FreeNAS Server Build for Local Storage and light FTP

[Davidh373]

Ok, to start out I'd like to say I'm sorry for this is the second time I've posted for the same build (not the same parts). I just either haven't had time to build, or haven't had the money, or I had to buy software when I had the money, ect. The original post was made roughly 6 months ago, so many prices have shifted as well as some performance.

I was originally going to build with the Celeron Conroe for it's 35W TDP, but to save some money and gain substantial performance I'm now going with the AMD Sempron which is 45W and a DDR3 Motherboard.

I have a very limited budget and have already massaged this one down to where I can afford it NOW . I am willing to wait if there are specific holes in the build or a good lower wattage benefit.

Here is the build:

Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-222-_-Product

PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-077-_-Product

CPU/Mobo combo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.455938

RAM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820134787

Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-175-_-Product

EDIT: I'm hoping for 1-2 simultaneous users to be able to run off 1GB. I don't see why it would need a ton of Ram. If FTP is used it will only be me if it's this build, if My friend and our clients are allowed access I've told him he'll need to pop me about $50 so I can afford a 2GB stick and a 2TB Hard drive in the same performance range.

EDIT 2: Totals out @ $318

 

[mfenn]

Is the link to your combo deal borked?

Anyway, it looks fine to me. With FreeNAS, 1GB of RAM should be plenty because there is really not very much running, just FreeBSD and a web server. I think the web server is even Lighttpd instead of Apache.

You'll be pretty much limited by the speed of the disk/network (whichever is slower), so I think you will be fine with the Sempron.

 

[Davidh373]

I have a gigabit network with all CAT5. Thanks for the thumbs up!

 

[Davidh373]

Alright, so I figured out why that combo link wouldn't work, it doesn't exist anymore. That saved me about $20 and gave me a quality motherboard, so are there any other combos that could save me some money elsewhere?

 

[mfenn]

Yeah it seems like the combos with the Sempron 140 have dried up. This MSI looks pretty decent for your price range. Onboard video, DDR3, potential to unlock the second core on the Sempron, 6 SATA ports, GigE, etc.

 

[Davidh373]

Alright... little update. At this point i'm planning on throwing another $100 at this build and making it an HTPC build.

I figure since it's going to be close to $400 anyway I might as well game on it too.

The resolution of my projector is 640 x 480, so I don't think I'll need an epic graphics card or processor or anything. I would like to crank Graphics and AA at resolution and get ~30 fps in BFBC2 and other fps'

Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811204034

CPU/DVD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.494794

Mobo/OS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...524.13-131-618

RAM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-395-_-Product

Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-185-_-Product

Now, I'm hoping I won't have to pop for these, I have an old HP HIPRO 300W PSU and I THINK I have a Geforce 7300 GS sitting around, but if they will not work these would be my choices.

PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371033

Graphics Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-843-_-Product

Total W/O PSU and Graphics = $450
Total W/ PSU and Graphics = $555.97

I can't really pull off the $570.96 right now, so I would have to wait. I calculated the wattage for the build with extreme power calculator and it said 216 for the default build with graphics and 3 HDs was 216W, but it appears to be a rather cheap PSU...

Can you guys recommend other deals / combos for me here to get it farther down in price? I'd like to get it as close to $500 as possible, but lower is proffered. Somewhere around $480 would be the sweet spot. I realize how annoying it can be to get a build with graphics done below $500, so I apologize for that in advance.

EDIT: I think I'll rebuild this tomorrow. I think I'm screwing something up because I remember we've pulled off a $500 gaming budget before... or rather you did mfenn... anyways, I'm very tired so I think i'll be better in the afternoon when i'm rested . Feel free to mess around with this. If it isn't below $520 I think I'll just go with my original plans though. There is no sense in me getting off-track like I did before and not get this built for a second time.

 

[mfenn]

You've got a DDR2 mobo and DDR3 memory, so that's not going to work. I'm not sure if you will get a gaming build with Windows for $500. Without Windows that's doable. Also, I don't really like the idea of gaming on the fileserver.

