Hello!

I am getting the parts together for a tower server build. I plan on running Jellyfin, maybe dive into arrs and nextcloud for 2 users total, wireguard only for external access as it’s not the main focus for now.

Situation: if I have access to refurb/used 4TB enterprise HDDs at the same price as 1.9ish TB enterprise SSDs.

I’d take lower capacity as it is not that big of a concern for me rn. I want to have somewhat redundant storage of my documents, photos, but otherwise it’s not gonna be a giant media vault overflowing with movies.

Question: In terms of noise, shipping concerns and longevity, would you go with SSDs instead of HDDs? Is it lower maintenance?

I can of course buy spinners later if I find flash only to be restricting in any way, and add to the rig as needed.

Speed would not be an issue in any case. This is for TrueNAS scale, so zfs. I am planning to buy 3-4 disks now, and add more if needed in 6 months time or later.

I am eager to hear others opininons on this. Thanks!

  • atzanteol
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    1 year ago

    Ah - this is true it can depend on the drive. The biggest variation tends to be in the loudness of the ‘clicking’ as the head moves. Older SCSI drives were (in)famous for how loud that could be. For the most part it’s a light hum of the motor. In my systems the case fan’s are much louder though. I suppose it’s a personal preference.

    It’s generally at the “whisper” level or lower. But thinking about it being in my living room I could see it potentially being an annoyance compared to a silent drive. Depending on where it is, how enclosed it is, etc.