Lets Build A Plex Server......That Does Offer Stuff As Well

mrbiron

This is the initial build that will need constructive criticism to get out off the ground.
The main purpose of this build is for serving media and storage system (with secondary storage elsewhere) for pictures, home videos, and documents. I will be serving media to 3 rooms for now, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, and a Fire Kindle. I want to keep it around $400+- with the lesser being more desirable.

I will be reusing the following;
Cooler Master Cosmos 1000 ATX Case
Samsung Evo 250GB SSD
530W BFG Power Supply - This is the questionable device for me. I don't know how comfortable I am using this 7-8year old PS that hasn't run in a long time.
3TB WD Red
Various other drives for initial storage

Other Info
using a wired system through house
Router is a Netgear R7000 Nighthawk

Draft #1 for missing parts. Everything sourced from Newegg for simplicity of gathering information.
Intel Core i3 6100 CPU

Gigabyte Micro Atx MB Reason for Micro because I know the Cosmos is just too big but I'm on a budget

G.Skill Ripjaw 4 (2x4GB) This ram is compatible with the Gigabyte MB. Is 8gb enough?

Standard Bluray Burner Drive I need this in order to rip anything.

I don't know about an operating system yet as I havent found my windows 7 disk.

Thoughts...?

billbillw

Where do you live? Any access to Frys or Microcenter? MC has great deals on MB/CPUs.

Much better deals can be had on Haswell parts and ddr3 is also cheaper. Yes, a little more energy consumption, but I don't know if it will matter much.

Also, you should definitely plan on a new power supply. The newer processors have requirements that were not around back then, especially when it comes to sleep power states.

A 400w builder series corsair is all you need. Watch for coupon/rebate sales. Probably grab it under $30 if you're patient.

billbillw

Also, if you can't find your Win 7 disc, I may be able to sell you a very discounted Win 8 key (you can use it to directly install Win 10). I have a couple keys that I haven't used. I'd like to see them put to good use and upgraded to Win 10 before MS stops giving the free upgrades this summer.

ZLTFUL

8GB is enough but depending on how many devices you will be serving media up to, the processor may be the weak point here.
I started with an i3 in mine and quickly upgraded to an i5 quad as it would begin to max out cpu cycles with more than 2 devices being served causing buffering issues and minor lag in audio. Granted, I have none of my content compressed but it was still annoying.

That being said, I have since moved on to a much more robust server and have relegated my previous box to HTPC duties.

You can run it on a simple i3 box as long as you are only serving 1 or 2 devices, but if you are like me and share your entire Plex library with a dozen or so people, you may need to think bigger in the CPU department.

Also, I agree with Bill on the PSU...at that age, you are better off picking up a modern 400w PSU from someone like Corsair that will be a better match with today's tech.

D'prived

Ditto on the power supply. If you're unsure of its reliability then purchase a new one. 8GB of ram is good.
What software are you going to use to rip the blu-ray's? I recommend MakeMKV. It's simple to use and does a good job. I believe it's 50 bucks for a license. You can use it for free for 30 days if you want to try it out.

mrbiron

Thanks for the heads up guys.
At any time, 2 will most likely be the max for at least a couple years before my new roommate even needs to begin thinking about watching movies. I don't share well with others. Also, i want to keep this system for home use only because unlike you fine gentlemen, i do not have an IT background.

This system is designed to be purely a starter system that has upgrade ability further down the road.

As for the parts, i will start to plug them into pcpartpicker as soon as i/we are comfortable on the selection and will move from there. What might cost $400 on newegg may be in the realm of $325-$350 elsewhere which might help bump the budget a smidgen. Which in turn, might net a better CPU.

That's why i have you guys to help spend my money!


On to the PSU. What does you assume to be an average power requirement for a HDD? I plan on starting with an SSD, and (1) 3TB but will definitely add more as the year progresses and budget dictates. I don't want 1000w unit but i also don't want to undercut.

mrbiron

D'prived wrote: »

Ditto on the power supply. If you're unsure of its reliability then purchase a new one. 8GB of ram is good.
What software are you going to use to rip the blu-ray's? I recommend MakeMKV. It's simple to use and does a good job. I believe it's 50 bucks for a license. You can use it for free for 30 days if you want to try it out.

I will use the tried and true processes that you guys have laid out here as they are echoed (a lot) elsewhere. MakeMKV and Handbrake.

