x86 vs ARM for Server (needs to be quiet and low-powered)

  • Hi there,


    Due to some previous discussions/advice on previous threads, I have decided to build myself a new server.


    At the moment, I have a Odroid HC2, running TVheadend and an SQL server for my Kodi boxes.


    I also have a separate RPi, running Home Assistant.


    I really, now, want to start having a go with some other services like PI Hole.


    I was thinking of buying another Pi for this but it suddenly occurred to me that a single server is probably the way to go.


    I do not think that the HC2 will handle all of this, plus it would be be nice to have the space for at least two other hard drives.


    I really would like to stick with something that is as quite as possible and also uses as little electricity as possible (as it will be left on all the time).


    What are my options?


    An x86 option is going to be a little easier to add multiple hard drives to, but how is that going to compare with ARM as far as noise and power consumption go?


    At the moment, I am considering something like this:


    ASRock > J5040-ITX


    with a single 8GB RAM module and powered with a Pico PSU.


    Is this a sensible thing to do?

    • Offizieller Beitrag

    Just add pihole to your hc2 or the current rpi. It takes very little resources. If your setup now isn't causing you issues, I wouldn't change it. I don't know tvheadend but it seems like the rpi could actually run all of those things by itself.

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  • Thank you.


    I should say that the RPi is a 3B+ and it is not the best experience for Home Assistant - a little bit laggy.


    Also, TVHeadend is pushing the HC2 to around 70% on the 2GB RAM, so it probably will not take both HA and Pi Hole on there.


    I was originally thinking about two HC4s (one with a DATA disk and an SSD for Docker programs) and using the other just for backups and storage.


    However, I was wondering if economics dictate that two HC4s could just equate to a single x86-based server.


    What are my options if I wanted to stick with ARM? Are there any decent boards that have at least 4GB RAM and can support 4 Hard drives?


    I am very tempted to go with the 8GB Pi4 but trying to link up and then power multiple hard drives seems pretty tricky.

    • Offizieller Beitrag

    two HC4s could just equate to a single x86-based server.

    The HC4 is a nice system. Two of them would easily do what most energy efficient x86 boxes would do.


    What are my options if I wanted to stick with ARM? Are there any decent boards that have at least 4GB RAM and can support 4 Hard drives?

    Any arm device can support 4 drives if you use USB. If you want native sata, you have a few options. The nanopi m4 v2 is very good. If you can find an RPi CM4, the axzez board or radxa taco or even the rpi breakout board with a pcie sata card (using myself currently) would work.

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  • I run Home Assistant in a RPi 2B just to minimize power consumption. I have tried other Pies and could not see any advantages using a stronger version besides faster boot time. Since it remains on 24/7, it works for me.


    I wonder if the a PicoPSU could power 4 hard drives.


    Best regards.

    • Offizieller Beitrag

    I wonder if the a PicoPSU could power 4 hard drives.

    Depending on which size, yes it can. But I have had three or four and they run hot as it is. powering four drives would make it run hotter. Mine have all failed in a relatively short amount of time. It has been a few years though. Maybe they have got better.

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  • I wonder if the a PicoPSU could power 4 hard drives.

    yes a properly spec'ed PicoPSU can power 4 3.5" hard drives.

    Axzez has published a PowerSupply compatibility list (including currently 2 PicoPsus) for their board under the heading "PSUs with a Reliable +3.3V Rail (Verified by Axzez)" here 

    With a 3rd PicoPsu undergoing testing currently (thread from here)

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  • That is great - thanks very much.


    I have many more options than I previously thought (and I might not need a PICO PSU, if I can find a solution that uses a plug with barrel connector).


    Just to narrow my options down, a bit - do you think 4GB would be enough for most people's OMV servers?

  • do you think 4GB would be enough for most people's OMV servers?

    Advice can only as good as the input provided :)

    What service shall run on your specific OMV server?

    omv 6.9.6-2 (Shaitan) on RPi CM4/4GB with 64bit Kernel 6.1.21-v8+

    2x 6TB 3.5'' HDDs (CMR) formatted with ext4 via 2port PCIe SATA card with ASM1061R chipset providing hardware supported RAID1


    omv 6.9.3-1 (Shaitan) on RPi4/4GB with 32bit Kernel 5.10.63 and WittyPi 3 V2 RTC HAT

    2x 3TB 3.5'' HDDs (CMR) formatted with ext4 in Icy Box IB-RD3662-C31 / hardware supported RAID1

    For Read/Write performance of SMB shares hosted on this hardware see forum here

  • Advice can only as good as the input provided :)

    What service shall run on your specific OMV server?

    At the moment, I think I have only really scratched the surface of what you can do with an OMV server but I definitely want TVHeadend, Pi Hole, MariaDB, Home Assistant. I might swap out the MariaDB Kodi database for something like JellyFin.


    Also, possibly some video surveillance would be nice as well.


    So difficult to future proof - if I go for 8GB of RAM, I seriously cut down the field of what SBCs I can use but if I go for 4GB. I could just about run the risk of not having enough RAM.

  • TVHeadend

    with a TV Receiver ? Choices to my knowledge are quite limited due to driver availability for ARM. Recommend to research this topic carefully and take nothing for granted

    omv 6.9.6-2 (Shaitan) on RPi CM4/4GB with 64bit Kernel 6.1.21-v8+

    2x 6TB 3.5'' HDDs (CMR) formatted with ext4 via 2port PCIe SATA card with ASM1061R chipset providing hardware supported RAID1


    omv 6.9.3-1 (Shaitan) on RPi4/4GB with 32bit Kernel 5.10.63 and WittyPi 3 V2 RTC HAT

    2x 3TB 3.5'' HDDs (CMR) formatted with ext4 in Icy Box IB-RD3662-C31 / hardware supported RAID1

    For Read/Write performance of SMB shares hosted on this hardware see forum here

  • Thanks mi-hol.


