Create Advice[Build Log] Sleeper PC with RAID 1 array
Create Advice[Build Log] Sleeper PC with RAID 1 array
Now I have all the necessary materials, and I spent the evening figuring out how to accommodate more fans inside the case. It proved more challenging than expected since the cover slides easily, preventing direct fan attachment, and there was minimal space beneath the cover for a bolt head to reach outward. My solution might be a bit over-engineered, but it functions. The case frame consists of bars with grooves, so I created small threaded plates to fit into those slots—something familiar from unistrut. I also crafted metal plates to secure the fans, using an old rusty car body part, which I plan to paint.
Then there was a tense moment when I unwrapped the motherboard and discovered the SATA ports were positioned in a tight corner where the fans needed to fit. I quickly used an anti-static mat to test placement, and it actually worked—phew!
That was the most impressive motherboard design I've seen so far.
I have a rough idea of the airflow layout I want: three 92mm Noctua redux fans on the sides, two inside and one at the back with the PSU fan, plus a 60mm fan behind the CPU cooler. I hope this configuration works, and if not, I'll make further adjustments.
My next step will be a detailed paint job inside the case to match the motherboard, and don't worry—it will still look identical from the outside. 😎
[Build Log] Entry 4:
Initially I drilled new holes in the case for various PSU sizes, then I made a cut in the HDD drive bay facing the fans, hoping it would enhance airflow. However, after seeing the result, I realized it likely wouldn't make much difference.
😳
Anyway, it's now there:
Now moving on to painting:
I aimed for a black and red finish similar to the motherboard, but I didn't find any red spray. So I used what was available—black and orange works just fine.
😀
I also painted the rusty fan brackets:
Next step: cut holes in the case's exterior to align with the fan positions.
Orange....? Ooph...
I didn't realize red spray paint was scarce these days. Another casualty of COVID supply issues?
Still a neat design!
it's not really about rarity, but the lockdown situation means it's illegal to drive without a good reason, and I'm not sure the police would take spray paint seriously for an urgent trip.
Were the disasters you mentioned involving spinning drives really a concern for you? RAID 1 is acceptable, though it comes at a slight cost (two high-end 1 TB NVME drives would be around $150 each). Your investment in a pair of disks with only half the usable space might not be fully justified unless you value high availability. If uptime is crucial, consider additional backups stored elsewhere, ideally offline, to protect against ransomware. In the case of a ransomware attack, your RAID 1 drives would simply hold copies of the encrypted files. For a more robust solution, opt for a larger NVME drive—preferably a single 2 TB unit instead of two half-sized ones in RAID1 for backup purposes. Regular full and incremental backups using tools like Macrium Reflect are recommended, with a 300 GB image recoverable in minutes from a slow drive or just over an hour from an SSD. Installing Windows 10 on an SSD is quick, around 4-5 minutes. You can also use Rescuezilla for straightforward full backups, though Macrium Reflect images can be managed directly in WIN10. (In my view, having a spare NVME drive is practically essential, but most people only realize the need after facing ransomware and losing everything.)
I favor an external or cloud-based backup over RAID 1 for everyday use. External backups avoid the risks of power surges or malware attacks like mdd1963. The downside is that these backups don’t occur as often since they’re done manually, unlike RAID 1 which runs continuously. It really depends on how you plan to use your system.
I prefer affordable used options. My first PC had just one HDD, which began making strange sounds and contained all the photos I'd ever taken. Since I wasn't very experienced, I didn't have a place to store the data, so I consulted my high-school systems administrator. He provided me with two second-hand HDDs of the same size as the faulty one and taught me how to set up a RAID array in Windows XP. I understand that second-hand data storage isn't ideal, but it was free. A year later, when the oldest drive failed, I didn't lose any data because of the RAID setup.
I still didn't feel comfortable spending my Christmas money on HDDs, so I asked another old drive from a repair shop. The cycle continued for a while.
I still never lost any data.
It seems my reasoning is that if I start with brand new drives (which I already have), and now I have a job where I'm willing to spend money on reliable equipment, it will be more dependable than anything I've had before—even if they're not top-of-the-line, like two 1TB Seagate BarraCuda drives. I'll also keep an external backup that's disconnected from the system.
I understand the risk of ransomware attacks, although I'm running Debian. I'm aware it's possible, but I've heard very few cases of this with Linux.
Thanks.
I'm right there with ya!
At the end of the day. We're talking about $40-ish for the extra 1TB hdd that was already purchased. Sure, there's the extra noise an all, but we're splitting hairs with this RAID conversation in this scenario (and against username "RAIDgoblin"). Do what you're comfortable with.