NAS Home Server Advice Needed

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Okay did some brief research on the Via and definately a contender. Will have to look for suitable mobos

Don't get a C7 as it is an in-order type CPU like the Atom and is not very powerful at all!! At least the Atom has HT which the C7 lacks.

You should check out the newer VIA Nano but even a Sempron 140 will destroy it in performance:

http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=12273

The Nano is on out of order CPU and is considerably faster than a C7.

[kmac]

Thanks CAT, it was the Nano I was considering as it blows the Atom away performance wise. If there is a significant leap in performance again with a Sempron......

The description for the VIA Epia NX15000 Nano-ITX Mainboard on linitx says: Designed for ultra compact embedded systems with demanding digital media requirements, such as slimline LCD PCs and digital signage, small yet powerful set top boxes and next generation car PCs, the VIA EPIA NX-series Nano-ITX mainboard boasts the latest generation 1.5GHz VIA C7 processor, or 1.2GHz VIA Eden processor for the fastest fanless configuration.

So is Nano the chip-set that supports the C7 or Eden CPu or is Nano the CPu itself?

Edit: Aah reading down further, the newer CPU is the C7 Nano - confusing as it is also called C7

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Thanks CAT, it was the Nano I was considering as it blows the Atom away performance wise. If there is a significant leap in performance again with a Sempron......

The description for the VIA Epia NX15000 Nano-ITX Mainboard on linitx says: Designed for ultra compact embedded systems with demanding digital media requirements, such as slimline LCD PCs and digital signage, small yet powerful set top boxes and next generation car PCs, the VIA EPIA NX-series Nano-ITX mainboard boasts the latest generation 1.5GHz VIA C7 processor, or 1.2GHz VIA Eden processor for the fastest fanless configuration.

So is Nano the chip-set that supports the C7 or Eden CPu or is Nano the CPu itself?

Edit: Aah reading down further, the newer CPU is the C7 Nano - confusing as it is also called C7

The VIA Nano is a new CPU and the successor to the C7 AFAIK:

http://techreport.com/articles.x/15204

TBH, I would consider the Jetway 8200 motherboard I linked too before as it has 4 SATA ports and an IGP which should be Linux compatible as it is made by Nvidia.

The Sempron 140 is under £30:

http://www.scan.co.uk/Product.aspx?W...source=froogle

[kmac]

I would consider the following bits:

Jetway JNC62K AM2+ GeForce 8200 Mainboard ~ £96 excluding postage

http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=12081

OR

ZOTAC GeForce 8200-ITX ~ £101 excluding postage

http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=12419

AMD Athlon II X2 235e 45W ~ £52

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/AMD-A...che-45W-Retail

CAT - these are both exactly the mobo's I have shortlisted. The Zotac is out of stock hence my earlier comment about having to wait till 23 Feb. I would prefer the Zotac over the Jetway as it has:

1) Wifi
2) 8MB RAm support on two RAm slots vs 2MB on jetway with one slot
3) two PS/2 ports versus Jetway's 1

Jetway does have 2 Gigabit Lan ports but I would only really see the need for one.

Will wait for the 8200 to come into stock. It is available at mini-itx.com but i've never used that store and don't know anything about them

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

CAT - these are both exactly the mobo's I have shortlisted. The Zotac is out of stock hence my earlier comment about having to wait till 23 Feb. I would prefer the Zotac over the Jetway as it has:

1) Wifi
2) 8MB RAm support on two RAm slots vs 2MB on jetway with one slot
3) two PS/2 ports versus Jetway's 1

Jetway does have 2 Gigabit Lan ports but I would only really see the need for one.

Will wait for the 8200 to come into stock. It is available at mini-itx.com but i've never used that store and don't know anything about them

Have you considered using a PicoPSU to power the whole NAS??

