Wanting to build Mini Thin ITX ESXI Build Options.

TheBiznes

TheBiznes

TheBiznes

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I am looking to build a mini Thin ITX Build not sure about some things. Not to sure if correct forum to post here or Small Form Factor, because it's an ESXI Question also.

Intel BOXDQ77KB
Unsure Which CPU ----Intel Core i5 3470T or Intel Intel Core i5 3570T Or High End Xeon E3-1265L Or Intel Core i7-3770T Which I think is roughly the same.(Probably overkill)?

Like the Vpro instruction intel have on some of these chips.

Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) Memory Kit PC3-12800 1600MHz

Or could probably go with the value range.

Corsair Value Select DDR3 SO-DIMM PC3-12800 (1600)

Intel 60GB 525 Series SSD Msata

I looked at Plextor M5M, but I have had Intels since release never let me down.

Akasa Euler Passive AK-ITX-05BKAL Mini-ITX for Intel DQ77KB Ivy Bridge

I Have a WD Scorpio Black 500GB might use in this for extra storage.

The Box will be running a PFsense-Untangle Bridge a Windows 2008 or 2012 server and perhaps 1 Linux distro.

With all the Virtulization options and specification included on the board and chiips will USB passthrough work as though not in a virtual machine i.e direct I/O? I would like to run some HD TV tuners from a Windows 2008 VM

Anyone else got his setup? Can 2 drives be fitted in this case the Msata and a 2.5" Western Digital Scorpio? It looks as though it can following this article.

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1321-page1.html
 
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Thanks for the overview

I wasn't going to add a pci-e card as case will not take it.

You have made me think about storage though I have 2 raid cards Areca and Adaptec later if I want to add them I will have to change the case. Or hang 2 ssd's out the back of the case and software raid them.

Actually with a little modding I recon this board might fit in my Microserver as the Pci-e slot is on the correct side and the adaptec will still sit there.

Untangle has level 7 filtering with a lot of the features of pfsense but it's really a Unified threat Manager with a great web filter. I use untangle mainly, but I would like to add pfsense to route and untangle to filter as I perfer it. Squid you have to pay extra for in untangle. So I will use pfsense for that too. It's a might as well try this route whilst I have the machine rather than just bare metal or only virtualise Untangle.

Still unsure about which cpu though.

Also I read there are problem upgrading the firmware is this true? Others have had to go back to stock original because if they just update there isn't enough space to write the new firmware apparently. Have you found this or did you just flash over the one it came with. Which I would have thought is the stock one. Or have you had problems flashing the revisions?
 
[RXP]Andy;24030101 said:
The good thing about the Intel board is you can add a One PCI Express half-length mini connector Ethernet adaptor or WiFi card.
Click to expand...

Hadn't thought of that I was going to use Asus as wireless access point probably still will as fall over also though.
 
Thanks for the ideas. Had a look at Atom found I nice idea in US, but would need to import. I really want something larger CPU wise. Instead of going esxi I could continue with 2008 and virtualbox for the Vm's. This way USB works.
 
I was going to get the i7-3770T, but my order is on back order. Although a friend ordered after to me and received his today. He gets around 70 watts idle with 5 HD a network card and an Adaptec 3405 plugged in.

@rotor

The processor you mentioned is almost an identical to the 3770T how are you getting such low wattage reading? Is it the 2500 graphics rather than the 4000?

@Andy

What graphics card are you using with that processor and do you know the energy usage as well for the full system please?

I bought an Intel DQ77MK in the end and 2 *8Gb sticks of Crucial LP Tactical low voltage memory, also second hand Intel ET . I figured I needed the extra slots and as I have a case and passive PSU around I would go this route.

Now I am stuck on CPU because of back order and possibility of it taking at lot longer than they or I thought. This will be running around 5 vm's mostly at one time. I don't want stuttering as some who have tried to run what I want to run inside VM's 2 firewall applications. So I was going for a quad with hyper, but now looking at the duals maybe as a stop gap. I would like your input though.

I don't suppose these boards will allow a rare thing boot without graphics like some server boards? Or boot then physically remove? Or because I have a PCI slot onboard. What's the lowest wattage video card just to boot with that idles really low?
 
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