[Guide] Anniversary 2.0 "SNAFU" - Server Needs a Friggin' Upgrade

[JDM_WAAAT]

[JOIN THE DISCORD]

Special thank-you to all of the moderators, trustworthy, and Patreon supporters who provide valuable feedback and put up with me on a daily basis.

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Objective & Overview

Create the end-all guide for LGA2011. Update the Anniversary NSFW build to include many more options and avenues, including but not limited to: vendor direct deals, pre-built systems, add-in cards, storage, and sample builds.

Following in the wake of the very popular NAS Killer 4.0 build guide, utilize a similar format to flesh out viable LGA2011 options.

Every section will have many recommendations. It’s up to you to choose what’s right for you!

[Guide Overview] Anniversary 2.0 LGA2011 "SNAFU" - Server Needs a Friggin'...

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[Table of Contents - clickable links]

1. Objective/Overview
   1. Overview Video
   2. Before you get started…
   3. Suggested Research & Planning Order
2. Case/Chassis Options
   1. Tower Cases
   2. Rackmount Chassis
3. Motherboard Options
   1. Dual CPU Motherboards
   2. Single CPU Motherboards
   3. X79 Motherboards
4. CPU Options
   1. Single CPU
   2. Dual CPU
5. CPU Cooling Options
   1. Narrow ILM
   2. Square ILM
   3. Liquid Cooling
6. RAM Options
   1. DDR3 ECC RDIMM
   2. DDR3 ECC/non-ECC UDIMM
7. Power Supply Options
8. Add-in Cards
9. Other Parts
10. SSD Options
11. HDD Options
    1. Shuckable Drives
    2. SATA Drives
    3. SAS Drives
12. Prebuilt Options
13. Supplemental Guides and Resources
14. Vendor Deals
15. Sample Builds

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[Overview Video]

Coming soon…

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[Before you get started…]

1. Verify component compatibility via the documentation provided by the manufacturer. Do not use ebay listing descriptions, Amazon reviews, or otherwise!
   When in doubt, ask here on the forum or on the discord!

2. Plan out your build thoroughly - Google Sheets helps a lot with this.
   PC Parts Picker will not help you with a server build.

3. Always purchase from ebay sellers with > 98% positive feedback in the last 6 months.

4. Always use the “best offer” feature when available. Auctions rarely produce good deals, but best offers on buy it now items can be crazy low! Aim for 15-20% off of the list price.

5. Check the #marketplace:vendor-direct-deals and #marketplace:pawn-shop-wts sections of the forum! Vendors and users like you are offering up their wares, no harm in seeing if they have what you need!

6. Actually read the guide! I’ve done my best to be thorough. If there’s something I didn’t address or something that needs to be fixed, please comment on this thread.

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[Suggested Research & Planning Order]

[JDM_WAAAT]

[Case / Chassis Options]

Tower Cases

Below are some of my picks. Even farther below is a table with all of the recommendations.

Phanteks Enthoo Pro - This is the standard dual-Xeon case. It fits the huge EE-ATX motherboards, has a decent amount of room for storage, is well built, and affordable. It’s not perfect at any one thing, but it’s good at everything.

Phanteks Eclipse P600S - It supports up to 10x3.5" HDD and 3x2.5" SSD (you may have to buy additional HDD cages). You can also buy a Mini-ITX mounting bracket to fit an entire system in the top of the case… It would be a cool place to fit a #builds:mini-pfsense.

Anidees AI Crystal XL V3 - You’d have to be a little crazy if you buy this. It’s expensive and flashy, but that doesn’t mean it’s not capable. Forget any premise of subtlety - ostentatious is the only way to describe it.

Silverstone FT-04 - It’s an expensive, but well designed German tank. The exact opposite of the AI Crystal XL V3.

Brand	Model (link)	Style	Form Factor Support	3.5" (Native + Non-native)	Max Fan Config	Price per drive bay	Expected Price
Anidees	AI Crystal XL V3	Full Tower	All	15	13x120mm	$18.00	$270.00
Antec	P101 Silent	Mid Tower	<=ATX	8 + 1	4x140mm/120mm	$14.44	$130.00
Cooler Master	N400	Mid Tower	<= ATX	8 + 2	8x120mm	$6.50	$65.00
Cooler Master	HAF 912	Mid Tower	<= ATX	6 + 4	6x120mm or 4x120mm + 1x200mm	$7.00	$70.00
Cooler Master	Elite 350 (with PSU)	Mid Tower	<= ATX	6 + 4	2x120mm, 1x80mm	$8.50	$85.00
Cooler Master	Cosmos II RC-1200-KKN2	Full Tower	<= SSI-EEB	11 + 2	13x120mm	$14.62	$190.00
Fractal Design	XL R2	Full Tower	<= SSI-EEB	8 + 4	6x140mm/120mm	$11.25	$135.00
Fractal Design	R6	Mid Tower	<= ATX	6 + 5	9x140mm/120mm	$11.45	$126.00
Phanteks	Enthoo Pro	Full Tower	<= SSI-EEB+*	6 + 3	10x120mm	$11.11	$100.00
Phanteks	Enthoo Pro TG	Full Tower	<=SSI-EEB+*	6 + 3	10x120mm	$12.22	$110.00
Phanteks	Enthoo Pro M RGB TG	Mid Tower	<= ATX	2 + 6	7x120mm	$12.50	$100.00
Phanteks	Eclipse P400S	Mid Tower	<= ATX	2 + 4	6x120mm	$13.33	$80.00
Phanteks	Enthoo Pro RGB TG	Full Tower	<=SSI-EEB+*	6 + 3	10x120mm	$14.44	$130.00
Phanteks	P600S	Full Tower	<=ATX	4 + 6	7x120mm or 6x140mm	$15.00	$150.00
Phanteks	Enthoo Luxe TG	Full Tower	<=SSI-EEB+*	6 + 3	10x120mm	$20.00	$180.00
Rosewill	Rise Glow	Full Tower	<= SSI-EEB	5 + 2	6x140mm/120mm	$15.71	$110.00
Silverstone	KL04B	Mid Tower	<=ATX	10 + 3	6x120mm	$8.31	$108.00
Silverstone	SST-CS380B	Mid Tower	<= ATX	8 hotswap + 2	3x120mm	$17.00	$170.00
Silverstone	GD07B	HTPC	<= SSI-EEB	5 + 4	3x120mm, 2x80mm	$21.11	$190.00
Silverstone	FT-04	Full Tower	<= SSI-EEB	7 + 2	2x180mm, 1x120mm	$25.56	$230.00

Rackmount Chassis

When in doubt, buy the Rosewill RSV-L4500.

