afterwards, even with the same size, you have the same problem.
So do not care if you can add a signficant amount of storage.

Access from Windows is easy via a SMB shared folder.
You can use FreeBSD and Samba or a Solaris based system with the kernel bases SMB server which is usually
a little bit faster, has more Windows compatible ACL's and you can access ZFS snaps via Windows previous version.

Currently Solaris & OpenIndiana gives the fastest ZFS servers with the most modern storage features.
If you use FreeBSD, you have some options like more available add-ons like media or DLNA server

You can manage either as easy to use appliances with a Web-UI, see FreeNAS, napp-it or ZFSGuru

You need at least 2 GB RAM. Each Byte more is used for better performance
You can also add a SSD to your pool as Read Cache or as Log-Device to improve syncronous write performance.
(Hybrid storage, one of the killer features of ZFS)
 
Nadd said:
Does it accept all different sizes of HDD's?
Click to expand...
Others more knowledgeable have answered if you can mix different sizes in a given pool with pros/cons. But on the off-chance that you really meant to ask about an individual HDD size limitation (i.e., Does ZFS handle every size of drive available today?, which was my first impression), then: yes, I believe so. But maybe an expert should correct me. Interestingly, they even seemed to have designed ZFS overall maximums to be beyond all the storage you could theoretically ever make with the raw materials on Earth. So this was made for smart storage from the ground up. Pretty cool, if that's all true.

Nadd said:
Also, how easy is it to access from a windows computer, either from a LAN or remotely?
Click to expand...
I'm counting on this, as well, and I had read about Samba, but I also read that Samba was slow ... at least on FreeBSD with ZFS ... and that there are Samba alternatives. I'm not that deep in that direction in my own research yet; I just know it's possible and I can cross that bridge when I come to it, but others have also answered here.

Nadd said:
I'm quite interested actually. You didn't put a link up, so I'll try and google it, but if there is a specific version or site, would you be so kind and throw up a link?
Click to expand...
Yeah, sorry, there were several reasons for that, including the time 'o night, I wanted to check the interest level first, and there's no one great link I've found.

I just started with Google and the ZFS Wikipedia entry, just to define it, and branched off to some of those links. And though I've been researching a lot elsewhere lately, such as FreeNAS and FreeBSD, the real "genesis" for me was an older, long thread right HERE on [H]. At least it starts off with some great info and post #2 is follow-up links. I haven't had time to nearly read it all, but it basically sold me on the idea. Now that I really think about it, there was another [H] thread where I was searching h/w RAID where I first saw ZFS even mentioned (which spawned the Wiki search) ... and I know _Gea was a major player as that progressed, but I can't quickly find that thread right now.

My main trouble now is finding the right places to discuss all this in more detail but at my level. Once talk goes beyond "normal" home DIYers and into "SAS" drives (which I'd never seen/heard of) and iSCSI and enterprise solutions and extreme hating on Windows and such, I start to lose what I'm looking for in the conversation. Esp. since I'm just trying to figure out the right non-standard home hardware like a non-rack case that holds 10-12 drives and also allows external access to all/most drives and can maybe take a hotswap backplane, and also good HBAs vs RAID cards, and such.

Basically what I'm saying is, this approach seems to cross so many disciplines and levels, I'm finding a little here and a little there, whenever I can read through all the "noise" (and it's taking me forever with a few hours/night), but no complete places to discuss the whole thing as a home-tech/unix-hack. So, please let me know if you find such a place in your research.
 
WiiGame said:
Now that I really think about it, there was another [H] thread where I was searching h/w RAID where I first saw ZFS even mentioned (which spawned the Wiki search) ... and I know _Gea was a major player as that progressed, but I can't quickly find that thread right now.
Click to expand...
Other ZFS links to check out for you and the OP to check out:
OpenSolaris derived ZFS NAS/ SAN (Nexenta*, OpenIndiana, Solaris Express, napp-it)
Building ZFS Based Network Attached Storage Using FreeNAS 8
napp-it ZFS server appliance
WiiGame said:
My main trouble now is finding the right places to discuss all this in more detail but at my level.
Click to expand...
This subforum is full of people like you. Fairly sure you should be able to find threads or even help in your own thread regarding what you want to know.

