NK 4.0 mini build with X9SCM-F and Cooler Master NR400 case

gkrs · November 6, 2020, 10:41pm

As my parts for this build are arriving I wanted to share my new project and the build log.

The foundation of the build was to find the right case, not too big, but able to accommodate 3-4 HDDs.
The turning point though, was finding a good deal for X9SCM-F board, so microATX factor it was. This lead to choosing the Cooler Master MasterBox NR400 (with ODD) which I found also discounted.

Type	Part	Price
Case	Cooler Master MasterBox NR400 ODD	179 PLN
Motherboard	Supermicro X9SCM-F (with some Celeron onboard)	65 PLN
CPU	Intel Xeon E3-1220v2	80 PLN
RAM	4GB DDR3 ECC UDIMM	40 PLN
CPU Cooler	Arctic Freezer 12 CO	133 PLN
SDD	ADATA SU 650 120GB	from existing setup
HDD	WD Red 3TB	from existing setup
PSU	Be Quiet! System Power 9 400W 80+ Bronze	139 PLN (used)
Total	-----	636 PLN ~ $166

Orders log

First came the motherboard

then the case

the processor

and eventually the PSU

gkrs · November 6, 2020, 10:46pm

I’ll start with table top build, as advised by @JDM_WAAAT.
Some of the parts, like CPU cooler and disks are still used in my current setup, so they will find a new home later on. I’ll use the boxed Celeron cooler for table top build and testing.

JDM_WAAAT · November 7, 2020, 6:18pm

Subscribed! Looking forward to more updates.

gkrs · November 8, 2020, 9:28pm

The initial setup went good. It was actually a floor, not a table top build (see picture) .
Tonight (it’s already 10PM) I’m going to switch to the new case.
Thanks for following, it’s quite a journey for me, since I started with NAS case from PINE64 and half year after found out about this community from a selfhosted.show episode.

JDM_WAAAT · November 8, 2020, 10:02pm

As long as it’s not carpet, you’re good. Make do with what you have

gkrs · November 8, 2020, 10:15pm

No carpets involved, only wood and electricity.

gkrs · November 8, 2020, 11:18pm

This night, straight from table

The cooler and memory are in place

I made a mistake though, by starting to tighten the screws with the screwdriver from the beginning. They are pretty loosely fitted and I put more force than needed. It is better to start with bare fingers, to “catch” the treading first.

gkrs · November 9, 2020, 12:15am

In da case

Power on test successful

JDM_WAAAT · November 9, 2020, 4:41pm

Looking good!

gkrs · November 11, 2020, 9:43am

I finished the build at 2AM that night and haven’t time to update.

Cables definitely need more management (after I buy second HDD)

The front looks pretty clean IMHO

gkrs · November 11, 2020, 10:03am

Some takeaways from the build process:

this case has 2 fans included, they are 3-PIN so always on. I connected the front one via attached MOLEX to 3-PIN adapter, but the rear one directly to the board. The fans were marketed as silent (reviews confirmed that), but in my opinion they’re not.
having set the fan performance in BIOS to Optimal (which means 30% for the FAN1-4 as default) I expected the CPU fan will stop (it’s a semi passive fan, starting at 40%) but that didn’t happen. I wondered if that’s because the 3-PIN fan is connected to the same zone (FAN1-4). I confirmed that partially by disconnecting the rear fan - the CPU would eventually stop (reboot needed), but the next day, after couple of reboots (because I was configuring unraid), the fan went crazy (high-low) cycle again.
eventually I set up IPMI connection to be able to read/set the fan settings without entering BIOS, hopefully it works as expected.

JDM_WAAAT · November 11, 2020, 4:51pm

Swap the fans to Arctic P12 PWM PST!
Most of us here use them, and they are indeed silent and very performant.

gkrs · November 11, 2020, 5:14pm

I already ordered P14 for the front. Next update after installation.

Bretos · November 11, 2020, 9:51pm

Cześć i czołem!

Thanks to your post I’ve noticed the great deal we are having over here currently for the mobo and cpu

However I am having trouble finding approperiate memory, if I see correctly this board only accepts ECC udimm sticks. Would you mind sharing where locally did you get yours ?

gkrs · November 11, 2020, 10:14pm

Cześć @Bretos

Yes, it’s ECC udimm only board. I bought one 4GB stick from my friend.
You can find some on allegro, e.g. https://allegro.pl/oferta/pamiec-ram-micron-4gb-ddr3-ecc-udimm-9866598100 or 4GB DDR3 ECC UDIMM 12800E DELL R220 R320 T320 T20 9092330549 - Sklep internetowy AGD, RTV, telefony, laptopy - Allegro.pl but the price is much higher.

gkrs · November 11, 2020, 10:32pm

Todo:

swap the (not) silent case fans to Arctic P-series ones
buy additional 4GB of RAM
buy SATA cables to have them in one color and appropriate length
disconnect unused cables (audio, USB3) when possible

Nice to have list:

swap the CPU to E3-1270 V2 when I find it in good price locally
buy 1-2 HDD for parity/more storage

gkrs · November 21, 2020, 10:56pm

It’s me again. Since last time I managed to complete two things from my todo list.

I swapped two non-silent CM fans (front and back)

to one Arctic P14 PWM PST (40 PLN)

For my current setup it should do the job.

I bought additional 4GB of RAM for 60 PLN

Beside that I was pondering with setting the fan schedule but that’s a story for separate thread.

My build, complete for now, stands already on a shelve

cc0 · November 25, 2020, 10:13pm

Nice build, I’m planning on doing something similar. Any particular reason you’re looking to move to the E3-1270v2?

gkrs · November 25, 2020, 11:30pm

Nothing particular, just the performance gain, but only if the price for the CPU drops. I’m pretty satisfied with current performance.

kinghat · February 9, 2021, 5:10pm

how was the stock intel 1155 cooler mounted to the board? did the board originally not have threads in the mounting holes?