This post was a life saver! Right has COVID was keeping everyone home my server was getting much more use and I only had an old i7-2600 trying to stream to my family. It tried valiantly but couldn’t keep up. So I was looking for an alternative and then this was posted. My server has been able to keep up with everything I’ve needed it to do since and I’m extremely grateful for this group helping me find the deal, but also the motherboard, fan, and ram info I needed as well. Thank you!
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Favorite Marketplace and tech deal. would be
I bought 3 of them in the past year. one for PFSense, Plex QS, and a third one just to have.
The guide I learned the most from would have to be the Unraid Gaming Guide. Now that I have one set up I’m looking to set up 4.
This post finally had me bite the bullet to build a server and migrate to unraid! Once this deal popped up, I said “screw it, its $60. I spend more time agonizing over $5 purchases at a fast food joint”.
So I ordered, arrived today. The rest of the pieces to arrive over the next week. Looking forward to making the jump!
Would prefer Prize 1, but will glady accept either if lucky enough to win!
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I am on mobile so linking to a specific forum post is kind of tedious but I will talk about it. I love your anniversary build. I have been using my old pc running windows as a plex server but once I found out about this forum it elevated my system. I converted my old windows box to a unraid server running all of my apps in docker and got a hp290 to offload my plex viewing. Love the hardware offloading transcoding. With the help of this forum I was able to add a hba card and add a number of sas drives to expand my unraid server. Next is to upgrade my mb and cpu to more of server hardware.
Earlier this year my 5 bay Drobo was reaching max capacity. I was ready to spend money on the 8 bay, but somehow I found a link to this site and man am I glad I did. After a bunch of research and videos, I put together this post and the community was fantastic in helping me come to the best decision. While I still have yet to migrate plex from my Mac Mini to the HP 290, I was able to migrate all of my data to the new NAS and it has been amazing! Thanks everyone!
I love this post that shows other paths forward besides the hp290. It’s very aspirational for me as I hope to build a 4u unRAID server at some point using it’s principles for guidance.
This build has given me lots of inspiration on my current server and I’m gradually working my way up to a SNAFU!
I build an unraid server from one of the previous anniversary guides on a GA-7PESH2. The server has run faithfully for around a year and a half. I’m starting to have some issues with the board such as NIC failures and it may be time to swap for a new board. Using the SNAFU guide for ideas on my roadmap.
Prefer package 2, but I could use either!
I think my favorite is still the one that got me all started on this a couple years ago: Anniversary LGA2011 build — Serverbuilds.net I built that (dual xeons 128gb ram and 9TB array) and started into a fun world of self hosting and have learned a lot (and tried not to buy into tooooo much unnecessary stuff).
Since that’s not necessarily in the forum… I think the HP290 stuff has been my go to forum post… I’ve got a couple 290s as project builds and now a 590 on its way. [Official] HP 290-p0043w Owner's Thread
The NAS Killer 4.1 was the kind of thing that showed how easy a cheap DIY NAS/Server could be. I’ve built computers before, but always from new current-generation components. Putting together a server from used components from eBay was a little daunting, but having the core components all together in one tested package relieves a lot of my concerns.
Preference for package 1.
I had a repurposed old server for the longest time and have since been upgrading it with the help of everyone in this forum/discord but this was the first time I bought new appliances. I have a 290 now as a QS box and one for my pfSense.
Preference for #2
I loved the NAS 4.0 post and the adsb raspbery pi. I learnt a lot about NAS as well as built two ADSB transmitters for two places.
Definitely trying to convert the NAS with iGPU for transcoding plex media server. Its always a pleasure to read about what others have been doing with their setup or what new project they have been working on. Also the discord chat for tech deals have been great for finding out great deals on tech products
Preference for 1
I’ve been a lurker for some time. I love… LOVE the detailed photos and step-by-steps as well as all the gotcha’s that are pointed out. This build I keep contemplating but still have room on the current Synology and, well the budget for the drives after the build as well. Thanks for all that you do and keep it up.
The best post I’ve read here is selfishly the NK 4.0 as it made me realize the potential uses for my old unused hardware. I now have a killer (pun intended) Unraid NAS and it’s all thanks to that guide! Had I not come across SB and that post, I’d probably have sunk too much money into a QNAP or other commercial NAS product, not only wasting money but also increasing my environmental footprint rather than re-using equipment I already had.
Winning Package 1 would be epic, but I’d feel extremely lucky with either honestly.
This was the guide that convinced me to obsessively check the ServerBuild discord chat every day! I love the combined knowledge of this community and the above guide by JDM was such a meticulously crafted guide that even my 5-year old could follow along. I’m still waiting on a few parts that should arrive around Christmas weekend but this guide itself definitely convinced me to build my own OTiS NAS server.
Prize Preference: Package 1
This was my first entry into this forum. It led me to the HP290 post which has my plex server on it now, and eventually back full circle to building my first unraid box out of my old i5-2500 pc. Definitely love the help this community gives towards people looking to repurpose used gear to make some great homelabs.
My favorite post is a very popular one, it’s the post that made me find this forum and start my “I have a server” life. All I wanted was to remove my collection of movies and TV shows from my main computer to a computer that could serve the movies to the TV. It started with left over parts from my old computer and grew as more opportunities were made available to me by this forum, both hardware wise and capabilities wise, all because of that little thread. I love it, and I love all the work that is put onto this community - even though I can’t personally offer much.
My prize preference is Package 2
I definitely felt like I came along way as I started from almost zero knowledge as a newb, learning pretty much everything starting from the ground up building my NAS (my first computer build in the last link) and using a QUICKSync box as a PlexTranscoder from an old HP ProDesk 400 G4, and everything has came along great. I have around 38TB and Plex is smooth. I never even booted a linux image to a computer before before I attempted this and I learned a lot about unRAID as well. Before this solution I was using three 4tb external drives for my life’s data and trying to stream plex with 1 of the external HDDs attached directly to my router using a very old laptop that has issues transcoding. It sucked.
Anyways, the first two guides have I read and reread so many times and it lead me to more and more research and the last link is my build post that I will eventually add pictures and document even further. The only thing left for me now is adding a pfsense or opnsense router to start locking down and securing my home network, which I’d use package 1 for!! Thanks JDM_WAAAT!!! Sub’d to Youtube and the discord as well!!
Had made the significant upgrade from an old Dell that was acting as a server, decided to get serious about it. Get a NAS Killer 2.0 setup, and was over the moon with how it all worked out. Even took the plunge into UNRAID as a result.
And then the beeping after reboots. The hung server. “Dad/husband/buddy, I can’t get to the server…”…go press F1, sigh, repeat every so often.
Until I had enough, did a search, and within seconds…
tpittari’s efforts gave me peace. In 2020, there is no greater gift.
I’ll go for package #1; just because my son is 15 and is passing me in build knowledge. Time for him to move to servers, and surpass his old man.
Just not on NHL94 on the Sega Genesis. 
Probably a popular one, but this thread did two things for me.
Introduced me to this community, which I’ve found to be much more welcoming and built around the idea of sharing information versus internet arguments, which is refreshing.
At the time I found this thread, I had been hearing about QuickSync quite a bit in other outlets, but couldn’t really wrap my head around it. But JDM was abe to explain the technology and its benefits in such a way that it clicked, and I appreciate that, as well as his (and other prominent posters here) ability to do it for many of the nitty gritty technologies out there.