 

[Davidh373]

I doubt I'd be gaming and file-serving at the same time. The main thing it will be doing is HTPC stuff at this point along with some low-res gaming. I'd probably just have a shared folder on my personal network. What I was told by my friend last night is he was not going to invest money in the build, so he won't be getting the FTP. I will likely use the ftp for emergencies when I need a file at school due for homework or something (which unfortunately has come up before and I didn't have the FTP so I wasn't able to hand in the assignment !O_O!). So it will be doing either/ or and not both. If I decide it has to do both I will probably get another HD and have the ftp pull from that drive.

If $500 can't be done could you get me to anything cheaper than I have posted up there? Could I use a more expensive mobo with a high(ish) performance on-board? It is REALLY low res. That would save me some power consumption and $52, so I could then get the new PSU without increasing the price of my builds up there much.

 

[Davidh373]

Something like this maybe?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...524.13-157-177

with this

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-203-_-Product

or if I end up being able to afford it, this.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-207-_-Product

After a short period of time I plan to go from 2GB - 4GB ram and throw in a $50 or so graphics card just to somewhat balance things out.

 

[mfenn]

I doubt I'd be gaming and file-serving at the same time. The main thing it will be doing is HTPC stuff at this point along with some low-res gaming. I'd probably just have a shared folder on my personal network. What I was told by my friend last night is he was not going to invest money in the build, so he won't be getting the FTP. I will likely use the ftp for emergencies when I need a file at school due for homework or something (which unfortunately has come up before and I didn't have the FTP so I wasn't able to hand in the assignment !O_O!). So it will be doing either/ or and not both. If I decide it has to do both I will probably get another HD and have the ftp pull from that drive.

If $500 can't be done could you get me to anything cheaper than I have posted up there? Could I use a more expensive mobo with a high(ish) performance on-board? It is REALLY low res. That would save me some power consumption and $52, so I could then get the new PSU without increasing the price of my builds up there much.

Oh, I'm not saying that you can't get a computer for $500, I'm just saying that you can't get anything that I would call a "gaming" computer for that amount.

An IGP is a good idea though.

Something like this maybe?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...524.13-157-177

with this

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-203-_-Product

or if I end up being able to afford it, this.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-207-_-Product

After a short period of time I plan to go from 2GB - 4GB ram and throw in a $50 or so graphics card just to somewhat balance things out.

Those look fine, but since you are apparently a student, can't you get Windows for super-cheap?

 

[Davidh373]

Those look fine, but since you are apparently a student, can't you get Windows for super-cheap?

Windows 7 student pricing is only for a single copy unfortunately, and it isn't "super cheap" a full install version costs $65 with $10 shipping so getting it for $90 with a mobo is my best bet.

I don't need it to be a heavy gaming machine. Like I said, something I can get at an acceptable level and play at 640 x 480 res. My old 2MB L2 Cache Core 2 Duo with 2GB ram and a 9800GTX 512mb can play Crysis @ 1440 x 900 acceptably (which is a horribly hardware hungry game) so I was hoping something that was a lighter on the graphics side and a little heavier on the processing side could handle 640 x 480 on other, better optimized games of today. I don't really need 8x AA and 1920 X 1080, just maybe 2x AA and 640 x 480 with somewhat high quality settings. Anything to be able to sit back on my couch and relax .

 

[mfenn]

Windows 7 student pricing is only for a single copy unfortunately, and it isn't "super cheap" a full install version costs $65 with $10 shipping so getting it for $90 with a mobo is my best bet.

I don't need it to be a heavy gaming machine. Like I said, something I can get at an acceptable level and play at 640 x 480 res. My old 2MB L2 Cache Core 2 Duo with 2GB ram and a 9800GTX 512mb can play Crysis @ 1440 x 900 acceptably (which is a horribly hardware hungry game) so I was hoping something that was a lighter on the graphics side and a little heavier on the processing side could handle 640 x 480 on other, better optimized games of today. I don't really need 8x AA and 1920 X 1080, just maybe 2x AA and 640 x 480 with somewhat high quality settings. Anything to be able to sit back on my couch and relax .

Wow, your university sucks. At my alma mater we could get an ISO and license key for free through MSDNAA or buy the media for like $10.

Actually, you could probably check out some of Anandtech's laptop reviews to see how current games perform on an IGP at low res. I think you will be fine with an IGP at 640x480.

