Best choice for NAS? Intel/AMD?

  • Hello Everyone!
    It's my first post on here!


    (First of all, I want to apologize for any errors in the text, my English is not very good, and sometimes I end up using a translator!)


    Well, I want to build a desktop to install OMV, but I have a question! What is the best option to use OMV? Intel? AMD?
    I've always liked Intel, but I wanted to use AMD because it's a cheaper option in my country
    But I'm afraid that the AMD processor has a future problems


    The other pieces will be:
    -AMD Athlon 200GE or Intel Pentium G5400
    -4GB RAM DDR4
    -16GB SSD (System)
    -2x HDD IronWolf 2TB
    -400w 80+ PSU


    Can you help me? I await and thank you!

    • Offizieller Beitrag

    I use ARM instead of both Intel or AMD. One ARM32 Odroid HC2 OMV NAS + one single 12TB Ironwolf HDD draws around 10W and provides similar (or better) performance as a file server.


    Both Intel and AMD should work perfectly fine. Or ARM... Your preferences and needs should decide. Price/performance/power/features/availability. Typically it is the features provided by the motherboard in combination with the CPU that is important. Not the CPU in itself. Size? Need noisy fans? Support for how many SATA-ports? How many USB3? Support for ECC? Power usage? GPU for transcoding?


    I bought most of my Odroid HC2s directly from the manufacturer, Hardkernel, in South Korea. Came by FedEx.

    • Offizieller Beitrag

    Size? Need noisy fans?

    Both of the above can be serious considerations if your server will be running in living spaces. Small and quiet (or even silent with no fans) can be important.


    If you'll be installing your server in a closet or basement, these considerations are not as important.

  • I use ARM instead of both Intel or AMD. One ARM32 Odroid HC2 OMV NAS + one single 12TB Ironwolf HDD draws around 10W and provides similar (or better) performance as a file server.


    Both Intel and AMD should work perfectly fine. Or ARM... Your preferences and needs should decide. Price/performance/power/features/availability. Typically it is the features provided by the motherboard in combination with the CPU that is important. Not the CPU in itself. Size? Need noisy fans? Support for how many SATA-ports? How many USB3? Support for ECC? Power usage? GPU for transcoding?


    I bought most of my Odroid HC2s directly from the manufacturer, Hardkernel, in South Korea. Came by FedEx.

    I tried to use a Raspberry, however every time I tried to install it ended up giving some problem with updating the system packages ... I do not want to spend much, but initially I will use the server for: Media Player, Torrent and files
    In the future, I want to install and configure a print server
    This PC will stay in my room, which is the point of the house where the modem and the router are!

  • I bought most of my Odroid HC2s directly from the manufacturer, Hardkernel, in South Korea. Came by FedEx.

    Unfortunately it does not pay to import computers to Brazil, because the fees are absurd! I tried to buy an Intel Z83II Mini PC via Gearbest, but when it arrived here the same had to be returned, since the inspection did not authorize it :(

    • Offizieller Beitrag

    Unfortunately it does not pay to import computers to Brazil, because the fees are absurd!

    Then using what you have, in hand, is the way to go. There's nothing wrong with your hardware list. 4GB RAM is more than enough for what you want to do, a file server, media server, print server, etc.


    Take a look at Dockers for your add-on's. While there's a bit of a learning curve, they're lean and get the job done.

    • Offizieller Beitrag

    I say this so often I feel like a a televangelist on the issue, but I don't mind staying in the pulpit.. :)


    I've used both over the years, and have no issue with either CPU. My issue has more to do with the motherboards the CPU is installed on. Most AMD boards I find seem to use Realtek NIC's, which I have had nothing but problems with in Linux over the years. Many report they now work just fine, but I've wrote them off for good. Atheros and Intel NIC's have never given me a problem.


    That said, right now I'm using a Celeron G1610, which is in a motherboard that has a Realtek NIC..lol. It annoyed me for almost 2yrs before I just bought an Intel card, and it's been perfect since.

  • I say this so often I feel like a a televangelist on the issue, but I don't mind staying in the pulpit.. :)
    I've used both over the years, and have no issue with either CPU. My issue has more to do with the motherboards the CPU is installed on. Most AMD boards I find seem to use Realtek NIC's, which I have had nothing but problems with in Linux over the years. Many report they now work just fine, but I've wrote them off for good. Atheros and Intel NIC's have never given me a problem.


    That said, right now I'm using a Celeron G1610, which is in a motherboard that has a Realtek NIC..lol. It annoyed me for almost 2yrs before I just bought an Intel card, and it's been perfect since.

    I do not know if I understand very well ...


    You had problems with the motherboard that uses the Realtek network, is that it?
    For the other answers I had, and through some research I did on the internet, I'm sure I'll get an AMD kit to mount my NAS
    If a problem occurs with the network connection, I should buy another network card, correct?

