ULP NAS build

[knightslugger]

Looking to replace my desktop cobble-job. consumes entirely too much power and runs a UPS dead in a matter of minutes. need an Ultra Lower Power solution to a not super critical problem. I use this solution for two things:

 

1. 24/7 on-site FreeNAS Backup and Media Server

2. Power-outage monitor (Via UPS)

 

looking at an embedded SoC to get the wattage way down and looking for suggestions. i have 4 WD Reds to use as a 3TB RAID5/Z1 and 3 USB Flash drives acting as a RAID1 boot device.

[flibberdipper]

I know ASRock has a bunch of Atom/Celeron based embedded solutions, so you could grab one of those boards and a cheaper RAID card and you'd be set.

 

http://www.newegg.com/ASRock-Embedded-Solutions/BrandSubCat/ID-1944-446

[TLN]

Do you need much performance?

Are you good with technologies?

[harry4742]

take a look on Supermicro's c2000 line like the c2550/c2750

[Eniqmatic]

ASRock C2750D4I should fit your needs.

[knightslugger]

On 1/8/2017 at 5:20 AM, harry4742 said:

take a look on Supermicro's c2000 line like the c2550/c2750

 

10 hours ago, Eniqmatic said:

ASRock C2750D4I should fit your needs.

both high dollar boards and IPMI. Good suggestions, but a bit beyond the scope of a simple home NAS.

 

On 1/5/2017 at 1:11 PM, TLN said:

Do you need much performance?

Are you good with technologies?

I do not need a very high level of performance at all.

 

The one i'm looking at now is an ASRock J3160DC-ITX

 

Very low TDP (6W Quad core Celeron J3160)

On-board video (wont be needing much of that, but nice to have)

Has all USB i need

Has all SATA I need

Has 1x PCIe and 1x mPCIe for expansion (unlikely to need)

Comes with external power

Uses memory i happen to have loitering around (2x4gb 204-pin ddr3)

[Dark]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157726

[Dark]

TBH, a QNAP TS-251 or TS-451 would likely serve your purposes well. 

 

I use use one for remote backups and a friend uses one for Plex. 

[Eniqmatic]

6 hours ago, knightslugger said:

 

both high dollar boards and IPMI. Good suggestions, but a bit beyond the scope of a simple home NAS.

 

Not really, they are cheap in comparison to be honest. I know plenty of people who use that board for a "simple home NAS".

 

I agree, it perhaps is overkill for you, but It would have helped to have some information in the first post about what you planned to do with it, how much you had to spend etc. But because there wasn't, we just had to guess with little information to go on.

[knightslugger]

7 hours ago, Eniqmatic said:

Not really, they are cheap in comparison to be honest. I know plenty of people who use that board for a "simple home NAS".

 

I agree, it perhaps is overkill for you, but It would have helped to have some information in the first post about what you planned to do with it, how much you had to spend etc. But because there wasn't, we just had to guess with little information to go on.

I thought I was pretty succinct. Minimum: Ultra Low power, 4 SATA, 3 USB, to be used as an on-site home backup and media repository, replacing a 65W dual core E5800 that burns out the UPS in 15 minutes.

[TLN]

15 hours ago, knightslugger said:

I do not need a very high level of performance at all.

I think that HP Microserver have greatest value, compared to all Qnap and Synology devices.

Usually I'd advise on getting G8 microserver, because you can put xeon in there, esxi, and all fancy stuff.

 

But since you don't need all that, take a look at Microserver G7, that's NL34, NL40, NL 52 models. All have 4x3.5" drives slots, and you can install 5th drive in place of 5.25". It's x86, so you can run any linux easily. Or windows if you want.

There're lots of manuals and builds for that model.

You can always install Xpenology  (=Synology) there. Performance-wise it's pretty slow server, but it's way faster then modern Synology Home models.

 

And one more thing you cannot beat: you can buy one off ebay for $100-150. May be you can find it new somewhere. It's enterprise device, so it's way more reliable then consumer hardware.

[Mikensan]

 

@AshleyAshes found/bought something that may interest you, board that you can drop a mobile chipset into.

 

[AshleyAshes]

Truth be told, a mobile chipset isn't thaaaat much better that an undervolted desktop CPU.  My server, desktop p67 chipset with an i5 2300 and Radeon HD 5450 for graphics idles and 45w with undervolted.

[AshleyAshes]

Truth be told, a mobile chipset isn't thaaaat much better that an undervolted desktop CPU.  My server, desktop p67 chipset with an i5 2300 and Radeon HD 5450 for graphics idles and 45w with undervolted.

[Mikensan]

Hmmm so with that in mind he could just undervolt his E5800 and be pretty happy?

[AnonymousGuy]

Put a T series LGA cpu in and then you at least have the ability to upgrade in the future.  They're 35W TDP parts which will negligibly add to your electric bill.  The whole system will probably idle at less than 35W. 

 

I did the math, at 35W system draw with  $.10 / kwH it's $28 a year to run 24/7.

[AshleyAshes]

8 hours ago, Mikensan said:

Hmmm so with that in mind he could just undervolt his E5800 and be pretty happy?

Maybe, though another key factor is that my server doesn't spin it's hard discs unless necessary.  All downloads and active torrents go to the main system drive, the FlexRAID array only spins up discs when writing and only the specific disc it needs when reading.  So when I say 'Idle', I don't just mean the CPU bieng idle, I mean 'With 9 of 10 drives also idle'.   With all the drives going, it's closer to 120w or more and peaks at 200w if it's trying to spin up all the drives concurrently.