Brand	Model (link)	Style	Form Factor Support	3.5" (Native + Non-native)	Max Fan Config	SAS Version	Notes	Price per drive bay	Expected Price
Rosewill	RSV-L4500	4U Rackmount	<= SSI-EEB	15	6x120mm, 2x80mm			$9.00	$135.00
Rosewill	RSV-R4000	4U Rackmount	<= SSI-EEB	8 + 3	2x120mm, 2x80mm			$9.09	$100.00
Rosewill	RSV-R4100	4U Rackmount (short depth)	<= ATX	6 + 2	1x120mm, 2x80mm			$9.38	$75.00
Rosewill	RSV-L4000	4U Rackmount	<= SSI-EEB	8 + 3	5x120mm, 2x80mm			$10.64	$117.00
Rosewill	RSV-L4412	4U Rackmount	<= SSI-EEB	12 hotswap	3x120mm, 2x80mm			$20.83	$250.00
Supermicro	CSE-826A	2U Rackmount	<= SSI-EEB+	12 hotswap	3x80mm	Passthrough	SAS Direct 8087	$20.83	$250.00
Supermicro	CSE-825TQ	2U Rackmount	<= SSI-EEB+	12 hotswap	3x80mm	Passthrough	SAS Direct Breakout	$12.50	$150.00
Supermicro	CSE-SAS2-826EL1	2U Rackmount	<= SSI-EEB+	12 hotswap	3x80mm	SAS2	SAS 8087	$25.00	$300.00
Supermicro	CSE-836A	3U Rackmount	<= SSI-EEB+	16 hotswap	5x80mm	Passthrough	SAS Direct 8087	???	???
Supermicro	CSE-836TQ	3U Rackmount	<= SSI-EEB+	16 hotswap	5x80mm	Passthrough	SAS Direct Breakout	$15.63	$250.00
Supermicro	CSE-SAS2-836EL1	3U Rackmount	<= SSI-EEB+	16 hotswap	5x80mm	SAS2	SAS 8087	$12.50	$200.00
Supermicro	CSE-846A	4U Rackmount	<= SSI-EEB+	24 hotswap	5x80mm	Passthrough	SAS Direct 8087	???	???
Supermicro	CSE-846TQ	4U Rackmount	<= SSI-EEB+	24 hotswap	5x80mm	Passthrough	SAS Direct Breakout	???	???
Supermicro	CSE-SAS2-846EL1	4U Rackmount	<= SSI-EEB+	24 hotswap	5x80mm	SAS2	SAS 8087	$12.50	$300.00

[JDM_WAAAT]

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[Motherboard options] (click for full spreadsheet)

Credit to @Riggi for doing 99% of the legwork with the motherboard research!

This is the area where you will have to do the most research. The foundations for a long lasting build starts with a good motherboard. This is the best way to future-proof.

Important - Not all hardware revisions support v2 CPUs.

The hardware revision is independent of the BIOS version. BOTH must be the correct version to allow for V2 CPU compatibility. If the hardware revision allows for it, it might be a good idea to purchase a cheap ($5) V1 CPU just in case you need to flash the BIOS.

Verify with the vendor that the motherboard supports V2 CPUs before purchasing. Generally, this applies only to server motherboards. X79 motherboards are not affected unless specified by the seller.

Dual CPU Motherboards

I’m not going to give a specific recommendation here, as a lot of the models are very close in specs and pricing. However, I do have a few notes.

1. Given the choice of onboard LSI SAS or 10Gb networking, I’d choose 10Gb every time. It’s much cheaper to add LSI SAS than it is to add 10Gb.
2. Personally, I’d probably avoid the SSI-EEB+/EE-ATX motherboards. You don’t gain any PCI-E expansion, typically you only gain more DIMM slots for RAM. You also severely limit your case/chassis options. 32GB and 64GB sticks of RAM have come down in price a lot, so it won’t be expensive to have a lot of RAM.

Brand (specs)	Model (link)	Form Factor	Socket Mounting	DIMM Slots	PCI-E	NIC	SAS Onboard	Notes	Expected Price
Supermicro	X9DRD-7LN4F	SSI-EEB / E-ATX	Narrow	16	6	4	LSI 2308	-----	$200.00
Supermicro	X9DRD-7LN4F-JBOD	SSI-EEB / E-ATX	Narrow	16	6	4	LSI 2308	Preflashed IT	$185.00
Supermicro	X9DRD-EF	SSI-EEB / E-ATX	Narrow	16	6	2	-----	-----	$185.00
Supermicro	X9DRD-iF	SSI-EEB / E-ATX	Narrow	16	6	2	-----	-----	$200.00
Supermicro	X9DRi-F	SSI-EEB / E-ATX	Narrow	16	6	2	-----	-----	$185.00
Supermicro	X9DRH-iTF	SSI-EEB / E-ATX	Narrow	16	7	2 x 10Gb	-----	-----	$200.00
Supermicro	X9DRH-7F	SSI-EEB / E-ATX	Narrow	16	7	2	LSI 2208	-----	$175.00
Supermicro	X9DRH-iF	SSI-EEB / E-ATX	Narrow	16	7	2	-----	-----	$140.00
Supermicro	X9DRD-LF	SSI-EEB / E-ATX (short)	Narrow	8	1	2	-----	Short compute mobo	$72.00
Supermicro	X9DR3-LN4F+	SSI-EEB+ / EE-ATX	Square	24	6	4	C606	Need R 1.20 for V2 processor	$200.00
Supermicro	X9DRi-LN4F+	SSI-EEB+ / EE-ATX	Square	24	6	4	-----	Need R 1.20 for V2 processor	$200.00
Supermicro	X9DRE-TF+	SSI-EEB+ / EE-ATX	Square	24	6	2 x 10Gb	-----	-----	$240.00
Supermicro	X9DRL-iF	SSI-CEB / ATX	Square	8	5	2	-----	-----	$200.00
Supermicro	X9DRL-7F	SSI-CEB / ATX	Square	8	5	2	LSI 2208	-----	$300.00

Single CPU Motherboards

Generally speaking, single socket builds are not as cost effective as their dual-socket counterparts. I find them harder and harder to recommend as the prices of dual-socket motherboards continue to drop. That said, occasionally you can find a good deal.
If I were to recommend a board, I’d go for the Supermicro X9SRA.

