Freenas hardware: Any suggestions?

[Mr Technician]

I'm about ready to order my parts but I thought I'd run it past someone in the community first. I'm pretty much set except for the CPU and motherboard.

 

CPU: https://www.ebay.com/itm/222870480347 I'm looking to get a Xeon E5 2650 V2 but this listing is out of stock. Any other listing recommendations for this chip or other similar ones?
Motherboard: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Supermicro-H8SGL-F-Server-System-Board-Motherboard-Socket-G34-w-I-O-Shield-/372137173746?oid=123491796822 This particular motherboard listing has ended but it was originally for a Supermicro X9SRL-F. I can't find one for below $200 on ebay so are there any other recommended boards in this price range that are compatible with the memory below and Xeon E5 processors? Preferably ATX but E-ATX is workable if I get a bigger case.
Memory: https://www.ebay.com/itm/302606459277
Controller: https://www.ebay.com/itm/162862201664
Breakout cables: https://www.amazon.com/CableCreation-SFF-8087-female-Internal-Splitter/dp/B07CL2V2FZ/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1542861758&sr=1-2-spons&keywords=sas%2Bto%2Bsata%2Bbreakout%2Bcable&th=1&tag=ozlp-20
Boot: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-320-Series-40GB-Internal-2-5-SSDSA2CT040G3-SSD-/323548302120?oid=183347748896
Case: https://www.amazon.com/Rosewill-Rackmount-Computer-Pre-Installed-RSV-R4000/dp/B0056OUTBK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1542861863&sr=8-3&keywords=server%2Bcase&th=1&tag=ozlp-20
PSU: I wanted to get an EVGA 550w gold on sale for $40 but settled on the 650w for $10 more because I trust the brand( it's overkill, I know).
Drives (x5): https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-Seagate-ES-3-ST4000NM0033-4TB-128MB-7200RPM-3-5-SATA-6-0GB-s-Enterprise-HDD/153070795097

 

Any other suggestions for parts are welcome.  

 

Edit: Links fixed

[Electronics Wizardy]

21 minutes ago, ThatFlashCat said:

I'm looking to get a Xeon E5 2650 V2 but this listing is out of stock. Any other listing recommendations for this chip or other similar ones?

If your just making a file server, then any cpu will work. Id get a L sku to save some power. The cpu won't be doing much at all.

 

 

Why not just get a used server? How about something like this? https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-PowerEdge-R720XD-Server-2x-E5-2640-6-Core-8GB-H310-SPS-2-Trays/183539828819?hash=item2abbd38853:g:mjUAAOSwHStb70ag:rk:2:pf:0

 

You get 12 hotswap bays in a 2u, good well made case and easy to work with.

 

25 minutes ago, ThatFlashCat said:

Drives (x5): https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-Seagate-ES-3-ST4000NM0033-4TB-128MB-7200RPM-3-5-SATA-6-0GB-s-Enterprise-HDD/153070795097

 

Why those drives? Id guessing those have been used, and id stay away from used drives, esp for those prices. Id also bersonally get bigger drives.

 

 

[COUPER MILLAR]

I have this exact cpu mobo combo for my free nas set up. The nice thing with this mobo is that you wouldn't need the controller card since there are 14 onboard sata ports! also the improvement from going from e5 v1 to e5 v2 is minimal and saves you almost half on cpu cost. 

Also as far as I know the recommendation for Free Nas is 1gb ram/tb storage. Your current set up does not meet this and leaves nothing for system resources or any plugins you may want to run.

 

Im currently running two disk pools totaling 17gb, a windows 2016 server VM, and plex and have never seen more than 50% cpu usage. I also have that same case and aside from the drive sled design its a fantastic case!

 

It also look like you are missing a CPU cooler. Be aware that with lga 2011 mobos there are two different socket designs, square and narrow. There are not many active coolers that support the narrow design (which the motherboard I have linked has). 

 

Motherboard -  https://www.ebay.com/itm/Super-Micro-Computer-X9SRH-7F-LGA-2011-Socket-R-Intel-MotherBoard/132869314584?hash=item1eefa0d818:g:kF8AAOSwNepb~NU-:rk:2:pf:0

 

Cooler - https://noctua.at/en/products/cpu-cooler-workstation-server/nh-d9dx-i4-3u

 

CPU - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-Xeon-E5-2650-2GHz-8-Core-CPU-Processor-SR0KQ-USED/264063953523?epid=28011375144&hash=item3d7b702a73:g:xcMAAOSw-4Jb7ga3:rk:3:pf:0

 

Memory - twice the capacity for the same price https://www.ebay.com/itm/32GB-8x4GB-IBM-Samsung-PC3-10600R-DDR3-1333MHz-ECC-REG-2Rx4-Server-RAM-49Y1445/173668590640?hash=item286f746430:g:0GwAAOSw~VBcAYzp:rk:3:pf:0&LH_BIN=1

 

HDD - Like @Electronics Wizardy said used drives should be avoided at all cost if you are wanting stability. Also asuming this will be an always on system enterprise/nas drives should be preferred. https://www.goharddrive.com/White-Label-4TB-64MB-Cache-SATA3-3-5-Hard-Drive-p/g01-0661.htm

 

Boot Drive - don't go used. you can get a new 120 gb ssd (overkill) for $5-7 more and it will come with full warranty

 

[Electronics Wizardy]

5 minutes ago, COUPER MILLAR said:

 

HDD - Like @Electronics Wizardy said used drives should be avoided at all cost if you are wanting stability. Also asuming this will be an always on system enterprise/nas drives should be preferred. https://www.goharddrive.com/White-Label-4TB-64MB-Cache-SATA3-3-5-Hard-Drive-p/g01-0661.htm

 

Why get that drive? Your get a used/refub drive and really don't know where its from. This is probably a refurbished wd/seagate/toshiba drive with a different brand. If you want a good drive, id stay away from a hdd refurbisher

 

7 minutes ago, COUPER MILLAR said:

lso as far as I know the recommendation for Free Nas is 1gb ram/tb storage. Your current set up does not meet this and leaves nothing for system resources or any plugins you may want to run.

