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Help with server specifications... For home tired of crappy desktop hardware
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Help with server specifications... For home tired of crappy desktop hardware

BoGsBoGs Member
edited August 2012 in General

Need help specking out a server hardware desktop system. I have had two of my desktop computers fail and lost data this weekend and I am looking to use this server as a home server media UPnP, web hosting, dns, samba etc and will be running ZFS freebsd/solaris in raid. I was wondering if you guys that build servers yourself could recommend some pieces.

Case: Antec 300
Power Supply: Seasonic ~450 watt GOLD ( desktop is ok? )
Motherboard: no idea need help (require IPMI or something so I do not have to keep moving things)
CPU: Single Xeon (e3 1230?)
Memory: no idea ecc is a must 16GB?
cdrom: crappy one I can get consumer
hard drives: 4-6x (room to add more?) Western Digital RE4 WD1003FBYX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Enterprise Hard Drive
os drive: I can find a consumer ssd

Any other help would be appreciated, thanks :) wanting to keep cost to a min but still stay in the enterprise hardware as I am done and frustrated with consumer.

Comments

  • BrandonBrandon Member
    edited August 2012

    Desktop grade power supplies aren't designed to be running 24 x 7, at full capacity, like in a server environment. I wouldn't mix and match these components. The only consume grade hardware I'd use in a server is hard drives.

    Here's some parts to get you started:

    Processor: Intel Xeon E3-1230 V2
    MB: SUPERMICRO MBD-X9SCL+-F
    RAM: Kingston 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM ECC Unbuffered DDR3 1333
    SSD Recommendation: Samsung 830

    I'm not too familiar with a lot of name brand chassis and so you'd need someone else for that.

    P.S Did your computers happen to be HPs?

    Thanked by 2EricCubixCloud Zen
  • earlearl Member

    @Brandon said: Desktop grade power supplies aren't designed to be running 24 x 7

    The power supply is normally fine.. but the fan in the power supply tends to fail quiet often which if you don't catch it in time will kill you power supply

  • mikhomikho Member, Host Rep

    I've been running desktops 24/7 for many years and had few failures.
    My main desktop had two psu failures the last 4years but mainly because I put in a to small psu for what was in the case.
    What you need to consider i s the power consumption. If you overdose (new graphic card, many hdd, extra equipment) the psu eill take the fall.

  • There's a marked difference in cheap, price-point power supplies:
    image

    ...and more expensive 'enthusiast' power supplies. Those Seasonic power supplies get pretty awesome reviews; I would not hesitate to use one.

  • MaouniqueMaounique Host Rep, Veteran

    I only use a thin client as a server :P
    True, no raidz or anything, only 2.5 drives usb powered, no big ass cpu power (via c7-800) but also no noisy fans, low power consumption (OMG you want to use a server 24/7, will eat your money on electricity fast !), even runs 2 VMs and is great as a router for my 4 connections.
    If you dont want to lose data, keep backups, better than having a ton of big ass hdd in raid using power and increasing the chance of failure...
    That is, for home, of course :)
    M

  • Corsair are pretty good, But I recommend getting PSUs from Overclockers.co.uk

    @Damian said: Those Seasonic power supplies

  • flyfly Member

    you run 2 vm's on a thin client?
    lolwat.

  • MaouniqueMaounique Host Rep, Veteran

    Yep :P And a 16 GB CF too :P
    But they are only moving packets around, they are Tor boxes, basically.
    M

  • pcanpcan Member

    Check the Intel web site, there is a new low-spec Intel server board that can be useful for home server purposes. I only use Intel server boards and chassis at work: server boards are backed with 3 years warranty, and Intel exchanges warranty-covered faulty boards in 2-3 days to gold partners.
    If you like a preassembled (and cheaper) solution, HP microserver is a nice box.

  • earlearl Member

    @Maounique said: I only use a thin client as a server

    I'm using a WYSE V30L I also bought a 44 pin cable to connect a 2.5" drive directly to the ide port, works great and best of all no noise!! I calculated that running this 24/7 cost me about $1/month!

  • MaouniqueMaounique Host Rep, Veteran
    edited August 2012

    @earl said: I also bought a 44 pin cable to connect a 2.5" drive directly to the ide port

    Gratz on that, I only found a couple of places that had those in offer but out of stock here. I added a card with ide and sata and patched an old ata external USB PS to power a 3.5 full drive I attached to the case. It did make some perceivable noise so I ended up with usb powered 2.5 drives in adition to the 16 GB CF 266x.
    M

  • pcanpcan Member

    @Maonique: You can build the 44 pin IDE cable yourself. I usually buy cable and connectors from RS Components (items 754-2236 and 745-5000 ).

  • MaouniqueMaounique Host Rep, Veteran

    I was thinking of that. However, my only hdd for that is a 4 GB one with a bad sector.
    In the end thought to rather make a power source and employ a big ass one with an extension card.
    It worked but was too noisy.
    M

  • earlearl Member

    @Maounique said: I only found a couple of places that had those in offer but out of stock here

    you can try here:

    http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=44%20ide%20cable%20laptop&_sop=15

  • MaouniqueMaounique Host Rep, Veteran

    Thanks, but I doubt they send to Romania :)
    M

  • earlearl Member

    @Maounique said: Thanks, but I doubt they send to Romania :)

    if you have an account with ebay this one is free shipping to Romania

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/IDE-44-Pin-laptop-2-5-Female-Hard-Drive-Cable-2-44pin-/110646424239?pt=US_Drive_Cables_dapters&hash=item19c30a72af#shId

  • DimeCadmiumDimeCadmium Member
    edited August 2012

    @Damian that HDD looks like one the PC Maintenance teacher at my high school had.

    Basically it was sat on top of another HDD (they were SAS trailed out of the case), and the circuitry on one shorted to the cover on another... that was one big-ass spark. Ruined/scorched one (the top one), left a big black spot on the other. :P

  • MaouniqueMaounique Host Rep, Veteran

    @DimeCadmium said: Basically it was sat on top of another HDD

    When I have to do that i put some paper or tape in between.
    M

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