WHS build questions

[jfkriege]

I have been reading through threads for a while now and just wanted to pass equipment by all of you before I ordered final parts. I am wanting to do a WHS build that is fairly energy efficient with decent throughput. It will mainly be used to get the giant RAID array out of my workstation, but I will also probably start using it as a media server.

Parts I am thinking of are as follows:

Things I have:
Intel E4500
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115031
5x 1TB WD 10EADS
(got a great deal on them)

Things I am looking to purchase:
Motherboard: Gigabye G31 MicroATX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128357
Case: CoolerMaster Mid Tower
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137
Power Supply: PC Power and Cooling 610W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703005
SUPERMICRO AOC-SAT2-MV8
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815121009
Intel NIC
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833106006
2GB RAM Stick
(whatever is rated decent and is cheap)

I would love to go with the Norco case, but it will have to be something I transition into. I will eventually transfer this system into a Norco and build the listed case out as an on location offline backup. I also already have a system in place for critical offsite backup.

The one other thing I was looking at is going with an energy efficient AMD processor like the 5050, but I thought it would be even more efficient to go with what I already had if there is no real performance advantage to the other.

Any feedback would be much appreciated.

Joshua

 

[jfkriege]

Any comments?

 

[Ghent915]

What sort of enviroment will you be using it in? If it's just for backup, single computer streaming, or Media Centre streaming, the existing GigE ethernet port on the board will be just fine.

The SATA controller is a PCI-X, not a PCI-Express. Swap to a PCI-E controller for better compatibility/performance. (PCI-X is on workstation class boards only, and IIRC, there aren't any MATX Workstation boards).

The case is nice. However, look VERY closely at it, if you plan on using hotswap cages later. If it has any sort of tabs in the 5.25" bays, odds are you'll have to mod the case to get them to fit. I ran into that problem with my CM case.

The PSU you have is overkill. Durability is nice, but 610w of power...well...you could get by with a solid 400w one from Corsair.

The energy efficient chips from AMD are nice. I have one of their dual core (4850e IIRC), and it has horsepower leftover on my WHS system. Drawing only 45w of power is a huge plus too. You'd just need to change mobo's you are looking at.

That help any?

 

[jfkriege]

This will be used in a small business environment. It will have just one or two main users, as the business is just me. I am a professional photographer, and data storage seems to be a part of shooting 25MB images, 3000 at a time. It will be used for media streaming, file storage, and nightly or weekly back ups of two other systems.

The SATA controller will fit in a normal PCI slot and works fine.

If I was going to move to hot swap bays, I would probably just buy the big 20 tray Norco and a two post server rack to throw stuff on.

The PSU is for future expansion. I can see this going up to about 10TB before new hardware gets purchased.

Thanks for the comments. They made me think about a few more things.

Does anyone have experience with the G31 chipsets? I have not played with them before, but they look decent.

 

[spazoid]

Even if you threw 20 TB in it, the 610W would be overkill. Go with a smaller high effeciency PSU to save a bit on both initial cost, long term cost and wear 'n' tear on your Biological Listening Device.

Besides that I would prolly also go the AMD route, with one of their 4850e/5050e CPUs with a few gigabytes of memory and a 780g/790g chipset.

 

[jfkriege]

Is there a 780g or similar Motherboard that most people are going with for the WHS builds these days, or are pretty much any of them decent?

I was looking at one of the 380W Seasonic power supplies for another build, I might just see how one of those works and grow as needed. They are also meant to be extremely quiet, which would be nice.

One other question for all of you with WHS builds already. What are you doing for surge protection/UPS?

 

[Mathemabeat]

Does anyone have experience with the G31 chipsets? I have not played with them before, but they look decent.

I am using a G31 chipset board in my WHS box. Its a MSI G31M3-F mobo. I have a Celeron 430 cpu and 2 gig ram on it. Using both the onboard SATA ports and gigabit ethernet.

Works very well and quite stable. Even though I am only using currently a single 1.5TB Seagate drive, I feel comfortable loading it up and running 24/7 with no issues.

 

[Ockie]

What sort of enviroment will you be using it in? If it's just for backup, single computer streaming, or Media Centre streaming, the existing GigE ethernet port on the board will be just fine.

For any home environment the onboard is more than adequate.

The SATA controller is a PCI-X, not a PCI-Express. Swap to a PCI-E controller for better compatibility/performance. (PCI-X is on workstation class boards only, and IIRC, there aren't any MATX Workstation boards).

PCI-X cards as these are backwards compatible with PCI slots. So no issue there.

The case is nice. However, look VERY closely at it, if you plan on using hotswap cages later. If it has any sort of tabs in the 5.25" bays, odds are you'll have to mod the case to get them to fit. I ran into that problem with my CM case.

Unless if you get 3 in 2's, 4 in 3's, these already have tab cutouts in them. If you are doing the 5 in 3's, then you will hate those stupid tabs.

The PSU you have is overkill. Durability is nice, but 610w of power...well...you could get by with a solid 400w one from Corsair.

It's not overkill if he wants to scale into a norco. In fact, I would recommend a 750 now and be done with that upgrade. The cost to step up is minimal, a 750 PC&P or Corsair is less than $100.

The energy efficient chips from AMD are nice. I have one of their dual core (4850e IIRC), and it has horsepower leftover on my WHS system. Drawing only 45w of power is a huge plus too. You'd just need to change mobo's you are looking at.

I would second AMD's e lineup. It's more than adequate.

If I was going to move to hot swap bays, I would probably just buy the big 20 tray Norco and a two post server rack to throw stuff on.

Get a four post, trust me on this. Two posters wont work unless if you use the good ole 2x4 trick or a two post cantilever shelf.