WiiGame said:
Once talk goes beyond "normal" home DIYers and into "SAS" drives (which I'd never seen/heard of) and iSCSI and enterprise solutions and extreme hating on Windows and such, I start to lose what I'm looking for in the conversation. Esp. since I'm just trying to figure out the right non-standard home hardware like a non-rack case that holds 10-12 drives and also allows external access to all/most drives and can maybe take a hotswap backplane, and also good HBAs vs RAID cards, and such.
Click to expand...
Well in addition to what I said earlier, you could also look through this thread (start from the last page and work your way back) and look at other people's ZFS setups. A lot of the ZFS setups in that thread are regular ATX cases, consumer grade hardware, and such. Actually with the above thread, just use the search option to look for "ZFS" or "RAID-Z"and that should isolate only the ZFS builds or posts about ZFS. Some examples:
http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1038401291&postcount=1531
http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1038413890&postcount=1535
http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1038479191&postcount=1550

Also, another site to check out would be http://www.servethehome.com/
 
Last edited:
Danny Bui said:
Other ZFS links to check out for you and the OP to check out:
Click to expand...
Thanks! Looks like we have some homework to do.

Danny Bui said:
This subforum is full of people like you. Fairly sure you should be able to find threads or even help in your own thread regarding what you want to know.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advice re: this being the right place. Actually, I registered this week (after years of lurking) with the intent to start almost this exact query somewhere. However, I'm now realizing it's a fine line of etiquette between not finding an existing thread before posting and hijacking such a thread (since doing either is not appreciated). [H] to know what to do, y'know? So, with Nadd's permission, I'd like to politely participate here and take you up on opening my own thread if I want something considered off-topic.

Danny Bui said:
Well in addition to what I said earlier, you could also look through this thread (start from the last page and work your way back) and look at other people's ZFS setups. A lot of the ZFS setups in that thread are regular ATX cases, consumer grade hardware, and such. Actually with the above thread, just use the search option to look for "ZFS" or "RAID-Z"and that should isolate only the ZFS builds or posts about ZFS.
Click to expand...
Now THAT is an idea I never would have come up with myself, so it is very much appreciated. Since I'm all about function and a good-enough system, and I'm not about looks, the biggest/best, or showing off, I would never have even clicked on that thread, thinking it's not for me. But I will take you up on that one. Buenas noches, my homework awaits!
 
l00segravel said:
Pros:
-Free Android, iOS, and Web-based Apps to access Music, Pictures, and Files remotely
-'Cloud' Backup that acts like dropbox(syncs one folder with subfolders remotely)
-VPN Server
-DynDNS Support to access NAS remotely
-Synology Hybrid or regular RAIDs
-Backup through Windows, MAC, or Linux
-File sharing over Windows\SMB networks
-Easy user, file, server management
-Installable apps for the NAS to add functionality including: Antivirus, Download Station, Directory Service, DNS Server, etc...


Cons:
-Price(Synology does not come with any drives and they are kind of expensive right now)
Starting around $300-500 for mid range solutions without HDDs
Click to expand...

+1. I have a Synology 1511+ and upgraded today to the DSM 4 software. CloudSync is the greatest fucking thing since sliced bread - all the benefit of any cloud service without the monthly/yearly price and security concerns. I've owned Promise and ReadyNas (Netgear) products in the past, but the feature set and ease of operation with the 1511+ is beyond compare. Buy a synology NAS.
 
WiiGame said:
Thanks! Looks like we have some homework to do.


Thanks for the advice re: this being the right place. Actually, I registered this week (after years of lurking) with the intent to start almost this exact query somewhere. However, I'm now realizing it's a fine line of etiquette between not finding an existing thread before posting and hijacking such a thread (since doing either is not appreciated). [H] to know what to do, y'know? So, with Nadd's permission, I'd like to politely participate here and take you up on opening my own thread if I want something considered off-topic.


Now THAT is an idea I never would have come up with myself, so it is very much appreciated. Since I'm all about function and a good-enough system, and I'm not about looks, the biggest/best, or showing off, I would never have even clicked on that thread, thinking it's not for me. But I will take you up on that one. Buenas noches, my homework awaits!
Click to expand...

