Upgrade media server to serve/transcode MB3 to ipad/ipads

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Schroinx
Posts: 218
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2003 3:21 am
Location: Denmark

Upgrade media server to serve/transcode MB3 to ipad/ipads

Post by Schroinx » Tue Mar 18, 2014 5:14 am

I am currently running a media server. It runs a torrent client and MB3 server on WHS11. So work is light most of the time on it. But I would like to be able stream movies etc to my iPhone 4S and IPad 3.

The current server has a 450w Chill PSU, 9 drives 1,5-4TB each (2 4TB more in the mail to replace the smaller ones), 6 in software mirror, a highpoint rocket 640L sata card, a 4850e/4gb ram/780g AMD motherboard, the CPU passively cooled in a Fractal Design case. The one with 6 hd slots and two 5 1/4 slots.

http://www.chill-innovation.com/en/atx- ... 24438.html

I have not been following the development in recent CPUs, chipsets and ram. But I have been looking to replace the server with a i5 3570k, tdp 77w, I can find a second hand one:
http://ark.intel.com/products/65520/Int ... Hz?q=3570k

A intel DH61BE motherboard with 6 sata ports:
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ ... pkw=dh61be

And 2 sticks of corsair value select 8gb ddr3l 1333mhz ram:
http://www.edbpriser.dk/ram/corsair-val ... 73824.aspx

I want to keep cost and power consumption down, as this transcoding is not the main use of the server and not worth it, if it becomes too expensive. Then I might wait. Also it will almost idle most of the time. Is there earlier CPUs/chipset combos that can do the trick, then I would much like to hear about it. Or maybe a i3? Haswell? Not the K version? Is the RAM the correct stuff for this new clock down feature? Something older? Newer?

Any thoughts and recommendation are much appreciated.
Last edited by Schroinx on Tue Mar 18, 2014 5:52 am, edited 1 time in total.

Schroinx
Posts: 218
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2003 3:21 am
Location: Denmark

Re: Upgrade media server to serve/transcode MB3 to ipad/ipad

Post by Schroinx » Tue Mar 18, 2014 5:44 am

The 3570k is 800 DKK used, 500 DKK for the motherboard and 2x corsair value select 1600mhz s 550 DKK or 2400 DKK total.

The Intel DH87RL is 720 DKK or a DB85FL, a i5 4430 is 1200 and ram the same. Totaling 3000 DKK.

A second hand i3 540 1156 is 300 DKK and 1000 for a i5 760, and 300 for a Intel DH55TC plus memory. Wonder if that will do the trick?

Abula
Posts: 3662
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 12:22 pm
Location: Guatemala

Re: Upgrade media server to serve/transcode MB3 to ipad/ipad

Post by Abula » Tue Mar 18, 2014 11:11 am

Schroinx wrote:The 3570k is 800 DKK used, 500 DKK for the motherboard and 2x corsair value select 1600mhz s 550 DKK or 2400 DKK total.

The Intel DH87RL is 720 DKK or a DB85FL, a i5 4430 is 1200 and ram the same. Totaling 3000 DKK.

A second hand i3 540 1156 is 300 DKK and 1000 for a i5 760, and 300 for a Intel DH55TC plus memory. Wonder if that will do the trick?
Most modern cpus can give very low idle, even quads, I seen setups with a quad idle close to 15W, dual cores will idle slighly less, but given that you want to trascode on the fly, I would go with the quad, chose a mobo that its efficient, like intel, and picoPSU, and you should be able to reach very low idle, and have the power to transcode when needed.

Schroinx
Posts: 218
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2003 3:21 am
Location: Denmark

Re: Upgrade media server to serve/transcode MB3 to ipad/ipad

Post by Schroinx » Wed Mar 19, 2014 1:57 pm

Abula wrote:
Schroinx wrote:The 3570k is 800 DKK used, 500 DKK for the motherboard and 2x corsair value select 1600mhz s 550 DKK or 2400 DKK total.