Brand (specs)	Model (link)	Form Factor	Socket Mounting	DIMM Slots	PCI-E	NIC	SAS Onboard	Notes	Expected Price
Supermicro	X9SRA	SSI-CEB / ATX	Square	8	4	2	-----	Audio, USB 3.0	$130.00
Supermicro	X9SRi-F	SSI-CEB / ATX	Square	8	3	2	-----	-----	$160.00
Supermicro	X9SRH-7F	SSI-CEB / ATX	Square	8	3	2	LSI 2308	-----	$190.00
Supermicro	X9SRL-F	SSI-CEB / ATX	Narrow	8	6	2	-----	-----	$250.00

X79 Motherboards

X79 motherboards generally support E5-1600 V1/V2 and E5-2600 V1/V2 processors, as well as consumer i7 processors. Overclocking is supported with E5-1600 V1/V2 and i7 CPUs.
DDR3 ECC REG is not supported. Non-ECC UDIMM is required.
As always, please refer to manufacturer specifications for complete information.

Brand (specs)	Model (link)	Form Factor	Socket Mounting	DIMM Slots	PCI-E	NIC	SAS Onboard	Notes	Expected Price
ASUS	Rampage IV Extreme	E-ATX	Square	8	5	1	-----	-----	$240.00
ASUS	Rampage IV Formula	ATX	Square	4	6	1	-----	-----	$200.00
ASUS	P9X79 WS/IPMI	E-ATX	Square	8	6	2	-----	IPMI	$250.00
ASUS	P9X79 LE	E-ATX	Square	8	5	1	-----	-----	$170.00
ASUS	P9X79 PRO	ATX	Square	8	6	1	-----	-----	$190.00
ASUS	Sabertooth X79	ATX	Square	8	5	1	-----	-----	$180.00
Intel	DX79SI	E-ATX	Square	8	6	2	-----	-----	$200.00
Intel	DX79SR	E-ATX	Square	8	6	2	-----	-----	$220.00
Gigabyte	GA-X79-UD3	E-ATX	Square	4	5	1	-----	-----	$160.00
HP	OEM IPIWB-PB	Micro-ATX	Square	4	4	1	-----	-----	$100.00

[JDM_WAAAT]

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[CPU Options] (click for full spreadsheet)

Due to a much more extensive list of CPU options than other builds, recommendations will be made - but ultimately it’s up to you to choose what’s right for your build. Take a look at the CPU sheet above as well as the advice below.

Single CPU

Typically, you can use both E5-1600 and E5-2600 v1/v2 processors with single socket motherboards. With Intel X79 chipsets, you can overclock the CPU if you use E5-1600 v1/v2 which have an unlocked multiplier. Personally, I’ve been able to get a stable 4.6GHz overclock on all 6 cores of an E5-1650 v2. This is especially handy for gaming and single threaded game servers and applications. Keep in mind that X79 chipset motherboards are generally more expensive, less available, and require more expensive and lower capacity DDR3 non-ECC UDIMM.

Other single socket motherboard options generally are not very cost effective, but sometimes you can snag a deal. For the most part, single socket 2011 is only affordable through prebuilt systems.

Value recommendation: E5-1620 v2 - $30.00
The E5-1620 v2 is only $5 more than the E5-1620 v1, but it has higher clock speed and slightly better power efficiency. It’s equivalent to an i7 with 4C/8T, and can be had for only $30. Stock, it has just under 10k passmark, overclocked you’re looking at least at 4.5GHz with around 14k passmark. (overclocking requires an X79 motherboard)

Overclocking recommendation: E5-1650 v2 - $85.00
The E5-1650 v2 is a great all around processor. 6C/12T is a lot with 3.9GHz turbo speed, reaching around 13k passmark on stock clocks. I’ve personally overclocked one of these to 4.6GHz with just air cooling. I’m sure it’s capable of more with a better motherboard and better cooling. It’s well under $100 and provides great single threaded performance with 50% more cores/threads than your average i7.

Jack of all trades… but master of none: E5-2680 or E5-2650 v2 - $55.00
Both are 8C/16T, around 12.5k passmark, and have similar base/turbo clock speeds. These are a great mix of core count and single core performance, but don’t top out in either category. Personally I’d buy whichever is cheapest, perhaps favoring the E5-2650 v2 slightly for increased IPC.

Multi-threaded recommendation: E5-2695 v2 - $170.00
12C/24T with 16k passmark in a single processor. Maximum clock speed isn’t particularly high, but the sheer amount of cores makes up for it somewhat. If you plan on running a lot of VMs/dockers, this is the way to go.

Dual CPU

Dual socket 2011 doesn’t allow for overclocking and requires the use of E5-2600 v1/v2 processors (if you’re using two). Some dual socket boards allow for the use of a single E5-1600 v1/v2 processor, but… why would you do that? Unless you have one already, there’s no reason to purchase such a configuration. It’s likely you’d move to dual CPU in the future anyway, so you might as well get an appropriate CPU.

Extreme budget recommendation: 2 x E5-2620 v2 - $16.00/pair
I’d really only recommend these if you are trying to shave off as much money as possible from your build. That said, sometimes you can get a pair of these for $12 after OBO…

Value recommendation: 2 x E5-2640 - $26.00/pair or 2 x E5-2630 v2 - $40.00/pair
A pair of these CPUs probably costs less than the RAM that you’re using, while offering 14.7k-16k
passmark and a combined 12C/24T. They’re great.
Most people should start one of these options and upgrade from here.

