New Server, what else could i need?

[keida]

I just bought a server from Lenovo. my current desired uses are.

 

• NAS (TrueNAS/OMV/Unraid).
• host Games like 7days to die, minecraft modded, Palworld
• Drive-like Software (like Nextcloud files). To eventually share files with my friends or between my devices.
• Photoprism. To back up my photos and videos from my phone and my family.
• Media Server (Plex or Jellyfin). I would like to perform well on the transcoding of 4K media.
• Radarr/Sonarr. An automatic media download service to feed my media server.
• Adblocker (Pi-hole). An instance of Pi-hole for my local network.
• VPN 
• Hypervisor. Proxmox to deploy some personal projects/containers. 
• Any monitoring service to review that everything is running smoothly.
• Seedbox
• possible AI model training in the future
• Some way to share some cpu and gpu power for my friends with really old hardware but good internet?

Most of the list comes from this form post, but shares similar uses.

 

 

 

Overall here are my specs. I wasnt really sure if i missed anything id need to even have it run after installing an os. Any tips or suggestions are welcome! 

 

Base

1 x ThinkSystem V3 1U 4x3.5" Chassis

1 x Operating mode selection for: "Maximum Performance Mode"

Processors

1 x ThinkSystem AMD EPYC 9124 16C 200W 3.0GHz Processor

1 x ThinkSystem SR645 V3/SR635 V3 1U High Performance Heatsink

Memory

2 x ThinkSystem 32GB TruDDR5 4800MHz (2Rx8) RDIMM-A

Storage

1 x Select Storage devices - no configured RAID required

1 x ThinkSystem RAID 540-8i PCIe Gen4 12Gb Adapter

1 x ThinkSystem 1U/2U 4x3.5" SAS/SATA Backplane

PCI

1 x ThinkSystem Broadcom 57454 10GBASE-T 4-port PCIe Ethernet Adapter

1 x ThinkSystem V3 1U x16/x16 BF PCIe Gen5 Riser1

1 x ThinkSystem V3 1U MS LP+LP BF Riser Cage

Power

1 x ThinkSystem 1800W 230V Platinum Hot-Swap Gen2 Power Supply

1 x 2.8m, 10A/100-250V, C13 to IEC 320-C14 Rack Power Cable

Others

6 x ThinkSystem V3 1U Standard Fan Option Kit v2

1 x ThinkSystem Toolless Slide Rail Kit v2

1 x ThinkSystem 1U Front VGA Cable

1 x ThinkSystem SR645 V3 MB

1 x High voltage (200V+)

1 x ThinkSystem 1U 4x3.5" SAS/SATA HDD Type Label

1 x ThinkSystem WW Lenovo LPK

1 x XCC Label

1 x ThinkSystem SR645 V3 Agency Label without CCC & ES Mark

1 x ThinkSystem logo Label

1 x ThinkSystem large Label for non-24x2.5"/12x3.5"/10x2.5"

1 x ThinkSystem Response time Service Label LI

1 x ThinkSystem SR645 V3 Service Label for WW

1 x ThinkSystem SR645 V3 model name Label

1 x ThinkSystem 1800W Pt Power Rating Label WW

1 x ThinkSystem 1U SFF RAID to Front 4x3.5" Backplane SAS/SATA G4 Cable

1 x ThinkSystem SR645 Power Cable to Front 4x 3.5" SAS/SATA 4x 3.5" AnyBay v2

1 x Non-Redundant

1 x ThinkSystem 1U 4x3.5" Media Bay without External Diagnostics Port

4 x ThinkSystem 1x1 3.5" HDD Filler

2 x ThinkSystem 1U MS Fan Dummy

1 x ThinkSystem MS CPU Dummy

1 x ThinkSystem OCP3 Filler

1 x ThinkSystem V2 1U Package

1 x ThinkSystem CFF V4 PSU Dummy

1 x ThinkSystem 1U MS LP Riser Filler

1 x ThinkSystem SR645 V3 Absolut-RoW RoT Module

1 x Configuration ID 01

1 x ThinkSystem RAID 540-8i PCIe Gen4 12Gb Adapter Placement

1 x Controller 01

1 x Configuration ID 01

Security

1 x TPM 2.0 with Secure Boot

1 x Enable IPMI-over-LAN

 

