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SFF mini ITX server

S

shaun.arundell

n00b
Joined
Mar 11, 2010
Messages
3
I plan to build a SFF mini ITX server. I am very exited about the potential of the new Zotac H55-ITX and the Lian Li PC-Q08 case. Here is the basic config

lan Li PC-Q08
Zotac H55-ITX
4 GB RAM
80% certified power supply (<= 450W)
nows here the tricky part
PCI-E SATA card (6-8 ports)
12-14 2.5 inch drives
ruuning Windows Home Server

This will give me a 12-14TB WHS based storage system. Note, I will only have 6 - 7 TB of storage, since each 1TB drive will require a back up drive for redundancy. If I used raid 5 or 6, I could get 8-9TB with redundancy. But I don't want RAID.

The PC-Q08 has 6x3.5" internal drive bays and 1x5.25. I can use Lian Li adapters like the HD 323 (http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/product...=5&ss_index=17) to fit 2x2.5 inch drives into the space of one 3.5" or 5.24".

Reasoning behind the 2.5" drives - 2x2.5 is much quiter, cooler and uses far less power than an equivalent 3.5. (i.e 2x1T 2.5 WD compares to 1x2TB)

Issues

1. What do you think? To Ambitious ?
2. What should I be using for a SATA card. I can find plenty of expensive PCI-E RAID cards that support 6 drives but plain cards supporting just plain SATA channels are thin on the ground.
3. The hard drive bay adapters support standard 2.5" drives. These are 9.5mm in height where as the western digital 1TB 2.5" drives are 12.5 in height (as they use 3 platters rather than 2). I am pretty sure, I can't get 2 or these into Lian Li HD-323 adapter. Any thoughts ?
4. WHS with 12-14 drives ? Management nightmare ?

The real kicker for me at this stage is too figure out how to mount 2x1TB 12.5mm WD 2.5" drives in a 1 3.5" space. Any ideas ? I guess I can rig something up with bunch of rubber bands.

regards
shaun
 
I haven't heard of 1TB 2.5" drives. I think they sell metal brackets that you can put in the 3.5" mounting area, but they convert it to 2 2.5" drives, only problem is I don't know if the drives will end up extending above and below the mounting area (making it impossible to use the next slots if that makes sense).

You also want to make sure there is some breathing room between them, because if there is not they'll be just as hot as the 3.5s. This I know from experience, most laptops I've owned had the hard drives up to around 40C, which is hotter than any 3.5" I've owned (according to SMART).
 
There are Indeed 2.5" 1TB drives, they are a bit thicker than std 2.5" though, never actually seen on but read it somewhere
 
shaun.arundell said:
1. What do you think? To Ambitious ?
Click to expand...

Do two 1TB 2.5" drives really use significantly less power than one WD 2TB Caviar Green drive? The Caviar Green drives are certainly very quiet. I haven't used the 2TB one; but the 500GB one I have is completely inaudible.

Significantly, simply by doubling the number of drives, you're doubling your chances of having a drive fail. And since 2.5" drives tend to be less reliable than 3.5" ones, you've probably actually more than doubled your odds of having a drive fail.

Also, note the pathetic 8MB of cache on the WD 2.5" 1TB drive. You'd get 64MB on the 2TB 3.5" drive.

2. What should I be using for a SATA card. I can find plenty of expensive PCI-E RAID cards that support 6 drives but plain cards supporting just plain SATA channels are thin on the ground.
Click to expand...

I think your chances of finding a non-RAID card that supports this many drives are close to nil. Look for a RAID card with JBOD support.
 
funklizard said:
Do two 1TB 2.5" drives really use significantly less power than one WD 2TB Caviar Green drive? The Caviar Green drives are certainly very quiet. I haven't used the 2TB one; but the 500GB one I have is completely inaudible.

Significantly, simply by doubling the number of drives, you're doubling your chances of having a drive fail. And since 2.5" drives tend to be less reliable than 3.5" ones, you've probably actually more than doubled your odds of having a drive fail.

Also, note the pathetic 8MB of cache on the WD 2.5" 1TB drive. You'd get 64MB on the 2TB 3.5" drive.



I think your chances of finding a non-RAID card that supports this many drives are close to nil. Look for a RAID card with JBOD support.
Click to expand...

You can use this card http://www.amazon.com/Supermicro-Add-Card-AOC-SASLP-MV8-controller/dp/B002KGLDXU

True true those are 2 SAS ports, but then again you just need 2 of these
http://www.amazon.com/Multi-lane-Internal-SFF-8087-Serial-Breako/dp/B000FBYS2U/ref=pd_sim_e_1

I use them on my servers :D
 
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1. There are reports that Zotac H55-ITX can only support GPU cards in its PCI-e x16 slot (not even a TV tuner card)
2. PC-Q08 may not hit the market until fall or even later -- are you prepared to wait?
 
you just need several of these to fit the 2.5in in a 2.5in drive. That bytecc one can fit the 1tb 2.5in drives that are 12.5mm. however, there top drive sits on a shelf so you can only fit a 9.5mm drive. so you can fit 1tb on the bottom half, and a 500gb on the top.

there is not enough room to fit 2 x 12mm drives in a 3.5in drive. Theres something like 25mm of clearance and 2 drives take up 24mm... you would need a bracket like this to attempt 2 x 12mm, but i'm not sure how the holes line up on that thing. I don't have this so I can't test it.

The Silverstone one is nicer and metal, not plastic which acts as a better heatsink. The holes align correctly and have no shelf inside. So you can fit a 12mm on top or bottom if you want. otherwise 2 9mm drives have some airflow between the two drives.

You could use this pci bracket to fit 4 drives.
I have all the brackets except for the one noted above. They all work and can fit your 2.5in drives.
 
I'm curious as to why you don't want to use RAID. With RAID5 you could achieve the same amount of storage with 7-8 2.5" drives. Or with 6 3.5" 2TB drives you get 10TB. Makes it a lot simpler no?
 
NichoTL said:
I'm curious as to why you don't want to use RAID. With RAID5 you could achieve the same amount of storage with 7-8 2.5" drives. Or with 6 3.5" 2TB drives you get 10TB. Makes it a lot simpler no?
Click to expand...

Because he wants to run WHS. :rolleyes:
 
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