Mid range recommendation: 2 x E5-2667 - $78.00/pair or 2 x E5-2665 - $78.00/pair
Go for E5-2667 if you favor clock speed and fewer cores, go for E5-2665 for more cores and slower clock speeds. Both have around 17k passmark and are outstanding processors. You can’t go wrong with either one!

Top of the line (reasonable) recommendation: 2 x E5-2650 v2 - $120.00/pair
These have a good combination of cores (8C/16T each) and clock speed (2.6Ghz Base /3.4GHz Turbo). If you’re looking to upgrade past these, you’ll be spending quite a bit more, but there are options out there.

To the moon…
Other options for more cores (up to 12C/24T) or higher clock speeds (up to 4.0GHz) are available, but they come at a cost. Just evaluate your options and needs carefully before you start to consider moving past E5-2650 v2.

[JDM_WAAAT]

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[CPU Cooling Options]

Narrow ILM

Most of the recommended boards have Narrow ILM. This is an unfortunate consequence of the Square ILM boards being in high demand and carrying a higher price tag.

You can use one (or two) of these air coolers, but they go from [cheap + loud] to [expensive + quiet], with no real [cheap + quiet] option.

Brand	Model (link)	Rated noise (dBa)	Rated TDP	Fan Size	Expected Price
Dynatron	R24 2U	47.5	160W	???	$35.00
Supermicro	SNK-P0050AP4	38	160W	92mm	$39.00
Supermicro	SNK-P0050AP4 + F9 PWM Replacement Fan	18	160W	92mm	$45.00
Noctua	NH-D9DX i4 3U	22.8	175W	92mm	$55.00
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Arcitc	F9 PWM PST 92mm replacement fan	18	-----	92mm	$6.00

Out of the Narrow ILM options listed above, I would personally go for the Supermicros and replace the fan at a later time if you find it to be too loud.

Square ILM

Note: 4U rackmount chassis have restricted CPU cooler height, shorter than most tower chassis.
Rosewill L4500 max height = 158mm
Supermicro 4U max height = ???mm

Brand	Model (link)	Rated Noise (dBa)	Rated TDP	Height	Fan size	Expected Price
Deepcool	Gammax 400	30	130W	154.5mm	120mm	$20.00
Arctic	Freezer 12	23.5	130W	130mm	92mm	$24.00
Arctic	Freezer 12 CO	24.5	130W	130mm	92mm	$30.00
Arctic	Freezer 33	23.5	150W	150mm	120mm	$30.00
Arctic	Freezer 34	23.5	150W	157mm	120mm	$32.00
Arctic	Freezer 34 CO	23.5	150W	157mm	120mm	$32.00
Arctic	Freezer 34 eSports DUO	27	210W	157mm	120mm	$40.00
Cooler Master	Hyper 212 Evo	36	150W	159mm	120mm	$35.00
Cooler Master	Hyper 212 LED	31	150W	160mm	120mm	$33.00
Cooler Master	Hyper 212 Black	26	150W	159mm	120mm	$37.00
Cooler Master	Hyper 212 Black LED	26	150W	159mm	120mm	$39.00
Noctua	NH-D9DX i4 3U	22.8	175W	110mm	92mm	$55.00
Noctua	NH-L9x65	23.6	140W	65mm	92mm	$50.00
Noctua	NH-U12DX i4	22.4	200W	159mm	120mm	$65.00
Intel	BXSTS200C 2U	40+	130W	65mm	60mm	$35.00
Raijintek	Aidos	29	110W	136mm	92mm	$20.00
Raijintek	Themis	24	140W	158mm	120mm	$25.00

Liquid Cooling

Below… there’s another option. Dual 120mm all-in-one water coolers. There’s quite a few models that you can use, and they aren’t all covered here. You can pick whatever cooler you want, so long as it uses standard Asetek mounting. (all of the ones listed are Asetek) You must also buy an Asetek Narrow ILM mounting bracket for each of the AIOs.

Dual 120mm AIOs can be mounted in the Rosewill L4500, Phanteks Enthoo Pro, Phanteks P600, Cooler Master N400, and more. Make sure the case has enough clearance to mount two. If you’re not sure, ask below before buying.

It doesn’t matter what CPU bracket the AIO comes with, we will be replacing them with a Narrow ILM bracket below. If you need a Square ILM bracket, that is also listed at the bottom of the table. (Most come with a Square ILM bracket, just double check)

Some of the AIO coolers have shorter tubing than others. Keep in mind where you plan to mount the CPU coolers and where the CPU socket locations are in relation to the mounting.

Brand	Model (link)	Fan Size	Rad Size	Notes	Expected Price
Asetek	550	120mm	Thin		$23.00
Asetek	570LC OEM Gen4	120mm	Thick		$40.00
Asetek	550LC	120mm	Thin		$50.00
Asetek	570LC	120mm	Thick		$50.00
Alienware/Dell	Aurora R4	120mm	Thin	Short tubing	$28.00
Alienware/Dell	Area 51 R1/R2	120mm	Thick	Short tubing	$32.00
HP	855712-001	120mm	Thin	Red	$70.00
Antec	Kuhler H20 620	120mm	Thin		$30.00
Antec	Kuhler H20 920	120mm	Thick		$50.00
Corsair	H50	120mm	Thin		$50.00
Corsair	H55	120mm	Thin		$50.00
Corsair	H80i V2	120mm	Thick		$70.00
EVGA	CL11-V1	120mm	Thin	Square ILM only	$54.00
Zalman	LQ-320	120mm	Extra Thick		$50.00
Thermaltake	Water 3.0 Performer	120mm	Thin		$66.00
Intel	BXTS13X	120mm	Thin		$83.00
-----	-----	-----	-----		-----
Asetek	2011 Narrow ILM Bracket	-----	-----		$8.00
Generic	2011 Square ILM Bracket	-----	-----		$11.00

[JDM_WAAAT]

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[RAM Options]

General advice: Density is the most important thing in servers, whether it’s hard drives, solid states, or RAM. Personally, I’d advise picking up the most dense RAM you can afford. You’ll thank yourself later when it’s time to upgrade.
Even if you only need 64GB, I’d probably still recommend 2x32GB sticks (which you can get for $80 OBO). Having multi-channel and higher speeds is nice, but it’s not important unless you are doing very specific workloads. Capacity and density, generally speaking are the most important factors.

