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CPU + MOBO advice for a debian + Nextcloud NAS

#1
Dear NASCompares users,

I'm starting this thread because I wasn't able to clarify my mind. I'm starting to think about my future upgrade for a DIY NAS.

Nowadays, I'm running on a HP ProLiant Microserver Gen10, with an old AMD Opteron X3216. The OS installed is Debian, with an apache server and a nextcloud isntance running on it.

Storage is composed of 2 ZFS pools, the first one for work, and the second one as back up with a rsync every month.

My system is probably not the most sophisticated ever, but it works fine in general. Nextcloud is probably the most important thing I need.
Indeed, as a photographer, Nextcloud is a way to archive and backup my pictures and administrative papers. It's also a way to exchange with my clients and deliver them.

In another way, I'm using it as a media server (with JRiver if you ask).

In terms of management for the backup, I wrote on my actual NAS a script which is mounting a backup pool (another disk) once a month during the night, rsyncing the data from my main pool, and detach the backup pool when it's over. In this way, I guess, I'm preventing some attacks ? not sure... On another hand, nextcloud is syncing with a last backup computer, in another place. Backup done.

Let's talk about my needs and my wishes, and for my new system I determined some requirements :

• Jonsbo N4 case (let's start from the end lol. I definitely love it !! Except his HDD trays ....).

• ECC RAM (16Gb, I guess not less, not more)
• 3x HDD disks of 6-8Tb (not definitively sure), it will be a RAIDZ1 pool (WORK-POOL)
• 1X small SSD used as a cache for the work pool
• 1x HDD disk of 8-10Tb, it will be a backup pool.
• 1x SSD (probably M2 on the MOBO) for the OS

• Low-Power and energy efficient MOBO+CPU
• Debian OS, I guess (mostly because I know it). I didn't consider TrueNAS + Nextcloud yet

My difficulties concerns CPU+MOBO choice. Of course, I looked at the article "The Best CPU+Motherboard Combo for Your NAS Build – 2024 Edition" on this main site, but I didn't found my hapiness. It was my first slap : a lot of DIY'ers are using some no-name motherboards sold on Alieexpress. At first, I was really doubting about them, but after hours of readings forums, it looks to be a not so bad option. Indeed, these no-name cards seem to meet requirements about SATA ports, and nvme sockets, while 1st class brands need to use some PCI or nvme adapter for SATA ports. Well, I'm still not convinced by them.. Can I ask some more feedback's about these cards ?

During my searches, it appears that :
• SuperMicro cards are f*cking expensive and hard to find
• Topton cards are not compatible with ECC
• Fujitsu boards seem to be a good compromise, but maybe hard to find in Europe
• Regular brands like ASRock, ASUS, and so one could be easy to find and setup, but the low-power goal will be hard to reach.

In the end, I'm talking about everything except CPU..... Because I don't know how to choose The One !
My main goal, nextcloud, doesn't ask particular requirements.
It's not a high-end gaming PC, we're talking about a 24/24 NAS. Low power consumption is a goal, but I'm afraid to be limited by something like a Pentium G5400, Celron's or Atom's categories. Am I wrong ? I'm not either talking about AMD CPU, because I don't know them, and Ryzen's CPU (recommended by the previous article) with 8+ cores seems to be overkill.

To conclude, it's hard to choose a direction, probably because I'm not able to fix a CPU, and balance between performance and efficiency. I'm not really bottlenecked by my CPU except under heavy loads, also I would like to ask to this nice community some advice   Big Grin
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#2
For your DIY NAS with Nextcloud, there are a few key points to consider when choosing the CPU and motherboard combo that balances power efficiency and performance. Since you're aiming for low power consumption, while still maintaining good performance for tasks like file syncing, backup, and media server duties, here are a few recommendations:

1. CPU Choices
Since Nextcloud isn't very CPU-intensive under normal loads, you don't need a high-end processor. For low power consumption, I would recommend the following:

Intel Pentium Gold or Celeron (e.g., G6400 or G5905): These CPUs offer great value for money with low power draw (~35W) and decent performance for light server duties. The Pentium Gold series, like the G6400, is a dual-core with hyper-threading, and should handle your Nextcloud tasks without issues. If you need more power, consider a Core i3.

AMD Ryzen 3 or Ryzen 5 (e.g., Ryzen 3 4100 or Ryzen 5 5500): While a bit more powerful, these CPUs offer great efficiency with decent multi-threading and are still relatively low-power (~35-65W). Ryzen CPUs offer excellent value, especially when paired with motherboards supporting ECC RAM (some B550 boards).

2. Motherboard Considerations
As you mentioned, Supermicro can be expensive, and Topton boards often don't support ECC, so let's focus on more accessible options:

Intel-based motherboards: If you go with an Intel CPU, you can easily find ASRock or ASUS motherboards that support ECC RAM, especially from their server or workstation lines. Look for boards with Intel B460 or H470 chipset for better memory support and power management.