I assume that the 150W PicoPSU should do the job:

http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=12383

[kmac]

Not considered Pico PSU as although I initially wanted to go for the Lian Li Q07 case, i'mnow going to go for this one:

http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=12632

Comes with 250W PSU. Hope its quiet but will wait till Monday to ask the guys at LinITX.
If anyone has experience of this then please advise on noise from pSU

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Not considered Pico PSU as although I initially wanted to go for the Lian Li Q07 case, i'mnow going to go for this one:

http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=12632

Comes with 250W PSU. Hope its quiet but will wait till Monday to ask the guys at LinITX.
If anyone has experience of this then please advise on noise from pSU

I prefer the Q07 and the Seasonic PSU you mentioned before as they are probably better built IMHO. However the design of the case you linked to does look good for use as a server although I am uncertain about how good the PSU is with regards to efficiency.

[kmac]

Yes the PSU in that Case is the big unknown for me. SFX seems like a brand that's been around for a while. Anyway, worst case is that I have to change the PSU for a quieter one and would have wasted circa 65 quid ( Lian Li + seasonic =£85, Server case+ seasonic = £115).

The draw of that case is the hot swap drive bays with fan blowing across them. Shouldkeep the drives in tip top condition as I don't really have a separate server room I can keep chilled, I like to keep my home relatively warm as well ( ambient 23 deg C or thereabouts)

[kmac]

Okay can't wait till Feb, must have my NAS server NOW. So I have to go Intel as I can't find a Zotac 8200 mobo froma reputable retailer. here's what's in my basket at Scan so please advise if there are any gremlins is this lot before I pull the trigger:

1) Mobo - went for he Intel DG45FC mini-ITX
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Intel...Board-Graphics
Has everything I need including 4 Sata ports and one eSata. No wifi but I hate wireless anyway.

2) CPU - went for the cheapest Pentium on Today only - the E5200
http://www.scan.co.uk/product.aspx?ProductId=29748

3) RAM - 2GB of DDR2 800Mhz (any speed advantage to getting 2 x1GB?)
VS2GB800D2 - 2GB Corsair Value Select, DDR2 PC2-6400 (800), 240 Pins, Non-ECC Unbuffered, CAS 5-5-5-18
http://www.scan.co.uk/product.aspx?ProductId=29363

4) HDD - Two of these
TB Samsung HD103SJ Spinpoint F3, SATA 3Gb/s, 7200rpm, 32MB Cache, 8.9 ms, NCQ, OEM
http://www.scan.co.uk/product.aspx?ProductId=30855
Are they fast, reliable and quiet, with low power consumption??

5) Need a small cheap HDD for the OS, any suggestions?

6) Will need a low profile heatsink for the CPU, but will order that after I've seen how much rrom I have in the case ( http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=12632 CFI A9849 Mini-ITX NAS/Server Case - 2 Hot Swap Bays)

please let me know - I need a quiet, low power system for NAS

[Maccer101]

OK my 2 cents....

I'm not sure why you want that much horsepower to run a FreeNas box that is only used for backing up your files. FreeNas will run quite happly on pentium III machines there is no need for dual core. I'm not sure why people are advising you to go dual core for a simple backup system, how many premade NAS boxes have E5200 chips in them?

As I said before my VIA C7 chip is clocked to 1000mhz and never goes much above 30% when transferring and streaming media. It'll be cheaper to buy, cheaper to run and quieter. Due to the much lower cooling requirements you can put it out of sight in a cupboard.

The only drawback with an Embedded Mini itx board is the number of SATA ports but you can get round this with a PCI card for about £10-15 off ebay.

BTW for FreeNAs run the OS of a compact flash card using an IDE adaptor then you don't need a HDD for the OS, you need a minimum 64mb so a cheap flash card + the adaptor could be got for less than a tenner on ebay, its easy to set up as its one of the Installation options available; plus another few watts saved of the electric bill.

Whole cost of my build excluding drive was about £95 just a bit more than the board you are looking to buy. Its been running for a year or so flawlessly

best of luck

[kmac]

http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=11797

The Via Nano I found cost a lot more. My board plus CPU comes to £115 inc VAT. Has 4 SATA ports plus 1 eSata. Price is one reason I skipped on the Nano. Other is I might want to use this as an HTPC at some stage.