Make sure your motherboard can support the speed, capacity, ranking, type, and voltage of the RAM you’ve selected.

1. In most cases, you will be using DDR3 ECC RDIMM.
2. Not that some DDR3 ECC RDIMM is labled “L”. This is typically reserved for higher capacity modules. Verify motherboard compatibility before selecting these modules.
3. Some pre-builts require UDIMM (may be ECC or non-ECC).
4. All X79 motherboards require non-ECC UDIMM.

DDR3 ECC RDIMM (REG)

Brand	Model (link)	Capacity (GB)	Rank	Speed (MHz)	PC3	Type	ECC	Voltage	Price/GB	Expected Price
Samsung	M393B2K70CM0-CF8Q5	16	4Rx4	1066	PC3-8500R	REG	ECC	Normal	$1.06	$17.00
Samsung	M393B2K70DM0-YF8	16	4Rx4	1066	PC3L-8500R	REG	ECC	Low	$1.38	$22.00
Micron	MT72KSZS4G72PZ	32	4Rx4	1333	PC3L-10600R	REG	ECC	Low	$1.34	$43.00
Hynix	HMT84GL7AMR4A-PB	32	4Rx4	1600	PC3L-12800L	REG LOAD RED.	ECC	Low	$1.56	$50.00
Hynix	HMT84GL7MMR4A-H9	32	4Rx4	1333	PC3L-10600L	REG LOAD RED.	ECC	Low	$1.56	$50.00
Samsung	M386B4G70BM0-YH90Q	32	4Rx4	1333	PC3L-10600L	REG LOAD RED.	ECC	Normal	$1.56	$50.00
Samsung	M386B4G70DM0-CMA4	32	4Rx4	1866	PC3-14900L	REG LOAD RED.	ECC	Normal	$1.56	$50.00
Samsung	M386B8G70DE0-YH93	64	8Rx4	1333	PC3L-10600L	REG LOAD RED.	ECC	Low	$1.88	$120.00

DDR3 ECC/non-ECC UDIMM

Type	Model (link)	Speed	Capacity	Price/GB	Expected Price
NON-ECC	PC3-10600U	1333MHz	2x4GB = 8GB	$2.38/GB	$19.00
NON-ECC	PC3-12800U	1600MHz	2x4GB = 8GB	$2.13/GB	$17.00
NON-ECC	PC3-12800U	1600MHz	2x8GB = 16GB	$2.50/GB	$40.00
NON-ECC	PC3-12800U	1600MHz	4x4GB = 16GB	$2.13/GB	$34.00
NON-ECC	PC3-12800U	1600MHz	4x8GB = 32GB	$3.28/GB	$105.00
ECC UDIMM	PC3-10600E	1333MHz	2x4GB = 8GB	$4.00/GB	$32.00
ECC UDIMM	PC3-12800E	1600MHz	2x4GB = 8GB	$3.50/GB	$28.00
ECC UDIMM	PC3-10600E	1333MHz	2x8GB = 16GB	$4.88/GB	$78.00
ECC UDIMM	PC3-12800E	1600MHz	2x8GB = 16GB	$4.38/GB	$70.00
ECC UDIMM	PC3-10600E	1333MHz	4x4GB = 16GB	$4.06/GB	$65.00
ECC UDIMM	PC3-12800E	1600MHz	4x4GB = 16GB	$3.06/GB	$49.00
ECC UDIMM	PC3-10600E	1333MHz	4x8GB = 32GB	$5.00/GB	$160.00
ECC UDIMM	PC3-12800E	1600MHz	4x8GB = 32GB	$4.38/GB	$140.00

[JDM_WAAAT]

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[Power Supply Options]

Below are a list of affordable power supplies readily available on Amazon. I would highly recommend looking at power supplies on EVGA’s B-Stock Wednesday sale first. (starts at midnight PST every Wednesday) For example, you can often pick up a 400 N1 for $20 shipped during the B-Stock sale.

Dual CPU builds require the use of two EPS 12V ATX power connectors. In most cases, you can use an EPS splitter, but a few users have noted that they haven’t had success with EPS spplitters with lower wattage PSUs (typically below 500W). You can buy an EPS splitter here.

A note about PSU pricing:

PSU prices love to go up and down wildly, so take these prices with a grain of salt. Just make sure to double check the prices and see if any of them are a good deal. Remember, just because a PSU provides more wattage doesn’t mean it will be more expensive. Sometimes larger PSUs of the same series are the same price or cheaper than smaller ones!

Brand	Model (link)	Native Dual EPS	Expected Price
be quiet!	U9 500W	no	$55.00
be quiet!	U9 600W	no	$63.00
Cooler Master	MasterWatt 550 semi-fanless	no	$65.00
Cooler Master	MasterWatt 650 semi-fanless	no	$73.00
Cooler Master	Elite V3 600W	no	$58.00
EVGA	500 W1	no	$48.00
EVGA	750 N1	no	$53.00
EVGA	Supernova 650 G+	yes	$100.00
EVGA	Supernova 750 G+	yes	$127.00
EVGA	Supernova 850 G+	yes	$135.00
EVGA	Supernova 750 G5	yes	$130.00
EVGA	Supernova 850 G5	yes	$160.00
EVGA	Supernova 650 GQ	yes	$85.00
EVGA	Supernova 750 GQ	yes	$115.00
EVGA	Supernova 850 GQ	yes	$115.00
EVGA	Supernova 1000 GQ	yes	$148.00
PC Power & Cooling	Silencer MK III 500W	yes	$92.00
PC Power & Cooling	Silencer MK III 600W	yes	$105.00
PC Power & Cooling	Silencer MK III 750W	yes	$116.00
Thermaltake	TR2 500W	no	$48.00
Thermaltake	SMART 600W	no	$55.00
Thermaltake	SMART 700W	no	$60.00
Thermaltake	Toughpower Grand 850W	yes	$120.00

[JDM_WAAAT]

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[Add-in Cards]

Looking to use all of those PCI-E lanes? Check out the options below.