AMD-based motherboards: If you’re leaning towards AMD, ASRock and MSI both offer affordable AM4 boards that support ECC memory (look for B450, B550, or X570 chipset boards). Fujitsu motherboards are another good option if you can find them in Europe, but you’re right, they may be harder to source.

3. ECC RAM
You mentioned wanting 16GB ECC RAM, and both Intel and AMD platforms offer good options for ECC support. Just make sure that the motherboard explicitly lists ECC compatibility, as not all boards in a particular chipset will support it.

4. Energy Efficiency
For low power, Intel Pentium Gold or Celeron are among the best choices, as they are optimized for minimal energy consumption.
AMD Ryzen CPUs are efficient but may use a bit more power depending on the model, especially if you move into Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 territory. Ryzen 3000/5000 series CPUs offer a good balance of performance and efficiency.
5. Other Considerations
ZFS is very memory-intensive, so having more than 8GB of RAM for your RAIDZ1 pool (16GB is a good choice) will definitely help. Since you are using Debian, you’ll also want to ensure your motherboard can support at least 5-6 SATA ports (or more, depending on your needs), especially if you're running multiple hard drives.

If you're planning to use Nextcloud, you won't need an overly powerful CPU. Even a low-end CPU should handle syncing and file transfers without issues. However, for faster processing (like in larger media files or transcoding), having a few more cores (like an i3 or Ryzen 5) could be useful.
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#3
Hello ed,

First thing of all, thank you for your detailed answers, it's really helpful !

Considering your message, I'm trying to draw 2 different configurations :

1. A more powerful one
• CPU 5500 or 5600G (support ECC from documentation)                                /110-165€
• Motherboard Gigabyte B550M K (support ECC from documentation)              /92€
• PSU fan be quiet! Pure Rock LP (45 mm height, less than 70 mm required)    /55€
• PSU be quiet! SFX Power 3 300W 80+ Bronze                                              /65€
• RAM Kingston Server Premier 16 Go DDR4 2666 MHz ECC Registered            /72€
• Case fan be quiet! Pure Wings 3 120mm PWM                                            /15€
• Jonsbo N4 case                                                                                        /120€

TOTAL COST : 529-584€

2. Intel solution
• ...
Well, I'm unable to finish an Intel-based setup. I'm angry against Intel because their technical doc is incomplete. On their website, they indicate the G7400 E and TE both support ECC, while the information is just "missing" for the G7400. And of course, it seems impossible to find the E version online.
> Intel Atom C5310, impossible to find
> Xeon D, same
> i3 series : most of them are non-compatible with ECC, according to ark.intel.com. ECC-CPU are only special version, E, TE and PRE. Again, it seems to be impossible to find them online.

According to my research, I'm thinking more and more to simply avoid Intel because I'm feeling incapable to determine if my setup will fully support ECC or not !
The only reason why I spent hours finding information is power efficiency, because you told me a Pentium or Celeron would be more reasonable.

In case of AMD choice, the 5600G is more power efficient than the 5500, according to Tom's hardware. Do you think the upgrade is worth it ?
I didn't measure myself but according to the internet, my actual NAS draws around 15 W idling. I guess I will increase my power consumption in any case, am I right ?

At this subject, can I ask you what you think about the PSU choice ? I guess in any build, a PSU of max 300W is sufficient. I looked for a gold certification at first glance, but it seems hard to find in SFX format. The PSU suggested is non-modular. I think that's not a major problem, the case is not so huge but I bet it will fit in it.

Concerning the RAM choice, I didn't really understand the difference between ECC registered or not. I choose this RAM principally because of the price.
I'm also adding my own fan for the case, in order to replace the noisy sold with the N4.



Again, thank you for the time you already spent, I hope you will be able to find some more minutes to my questions...

Have a nice day,
XetYr
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#4
Well well well...

After many considerations, I'll probably opt for the following configuration :
• CPU Ryzen 5 PRO 5650G                                                                                    /150€
• MB ASRock B550M Pro4* (support ECC avec Cezanne, donc 5650G)                        /120€
• CPU fan be quiet! Pure Rock LP (45mm hauteur, <70mm du boitier)                       /55€
• Jonsbo N4 (SO CUUUUUTE)                                                                               /120€
• PSU be quiet! SFX Power 3 300W 80+ Bronze**                                                  /65€ 
• case fan PWM be quiet! Pure Wings 3 120mm PWM                                             /15€
• SSD (OS) Samsung 980 M.2 PCIe NVMe 250Go****                                           /60€ 
• RAM Lenovo ThinkSystem 16 Go TruDDR4 3200 MHz ECC***                              /200€ 

TOTAL COST W/ STORAGE :                                                                               785€


To be honnest, I hoped to create a setup with the Ryzen 5 Pro 3400G, aiming a "low power config". In the end it seems difficult to find a MB supporting ECC for this model.
MB constructors are guarantying ECC support only for PRO series, and the 5650G Pro with the B550M Pro4 from ASRock are ECC compliant, according to the official doc. So it should be the most reasonable choice.
Have you any last advice considering this update ?
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