 

[Davidh373]

It's actually Microsoft's rule. I know we can get a free license at the community College (Which partners with my university) but you have to be in a computer class at the time which you need it at the CC. Anyways, I think I might just go with a better MoBo in the server as well as the 3 internal bay version of the case I had planned originally. Then if I feel up to it later I'll upgrade the processor and throw 4GB ram it's way and it'll be up to the task. It's just one of those things I feel if I put it off it'll get forgotten again until I "need" something else. Best not to get carried away I guess .

 

[Davidh373]

Pulled the trigger today . I got the Combo deal for the Motherboard/ Processor since it returned (The ASUS 785G DDR2 Board and the Sempron 140). I got 1GB Ram for now to run the server. I will eventually buy a 4GB kit and make it an HTPC maybe add a cheap G-Card and throw in an Athlon but not probably for months ahead. Thank mfenn. You gave great advice as always!

 

[mfenn]

Pulled the trigger today . I got the Combo deal for the Motherboard/ Processor since it returned (The ASUS 785G DDR2 Board and the Sempron 140). I got 1GB Ram for now to run the server. I will eventually buy a 4GB kit and make it an HTPC maybe add a cheap G-Card and throw in an Athlon but not probably for months ahead. Thank mfenn. You gave great advice as always!

No prob

 

[Davidh373]

so the parts are coming any minute now. I have one tiny FreeNAS question though. Is it best to have it run on a flash drive or on the hard drive? I'm thinking about going to Best Buy and buying whatever their cheapest flash drive is.

 

[mfenn]

so the parts are coming any minute now. I have one tiny FreeNAS question though. Is it best to have it run on a flash drive or on the hard drive? I'm thinking about going to Best Buy and buying whatever their cheapest flash drive is.

I would definitely run the OS from a flash drive. There's really no reason to make your partitioning scheme complicated by putting the OS on one of the Data drives. Having them separate also makes migrating to bigger drives much easier.

 

[Davidh373]

I've got the machine running, but I'm having problems installing on the flash drive. I've done some searching through forums but I was told to just put the embedded installer on the flash and it would run fine. Apparently that guy was wrong! Any tips or links?

 

[Davidh373]

By The Way. I AM NEVER getting another one of these cases. Cable management was a mess and the screws were tightened so much (and were so cheap) that it was near impossible to test screwdrivers without insta-stripping them. Otherwise it went smoothly! . The case looks great, all glossy and such, but inside it's a tangled up mess because there is absolutely nowhere for the cables to go.

 

[mfenn]

I've got the machine running, but I'm having problems installing on the flash drive. I've done some searching through forums but I was told to just put the embedded installer on the flash and it would run fine. Apparently that guy was wrong! Any tips or links?

You actually, DO just put the embedded image on the flash drive, but in a different way.

You can't just put the image file on the USB stick, you have to actually write the contents of the image to the USB stick. There are many ways to do this, but here's a link to the ArchLinux wiki that describes how to do it.

 

[Davidh373]

I chose to write it to the flash drive with win32 diskimager and I come to the same result. I get through BIOS and all it says is

"Reboot and select proper boot device
or insert media into the proper boot device and press a key"

I do and it duplicates that message on the screen as many times as I press a key.

I have Bios specifically set up to boot from the Patriot stick. Boot order goes like this:

Patriot mem.
Removable dev.
CD (no cd drive on the system though)

 

[mfenn]

I chose to write it to the flash drive with win32 diskimager and I come to the same result. I get through BIOS and all it says is

"Reboot and select proper boot device
or insert media into the proper boot device and press a key"

I do and it duplicates that message on the screen as many times as I press a key.

I have Bios specifically set up to boot from the Patriot stick. Boot order goes like this:

Patriot mem.
Removable dev.
CD (no cd drive on the system though)

Strange. I imaging that you're doing something wrong, but it's something that's hard to diagnose via forums. You can always use the LiveCD and just install to the USB stick.

 

[Davidh373]

lol, noob question, how do I burn the CD to install it? Just use something like imgburn?

 

[mfenn]

lol, noob question, how do I burn the CD to install it? Just use something like imgburn?

Yes, ImgBurn will burn the ISO for you.

 

[Davidh373]

The OS is up and running off the Flash stick ! Sorry for not posting earlier and troubling you with all that noob nonsense. I don't install OS' much so it's always a challenge for me whenever I need to boot from a burned disk. Now I just have to take the time and move it to the router and test if it works how it should on my network. I hope I don't run into anything there...