For the internal SAS HBAs and Warp Drive / Flash Accelerator cards, you may need a full height bracket. Good thing is that they are really cheap ($1), bad thing is that they may take a week or two to arrive.

Type	Item (link)	Expected Price
Storage (SAS/SATA)	LSI 9201-8i SAS2 (add 8 SATA3/SAS2 ports)	Varies
Storage (SAS/SATA)	LSI 9210-8i SAS2 (add 8 SATA3/SAS2 ports)	Varies
Storage (SAS/SATA)	LSI 9211-8i SAS2 (add 8 SATA3/SAS2 ports)	Varies
Storage (SAS/SATA)	LSI 9201-16e SAS2 (for DAS expansion)	Varies
SAS Expander	HP 24-Port SAS Expander	$13.00
Storage (SATA)	2 port SATA 3 card for boot/cache SSD, max performance, TRIM support	$14.00
Storage (SATA)	4 port SATA 3 card for boot/cache SSD, max performance, TRIM support	$18.00
Networking	10Gb Mellanox MNPA19-XTR SFP+	$29.00
Cable	CISCO SFP+ 3M cable for 10Gb Mellanox card	$18.00

[Other Parts]

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Quiet fans, cables, and thermal paste can be found below.

Type	Item (link)	Expected Price
Cable	2-pack SAS -> SATA breakout cable (for SATA drives)	$12.00
Cable	SAS -> SATA/SAS breakout cable (for SATA/SAS drives)	$13.00
Cable	6-pack SATA cable	$8.00
Cable	2-pack SATA to 4xSATA power splitter	$12.00
Fans	Arctic P12 PWM PST 120mm 5-pack	$28.00
Fans	Arctic P8 PWM PST 80mm 5-pack	$24.00
Thermal Paste	Gelid GC Extreme	$14.99

[JDM_WAAAT]

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[SSD Options]

Unraid is going to be the most common choice for OS. In that case, it makes sense to have a decent size SSD to store your appdata and to be used as a write cache. This improves file transfer speed to your server immensely. Typically these files will be moved off of the cache drive and onto the array daily (at minimum), so keep that in mind when selecting a size. Smaller SSDs can be used as “unassigned” drives, which are neither part of the array or part of the cache. Unassigned drives can be used as VM data stores, file unpacking drives, or whatever you want really.

I’d recommend picking out a decently sized but cheap SSD for caching, such as the ADATA SU635 480GB for $45.00. I like to use small 120GB SSDs for VMs (divide it in half and put 2 VMs on each drive). The same thing can be accomplished with the SUN/Oracle F-series drives, since they present as 4 separate drives.

I don’t typically recommend NVMe drives as cache drives because you’ll be limited by your Ethernet upload speed anyway, which a regular SATA SSD is more than fast enough to keep up with. However, I like to use NVMe drives for unassigned appdata, because they are extremely good at handling many small files, for example: Plex metadata.

For the internal SAS HBAs and Warp Drive / Flash Accelerator cards, you may need a full height bracket. Good thing is that they are really cheap ($1), bad thing is that they may take a week or two to arrive.

Brand	Model (link)	Condition	Capacaity	Form Factor	Interface	Price/TB	Expected Price
Kingston	A400	New	120GB	2.5"	SATA	$183/TB	$22.00
ADATA	SU635	New	240GB	2.5"	SATA	$108/TB	$26.00
ADATA	SU635	New	480GB	2.5"	SATA	$94/TB	$45.00
ADATA	SU635	New	960GB	2.5"	SATA	$89/TB	$85.00
ADATA	SU800	New	512GB	2.5"	SATA	$113/TB	$58.00
ADATA	SU800	New	2048GB	2.5"	SATA	$92/TB	$188.00
SanDisk	SSD Plus	New	240GB	2.5"	SATA	$138/TB	$33.00
SanDisk	SSD Plus	New	480GB	2.5"	SATA	$125/TB	$60.00
SanDisk	SSD Plus	New	960GB	2.5"	SATA	$102/TB	$98.00
Sabrent	Rocket	New	256GB	M.2 2280 M-Key	NVMe	$117/TB	$30.00
Sabrent	Rocket	New	512GB	M.2 2280 M-Key	NVMe	$97/TB	$50.00
Sabrent	Rocket	New	1024GB	M.2 2280 M-Key	NVMe	$107/TB	$110.00
Sabrent	Rocket	New	2048GB	M.2 2280 M-Key	NVMe	$107/TB	$220.00
Intel	660p	New	512GB	M.2 2280 M-Key	NVMe	$117/TB	$60.00
Intel	660p	New	1024GB	M.2 2280 M-Key	NVMe	$93/TB	$95.00
Intel	660p	New	2048GB	M.2 2280 M-Key	NVMe	$88/TB	$180.00
SUN/Oracle	F40	Used	400GB (4x100GB)	PCI-E 2.0 x8	eMLC	$88/TB	$35.00
SUN/Oracle	F80	Used	800GB (4x200GB)	PCI-E 2.0 x8	eMLC	$81/TB	$65.00
SUN/Oracle	U.2 NVMe	Used	6.4TB	U.2 PCI-E 3.0	NVMe	$94/TB	$600.00
SUN/Oracle - HGST	Ultrastar SSD1600MR	Used	1.6TB	SAS3	MLC	$125/TB	$200.00

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[HDD Options]

Remember what I said about RAM above. Density is important and valuable. In this case, HDD bays do not come cheap and have value. So while a 8TB drive may be cheaper per TB than a 10TB, the 10TB is better value because it still only occupies 1 HDD slot for 25% more capacity.

Shuckable Drives

For the WD shuckable drives, prices vary quite a bit. We’ve linked them on Amazon, but YMMV as to current sales, pricing, and availability of them. The prices listed are common sale prices for the drives.