ThinkSystem M.2 NVMe 2-Bay RAID Adapter

 

for storage i got x2 western digital black nvme m.2 1TB

and 4 Seagate IronWolf Pro, 22 TB, Enterprise NAS

 

 

Edited February 7 by keida
Clearer use case

[keida]

Im looking for things that would accompany the server in the rack that i dont have listed. Also a good rack suggestion would be great too, mines some old metal frame that im not even sure will fit the server. My knowledge isnt great, but id love to learn more about how to utilize what ill have. 

[Electronics Wizardy]

Are you buying this new? A higher end but a gen or two older would likely be much faster for a simmilar price. These high end platforms but low end processors don't make much sense to me. 

 

You really want more than 2 dimms for this CPU, and probalby more than 64GB of ram.

 

 

 

Just saying, its a 240v only config, so it won't run on 120v power if you have that. 

 

Do you have a rack? A 1u server is gonna be loud. A 1u server also isn't the best option if you want to use GPUs

 

 

[keida]

2 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

Are you buying this new? A higher end but a gen or two older would likely be much faster for a simmilar price. These high end platforms but low end processors don't make much sense to me. 

 

You really want more than 2 dimms for this CPU, and probalby more than 64GB of ram.

 

 

 

Just saying, its a 240v only config, so it won't run on 120v power if you have that. 

 

Do you have a rack? A 1u server is gonna be loud. A 1u server also isn't the best option if you want to use GPUs

 

 

This will be new from lenovo. Since i wasnt confident in building one myself from scratch i ordered the cheapest sp5 chip. When i can id like to upgrade to 2 cpus, or one higher end one. 

 

"You really want more than 2 dimms for this CPU, and probalby more than 64GB of ram." could you elaborate on this? Would it be as simple as ordering 2 more sticks of ram?

 

I spoke with an electrician and am having the following upgrades to my home as they suggested.  All i did was send my specs to them along with my home appliances.

 

 

Install duel meter sockets for upper and lower apartments Upgrade lower apartment load center to 200 amp 40 space homeline Install surge protection Install 240V receptacle and 120V receptacle for server Upgrade garage load center to 100 amps (everything is sized for 100 amps but fused at 40 in house load center)

 

I have a rack, but its a free one i got. its super old and look more like a glorified metal book shelf. Ill post a pic later.

[Electronics Wizardy]

6 minutes ago, keida said:

This will be new from lenovo. Since i wasnt confident in building one myself from scratch i ordered the cheapest sp5 chip. When i can id like to upgrade to 2 cpus, or one higher end one. 

 

"You really want more than 2 dimms for this CPU, and probalby more than 64GB of ram." could you elaborate on this? Would it be as simple as ordering 2 more sticks of ram?

 

I spoke with an electrician and am having the following upgrades to my home as they suggested.  All i did was send my specs to them along with my home appliances.

 

 

Install duel meter sockets for upper and lower apartments Upgrade lower apartment load center to 200 amp 40 space homeline Install surge protection Install 240V receptacle and 120V receptacle for server Upgrade garage load center to 100 amps (everything is sized for 100 amps but fused at 40 in house load center)

 

I have a rack, but its a free one i got. its super old and look more like a glorified metal book shelf. Ill post a pic later.

You can buy used servers with a gen or two old chips. LIkely a much better value if cost is a concern at all here. Its your money, but this seems like a bad value to me.

 

The SP5 platform is made for 12 channel ram, so you really want 12 dimms per CPU. Something like am5 seems like it would make much more sense here. Much cheaper, a faster 16 core CPU and lower power, as you don't seem to be using any of the features of the epyc CPU here in terms of IO or core count.