D'prived

mrbiron wrote: »

On to the PSU. What does you assume to be an average power requirement for a HDD? I plan on starting with an SSD, and (1) 3TB but will definitely add more as the year progresses and budget dictates. I don't want 1000w unit but i also don't want to undercut.

In the neighborhood of 400-500 watts will do.

billbillw

Yes, 400w is enough. A basic system like you have laid out draws less than 200w under load. Only gaming systems need more for the video cards.

Btw, makemkv is free while in beta (has been beta for years) Don't spend 50 on a license that isn't needed. It may get shutdown by MPAA at some point.

ZLTFUL

HDs draw the most power on initial spin-up. After that, you are looking at around 8 or so watts per drive.

nguyendot

Buy a cheap used server..... Lot of bang for the buck and they'll run forever.

mrbiron

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6400 2.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.00 @ B&H)
Motherboard: ASRock H170M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($87.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($35.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 430W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($42.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($48.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $394.94

Have
SSD - 250GB Evo
Case - Cooler Masters (will swap to micro atx when i have more money)
HDD - 3TB to get started, Smaller Drive for files photos. Will add more as i progress.

Still need to find my Windows 7 CD when i get home tonight.

What say you now? I changed the MB and up'd to the cheapest Skylake i5 which i assume will be leagues better than the i3?

mrbiron

nguyendot wrote: »

Buy a cheap used server..... Lot of bang for the buck and they'll run forever.

You got one lying around?

billbillw

That Corsair CX430 is actually $39.99 with a $20 rebate right now. Good choice.

Also, I would personally choose a better brand of memory. I stick by Crucial/Kingston/Corsair for most of my builds and never have issues.

Also, the cpu has a $15 promo code right now from Newegg, bringing it down to $175.

You might also consider this board. The Z170 is a better chipset and MSI is a better brand IMO. Plus, it is full ATX which could be better in the long run.
EDIT: I think the MSI board also adds USB3.1 and SATA Express for better future-proofing.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130871
It is $109-15% code ($92.50) with a $10 rebate.

Otherwise, looks good.

mrbiron

I'll check it out this afternoon.

I was sticking with the Micro Atx so i could swap the case out later on down the road for something a little more space friendly.

Either way, it looks like i can get the job done for just under $400.

billbillw

I was just thinking, I could sell you a used Intel X58 system for significantly less. It would already be activated when you install Windows 10.

PM me if you are interested and we can talk numbers. I could do Board/CPU/Memory/Video /Cooler, or do complete turn-key system in a really cool mATX case.

I have a lot of surplus parts.

nguyendot

mrbiron wrote: »

nguyendot wrote: »

Buy a cheap used server..... Lot of bang for the buck and they'll run forever.

You got one lying around?

Actually I do... for this reason lol

EndersShadow

mrbiron wrote: »

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6400 2.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.00 @ B&H)
Motherboard: ASRock H170M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($87.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($35.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 430W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($42.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($48.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $394.94

Have
SSD - 250GB Evo
Case - Cooler Masters (will swap to micro atx when i have more money)
HDD - 3TB to get started, Smaller Drive for files photos. Will add more as i progress.

Still need to find my Windows 7 CD when i get home tonight.

What say you now? I changed the MB and up'd to the cheapest Skylake i5 which i assume will be leagues better than the i3?

Super spiffy! Just means you blew your weekly beer wad on computer stuff hehehe....

My biggest cost for my setup was my HDD's (bought one by one) and the case (200 bucks ). Otherwise it looked similar to yours.

I need to up my CPU at somepoint to a i5 but I can wait... unless Ryan @ZLTFUL wants to let me buy his from his superpowerful HTPC he doesnt need (since he has like a 32+ TB Server now) and I will give him back the Pentium so the HTPC still runs hehehe....

nguyendot

HDD's are by far the most expensive since you will keep adding data and I try to keep at least one around for a spare.

mrbiron

billbillw wrote: »

I was just thinking, I could sell you a used Intel X58 system for significantly less. It would already be activated when you install Windows 10.

PM me if you are interested and we can talk numbers. I could do Board/CPU/Memory/Video /Cooler, or do complete turn-key system in a really cool mATX case.

I have a lot of surplus parts.

This won't make you happy but I think I got really excited about building a brand new computer and started ordering my parts earlier this afternoon.
CPU, PSU, and Optical Drive have been ordered.

I would be interested in a Windows License if your still willing to part with one. Should I be looking at 64 or 32 for OS?