As of November 3, 2019, the WD 8TB Elements is on sale for $124.99, plus an additional 15% cash back if you use an Amazon Store Card or an Amazon Credit Card.
Even without the 15% cash back, it’s a really good deal.

https://amzn.to/2oKkPG6

Brand	Model (link)	Condition	Capacaity	Spindle RPM	Cache	Interface	Price/TB	Expected Price
Western Digital	Elements	New	8TB	5400	128MB	SATA	$15.63/TB	$130.00
Western Digital	My Book	New	8TB	5400	128MB	SATA	$15.63TB	$130.00
Western Digital	Easystore	New	8TB	5400	128MB	SATA	$15.63/TB	$130.00
Western Digital	Elements	New	10TB	5400	256MB	SATA	$16.00/TB	$160.00
Western Digital	My Book	New	10TB	5400	256MB	SATA	$16.00/TB	$160.00
Western Digital	Easystore	New	10TB	5400	256MB	SATA	$16.00/TB	$160.00
Western Digital	Easystore	New	12TB	5400	256MB	SATA	$15.00/TB	$180.00

SATA Drives

If for some reason, you must have an internal SATA drive (you’re not willing to shuck), here are some recommendations.

Brand	Model (link)	Condition	Capacaity	Spindle RPM	Cache	Interface	Price/TB	Expected Price
Seagate	IronWolf NAS ST4000VN008	New	4TB	5900	64MB	SATA	$25.00/TB	$100.00
Seagate	IronWolf NAS ST8000VN022	New	8TB	5900	256MB	SATA	$23.75/TB	$190.00
Seagate	IronWolf NAS ST12000VN007	New	12TB	7200	256MB	SATA	$29.16/TB	$350.00
Toshiba	N300	New	4TB	7200	128MB	SATA	$23.75/TB	$95.00
Toshiba	N300	New	10TB	7200	256MB	SATA	$26.80/TB	$268.00

SAS Drives

If you’re using SAS drives, you must connect them to a SAS controller. Around here, we like to use the LSI 2008 series cards. SATA drives can be used with the onboard SATA of your motherboard OR a SAS controller. Some motherboards in this guide feature these same SAS controllers onboard.

Examples:

• LSI 9201-8i
• LSI 9210-8i
• LSI 9211-8i

These will need to be flashed to IT mode in most cases. It’s a pretty simple process, and it’s covered here.

Brand	Model (link)	Condition	Capacaity	Spindle RPM	Cache	Interface	Price/TB	Expected Price
Seagate	ST32000444SS	Used	2TB	7200	16MB	SAS	$10.00/TB	$20.00 OBO
Seagate	ST33000650SS	Used	3TB	7200	64MB	SAS	$9.16/TB	$27.50 OBO
HGST/Hitachi	HUS723030ALS640	Used	3TB	7200	64MB	SAS	$9.31/TB	$27.95 OBO
Western Digital	WD40001FYYG	Used	4TB	7200	32MB	SAS	$10.00/TB	$40.00
HGST/Hitachi	HUS724040ALS640	Used	4TB	7200	64MB	SAS	$10.56/TB	$42.25 OBO
Seagate	ST6000NM0034	Used	6TB	7200	128MB	SAS	$15.00/TB	$90.00 OBO
HGST/Hitachi	HUH728080AL5205 Helium	Used	8TB	7200	128MB	SAS	$17.50/TB	$140.00 OBO

[JDM_WAAAT]

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[Prebuilt Options]

Prebuilts are a great way to get your feet wet. They are typically cost effective and well documented, but are often limited when it comes time to upgrade. Again, do your research to see if a prebuilt is right for you.

If you’re feeling limited by the potential storage capacity of the prebuilt options, don’t forget you can always add an 8-bay or 16-bay DAS for additional storage.

Brand (specs)	Model (link)	CPU	Max RAM	Form Factor	5.25" bays	3.5" bays	2.5" bays [using 3.5" bay]	PCI-E	NIC
Dell	T3600	Single E5-1600/2600 V1	64GB ECC REG	Tower	1	2	[2]	5	1
Dell	T3610	Single E5-1600/2600 V1/V2	128GB ECC REG	Tower	1	2	[2]	5	1
Dell	T5600	Dual E5-2600 V1	128GB ECC REG	Tower	1	2	[4]	5	1
Dell	T5610	Dual E5-2600 V1/V2	128GB ECC REG	Tower	1	2	[4]	5	1
Dell	T7600	Dual E5-2600 V1	512GB ECC REG	Tower	1	4	4 [4]	5	2
Dell	T7610	Dual E5-2600 V1/V2	512GB ECC REG	Tower	1	4	4 [4]	6	2
Lenovo	S30	Single E5-1600/2600 V1/V2	256GB ECC REG	Tower	2	3	[3]	4	1
Lenovo	D30	Dual E5-2600 V1/V2	512GB ECC REG	Tower	3	6	[6]	4	2
Lenovo	C30	Dual E5-2600 V1/V2	256GB ECC REG	Slim Tower	1	3	[3]	4	1
HP	Z420	Single E5-1600/2600 V1/V2	64GB ECC UDIMM	Tower	3	3	[3]	5	1
HP	Z620	Dual E5-2600 V1/V2	96GB ECC REG	Tower	2	3	[3]	5	2
HP	Z820	Dual E5-2600 V1/V2	512GB ECC REG	Tower	3	4	[4]	6	2

[JDM_WAAAT]

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[Supplemental Guides and Resources]

Original Anniversary NSFW 1.0 build guide - https://www.serverbuilds.net/anniversary

Motherboard Form Factors - Sizes and Mounting Points

[image] Note that the GA7PESH2 is SSI-EEB.

[Guide] Direct Attached Storage (DAS) - Add up to 16 3.5" drive bays to an existing server for less than $300

Update Another good option for the large DAS is the NZXT Source 210, with 8 bays native. https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146077&cm_re=nzxt_source_210--11-146-077--Product Objective: Add up to 16 3.5" / 2.5" bays to an existing storage server, directly attached to the server through SAS->SATA connections. This allows for increased bandwidth compared to NAS solutions, and decreased complexity. In theory, you can add up to 16 drives for each x8 PCI-E slot available in y…

[Guide] 8 Bay Mini-DAS!