I like the idea of runnign FreeNAS from flash card. Sadly my mobo doesn't have an IDE connection and the SATA to SD card devices are about £18 on fleabay. Wonder if a STA to IDE converter exists?

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Okay can't wait till Feb, must have my NAS server NOW. So I have to go Intel as I can't find a Zotac 8200 mobo froma reputable retailer. here's what's in my basket at Scan so please advise if there are any gremlins is this lot before I pull the trigger:

1) Mobo - went for he Intel DG45FC mini-ITX
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Intel...Board-Graphics
Has everything I need including 4 Sata ports and one eSata. No wifi but I hate wireless anyway.

2) CPU - went for the cheapest Pentium on Today only - the E5200
http://www.scan.co.uk/product.aspx?ProductId=29748

3) RAM - 2GB of DDR2 800Mhz (any speed advantage to getting 2 x1GB?)
VS2GB800D2 - 2GB Corsair Value Select, DDR2 PC2-6400 (800), 240 Pins, Non-ECC Unbuffered, CAS 5-5-5-18
http://www.scan.co.uk/product.aspx?ProductId=29363

4) HDD - Two of these
TB Samsung HD103SJ Spinpoint F3, SATA 3Gb/s, 7200rpm, 32MB Cache, 8.9 ms, NCQ, OEM
http://www.scan.co.uk/product.aspx?ProductId=30855
Are they fast, reliable and quiet, with low power consumption??

5) Need a small cheap HDD for the OS, any suggestions?

6) Will need a low profile heatsink for the CPU, but will order that after I've seen how much rrom I have in the case ( http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=12632 CFI A9849 Mini-ITX NAS/Server Case - 2 Hot Swap Bays)

please let me know - I need a quiet, low power system for NAS

This motherboard is cheaper and should do the job:

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/181269

I would also go for E3200 as it has lower power consumption than a E5200:

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu...n-e3300_8.html

[kmac]

CAT
I looked at the ebuyer deal. However, I will need 4 Sata ports - DVD, 1Tb HDD, 2nd 1Tb HDD, OS HDD and that one has three I believe. Also the review you linked to said that the one I got was worth the extra money.

Scan wasn't offering the E3200 else I would have gone for it. Jst got the lowest powered 775 socket on Today Only. Not a bad deal for £37 and apparently it is pretty power efficient.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

The DG41MJ has the older ICH7 southbridge whereas the DG45FC has the newer ICH10 so this maybe important to know.

Here are reviews for the DG45FC:

http://www.trustedreviews.com/mother...ntel-DG45FC/p1

http://www.silentpcreview.com/Intel_DG45FC_mITX

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/mot...board-review/1

Here is a review for the DG41MJ:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/intel-dg41mj

Edit!!

You already went for the hardware so it doesn't matter now TBH!!

[kmac]

Thanks - read those. The last para in the DG41MJ convinced me.

DG45FC is equally power efficient, but its video decoding ability is superior. In addition, it offers a bevy of features including HDMI, S/PDIF, RAID, eSATA, an extra SATA port, and a PCI-E 1x slot instead of PCI. Not everyone needs these extra features, but in particular, digital audio and video outputs are essential for the most common application of mini-ITX systems: Home theater PC. Between the two, we would choose the DG41MJ only if cost was a major issue because the DG45FC can be had for only $25~$30 more. (It should be noted that both Intel boards only support processors rated 65W or lower.)

[kmac]

http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=12632

I received the above case today and had a look at it. first impressions are it is an excellent quality case. Side and top are steel made to look like brushed aluminium. No sharp bits to cut you.
Front is piano gloss ABS, front fan even has a removable mesh filter.

Power Supply is a CWT (Channel Well Technology). I believe they make PSUs for Corsair and Thermaltake, amongst others. The model is PSF220TP-60. It has an 8cm fan. When mobo arrives I'll be able to test noise levels. Only difference form the pic on the linITx site is the PSU only takes an input of 230V Ac as opposed to the 110v/230v switching one shown.