BLUF: looking to build a new home server and I need some advice on hardware. Tried to do a lot of research first, see below. Thanks!
Alright so my long time server finally kicked the bucket after about a decade and I’m looking to build a replacement. My problem is, even though I’m pretty up on desktop hardware I have little to no experience with buying stuff for a server; I’ve always just used single boards like raspberry pi for testing and a dell laptop I frankensteined for everything permanent.
Usage:
- NAS file storage
- A few websites (used only by 2 people)
- Jellyfin (max 2-3 jellyfin users at a time, and I don’t use/need 4k video)
- I don’t use VMs, but do use a lot of docker (paperless, qbittorrent, vaultwarden, gotify, pihole, print server, etc).
Upfront cost isn’t much of a concern as I hope this lasts me another 5-10 years or so, though low idle power usage is nice for long term cost. Sub 100W average would be ideal, I’ll settle for more if idle at least is <100W though if I need. I already have 3x8TB 3.5" drives and a 2.5" SSD for OS/cache.
My plan right now:
| Part | Product |
|---|---|
| CPU | i5-12400 |
| Motherboard | ASRock B660M Pro RS |
| RAM | G.Skill DDR4.3600 4x16 |
| SSD | 1x old Patriot drive |
| HDDs | 8TB WD Red Plus |
| PSU | Silverstone SFX |
| Case | No idea yet |
CPU:
6 Cores, low(ish) power, has integrated graphics, has QuickSync, can upgrade to DDR5 someday if I want. I know it’s a bit more than I probably need, but I want this to last a long time with room for new self-hosted services I find interesting over the years.
Motherboard:
4 SATAIII, 4 memory slots (128GB max), 1Gb/s ethernet, 2 PCIex16, 1 PCIEx1. Other options I found were Asus PRIME H610M-E D4 or MSI PRO H610M-G D4, both have 4 SATAIII, 2 memory slots (64GB max), 1Gb/s ethernet, 1 PCIex16, 1 PCIEx1
RAM:
Picked G.Skill Ripjaw b/c it’s cheapest, but open to opinions. Don’t think I need more than 64GB, but does it make sense to do 2x32 so I can add more later, or stick with 4x16? Will do 2x32GB if I go with the other mobo.
Drives:
Will likely upgrade the OS SSD to something M.2 at some point. Storage will probably be Raid 5 but might change that depending on what OS I go with
Power supply:
Estimated power draw is ~350W, so picked a. 500W, 80+ Gold, modular
Case:
No idea yet, but want something smallish with at least 4 bays
I Any red flags before I pull the trigger? Or other options I might not have considered? Thanks!