[image] [image] I doubt this will turn into a full guide unless we can somehow find more of these enclosures… Enclosure + PSU (stock seems to go in and out quickly, pick one up while you can): 8 bay HDD JBOD enclosure with 300W PSU - $49.95 OBO + SHIPPING sold out 8 bay HDD JBOD enclosure with 300W PSU - $49.95 OBO + SHIPPING thanks @spikebyte 8 bay HDD JBOD enclosure with 300W PSU - $49.95 OBO + SHIPPING thanks @Surge_The_Raichu External LSI SAS for host NAS: LSI 9201-16E - $32.70 Buy …

Updating your LSI SAS Controller with a UEFI Motherboard

If you have a motherboard that uses UEFI instead of a legacy BIOS, use the following process to update the firmware on your LSI controller. These steps will work for both an onboard controller or an add-in card. If you run into issues with any of the steps, please post a message here or in the Discord so someone can assist you before going any further. PLEASE NOTE this specific process will only work with LSI branded cards, and only if you are updating a controller with firmware for the same c…

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[Vendor Deals]

Always check the vendor direct section of the forums for current group buys!

Current Vendor Direct Deals

1.6TB HGST SAS3 MLC Enterprise SSD

[Group Buy] 1.6TB HGST SAS3 MLC Enterprise SSD [round #9]

4TB HPE/Seagate Enterprise SAS2 HDD

[Group Buy] 4TB HPE/Seagate Enterprise SAS2 HDD [round #10]

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[Sample Builds]

@manbearpig2012’s Entry-Level ATX Tower

Almost exactly the same cost as last years Anniversary Core-Build with newer CPUs and twice the RAM. This time, it’s ATX instead of full size 4U rackmount. We chose this form factor because we figured it would be a lot more accessible for the average person.

Type	Part (link)	Expected Cost
CPU	2 x E5-2620 V2	$16
CPU cooler	2 x Arctic Freezer 12	$44
Motherboard	Super Micro X9DRL-if	$200
Case	Cooler Master N400	$63
RAM	2 x Samsung PC3-8500R 16GB	$34
Power Supply	EVGA 650 GQ Gold Semi Modular	$85
Fans	Arctic P12 5 Pack	$28
Thermal Paste	Gelid GC Extreme	$15
Total		$485

@Hey_Danny’s Mid-Range Full Tower

Danny has specced out a pretty sweet full size tower that kicks the crap out of my “Ultra-Value Workstation” from last year.

It has much more powerful CPUs, better CPU coolers, 4x the RAM, all in the same case. The HDDs have been omitted in this build, accounting for a large portion of the price difference.

Type	Part (link)	Expected Cost
CPU	Dual E5-2650 V2	$120
CPU cooler	2 x Arctic Freezer 12	$44
Motherboard	X9DR3-LN4F+	$160
Case	Phanteks Enthoo Pro	$100
RAM	4 x Samsung PC3-8500R 16GB	$68
PSU	EVGA 750 BQ	$75
Thermal Paste	Gelid GC Extreme	$15
Fans	Arctic P12 5 Pack	$28
Storage (SAS/SATA)	LSI 9201-8i SAS2 (add 8 SATA3/SAS2 ports)	$20
SAS CABLES	2-pack SAS-> SATA breakout	$12
Total		$642

@Riggi’s Budget Gaming / Workstation

It wouldn’t be a @riggi build without a R9 Fury…

Type	Part (link)	Expected Cost
CPU	2x E5-2637 v2	$60
CPU cooler	2x SNK-P0050AP4 + F9 PWM Replacement Fan	$90
Motherboard	X9DRH-IF	$130
GPU	R9 Fury	$90
RAM	2 x Samsung PC3-8500R 16GB	$34
Power Supply	EVGA 750 BQ	$75
Case	Deepcool Matrexx 70	$60
Total		$539

@JDM_WAAAT’s Ultra-Tower [server + pfSense]

This is a dual system build that combines an ATX dual socket server and a mini-ITX pfSense/OPNsense router into one case.

Type	Part (link)	Expected Cost
CPU 1	2 x E5-2630L v2	$50
CPU cooler 1	2 x Arctic Freezer 12	$48
Motherboard 1	Supermicro X9DRL-iF	$200
Case	Phanteks Eclipse P600S	$150
Case acc.	Phanteks ITX upgrade kit	varies
RAM	4 x Samsung PC3L-10600L 32GB	$160
PSU	PCP&C Silencer MK III 500W	$92
------	------	-----
CPU 2	i5-3470T	$26
CPU cooler 2	Titan DC low profile	$15
Motherboard 2	DQ77KB	$45
RAM 2	4GB DDR3 SODIMM	$6
PSU 2	80W 19V DC PSU	$20
Total		$812

[56k-dialup-headass]

How does the X9DRL-7F compare to the SuperMicro X9DRI-F? The Gigabyte board from the first anniversary build is sold out, but the X9DRI-F is offered as a substitute for $180.

[JDM_WAAAT]

X9DRI doesn’t have onboard SAS and needs narrow ILM coolers.

I don’t like the X9DRI particularly.

Remember that the parts sellers don’t write the guides, they are trying to clear out inventory and make money.

[JGonzo]

Any reason to want/prefer an X9DRL-7F if I have a GA-7PESH2 on-hand, but have not yet finished the build?

[JDM_WAAAT]

Not unless you’re trying to use a smaller case.

The Supericro doesn’t have 10GbE onboard. I’d personally stick with the GA-7PESH2.

[JGonzo]

Nah, this is going in a rack, so it’s Rosewill or bust.

[Ry3w]

I like the Phanteks Eclipse P600S I was looking at the thermaltake tower 900 but I might switch

[Dynamiteboy]

Are CPU coolers going to be severely limited on the X9DRL-7F? It’s hard to tell from pictures.

[JDM_WAAAT]

Nope, AFAIK you should be able to fit Freezer 12 and Hyper212 evo. They are pretty close though.

[Dynamiteboy]

Awesome thanks, and I apologize if this is a stupid question but the main difference between the X9DRL-7F and the X9DRL-iF is the LSI 2208. Besides the ability to use a SAS breakout cable, is there any other benefits to having the LSI 2208 on-board? Such as performance for your drives?

I like that the X9DRL-iF has more SATA3’s and an additional PCIE.