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Build Advice Help with Windows Home Server Rebuild

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by Promethus, 20 Aug 2012.

  1. Promethus

    Promethus What's a Dremel?

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    Hi

    I am looking for some advice on rebuilding one of my Windows Home Server’s. I have not kept up to date with the latest hardware for home servers in the last few years. I also have no experience with proper server grade components. My original build was using regular desktop components, as it was only the second build I had ever done. This time around I would like to use components that are more orientated towards being used as a server, as if my understanding is correct, they will be more reliable and more focused.

    My current setup is:
    CPU = Intel Core2Duo E7600
    MB = Gigabyte EP45-UD3R
    RAM = Crucial 8GB (Cannot remember exact model)
    GPU = None
    HDD = 11 drives, a mix of 1 and 2TB drives
    Case = Lian-Li 343B
    OS = WHSv1
    PSU = Zalman 850W
    HDD Controller Card = Highpoint RocketRAID 640 (I think)

    My New Setup

    CPU = Required
    MB = Required
    RAM = Required
    GPU = Integrated GPU Required
    HDD = Keep the existing 11 drives plus 4 new 3TB drives and a SSD for the OS
    Case = Keep the Lian-Li 343B
    OS = WHS2011 (Already Purchased)
    PSU = Keeping the Zalman 850w
    HDD Controller Card = Highpoint RocketRAID RR2740LF Possibly?

    Reason for the upgrade

    The existing server is getting a bit long in the tooth, 3 of the 4 RAM slots have given up the ghost, the Ethernet port has become very twitchy when loaded, and it’s also a bit power hungry for my liking.

    What the server is used for


    • Backing up all of the household computers
    • Storing and streaming all of my media files, loss less audio, DVD & Blu-Ray ISOs, and various other video formats. Media is streamed to iPhone, Android tablet, PS3, Xbox, HTPC and RaspberryPi (when I get it setup)
    • Centralised storage for all the documents/files
    • The server won’t be on all week, only about 3 days a week, for the rest it will either be off or asleep
    • Remote access for files.
    • May get used for additional things, when I get time to play/experiment.

    Hardware Requirements
    Motherboard
    • I do believe that I should be looking at a proper server grade motherboard if possible, but I don’t even know where to start.
    • Obviously it would need as many SATA ports as possible or the expandability to support more ports. My case has the potential to support 42 drives (a mixture of 3.5” and 2.5” drives), or possibly 60 with a little modding. I will be using my existing 11 drives plus 5 new drives.
    • 6Gbps would be preferable.
    • USB3 connections would also be preferable, and also thunderbolt.
    • ATX size
    • Obviously I want it to be a low power system, but still powerful enough to handle transcoding and streaming.
    • Support for integrated graphics is also a must.
    • Support for hard drives greater than 2.2TB
    • I have no use for RAID, as I use StableBit DrivePool

    CPU
    • A low power requirement would be great, but enough processing ability to handle transcoding and streaming.
    • Integrated graphics is a must.
    • Intel is my preferred brand.

    RAM

    • Any will probably do, looking for 8GB as I believe that it is the most that WHS2011 will support.

    PSU
    • I am not planning to replace the existing PSU, but I would not be surprised if this is where a lot of the in-efficiency of the server lies, I defiantly know it is where a lot of the system noise is coming from. As I said it was only my second build, and I was looking more at number of connectors rather than power usage. Could this be causing the high power usage, is it worth replacing?

    Network Connection
    • I have just recently moved home, and at the moment, a wired Ethernet connection is not available for the server, an issue that will be rectified by the end of the year. Anyway, onboard wireless would be a plus, however not a requirement and a wireless adaptor is easy enough to come by. Wired connection wise (once installed), gigabit is a minimum, I regularly move TBs around on my network, for backups, syncs and such, so a fast wired connection with as much bandwidth as possible would be best.

    Budget
    I am looking to spend up to £400 - £500 for the CPU, Motherboard, and RAM; however that is not a restriction, merely a guide, I can go higher if I can be convinced it is necessary.

    I think that that is all of the information that is required, if I think of anything else, I will add it later. If you think I have missed anything, please ask. Sorry about the long post, I was trying to be thorough.

    NOTE: This question has been posted in other locations, to try and gain maximum responses.

    Thanks in advance for any responses.
     
    Last edited: 20 Aug 2012
  2. faugusztin

    faugusztin I *am* the guy with two left hands

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    - ASUS P8C WS - while it is not server grade, it is a workstation board with a equivalent of H77 chipset for Xeons. ASUS P8B WS if you are willing to take a bit older tech (Sandy Bridge generation).
    - Xeon E3-1225 V2 - Ivy Bridge quadcore without HT. Xeon E3 without V2 is Sandy Bridge.
    - 8GB RAM (WHS2011 doesn't support more than that). ~50 GBP, but i because Scan has only non-low profile Vengeance RAM, i won't recommend anything then.

    That is, if you want something close to "server grade" components :).
     
    Last edited: 20 Aug 2012
  3. IvanIvanovich

    IvanIvanovich будет глотать вашу душу.

