Unraid Build - Hardware Questions - Suggestions Requested

[PaulW08]

Hi everyone!

I currently have the following hardware in my Unraid Build:

Build’s Name: Sesame
Operating System/ Storage Platform: Unraid
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3900x
Motherboard: Asrock X570 Phantom Gaming 4
Chassis: Fractal Define R4
Drives: 4x 10TB (2 Parity), 1x 8TB, 3x 5TB, 1TB SSD for Cache
RAM: 96GB DDR 4 - 2x 32GB and 2x 16GB
Add-in Cards: 1660TI 6GB GDDR6, Mellanox MNPH29D-XTR - Using 1x SFP+ for 10Gb
Power Supply: 750W

Overall the system runs great. I use it for a daily driver VM and 3 VMS that come on and off as needed. Also use if for a bunch of your usual dockers like Emby.

I'm thinking about getting another GPU for HW transcoding, but my 2 PCIe x16 slots are already being taken. One by the 1660TI and the other by the Mellanox MNPH29D-XTR. I've searched all over and don't see any PCIE x1 10Gb cards. I've seen that sometimes you can run a x4 or even a x8 card in a x1 slot and it will work, although it would be at the cost of lower bandwidth, but this wasn't the case for me when I tried to move my Mellanox card to a x1 slot. It wouldn't power up or be detected.

I'm at the point now where I am debating purchasing an Asrock X570 Taichi just to get that extra PCIe x16 slot. I choose this motherboard due to the x8 SATA ports. I'm just trying to go through all my options and get some other opinions. Maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way and would love to get some insight from some people that most likely know a lot more than I do.

Thanks everyone!

 

[zer0sum]

Could you fit a single slot card in somewhere?

I use a cheap and cheerful Nvidia P400 and it's tiny, and does just fine transcoding multiple streams

 

[PaulW08]

Could you fit a single slot card in somewhere?

I physically have space for a single slot card, but after all my current cards, I am left with 2 PCIe x1 slots. Everything out there is either x8 or x16 from what I see.

 

[BoredSysadmin]

sorry for a stupid question, but why couldn't you use gtx1660 for hardware transcoding? Just run plex in docker and make necessary changes.
With the patch, you won't be restricted to 3 streams.

 

[zer0sum]

sorry for a stupid question, but why couldn't you use gtx1660 for hardware transcoding? Just run plex in docker and make necessary changes.
With the patch, you won't be restricted to 3 streams.

It looks like the 1660 is being passed through to his "daily driver VM", so it can't be used for a docker instance.

Although they could easily run plex/emby in the VM and use hardware transcoding there and just point it back to the UnRAID shares for the media content.

 

[zer0sum]

I physically have space for a single slot card, but after all my current cards, I am left with 2 PCIe x1 slots. Everything out there is either x8 or x16 from what I see.

Are your x1 slots open ended?
Or, are you open to making them open ended

 

[PaulW08]

Although they could easily run plex/emby in the VM and use hardware transcoding there and just point it back to the UnRAID shares for the media content.

hmmm, something to consider for sure!

Are your x1 slots open ended?
Or, are you open to making them open ended

They are open ended, but when I tried moving my network card over, it did not show up.

 

[PaulW08]

Just to follow up on this. I switched to a PCIE 3.0 x4 NIC card. I'm not getting my full bandwidth due to it being in a x1 slot, but still a lot better than gigabit!

The x4 card is getting power where the x8 card was not. Just wanted to update this thread incase someone finds this in the future and has a similar dilemma.