 

Also just saying, if you want to add a second CPU, you need the heatsinks, and sometimes other parts. It might be easier to buy a second CPU now. Also often a good amount of IO is disabled with a single CPU, but I'm not familiar with that exact model.

 

Check the depth of the rack you have. Often little racks are made for network equipment and not deep enough for many servers.

[keida]

4 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

You can buy used servers with a gen or two old chips. LIkely a much better value if cost is a concern at all here. Its your money, but this seems like a bad value to me.

 

The SP5 platform is made for 12 channel ram, so you really want 12 dimms per CPU. Something like am5 seems like it would make much more sense here. Much cheaper, a faster 16 core CPU and lower power, as you don't seem to be using any of the features of the epyc CPU here in terms of IO or core count.

 

Also just saying, if you want to add a second CPU, you need the heatsinks, and sometimes other parts. It might be easier to buy a second CPU now. Also often a good amount of IO is disabled with a single CPU, but I'm not familiar with that exact model.

 

Check the depth of the rack you have. Often little racks are made for network equipment and not deep enough for many servers.

I have a problem buying used hardware.  I know i should buy used, but i usually cant justify it over paying a bit more for new.

 

I was reading this post and its similar to some of the things id like to do.

along with game hosting as a more regular use case.

 

Quote

so you really want 12 dimms per CPU

Ah i see what youre saying. Ill look at ordering 12 sticks rather than the 2 or 4 currently. I doubt id ever need most of the features or core count for the system, however i would like to have the option to use it all if i could come up with more use cases.

 

Quote

Also just saying, if you want to add a second CPU, you need the heatsinks, and sometimes other parts. It might be easier to buy a second CPU now. Also often a good amount of IO is disabled with a single CPU, but I'm not familiar with that exact model.

Ill order a second one now with the parts then thank you.  

 

Quote

Check the depth of the rack you have. Often little racks are made for network equipment and not deep enough for many servers.

The rack is likely the most goofy part of the setup. A good rack suggestion would be much appreciated. 

[Electronics Wizardy]

1 minute ago, keida said:

I have a problem buying used hardware.  I know i should buy used, but i usually cant justify it over paying a bit more for new.

 

I was reading this post and its similar to some of the things id like to do.

along with game hosting as a more regular use case.

 

Ah i see what youre saying. Ill look at ordering 12 sticks rather than the 2 or 4 currently. I doubt id ever need most of the features or core count for the system, however i would like to have the option to use it all if i could come up with more use cases.

 

Ill order a second one now with the parts then thank you.  

 

The rack is likely the most goofy part of the setup. A good rack suggestion would be much appreciated. 

I'd personally suggest going with something like this https://www.asrockrack.com/general/productdetail.asp?Model=1U4LW-B650/2L2T#Specifications. Get the 7950x CPU, and it will be a good amount faster due to the higher clock speed, and much cheaper. Really up to you, but that server seems way overkill here, esp as you putting a low end CPU + ram config. If you need more compute power, its generally pretty easy to add a second box to host more VMs.

 

As far as the rack goes, I'd generally stay away from a single post rack like the one pictures for these servers. These servers are made for 4 post racks, and would likely bend the rack ears if you try to support it from the front only. I see a tower PC in that rack, and would probably get another tower PC as a server here as space doesn't seem to be an issue, and tower systems typically have much more space for GPUs and drives than a 1uBox.

 

 

[keida]

17 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

I'd personally suggest going with something like this https://www.asrockrack.com/general/productdetail.asp?Model=1U4LW-B650/2L2T#Specifications.

Dang this most likely would have been perfect. Unfortunately The system is set to arrive Monday and its easier for me to add or swap hardware than return it. 

As for the 1U form factor, i only got it since it i thought itd be easier to stuff onto a smaller 4-8U rack and still have space for what ever else i might need to run a homelab in. Is it too late to make what i got work? or should i order that as well for the current uses and save mine for later?