The Intel DH87RL is 720 DKK or a DB85FL, a i5 4430 is 1200 and ram the same. Totaling 3000 DKK.

A second hand i3 540 1156 is 300 DKK and 1000 for a i5 760, and 300 for a Intel DH55TC plus memory. Wonder if that will do the trick?
Most modern cpus can give very low idle, even quads, I seen setups with a quad idle close to 15W, dual cores will idle slighly less, but given that you want to trascode on the fly, I would go with the quad, chose a mobo that its efficient, like intel, and picoPSU, and you should be able to reach very low idle, and have the power to transcode when needed.
Is that true for all i7/i5/i3?

Abula
Posts: 3662
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 12:22 pm
Location: Guatemala

Re: Upgrade media server to serve/transcode MB3 to ipad/ipad

Post by Abula » Wed Mar 19, 2014 3:56 pm

Schroinx wrote:Is that true for all i7/i5/i3?
Sandy Bridge and Haswell CPUs under windows with powersaving enable allow the cpus to idle to 800mhz, on ivy bridge is 1600mhz, but the consupmtions are still similar... not all but close, the trick is chosing a good motherboard and efficient PSU. I'll leave you some examples where you can draw you own conclusions,

DH77DF vs DH77EB - power consumption
I've build the mini pc with these components:
Motherboard: DH77DF
Processor: I5-3470S
Ram: 2x4GB Corsair Vengeance Low Profile White, 1.35V @1600Mhz 9-9-9-24
SSD: Plextor M3 128GB
Power supply: MeanWell GS90A12-P1M + pico psu 90-XLP
Fan: Intel stock fan + Arctic Cooling F8-PWM on the case.
OS: windows 7 ultimate x64

I've disabled the Turbo mode of the core I5 to limit the maximum power consumption under load and I've activated all the C-states. I've also set the power policy in the bios on low power and I've checked in windows device manager the box that says "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" on the firewire controller.
I've measured a power consumption under load (with prime95 + furmark) of 72W (about 80W with the turbo activated).
The idle power consumption, when the fans are connected, is measured with the minimum allowed rotation speed (it's more than enough keep cool the system @idle). The minimum rotation speed of the stock intel fan is 1000rpm and the artic cooling fan is 350rpm. No keyboard nor mouse are connected during the tests.
Here the results:

With gigabit connected, video output enabled, fan processor connected, fan case connected:
11W
With gigabit connected, no video output, fan processor connected, fan case connected:
9.8W
With gigabit connected, no video output, fan processor connected, fan case disconnected:
9.6W
With gigabit connected, no video output, fan processor disconnected, fan case disconnected:
8.8W
Optimal Haswell CPU for low idle power HTPC/Server
Ok, Intel DH87RL seams very promising, right now out of stock everywhere here.

Dose the G3220 support Deep Sleep S4/S5 or C6/C7 power states as the i3 do?

Article: 10w idle, Core i5-4570, Intel DH87RL
Link: http://www.heise.de/ct/projekte/PC-Bauv ... 75124.html
Link w Google Translator: http://translate.google.com/translate?h ... &sandbox=1
Discussion forum, but I cant get the Google translator to work properly, I only see
the first post, not the answers :-)
http://www.heise.de/forum/c-t/Kommentar ... rum-31487/

7.5w idle, Intel Pentium G3220, Asrock H87M-ITX post 1968:
http://translate.google.com/translate?s ... 83-79.html
Both of the above setups are quad cores, try if you can to go with an Intel motherboard + PicoPSU 90XLP (very hard to get now a days) + a level 5 efficient brick.

Schroinx
Posts: 218
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2003 3:21 am
Location: Denmark

Re: Upgrade media server to serve/transcode MB3 to ipad/ipad

Post by Schroinx » Mon Mar 24, 2014 7:57 am

Thanks. That was excactly what I needed to know. I'll try and have look at what is avalible.

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