Just can’t saya this enough; UNRAID IS GREAT! Ever since I assembled my Unraid box and got it licensed, I have now used up more than 50% of my storage space. It’s time to upgrade to prepare adding more storage when it gets to 80%. With this rate though, I think I’m gonna have to seriously consider moving from SSD to mechanical drives.
The final spec for the upgrade is below:
- CPU: Intel Core i3 6100
- CPU Cooler: Generic Watercooler - 120mm Radiator Fan
- Motherboard: Asus Z270 Prime-P - ATX Form Factor
- RAM: 2 x 8GB Vgen 2400MHz
- Network Card: Intel 0HM9JY Quad Port Gigabit
- Parity Drive: 1 x Vgen 480GB SSD
- Data Drives: 2 x Vgen 480GB SSD
- Case: Thermaltake Level 20 MT RGB
- PSU: Corsair VS450
Before the upgrade, the Mini ITX form factor made the internal ambient temperature as high as 42 degrees Celsius. The room where the computer is at was not air conditioned. With this upgrade, temperatures improved drastically to hover between 27-30 degrees Celsius. The CPU’s temperature with both form factor was pretty much the same. That generic watercooler did a good job cooling the CPU, hope it’ll last.
Since the Unraid box inception, I have run various docker containers and VMs. So far, although just an i3 CPU, it’s holding up pretty good. That CPU is battered with Roon Core running as a VM.
Almost every time I’m in front of my Hackintosh, I would be listening to music. Allocated 2 CPU’s to the Roon server as host passthrough. I doubt the DSP would need 2 cores but when I have new music, I want it to be scanned faster and retrieving all the metadata to be faster too.
Before Roon, I was listening music through my Apple Homepod, it was good but it’s not stereo.
Got used to listening music from a single Apple Homepod. When listening through a proper monitor speaker, was elated to recognize stereo outputs. Music shouldn’t be listened in mono, bye Homepod.
— Batista Harahap (@tista) March 10, 2020
Moved my studio monitor speaker downstairs to my working desk, bought a pair of speaker stands and I’m a happy guy.
Yes that’s Football Manager 2020 on the right screen. Football matches are postponed, I had to do something.
In this COVID-19 era, working at home is now the norm. Been doing it for the last 2 years and let me tell you, invest on a great work desk setup. Your productivity depends on it, yourself is an investment you make. I can do better with the cable management, one day probably when my OCD activates.
One more thing.
Invest on a premium computer case fans. Over the countless years I’m in front of a computer, this is the first I own a silent one. The only noise now is the AC blower. My computer now only uses Noctua fans. Their 140 and 120 mm fans are as silent a fan can be.
All the fans are PWM fans which means I can set the fan curve directly from the UEFI BIOS. Under common load, when I took the picture above I was 30cm from the fan and I couldn’t hear anything. Worth every cent.
Oh and please ignore the cable management chaos in the back.