Re: [gentoo-user] Mobo, CPU, memory and a m.2 thingy. This work together?

[Michael <confabulate@kintzios.com>]

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On Thursday, 6 June 2024 04:54:41 BST Dale wrote:

> I was digging around Ebay.  Ran up on a used combo and then had a crazy
> idea.  I found a ASUS B550-plus AC-HES mobo that is AM4.  I took that
> idea and started building a combo with new parts.  CPU, Ryzen 7 5800X
> and my little 4 port video card if CPU has no video support.  AMD says
> it does.

The Ryzen 7 5800X has 8 CPU cores, but no graphics cores:

https://www.amd.com/en/products/processors/desktops/ryzen/5000-series/amd-ryzen-7-5800x.html

If you take a look at the manual for the MoBo you'll see the 5000/3000 series 
CPUs will be able to support up to four PCIe Gen 4 SSDs on the top PCIe x16 
slot, if you install e.g. a Hyper M.2 x16 expansion card:

https://www.asus.com/uk/motherboards-components/motherboards/accessories/
hyper-m-2-x16-card-v2/

but the same PCIe x16 slot will only be able to support up to three PCIe Gen 3 
SSDs with an expansion card, if you installed a Ryzen 5000/3000 G-Series 
processor which has the integrated graphics cores.


> The mobo has three PCIe X1 slots and a X4 slot.

Actually it is more complicated, because bandwidth is shared across the PCIe 
x16 slots:

https://www.asus.com/motherboards-components/motherboards/prime/prime-b550-plus-ac-hes/

It has four PCIe x16 slots (the top being the PCIe Gen 4 and the rest PCIe Gen 
3), but if any of the bottom 3 slots are occupied, the top slot will *only* 
run in x1 instead of x4 mode.  So you'll end up with four PCIe x16 slots, all 
running in x1 mode.

In addition, if you decide to plug in a NVMe card in the second M.2 port, then 
2 out of the 6 SATA ports will be disabled - their bandwidth eaten up by the 
second M.2 port.


> A SAS card
> would work just slower than when in X8 slot but the little PCIe 10 or 12
> port cards would work fine.  Gives me 30 drives total at least on the
> cards plus the four on the mobo, two goes away with using one of the
> PCIe slots most likely.  Bifurcation I think they call it when they
> share roadways.

I can't find a PCIe x8 slot on the above MoBo ...  :-/


> My thinking.  Build above now.  In a year, or two, I can build either
> the rig I was working on a lot cheaper or a even newer rig that is even
> faster if say AM6 socket CPUs have arrived.  Then the rig above with
> some hard drive options can become the new NAS box.  I can then move
> some drives out of the main rig, newer one a year or so down the road,
> and not need so many PCIe slots in the main rig, hopefully anyway.  I
> may even warm up to the idea of using USB for hard drives.  I'm
> surprised hard drives don't come with USB connections instead of SATA
> already.
> 
> The only downside, the NAS box will have to run 24/7 as well.  Then I
> have two puters running all the time.  To offset that, the combo above
> does pull a lot less power than my current rig.  Not a huge difference
> but fair amount.  Odds are the build a year or so down the road will
> also pull less power than current rig.  I could end up with same amount
> of power usage or less, even with two running instead of one.
> 
> I said it was a crazy idea.  LOL   This time tho, I'm sort of planning
> ahead instead of just coming up with a temporary fix all the time.  This
> is also a little cheaper but still faster.  Another big thing, newer as
> well.  My current rig is about 10 or 11 years old.  It may run another 5
> or so years but could go out anytime.  At least I'll have a newer rig
> not likely to let the smoke out.  Plus have a path to a more sane
> setup.  I just need to get one of those chia harvester cases that holds
> 40 or so hard drives.  ROFLMBO
> 
> Dale
> 
> :-)  :-) 

I think it was mentioned, but for your assumed requirements I suggest you take 
a look at refurbished workstations, or tower servers.  They are designed to 
run 24-7, can host a huge number of drives, have obscenely large amounts of 
quad/octa channel RAM (ECC too), come with the full variety of expansion 
options, disk caddies and adapters, receive OEM BIOS updates for ever and a 
day and seek to minimise power consumption.  They won't scream their head off 
in GHz, but more than compensate with multiple cores, dual CPUs, and more than 
enough PCIe lanes.

I seems to me you are currently looking to buy the equivalent of a Ferrari in 
terms of speed and technology, but intend to load it with rubble and use it as 
if it were a truck.  I'm exaggerating here, only to make a point.  It ought to 
be better overall if you buy a tool designed for the job you intend to use it.

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