    Luckily, I decided to skip all that and just buy a SAT>IP server - works out of the box and I do not have to worry about driver issues.


    I was doing a bit more research on some of the suggestions for SATA support on ARM and I cannot believe that I did not know about Raspberry Pi Compute Modules - what a clever idea.


    I think I will go down this route and (when eventually available) buy the 8GB RAM version.


    May I ask what board you are using with your CM4, mi-hol?


    The HC4 is a nice system. Two of them would easily do what most energy efficient x86 boxes would do.


    Any arm device can support 4 drives if you use USB. If you want native sata, you have a few options. The nanopi m4 v2 is very good. If you can find an RPi CM4, the axzez board or radxa taco or even the rpi breakout board with a pcie sata card (using myself currently) would work.


    ryeacoaaron - may I also ask exactly what hardware you are using, too, please?


    I really like the idea of a pcie sata board for my various drives.


    I run Home Assistant in a RPi 2B just to minimize power consumption. I have tried other Pies and could not see any advantages using a stronger version besides faster boot time. Since it remains on 24/7, it works for me.


    I wonder if the a PicoPSU could power 4 hard drives.


    Best regards.


    Are you using the SD card for HA and, also, what sort of protocol are you using for controlling your devices?

  • what board you are using with your CM4, mi-hol?

    Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 IO Board

    The official CM4 IO Board.

    omv 6.9.6-2 (Shaitan) on RPi CM4/4GB with 64bit Kernel 6.1.21-v8+

    2x 6TB 3.5'' HDDs (CMR) formatted with ext4 via 2port PCIe SATA card with ASM1061R chipset providing hardware supported RAID1


    omv 6.9.3-1 (Shaitan) on RPi4/4GB with 32bit Kernel 5.10.63 and WittyPi 3 V2 RTC HAT

    2x 3TB 3.5'' HDDs (CMR) formatted with ext4 in Icy Box IB-RD3662-C31 / hardware supported RAID1

    For Read/Write performance of SMB shares hosted on this hardware see forum here

    • Offizieller Beitrag

    may I also ask exactly what hardware you are using, too, please?

    I have lots of systems - nanopim4, two CM4 with rpi i/o boards, odroid-hc4, odroid-hc2, rpi2/3/4, etc. I have an Axzez and Radxa Taco on the way (for the CM4). What hardware do you want to know about?

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  • Sorry - what a very impressive array of boards!


    I am particularly interested in the PCIe SATA suggestion that you mentioned above - can you use any PCIe SATA card or did you have to choose one in particular?


    Also, how many hard drives do you have plugged into it?


    It would also be great to know what you are using to power the IO boards - if I can use a power barrel plug, instead of a PICO PSU, that would be a massive plus for me.


    mi-hol - what are you using your IO Board for?


    Sorry for all the questions - so many new opportunities for a great setup, now.

    • Offizieller Beitrag

    what a very impressive array of boards!

    I have more... I have a problem lol.


    I am particularly interested in the PCIe SATA suggestion that you mentioned above - can you use any PCIe SATA card or did you have to choose one in particular?

    No but luckily there is a list - https://pipci.jeffgeerling.com/#sata-cards-and-storage


    how many hard drives do you have plugged into it?

    I have four 4TB WD Reds plugged into it. It works very well. I'm using the IO Crest card - https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod…_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1


    It would also be great to know what you are using to power the IO boards - if I can use a power barrel plug, instead of a PICO PSU, that would be a massive plus for me.

    I am using an old computer psu to power mine. Just easier since the IO board has the connector and the psu has the sata power connectors I need.

  • Are you using the SD card for HA and, also, what sort of protocol are you using for controlling your devices?

    Yes, the HA runs from a SD card. The majority of my devices are tasmotized Sonoffs (Basic, Mini, iFan and T1). The others, some them I built myself from ESP8266 modules and the required sensors/RGB strips/buttons. Also, HA discovered a bunch of intregable devices, such as my modem, router and even the NUT server running on the OMV machine. The devices running Tasmota, are controlled via mqtt. The broker also runs in the Rpi.


    Best regards.

  • You have done such a neat job with your wire runs that I had to have a few looks at that photo.


    Can I just ask - if you are using a regular ATX PSU like that, do you have to do any mods to it to get it to work? I seem to remember reading something about having to short wires on the ATX connector plug.


    Did you ever consider getting a regular Pi4 with a Quad Sata Hat?


    I had not realised that that was yet another alternative and you can also power everything from a single barrel connector on the hat.


    Comparing the PCIe option with the Radza TACO option with the Quad hat option - is there any difference between the methods in terms of speed and SMART?


    • Offizieller Beitrag

    Can I just ask - if you are using a regular ATX PSU like that, do you have to do any mods to it to get it to work? I seem to remember reading something about having to short wires on the ATX connector plug.

    Yes. I spliced a green and black wire together.

    Did you ever consider getting a regular Pi4 with a Quad Sata Hat?

    I have one. The sata hat requires some special setup with an external driver that I don't care for. I had issues with it not running before services started. Just a pain especially compared to nanopim4 that just works.

    Comparing the PCIe option with the Radza TACO option with the Quad hat option - is there any difference between the methods in terms of speed and SMART?

    I like the Taco and Axzez concepts the best but I don't have one yet. I will be able to give more opinions once I get them. My pcie card is not very stable in the slot (hence the nylon ties). The quad hat is not even an option in my opinion. They are all faster than the network option.

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