Hardware feedback for new build

[carrige]

Hi folks. I'm putting together my first home NAS server build - first PC build since 2005 - and I'd appreciate any feedback you think relevant. I currently have an old 2018 Dell laptop running Ubuntu and a load of docker containers and a single external HDD, which will be replaced with this new build. The use is going to be limited primarily to:

• Plex server, max 3 concurrent users. Mostly direct play of content over ethernet (minimal to no transcoding needed), and adjacent docker container services
• Home Assistant and adjacent docker container services (like zigbee2mqtt) 
• Pi Hole
• Immich
• NAS fileshare as a backup target for phones and PCs

General thoughts and design philosophy:

• I'd like something that is energy efficient at minimal loads, and MicroATX's form factor appealed to me. Having said that, I'm going for function over form. It doesn't need to look pretty, but silent (and low cost to operate)
• Looking at starting off with 3x 6TB drives for 12TB total useable, and then add on extra drives over time. 
• I want to future proof (in terms of CPU and RAM) for the next 5 years' or so. 

Current tentative parts are here, though I've not got my heart set on anything specific yet. https://nl.pcpartpicker.com/list/BMfPBq. My initial hunch is that I might have gone a bit overboard with the CPU,

Any similar experiences or use cases? What did you end up using?

 

[ubergeek]

You can look at others builds LINKED HERE

 

From my own perspective I am still running my nas "15 4tb drives and a 2060" on a 8th gen i3 8350k. It has plex , ubiquity server, immich , and other running with very low cpu usage "most days under 30%" 

With that said that looks to be a solid start 

[Mobius]

of your listed motherboards i would recommend MSI PRO H610M-G DDR4 Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard
the other listed options have a relatek nic and those in general don't play nice with nas operating systems

i suggest checking out the hardwarebusters website to find an efficient power supply for your build.

nothing wrong with going a bit overboard with your cpu, i initially planned to get a core ultra 245k for my current build but for some reason the 265k was cheaper so i got that. Now i can't help but think a 285k would be even better lol.
265k works great, it is a slightly stronger cpu than the one you picked but i had no issues with 1 jellyfin stream, immich and a very bloated qbitorrent running in the background.

[PsychoWards]

In addition to what @ubergeek and @Mobius said, never run RAM in single Channel (1 Module) always go for dual Channel (2 modules) or else you are leaving a lot of performance on the table.

If you want to have 32GB RAM go for 2x16GB but not 1x32GB 🙂 

[carrige]

Thanks for all the input so far! Swapped out the motherboard based on @Mobius’s suggestion. 

As for the memory performance - I am aware of dual/single channels, but thank you anyway for raising it @PsychoWards. My thought process was that since I’m limited to two memory slots, with max total of 64GB, then I would leave myself room for future expandability (just adding an additional 1x32GB) down the line without needing to buy a new 2x32GB kit. Is it going to be a difference that is noticeable in normal use cases like those that I outlined in the main post? I’m not necessarily going for maximizing benchmark scores. 
 

[Mobius]

I think it'll be fine but i haven't tested out a similar setup myself.

[ubergeek]

15 hours ago, Mobius said:

I think it'll be fine but i haven't tested out a similar setup myself.

I have ran a single 16 module in testing with truenas and didn't see a real performance change. I need to grab a r540 off the shelf and test a single 32 to see how it effects but in a normal OS dual channel memory is the way to go