Hi all, first-time poster here, looking for feedback on a home server build. It's pretty low-budget compared to some other builds I've read about here, but then my requirements aren't very high either.
Build name: Mini-ITX home server
OS/Platform: Windows Server 2012 R2
CPU: Intel AtomC2550 C2750
Motherboard:Asrock C2550D4I Gigabyte GA-9SISL
Chassis:Fractal Design Node 304 Chenbro SR30169
OS drive: 60 GB Intel 520 series SSD (re-using from a previous project)
Data drives: 2x 4 TB WD Red (possibly more Reds in the future if/when disk space requirements increase)
RAM: 2x KingstonKVR16LN11/4 KVR16LE11S8/4 DDR3L-1600 ECC (8 GB total)
Power supply:Corsair CX430M SeaSonic G360
Usage Profile: file/print server, IIS + SQL Server (some custom web apps for personal use), Git server, Plex, possibly a VM or two
Any feedback is welcome, but mostly I'm looking for answers to the following:
1) Is the C2550 enough for a couple of transcodes with Plex, or should I go for the C2750? The video files I have aren't very high-bitrate, mostly in the 5-10 Mb/s range I think, and I use DirectPlay as much as I can, but sometimes transcoding is necessary (e.g. for subtitles). This is the main thing my current server struggles with, so I want to make sure I have enough headroom. Alternatively, is there a Xeon-based CPU+MB combination in the same price range I could be looking at instead? I might be willing to trade fanless operation for more power, if it fits my other requirements (Mini-ITX, 6+ SATA ports, reasonably low-power).
2) Any advantage to running Plex in a VM? I've been pondering whether my current all-in-one approach is optimal, or if I should virtualise some or all of the server's roles. With Plex, in particular, though, I'm thinking it's best left on the host OS so it can use as many CPU cores as it needs.
3) Is the RAM okay? It's not on Asrock's QVL, but Kingston's website says it works with the motherboard. Can I trust them on this?
4) Considering my usage profile above, should I pay extra for ECC RAM?
Thanks in advance!
Build name: Mini-ITX home server
OS/Platform: Windows Server 2012 R2
CPU: Intel Atom
Motherboard:
Chassis:
OS drive: 60 GB Intel 520 series SSD (re-using from a previous project)
Data drives: 2x 4 TB WD Red (possibly more Reds in the future if/when disk space requirements increase)
RAM: 2x Kingston
Power supply:
Usage Profile: file/print server, IIS + SQL Server (some custom web apps for personal use), Git server, Plex, possibly a VM or two
Any feedback is welcome, but mostly I'm looking for answers to the following:
1) Is the C2550 enough for a couple of transcodes with Plex, or should I go for the C2750? The video files I have aren't very high-bitrate, mostly in the 5-10 Mb/s range I think, and I use DirectPlay as much as I can, but sometimes transcoding is necessary (e.g. for subtitles). This is the main thing my current server struggles with, so I want to make sure I have enough headroom. Alternatively, is there a Xeon-based CPU+MB combination in the same price range I could be looking at instead? I might be willing to trade fanless operation for more power, if it fits my other requirements (Mini-ITX, 6+ SATA ports, reasonably low-power).
2) Any advantage to running Plex in a VM? I've been pondering whether my current all-in-one approach is optimal, or if I should virtualise some or all of the server's roles. With Plex, in particular, though, I'm thinking it's best left on the host OS so it can use as many CPU cores as it needs.
3) Is the RAM okay? It's not on Asrock's QVL, but Kingston's website says it works with the motherboard. Can I trust them on this?
4) Considering my usage profile above, should I pay extra for ECC RAM?
Thanks in advance!
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