Feel free! I'm glad I'm not the only one in this predicament. I just had to do some car repairs, so it may be some time before I have enough money to really invest in this, but that just means I have more time to research and buy and use the best possible technologies for my needs.
 
Edit: It seems upon further reading, that my old psu is probably bad.
 
Last edited:
What old case is that?

That PSU will be more than enough.
 
Danny Bui said:
What old case is that?

That PSU will be more than enough.
Click to expand...

I used the paper clip method and the PSU was able to run a fan, but on my motherboard, the power indicator keeps flashing. I've read that that probably means my old PSU is done.

I think I have a case I want to build in, the Lian=Li PC-Q25B It has a 5-bay hot-swap, which seems like a great deal at that price. It's also small and seems like the perfect NAS build. I'm looking into what motherboard to get with it, but there are not many options for mini-ITX size.

My plan is to build a 4 or 5 bay FreeNAS file-server using ZFS using 2TB green seagate drives. I think it will take some time to fill that up, that's a potential of around 6-8TB of space, I only use around 2TB right now, so that should be plenty for a year or two at least. When I do run out of room, hopefully I will have more money and go for a full 20 or 24 drive server, using the NAS as backup.

I'm considering the Intel Pentium G630, seems really cheap and low-watt, but enough power to run anything I want on it.

Let me know what you all think about that plan.

Let me know if my thinking is wrong.
 
Hello all, thanks for all the help! I have learned a lot reading through this thread and many others. I still have a couple questions.

I am thinking about using FreeNAS. What do I install that OS on? I have seen that people used a usb pen, do I need to find an adapter that would install into my motherboard to do that?

My biggest concern is whether FreeNAS can stream my media to my PS3 and other computers. It does have this feature, right?

Here is the list of the components I am thinking about. Please let me know if I should alter this in any way, a better component or perhaps I picked out the wrong thing. If there are cheaper alternatives, let me know. I think I have it half-way grasped on what to do, but I'd like some confirmation for you experts. Thanks!

Case: Lian Li PC-Q25B

PSU: Antec Earthwatts Green EA-380D 380W

Motherboard: Asus P8H61-1 (Rev 3.0)

CPU: Intel Pentium G620 SB 2.6GHz

RAM: Corsair XMS3 16GB (2x8GB)

HDD (5): Seagate Barracuda Green ST2000DL003 2TB

Adapter: Syba SD-SA2PEX-1E1I PCI-E Sata II (1 int, 1 ext)

Sata Cables (5): 18'' SATA 6Gbps Cable
 
Nadd said:
I am thinking about using FreeNAS. What do I install that OS on? I have seen that people used a usb pen, do I need to find an adapter that would install into my motherboard to do that?
Click to expand...
No need for an adapter since you can plug in the USB drive into the back USB ports. I say USB key if you can.

Nadd said:
My biggest concern is whether FreeNAS can stream my media to my PS3 and other computers. It does have this feature, right?
Click to expand...
I think you have to install PS3 Media server for that feature:
http://www.homemultimedianetwork.com/Guides/Installing-PS3-Media-Server-on-FreeNAS.php
 
Nadd said:
My plan is to build a 4 or 5 bay FreeNAS file-server using ZFS using 2TB green seagate drives. I think it will take some time to fill that up, that's a potential of around 6-8TB of space, I only use around 2TB right now, so that should be plenty for a year or two at least. When I do run out of room, hopefully I will have more money and go for a full 20 or 24 drive server, using the NAS as backup.

I'm considering the Intel Pentium G630, seems really cheap and low-watt, but enough power to run anything I want on it.

Let me know what you all think about that plan.

Let me know if my thinking is wrong.
Click to expand...

So you are going to make a small step from 1 to 4-5 drives now and then a large step to 20-24 drives in the near future.

I have 8 2TB drives now. Most of the stuff will never be watched even the first time but ...

I would be just as happy with 4 4TB drives. And it would make my life easier.

---

If I were you, I would get motherboard with 6 SATA ports and live with it. As drives get bigger just replace the smaller drives with larger drives.
 
