Mon, 02 Oct 2023
I wanted to have desktop PC for all of my family members rackmounted in the garage far away from where they would be using it. After trying some Tripp Lite (one of my favorite companies) solutions for KVM over CAT5 cable and finding the latency sub-optimal, I stumbled upon a Linus Tech Tips video demoing the Icron EL5363 HDMI + USB 2.0 Extender, which works optimally over CAT6A, which I previously cabled all throughout the house in preparation. tldr; These devices work GREAT! The only complaint I have is that their rackmount kit is more for mounting under a desk than in a rack and I needed to do both.
I also explored 2U server cases for this build but was unable to mitigate heat issues, even when using powerful case fans. In the end, I found that a 4U case allowed for the most airflow and a worry free system, even when mounted in a non-air conditioned garage in the middle of the summer.
My build choice was mostly informed by wanted to build something that would keep me from having to build another computer, at least for a very long time. I explored a single, powerful server running VMWare but it seemed too much, so I went for multiple identical discrete systems.
Parts List
PCPartPicker Part ListParts List Notes
CPU
- 10 Cores is almost certainly overkill, but I wanted a high clock speed and this chip fit the bill.
- Here is the ARK listing: Intel Core i9-10900K
- I'll come back in 10 years and let you know if this chip is still cutting the mustard. I might need to deploy watercooling and overclock it to make this happen.
CPU Cooler
- Because Noctua makes the NH-D12L for multiple Intel and AMD sockets, there's a lot of leftover parts that you never feel quite right about throwing away. Nevertheless...
Motherboard
- The ASRock Z590 Pro4 is clean, sleek and straight ahead.
Memory
- PCPartPicker does not know that the ASRock Z590 Pro4 is indeed compatible with ECC RAM.
- Thanks to Micro Center for having the KSM26ED8/32HC locally in stock!
Storage
- This helpful video will be of use when building RAID0.
- You will also need a flash drive with SATA Floppy Image ver:18.6.1.1016.1_21H2 for the Windows 10 installation.
Video Card
- No complaints from my kids about their video games with an RTX 3060 Ti. Don't overthink it!
Case
- The ASRock Z590 Pro4 motherboard is a great partner for a Silverstone RM42-502 case. There were no issues with the installation at all due to the case.
- I removed the expansion card retainer and storage bays altogther.
- I removed the front door and handles, as well as moving the rack ears back to fit in my rack. I will need to come up with a way to filter the intake fans before too long!
- The slide rails require a full-sized 4 post rack.
Power Supply
- Fully modular and perfect!
Case Fans
- There are enough case fan headers on the ASRock Z590 Pro4 and the fan cables are long enough such that no extenders are needed.
