# Components

Finding the right parts for the server may be a little difficult, but let's break it down and go step-by-step through the process. First we need to consider, what we want and what is required anyway.

Starting with the processor, I have to say that Intel QuickSync is an absolute transcoding beast! So if we go with a powerful Intel processor with integrated UHD graphics, we can omit a separate graphics card. That would not only save energy during operation but also simplify the setup and installation.

For data integrity, I would recommend going with ECC. That is also the recommended way by TrueNAS. Many people think it's only for business critical data and not for home servers. But it's more than that: consider you also store photos of your family on this server, it won't be that fun when this data is lost. So better go with it when possible. For ECC to work, it has to be fully supported by the mainboard, the processor and the memory.

Error Correcting Code

https://www.truenas.com/docs/scale/gettingstarted/scalehardwareguide/#error-correcting-code-memory

As we go with QuickSync, we need an Intel processor. The advanced search from Intel makes it easy to find the right one. We can search by the features we need.

Additionally to ECC and QuickSync, we add a minimum of 8 cores and only processors from the Xeon family (which targets the server market) to the filter. For this project, the processor to go with would be the W-1370P.

Product Specification Advanced Search

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/de/de/ark/search/featurefilter.html

Now that we know which processor to go with, we need a compatible mainboard. Additionally to the requirements, the mainboard must also support the chipset and socket of the processor. The X12SCA-5F from Supermicro seems to satisfy our needs.

There are many suppliers of good memory. Kingston, for example, has a very user-friendly and powerful website, which makes it extremely easy to find the right one. You just have to search on the website for the mainboard model and get a list of compatible memory.

But Kingston goes a step further and directly tells you all necessary information (e.g. the maximum possible memory for the mainboard) or important configuration notes (e.g. if you have to install it in pairs).

Kingston Memory for X12SCA-5F

https://www.kingston.com/en/memory/search/model/104681/supermicro-x12sca-5f-motherboard

Supermicro chassis are of good quality and cheap (compared to competitors like HPE or DELL). Because the mainboard is also from Supermicro, we will go with this manufacturer for the chassis too. You can assemble it also in a normal workstation, but the goal here is a rackmounted server along with other components (UPS, Switch, etc.).

Supermicro has many different chassis. Some are bigger, some are smaller. And every chassis is differently equipped. You can sort and filter them on the website by what you need. For this project, the Supermicro 826BE2C-R920LPB seems perfect. Although the model name seems a little bit cryptic, it describes the chassis in detail when split apart:

826BE2C-R920LPB

8--------------  8xx / 9xx = Rackable chassis
 2-------------  2U (Rack Unit)
  6------------  Generation
   B-----------  ? 
    E2C--------  SAS3/SATA3 with 2 expanders (Backplane Type)
       -
        R------  Redundant Power Supply 
         920---  Power Supply Wattage
            LP-  Low Profile Rear Window (Rear Window I/O)
              B  Chassis Color (B = Black, V = Silver)

Product Naming Convention - Chassis

https://www.supermicro.com/products/Product_Naming_Convention/Naming_CSE.cfm

We start with six disks with 18 TB per disk for our media pool. The total capacity would be 108 TB. Because of our RAID, two disks are not usable as storage, so we end up with a total of 78 TB available disk space.

For the CPU, we go with a Dynatron K666R1 active cooler. The cooler fits into a 2U chassis and fully supports our processor.

The mainboard does not have a built-in miniSAS port, therefore we need an additional PCIe Host Bus Adapter (preferably in low profile because the chassis is only 2U high, and we don't need a riser card then). The LSI SAS9300-4i4e also has external ports, so we can connect another chassis in the future if needed.

For the communication between the mainboard and our disks, we need a cable that connects the expander on the backplane of the chassis with the HBA. The Supermicro CBL-SAST-0532 with a length of 50cm will do the job.