    • Offizieller Beitrag

    I do not know if I understand very well ...
    You had problems with the motherboard that uses the Realtek network, is that it?
    For the other answers I had, and through some research I did on the internet, I'm sure I'll get an AMD kit to mount my NAS
    If a problem occurs with the network connection, I should buy another network card, correct?

    That would be my suggestion.


    Again, many suggest the Realtek's (specifically the 81xx series) work just fine now. My issue was, it worked, but it was extremely inconsistent. One minute it would be perfect, the next it wouldn't transfer above 100k. Then there was the issues w/ shutting down if the NAS was started via WOL (this one is pretty well documented if you Google... again no sure if it has been fixed). For me, I won't be using them again and I avoid motherboards with them no matter what I'm using them for (since I primarily use Linux in my house).


    I let a Realtek 8188 frustrate me for to long before finally purchasing a $40 Intel NIC card and resolving it for good.

    • Offizieller Beitrag

    Then using what you have, in hand, is the way to go. There's nothing wrong with your hardware list. 4GB RAM is more than enough for what you want to do, a file server, media server, print server, etc.


    Take a look at Dockers for your add-on's. While there's a bit of a learning curve, they're lean and get the job done.

    This is the best advise you will ever get. I have a couple of Odroid HC2's and I love them. If you can get your hands on one (or three) then do so. Otherwise, use what you can get. A few weeks ago I was given (free) an HP Compaq Business Desktop dx2400 micro tower with a Pentium E5200 2.5 GHz processor and 8 gig of ram. After swapping out the hhd for an ssd and adding a 10TB data drive, OMV installed perfectly and does everything my HC2's do, just with a bit more power consumption, and yes, fan noise.

  • You had problems with the motherboard that uses the Realtek network, is that it?

    Users had bad experiences with old RealTek gear and now they try to convince everyone that RealTek is bad in general while there are really not that much issues with recent 8111G or 8111H controllers known. But since a lot of RealTek bashing is flooding the net users even waste their time frickling around with drivers instead of working through potential issues from bottom to top. Recent example: ASRock J4105 [Macbook Wifi Slow]

    Pentium E5200 ... does everything my HC2's do, just with a bit more power consumption, and yes, fan noise

    And slower of course. Such a 10 years old Pentium has a slower CPU than a HC2 and in general OMV on x86 performs lower than on the ARM devices if both are equipped with Gigabit Ethernet and storage is at least USB3 or better.


    @MarlonJCsg I can feel your pain wrt importing electronics to Brazil. 2 fellow developers there report from time to time their hassles with getting stuff from abroad.

    • Offizieller Beitrag

    Users had bad experiences with old RealTek gear and now they try to convince everyone that RealTek is bad in general while there are really not that much issues with recent 8111G or 8111H controllers known. But since a lot of RealTek bashing is flooding the net users even waste their time frickling around with drivers instead of working through potential issues from bottom to top. Recent example: ASRock J4105 [Macbook Wifi Slow]

    And slower of course. Such a 10 years old Pentium has a slower CPU than a HC2 and in general OMV on x86 performs lower than on the ARM devices if both are equipped with Gigabit Ethernet and storage is at least USB3 or better.
    @MarlonJCsg I can feel your pain wrt importing electronics to Brazil. 2 fellow developers there report from time to time their hassles with getting stuff from abroad.

    oddly enough... I've had a couple of realtek wireless devices.. and they have generally performed pretty well. It's just the NIC's I've had problems with. I tried many drivers, tweaks, etc. to no avail. I'm done with them, especially since Intel (and Atheros, in my experience) are generally pretty close to flawless from the start, and always have been.

  • It's just the NIC's I've had problems with. I tried many drivers, tweaks, etc. to no avail. I'm done with them

    Fine for you. But I think it's a rather bad recommendation in general in 2019. I hated RealTek NICs back in the day when I assembled servers because they were so slow compared to Intel or Broadcom. But obviously times have changed and for something like a light OMV box if there's a recent 8111 on the mainboard why not trying it out first. If problems occur users should always try to diagnose problems from bottom to top and not based on some bias spread on the Internet.

    • Offizieller Beitrag

    Fine for you. But I think it's a rather bad recommendation in general in 2019. I hated RealTek NICs back in the day when I assembled servers because they were so slow compared to Intel or Broadcom. But obviously times have changed and for something like a light OMV box if there's a recent 8111 on the mainboard why not trying it out first. If problems occur users should always try to diagnose problems from bottom to top and not based on some bias spread on the Internet.

    I've never 'not recommended' it, usually just caution people. I've always said they may work now... but given my past experiences with them, I'll never use them again. I spent a year or so diagnosing, running tweaks, configurations, updated drivers, etc. to try and get the device working properly, so I didn't just start posting on the Internet after it didn't work properly for a day.


    Like I said, Intel and Atheros, I've never had these issues. With so many people here posting build questions and having themselves on a fairly tight budget, it's a perfectly logical point to make.

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