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    I wouldn't waste so much money on 'proper server components' as you only use file server. You don't seem to be doing anything intensive like databases, huge multi user access, etc.
    No reason to go for server gear in my opinion. Just get a solid performing motherboard with as many sata ports as you can, a few pci-e 4x or better slots for additional sata cards, put in a cpu from the celeron or pentium line, a 2x4GB ram kit and call it good. Should be able to upgrade for a couple hundred instead of several hundred with server components that won't really be of any tangible benefit to you.

    I run a Zotac H67 based board with Pentium G620 for mine. It works perfectly fine and didn't cost me a fortune.
     
  4. TheStockBroker

    TheStockBroker Modder

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    IMHO, you'd be best served by keeping your server rig as is, and adding in a RAID card - this will net you the biggest performance gain as soon as you go back to a wired gigabit backbone...

    EDIT: Fail on my part - see post below.
     
    Last edited: 20 Aug 2012
  5. faugusztin

    faugusztin I *am* the guy with two left hands

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    You didn't read the post, right ?
     
  6. Margo Baggins

    Margo Baggins I'm good at Soldering Super Moderator

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    "proper server componants" - eat electricity like there is no tomorrow! I would steer clear for at home, I used to run a couple of hp servers at home 24/7, and they made quite a significant difference on the electricity bill.

    i run i3-550 in a mini-itx chasis for my home server, been on for about 6 months now.
     
  7. TheStockBroker

    TheStockBroker Modder

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    Typical. I miss one sentence and it's the most important one!

    Ignore RAID card comment then, that will blow your budget out of the water completely. I would suggest a humble 1155 i3, 8Gb of DDR3, and any Asus motherboard.

    Honestly struggling to find a motherboard with anywhere near as many on-board SATA ports as you need though, and I couldn't recommend an add-in card without researching that drive-pool software you mentioned...
     
  8. faugusztin

    faugusztin I *am* the guy with two left hands

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    Thre is no such motherboard... Well, there technically were, but no one made them. For so much hard drives he needs a card or board with SAS interface (card not an issue, board is a much bigger problem) and then he needs SAS expanders to branch out the tree :). Technically he could connect 65k devices to one port.

    Anyway, back to the board - initial X79 boards had lots of disk connectivity, and many of those connectors were SAS connectors. But that feature set somehow dissapeared from X79 and moved up to the C602 chipset, still not SAS unfortunately :
    http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Intel_Socket_2011/Z9PED8_WS/#overview
    6 x SATA 6Gb/s connector(s)
    8 x SATA 3Gb/s connector(s)
     
  9. Margo Baggins

    Margo Baggins I'm good at Soldering Super Moderator

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    for cheaper, if you can find one, first gen asus p6t deluxe boards came with a sas interface, and is x58 so cheaper and can source second hand parts.
     
  10. Promethus

    Promethus What's a Dremel?

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    First of all I have an admission; I missed a vital piece of equipment off the current setup list, as some of you may of guessed, I already have an controller card, its a Highpoint RocketRAID 640, if memory serves. When the rebuild is done, I had planned to put the card in my backup server, which is a HP Microserver, which is used to backup irreplaceable information off site.

    I assumed that I would need an controller card, I had been looking at this one, but again it is something that I don't really know anything about. Guess I should have mentioned it in the original post. I had planned on that being on top of the budget stated in the first post.


    That motherboard is awesome, but looks like massive overkill.

    Correct me if I am wrong here, but isn't the x58 chipset and processors rather power hungry?

    Would an i3 really have the grunt for transcoding and streaming to devices like the PS3 and iPhone? I was thinking something with a quad core would of been more suitable.


    I had no idea about any power usage differences, I assumed (wrongly), that server components and desktop components of the same generation used about the same amount of power.

    Hmm looks interesting, I was considering an Asus P8Z77-V Premium and i5 3570T, if I could find it for sale anywhere, from a desktop point of view. That motherboard thou look’s like its simpler cousin.

    Thanks for responding so quickly.
     
    Last edited: 20 Aug 2012
  11. faugusztin

    faugusztin I *am* the guy with two left hands

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    Simpler cousing ? Well, that is a point of view.
    - ECC support with P8C.
    - You get VT-d if needed with P8C.
    - 82579V + 82583 @P8Z vs dual 82574L @ P8C

    And it was you who wanted "server grade components" :D.
     
  12. Promethus

    Promethus What's a Dremel?

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    Sorry my response was not supposed to sound so negative. I suppose it is what I get for not taking my time and reading the specs carefully.

    I do appreciate your efforts.
     
  13. Promethus

    Promethus What's a Dremel?

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    Time for another dumb question.

    The Asus P8C WS motherboard, the specification on the Asus site says "Integrated Graphics Processor". I am assuming that this requires a CPU with a onboard GPU; is that correct, or is there a GPU chip built into the board somewhere?
     
  14. faugusztin

    faugusztin I *am* the guy with two left hands

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    It doesn't have integrated graphics on the board itself (there are few boards with that for Intel, this one isn't one of them). It requires CPU with onboard GPU, that means if we talk about Xeons then we talk about the models ending with 5. That is E3-1225, E3-1235, E3-1245 etc. E3-1220, 1230, 1240 are models without IGP.
     
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