 

Ideally id like to cram my next desktop into a 2or4U case to have everything in one nice cabinet.

[Electronics Wizardy]

3 minutes ago, keida said:

Dang this most likely would have been perfect. Unfortunately The system is set to arrive Monday and its easier for me to add or swap hardware than return it. 

As for the 1U form factor, i only got it since it i thought itd be easier to stuff onto a smaller 4-8U rack and still have space for what ever else i might need to run a homelab in. Is it too late to make what i got work? or should i order that as well for the current uses and save mine for later?

 

Ideally id like to cram my next desktop into a 2or4U case to have everything in one nice cabinet.

Well if you already got that box in the way it will work fine. You really want a 4 post rack for the rails(if it comes with any, they often don't). I'd just get a tray like the desktop is sitting on thats suported from below here.

 

Should be pretty simple to install a os and programs on the server. It has IPMI, so should be pretty simple to setup and manage it  all from a browser.

[keida]

I really apricate your help. I should have came here before ordering anything.

 

For now, just to make sure i didn't miss anything. I should get the following,

 

• 12 sticks of ram instead of 2 32gb
• an additional cpu now along with the heatsink and other parts for it
• A 4 post rack with rails

And this later down the line or something similar. https://www.asrockrack.com/general/productdetail.asp?Model=1U4LW-B650/2L2T#Specifications

[keida]

What about other bits like network switches or firewalls and storage devises for NAS? 

[keida]

And this may be a silly question. The Seagate IronWolf Pro, 22 TB, Enterprise NAS are compatible to just slide into the server right? 

[Jarsky]

So the ThinkServer SR645 V3 documentation

 

Quote

Drive Bays	Up to 4x 3.5”, 12x 2.5” drives, or 16x EDSFF drives

Yes it can support up to 4 x 3.5" drives, but as to which drive sleds it comes with i'm not sure. 

I would have expected it to option this in the configurator during ordering?

 

As mentioned before, to make the most out of it you would want more than 64GB...at least 128GB. Also the EPYC has 8 memory channels, so you want at least 8 sticks to maximize memory performance. The board appears to have 24 DIMM slots, but generally each bank is tied to a CPU; so you may be only able to use the bank of 12 slots with CPU1 unless you get a second CPU. 

 

As for GPU's, with this form factor you'd be limited to single slot cards like the Quadro RTX series etc....I'd be a bit hesitant of putting more than 2 in there max, due to both airflow and power delivery...despite it saying it can support 4. 

 

As for software, i'd also recommend getting Overseerr or Ombi to connect to your Sonarr/Radarr. So you can make requests and manage requests from a single central system. Overseerr is my preferred, but Ombi supports Music (Lidarr) as well if thats your thing. 

[Jarsky]

As for network. Id recommend a Level 2 switch with supports LACP / Aggregation so you can aggregate all the nicks together. 

Firewall wise, it depends on your network gear you have or want to use. 

 

There is free software out there like pfSense / OPNsense which you can install on whatever you want. 

Netgate have a parternship with pfSense, so you can get Netgate Firewall Appliances which run pfSense. 

There are lots of other vendors out there that roll in advanced firewalls with their "routers" such as Ubiquiti with its UniFi range of Gateways. 

 

You could go full on with Ubiquiti with one of their Gateways and Switches, and run a UniFi Controller to configure everything to work together. 

It really depends on how much you want to put into this, and how technical you want to go. 

 

Also consider when setting up applications things like loadbalancing, and what platforms youre going to run everything...e.g native, in VM's, kubernetes, etc...

You might want to check out TechnoTim and his YouTube channel which does deep dives into configuring these type of things such as K3S (kubernetes), Rancher and Ansible (automation).

 

Hardware is the easy part....you could literally deep dive down a rabbit hole for a year learning about what you can do with designing and configuring all the software side.