I still haven't decided what I want to do with a MB which is also holding up the Ram department. That board you found, at that price, is very enticing.

billbillw

mrbiron wrote: »

This won't make you happy but I think I got really excited about building a brand new computer and started ordering my parts earlier this afternoon.
CPU, PSU, and Optical Drive have been ordered.

I would be interested in a Windows License if your still willing to part with one. Should I be looking at 64 or 32 for OS?

I still haven't decided what I want to do with a MB which is also holding up the Ram department. That board you found, at that price, is very enticing.

No problem. Just thought I'd throw it out there. I agree, nothing like a new system. One that has 3-y warranty on board/cpu.

64-bit is the only thing anyone should be looking at these days (IMO). Its the only way you'll see more than 3.5GB of RAM.

I'll send you PM about Windows License.

mrbiron

First box of goodies arrives tomorrow and I selected "slowest" as my delivery option. 2 days isn't to shabby.
MB and ram ordered today. My guess is maybe by Saturday if I play my cards right?

EndersShadow

Nice! You should think later on about adding a watercooled CPU cooler given how much empty space that case has. Would also keep it nice and cool AND quiet too

mrbiron

EndersShadow wrote: »

Nice! You should think later on about adding a watercooled CPU cooler given how much empty space that case has. Would also keep it nice and cool AND quiet too

How about this....you buy/install one first and i'll follow suit.

mrbiron

nbrowser wrote: »

You can buy pre-assembled water cooler units that are as easy as mount the waterblock on the processor and mount the radiator/fan in an unused case fan spot. Then again I had one fail and almost take my beloved i7 950 with it...

It's not a budget item. I haven't even bought HDD's yet!
When i make JoeJoe money, i'll just pay someone to run a server for me.

EndersShadow

mrbiron wrote: »

EndersShadow wrote: »

Nice! You should think later on about adding a watercooled CPU cooler given how much empty space that case has. Would also keep it nice and cool AND quiet too

How about this....you buy/install one first and i'll follow suit.

Trust me, if I could I would have... my two computer cases (Silverstone GD-07 & GD-08) dont have the right configuration for them, or at least not that I can see easily, otherwise Ida done it lol...

Maybe the HTPC can have it in the middle section if I cut out the HDD bracket.... hmmmmmm

mrbiron

but what are the maintenance requirements. How often do you swap the water?
Can i install the mounting bracket with the board mounted or do i need to remove the board to install this thing? I am unfamiliar to newer tech as i've been out of the game for so long.

My case DOES have the holes pre-drilled and grommet'd for water cooling out the back. It has been the single best case i ever bought and i have bought some POS's.

We'll see how i feel when i see/hold the CPU Fan assembly today. I was a big Zalman fan back in my hay day.

D'prived

I've been in IT for 21 years and in that time I've seen maybe 2 processors fail. Heat issues? Maybe, maybe not. It's a known fact that the cooler you keep it the longer it will last but who wants to hang on to a CPU for the next 20 years. IMO water cooling a CPU is an unnecessary expense.

mrbiron

D'prived wrote: »

I've been in IT for 21 years and in that time I've seen maybe 2 processors fail. Heat issues? Maybe, maybe not. It's a known fact that the cooler you keep it the longer it will last but who wants to hang on to a CPU for the next 20 years. IMO water cooling a CPU is an unnecessary expense.

And there you have it @Enders. A penny saved is a penny earned!
Now i can put a down payment on a HDD.

nguyendot

Yeah watercooling really is just a gimmick. The lifespan on a water pump is significantly less than that of a heatsink and fan, with the fan being easily replaced if it fails as most are 80/92/120mm standard sizes. I have an AIO on my 6 core, but it was just to try it out and I got it for about $50, about the same price as my Hyper 212EVO. That's another reason servers don't use liquid cooling - reliability is not great. They are very quiet, however.

EndersShadow

@mrbiron

Yeah but your geek cred goes up with the cooler .... Yes it means you have to mount a backplate to the motherboard, but you do that before you install it and your golden lol....

Yes they could go out, yes it may not be needed, but I figured you wanted a bit of bling right..

...

Its all good, my CPU cooler was like 45 bucks and works like a charm but I've been debating that corsair because its entirely self contained and I dont think its ever meant for you to have to change the water out at all, just set and forget.....

Main reason would be it would keep the CPU cool and also quiet things down a bit as you could run the fan slower....