This is complete bs. Ram is just used as a disk cache, and you really don't need that much. You can get away with 8gb or less for massive pools, but extra ram will help as its a cache. Seeing that this is a 1gbe nas thats probably just gonna get used as a media server or backups and you don't need tons of iops(do you have iops requirements OP?) then you can use 8gb or 16gb just fine here..

[COUPER MILLAR]

2 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

Why get that drive? Your get a used/refub drive and really don't know where its from. This is probably a refurbished wd/seagate/toshiba drive with a different brand. If you want a good drive, id stay away from a hdd refurbisher

The while label drives I have purchase from them have been new drives. Per their description these were originally drives from a large order that were never delivered or deployed. 

[Electronics Wizardy]

Just now, COUPER MILLAR said:

The while label drives I have purchase from them have been new drives. Per their description these were originally drives from a large order that were never delivered or deployed. 

how do you know they didn't just stick a new label and flash the smart data? If there really new why would they rebrand it? I still wouldn't trust, esp as you can get something like a new ironwolf or wd red for about the same price.

[Mr Technician]

15 minutes ago, COUPER MILLAR said:

I have this exact cpu mobo combo for my free nas set up. The nice thing with this mobo is that you wouldn't need the controller card since there are 14 onboard sata ports! also the improvement from going from e5 v1 to e5 v2 is minimal and saves you almost half on cpu cost. 

Also as far as I know the recommendation for Free Nas is 1gb ram/tb storage. Your current set up does not meet this and leaves nothing for system resources or any plugins you may want to run.

 

Im currently running two disk pools totaling 17gb, a windows 2016 server VM, and plex and have never seen more than 50% cpu usage. I also have that same case and aside from the drive sled design its a fantastic case!

 

It also look like you are missing a CPU cooler. Be aware that with lga 2011 mobos there are two different socket designs, square and narrow. There are not many active coolers that support the narrow design (which the motherboard I have linked has). 

 

Motherboard -  https://www.ebay.com/itm/Super-Micro-Computer-X9SRH-7F-LGA-2011-Socket-R-Intel-MotherBoard/132869314584?hash=item1eefa0d818:g:kF8AAOSwNepb~NU-:rk:2:pf:0

 

Cooler - https://noctua.at/en/products/cpu-cooler-workstation-server/nh-d9dx-i4-3u

 

CPU - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-Xeon-E5-2650-2GHz-8-Core-CPU-Processor-SR0KQ-USED/264063953523?epid=28011375144&hash=item3d7b702a73:g:xcMAAOSw-4Jb7ga3:rk:3:pf:0

 

Memory - twice the capacity for the same price https://www.ebay.com/itm/32GB-8x4GB-IBM-Samsung-PC3-10600R-DDR3-1333MHz-ECC-REG-2Rx4-Server-RAM-49Y1445/173668590640?hash=item286f746430:g:0GwAAOSw~VBcAYzp:rk:3:pf:0&LH_BIN=1

 

HDD - Like @Electronics Wizardy said used drives should be avoided at all cost if you are wanting stability. Also asuming this will be an always on system enterprise/nas drives should be preferred. https://www.goharddrive.com/White-Label-4TB-64MB-Cache-SATA3-3-5-Hard-Drive-p/g01-0661.htm

 

Boot Drive - don't go used. you can get a new 120 gb ssd (overkill) for $5-7 more and it will come with full warranty

 

Yeah I know I didn't have a cooler included yet.

I was planning to get at least 32gb of memory, I was just listing the modules.

Those drives are actually unused with a three year warranty.

8 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

Why get that drive? Your get a used/refub drive and really don't know where its from. This is probably a refurbished wd/seagate/toshiba drive with a different brand. If you want a good drive, id stay away from a hdd refurbisher

 

This is complete bs. Ram is just used as a disk cache, and you really don't need that much. You can get away with 8gb or less for massive pools, but extra ram will help as its a cache. Seeing that this is a 1gbe nas thats probably just gonna get used as a media server or backups and you don't need tons of iops(do you have iops requirements OP?) then you can use 8gb or 16gb just fine here..

I don't have an iops requirement but I do want to fully saturate a 1 gigabit ethernet link.

[COUPER MILLAR]

1 minute ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

how do you know they didn't just stick a new label and flash the smart data? If there really new why would they rebrand it? I still wouldn't trust, esp as you can get something like a new ironwolf or wd red for about the same price.

fair point, at the time i purchased my drives from them it was close to a 25% cost savings going with white label. If the price difference is small or negligible known new drives would come with a better warranty too.  

[Electronics Wizardy]

1 minute ago, ThatFlashCat said:

I don't have an iops requirement but I do want to fully saturate a 1 gigabit ethernet link.

A single drive and a celeron can fill gigabit, if you just want a nas, id get something like a celeron. Id also look at something like a hp dl 180g6. Its cheaper, has more hotswap bays and will work fine here. This just all seems way overkill here.

 

Also if your in the use, id get those easystore drives. Cheaper than the ehh drives on ebay, and bigger, saving you power and drive bays.

[Mr Technician]

I went with the Seagate/HP drives I listed above since they are well reviewed and have zero power hours. Date of manufacturing may be a bit old but that's not an issue. I bought six of them for a raid z2 setup which should work perfectly. For the cpu I stuck with the xeon e5 2650 v2 since I want to have room for virtualization (and the memory supported by it is very cheap). I did find a nicer case though.