GeorgeHR said:
So you are going to make a small step from 1 to 4-5 drives now and then a large step to 20-24 drives in the near future.

I have 8 2TB drives now. Most of the stuff will never be watched even the first time but ...

I would be just as happy with 4 4TB drives. And it would make my life easier.

---

If I were you, I would get motherboard with 6 SATA ports and live with it. As drives get bigger just replace the smaller drives with larger drives.
Click to expand...

So a few tiny notes on this. If you wanted 12TB usable, eight drives at 2TB allow you to use 2 drives for parity either in 2x 4 drive RAID-Z pools at 6TB each and stripe them, or use one 8 drive RAID-Z2 pool. Either way, you end up with better reliability and in the 2x RAID-Z scenario you should get better performance.

With 4TB drives rebuild times will be really really long so a single parity setup will expose you to a second failure and complete data loss much more than a 8x 2TB setup.

We have been working on enhancing a version of Vicey's RAID calculator (I did send him money for it). Here is the link to the new version: STH RAID Calculator

I have RAID-Z and RAID-Z2 already added to the dev version along with a few new features. That will be up Monday. Also, we are planning to add MTTDL calculations so you can play with the setup and see a quick and dirty data loss model.
 
Thank you for all your help. I will order the parts this week. I can't wait!
 
One more question before all my parts arrive today and tomorrow. I'm picking up the CPU at Microcenter, and I was wondering if I should be buying an aftermarket cooler for it. Something low-profile and real quiet, but better CFM then the stock. If so, which ones, and what thermal paste to go with it.

I will post up pictures of my build when I get all the parts in.
 
Probably won't need one unless your ambient temps are high.
 
I live on the third floor of an apartment building. It gets a bit warm for sure. I live in minnesota, so it's not like down south or anything.
 
If you are not overclocking, the stock cooler is fine (and fairly quiet.)
 
Nadd said:
Here is the list of the components I am thinking about.
...
Case: Lian Li PC-Q25B
PSU: Antec Earthwatts Green EA-380D 380W
Motherboard: Asus P8H61-1 (Rev 3.0)
CPU: Intel Pentium G620 SB 2.6GHz
RAM: Corsair XMS3 16GB (2x8GB)
HDD (5): Seagate Barracuda Green ST2000DL003 2TB
Adapter: Syba SD-SA2PEX-1E1I PCI-E Sata II (1 int, 1 ext)
Sata Cables (5): 18'' SATA 6Gbps Cable
Click to expand...

Apparently, I'm late returning to this party, partly due to being swamped and partly due to all my notifications going to spam. (Wonder if that happened to you, too.)

Anyway, I was going to ask why you ultimately went with the G620 vs. the G630 you mentioned before ... that is until I compared them myself and the only diff I could find for the extra $10 (G630) was 0.1GHz. Now that's on my list.

Don't know if you have the room or inclination, but this product had previously been recommended to me to install the OS stick inside the case. Again, I haven't used it myself, but I like the idea. Just mentioning if it helps.

I also noticed you went with 16GB RAM. I know you can't have "too much" but I was under the impression that 8GB was "good enough" for this use case ... I ask b/c I was only going to get 8 and this makes me wonder if I must up it. And, in the completely opposite direction, are you concerned about having the RAM capped at 16GB for future use?

OK, I confess! I was stealthfully considering stealing your parts list for mine. But I want to put in probably 10+ drives over time, so it looks like I'll have to go find my own ATX case, and use that as a good reason to get a bigger mobo w/ more SATA, slots, etc.


SO, are there any current thoughts here about the use of 3rd-party, drive-space-shrinking (e.g.,5 drives in 3 bays), hot-swap backplane modules in ATX boxes? If so, are any in particular great/horrible? What cases take them best with easy/no mods? Or just don't go there and only hot-swap when it's built into the case?
 
I chose the 620 because it was 50 dollars at microcenter. I found an extremely small usb stick to install the OS on. You can barely even see it when it's plugged in. I got 16GB because I like to overkill things, I'm sure 8GB is fine for what I have. I don't plan on expanding this box at all. If I need more I will go with a norco 4220 or 4224.

I have pictures at home, I'll throw them up here when I get home. If you have any more questions let me know.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top