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diff --git a/blog/2022-11-27-server-build.org b/blog/2022-11-27-server-build.org new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cbc4855 --- /dev/null +++ b/blog/2022-11-27-server-build.org @@ -0,0 +1,144 @@ ++++ +date = 2022-11-27 +title = "Building a Custom Rack-Mount Server" +description = "I finally built my own custom rack-mounted server after years of indecision." ++++ + +## The Dilemma + +For years, I have been using desktops and a Raspberry Pi as the backbone of my +homelab. I have always wanted to move toward a single dedicated server that +could handle all of my tasks, but was often put off by the complexity of the +choices (and financial roadblocks at some times). + +However, after purchasing a small server rack this past year, I have been +researching to see what kind of rack-mounted server I could buy. I initially +bought a Dell R720XD loaded up with everything I could ever want in a server - +but I did not care for it. It was far too loud, and the age of the CPU/RAM was +something I wanted to improve upon. + +After returning the R720XD, I decided that I wanted to build my own server with +modern, consumer-grade PC components. This time, I am very happy with the +results of my server. + +## Components + +I'll start by listing all the components I used for this server build: + +- **Case**: [Rosewill RSV-R4100U 4U Server Chassis Rackmount +Case](https://www.rosewill.com/rosewill-rsv-r4100u-black/p/9SIA072GJ92825) +- **Motherboard**: [NZXT B550](https://nzxt.com/product/n7-b550) +- **CPU**: AMD Ryzen 7 5700G with Radeon Graphics +- **GPU**: N/A - I specifically chose one of the few AMD CPUs that support +onboard graphics. +- **RAM**: 64GB RAM (2x32GB) _Max of 128GB RAM on this motherboard_ +- **Boot Drive**: Western Digital 500GB M.2 NVME SSD +- **HDD Bay**: + - 10TB WD White _(shucked, moved from previous server)_ + - 8TB WD White _(shucked, moved from previous server)_ + - 2 x 8TB WD Red Plus _(Black Friday lined up perfectly with this build, so I + grabbed two of these)_ +- **PSU**: Corsair RM850 PSU +- **Extras**: + - Corsair TM3Q Thermal Paste + - Noctua 120mm fan _(replacement for front case fan)_ + - 2 x Noctua 80mm fans _(replacement for rear case fans)_ + - CableMatters 6Gbps SATA Cables + +## Building the Server + +This took quite a while for me to build (in my opinion of time), totaling +around 3 hours from start to finish. The case has some peculiar construction, so +you have to completely remove the ODD & HDD cages to install the motherboard and +other components first. + +Now, I've never built a computer of any kind before, so I was quite +nervous. Personally, the only challenging part was getting the CPU cooler to +screw into the motherboard without sliding the thermal paste around too much +underneath. I'm still not entirely sure if I did a great job of it, but +nothing's broken yet. + +The main components were all fine and simple. +However, installing the hard drives is slightly tedious as I need to power +off the server and completely unscrew the HDD cage to install or remove any +drives. +Additionally, the drives are screwed directly into the metal cage with small +screws, which are quite a bit different from the HDD trays I'm used to in +other machines. + +Seeing that the cases with hot-swap bays were 3-4x the price, I'm okay dealing +with the tedium of removing the cage to install new drives. + +## Software + +I'm not going to dive into the software as I have done so in other recent posts. +However, I wanted to note that I am using Alpine Linux on this server and +hosting most services inside Docker. No virtual machines (VMs) and very few +bare-metal services. + +## The Results + +How did my build turn out? Well, after migrating my other servers and their +services over, I found that my server is blazing fast. The heaviest of my +applications, Plex, is handled with ease. Even 4k streaming seems to be +effortless. + +I am very happy with the results and will likely continue to improve on this +server as the years go by rather than buying another used server online. + +### Mistakes I Made + +This post wouldn't be complete unless I wrote about the mistakes I made while +building. The only real mistake I made beyond a "whoops I dropped a screw" +related to airflow and fan direction. + +While installing the two new hard drives that showed up on 2022-11-30 and +getting ready to install the case in my rack, I noticed that the hard drive +temperatures were quite high. + +I used the `smartctl` command for each of my drives (`/dev/sda` through +`/dev/sdd`): + +```sh +doas smartctl -a /dev/sda | grep Temperature_Celsius +``` + +The results were unusual - all four drives were idling at ~44-46 degrees +Celsius. The only drive that was cooler was my 10TB drive, which was at 38 +degrees Celsius. I noted that this 10TB drive was also closest to the case fan. + +```sh +ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME FLAG VALUE WORST THRESH TYPE UPDATED WHEN_FAILED RAW_VALUE +# /dev/sda +194 Temperature_Celsius 0x0002 147 147 000 Old_age Always - 44 (Min/Max 22/46) +# /dev/sdb +194 Temperature_Celsius 0x0002 141 141 000 Old_age Always - 46 (Min/Max 21/48) +# /dev/sdc +194 Temperature_Celsius 0x0002 144 144 000 Old_age Always - 45 (Min/Max 19/61) +# /dev/sdd +194 Temperature_Celsius 0x0002 171 171 000 Old_age Always - 38 (Min/Max 14/56) +``` + +After looking to see if I could fit more fans into the case, I noticed that the +120mm fan used for intake from the front of the case was actually pushing air +out of the case by mistake. This fan sits right in front of the hard drive bay. + +Once I flipped the fan around to act as an intake fan, the temperatures dropped +immediately! They are now idling at ~31-33 degrees Celsius. A single fan +spinning the wrong way caused my drives to idle 10-15 degrees higher than they +should have. + +```sh +ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME FLAG VALUE WORST THRESH TYPE UPDATED WHEN_FAILED RAW_VALUE +# /dev/sda +194 Temperature_Celsius 0x0002 209 209 000 Old_age Always - 31 (Min/Max 14/56) +# /dev/sdb +194 Temperature_Celsius 0x0002 196 196 000 Old_age Always - 33 (Min/Max 19/61) +# /dev/sdc +194 Temperature_Celsius 0x0002 203 203 000 Old_age Always - 32 (Min/Max 21/48) +# /dev/sdd +194 Temperature_Celsius 0x0002 196 196 000 Old_age Always - 33 (Min/Max 22/46) +``` + +This was a silly error to make, but I'm glad I found it today before I screwed +the case into the rack and made things a lot more tedious to fix. |