Even if you threw 20 TB in it, the 610W would be overkill. Go with a smaller high effeciency PSU to save a bit on both initial cost, long term cost and wear 'n' tear on your Biological Listening Device.

Besides that I would prolly also go the AMD route, with one of their 4850e/5050e CPUs with a few gigabytes of memory and a 780g/790g chipset.

IMO it will not be overkill when his end goals are met. Id rather have a less stressed PSU which results in longer life and also more sound elimination.

Is there a 780g or similar Motherboard that most people are going with for the WHS builds these days, or are pretty much any of them decent?

One other question for all of you with WHS builds already. What are you doing for surge protection/UPS?

Check out my builds, search for galaxy project. The boards that I use are doing great. Perhaps you want to buy one? I'm looking at upgrading here.

Run a regular UPS on your system and you will have no problems. You don't even need a UPS, but it's nice to have so you don't have power blips.

 

[jfkriege]

I really appreciate the help. I will probably end up going with the 750W as many others have done. With photography, I will be looking to get up to 10TB within the year.

I absolutely need a UPS on this. Our power cuts out when it just thinks about being windy. Would an APC SmartUPS be able to signal back to the server to shut itself down at all?

Any recommendations on a good, affordable 4 post rack, either half or full size?

While we are here, I was also wondering about a switch. I have a basic 8 port gigabit, but am wanting at least 16 ports. I will be doing fairly large data transfers over the network (40+ gig at a time, once or twice a week), are there any recommendations for a switch. I could go as high as some of the 24 port Smart Switches or one of the Dell web-managed ones, but don't want to unless there is a real performance difference.

 

[Ockie]

I really appreciate the help. I will probably end up going with the 750W as many others have done. With photography, I will be looking to get up to 10TB within the year.

I absolutely need a UPS on this. Our power cuts out when it just thinks about being windy. Would an APC SmartUPS be able to signal back to the server to shut itself down at all?

Any recommendations on a good, affordable 4 post rack, either half or full size?

While we are here, I was also wondering about a switch. I have a basic 8 port gigabit, but am wanting at least 16 ports. I will be doing fairly large data transfers over the network (40+ gig at a time, once or twice a week), are there any recommendations for a switch. I could go as high as some of the 24 port Smart Switches or one of the Dell web-managed ones, but don't want to unless there is a real performance difference.

Yes, a UPS can send it a kill signal, thats no problem.

Ebay and craislist is your best bet for a four post rack. It's going to be hard finding one anywhere else for a cheap price.

A good switch will take you a mile, trust me on this. If you are looking for transfer performance, then you should really look at a proper nic also... especially if you spend the money to get a good switch. Dells are good, HP's are good, 3Com's are good and obviously Ciscos are good. I prefer 3Com because of the price, HP is great for the warranty, Dell's are great also for price.

 

[jfkriege]

I was looking at the NIC in the first post, it is an Intel NIC that I think you recommended in another thread.

As for the switch, I am really looking for transfer speed, so that is good to know. Of the ones you recommended, what out there would probably be the easiest to setup. I have good experience with single system building, but my networking experience is lacking. It doesn't have to be totally plug and play, but I really don't want something that takes months to figure out either. Any specific product recommendations would also be great, either for a 16 or 24 port switch.

 

[Ockie]

The easiest would be a 3Com IMO. They are designed so you can even use their managed switches out of the box with no configuration.

 

[jfkriege]

After reading up on the 3com switches for a little bit, I think I am leaning towards the one below. It is a 'smart' managed switch, and only $30 more than the unmanaged version and might finally prompt me to learn a little more about the networking side of things. 16 ports will be more than enough at least until I move house in 4-5 years.

http://www.provantage.com/3com-3cblsg16~73COT075.htm

 

[Ockie]

The 2916-SFP plus is an excellent switch. I use several of them with great success.

They also allow for proper bond configurations, which will be nice if you do decide to play down that avenue.

 

[jfkriege]

Ockie, the one thing I read about the 3com switches is that they are a little loud, or in some cases, a lot loud. Have you had this experience? And do you think it would be reasonable to change out the fans if it gets too noisy?

Joshua

 

[Asposium]

Joshua,

I am also a photographer and plan to use WHS as a NAS(*) and back-up facility. At the moment I am using an old computer ( for testing purposes ) but will build a dedicated box soon. (*) there are several photographers that need to access files over a network.

Here are my thoughts, some of which might be useful to you...
Do you need "beastie" storage or will power efficiency be more beneficial?
I plan to use the atom based intel mobo. I have an adaptec 4port SATA PCI card that I plan on using.
6 SATA ports each filled with 1.5TB hdd will give plenty of storage space in a box that is energy efficient.
On board NIC, do you really need a fast connection? Unless you're going to get a dual-port NIC and create a virtual team do you need such a switch?
You PSU do seem overkill. How much future expansion do you have in mind? Hard drives don't use THAT much power and you're unlikely to be running any high-power gfx cards.

 

[jfkriege]

I really appreciate the thoughts.

Right now it is balancing power and size that I am interested in.

One the one hand, I need a lot of space. I am going to use this for photography, which is a growing storage need to the tune of 2-3TB a year depending on volume and type of shooting. I am also going to use this as a media server, which drives the storage need even higher.

One the other hand, I want a power efficient machine. I am looking at the low power AMD CPUs and lower power boards as well as the low power hard drives.

The PSU is for expansion up through 15-20 hard drives in the future. If anything, my need for storage is only accelerating. I would expect a change over to rackmount systems in the next 18 months, and all the fun that comes with that. I should probably check into the spin up power requirements of the WD green drives when sizing the power supply.

I have looked into using an atom board, and just think that it would be beneficial to get a little more power out of it. I am probably going to purchase an atom board soon for another purpose, or wait and see what the new atom/ion boards look like when they come out.