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Intel SS4200-E: PC-Based NAS Evaluated

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Test Setup And Benchmarks

Test Setup

Intel sent us an SS4200-E with two Hitachi Deskstar hard drives (model HDT725050VLA360). We swapped them for Samsung Spinpoint hard drives, which are used in all of our NAS device tests. We didn’t even have to think about a test configuration with jumbo frames activated, because the SS4200-E doesn’t support them.

We did the benchmarks on our reference platform, the details of which you can read in the following table:

Intel Platform 775Asus P5E3 Deluxe, Rev.1.03G
Intel X38, BIOS: 0810 (02/11/2007)
CPUIntel Core 2 Duo E6750 (65 nm Conroe core) @ 2.26 GHz
RAM2x 1 GB Crucial Ballistix DDR3-1600
eSATA ControllerJMicron JMB363
System Hard DrivesSeagate Barracuda 7200.9, 160 GB
7,200 RPM, SATA/300, 8 MB Cache
Test Hard Drives4x Samsung Spinpoint HD321KJ, 320GB
7,200 RPM, SATA/300, 16 MB Cache
DVD-ROMSamsung SH-D163A , SATA150
Graphics CardGigabyte Radeon HD 3850 GV-RX385512H
GPU: 670 MHz
Memory: 512 MB DDR3 (830 MHz, 256 Bit)
Network CardMarvell Yukon 88E8056 PCIe Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Sound CardIntegrated
Power SupplyCooler Master RS-850-EMBA, ATX 12V V2.2, 850 W
Operating SystemWindows Vista Enterprise SP1
DirectX 10DirectX 10 (Vista Standard)
DirectX 9Version: April 2007
Graphics DriversATI Radeon Version 7.12
Network Drivers9.0.32.3 (Vista Standard)
Intel Chip Set DriversVersion 6.9.1.1001 (20/02/2008)
JMicron Chip Set DriversVersion 1.17.15.0 (24/03/2007)

The firmware we used was version 1.1.11.32736.

Intel NAS Performance Toolkit

As we do in all new NAS device tests, we also used the Intel NAS Performance Toolkit with the Intel SS4200-E. For a detailed description of the benchmark, please see the article Benchmarking With Intel’s NAS Toolkit.

16 Comments Comment from the forums
  • slomo4sho 05 December 2008 14:48
    A HTPC type build is still the best low cost high performance option.

    Thanks for the write up :)
    Reply
  • gwolfman 05 December 2008 21:24
    Very interesting. What if you replaced the horrible PSU with one of the picoPSUs made by minibox (if I'm not mistaken) or miniPSUs that are available. http://www.mini-box.com/picoPSU-120-power-kit?sc=8&category=981 OR http://www.mini-box.com/PW-200M-DC-DC-power-supply?sc=8&category=981 I have one of those running my mini-itx server and works flawlessly, cool, efficiently, and it's 100% silent!
    Reply
  • malveaux 05 December 2008 22:35
    Lol,

    $400, no drives, just the `chasis.'

    It's a PC folks. Just build a cheaper PC with better components. It'll do more. And cost less.

    What a joke, intel.

    Cheesr,
    Reply
  • KITH 06 December 2008 01:17
    malveaux, people might find added value in a nice, quiet, compact case that has easy setup and a warranty as well as customer support.

    spending time on purchasing, assembling, and configuring a custom device might not be an option or a at least not a better option.
    Reply
  • malveaux 06 December 2008 01:36
    Kith,

    I understand that. Some people would rather have a box that hums and plugs in and just `works.' They won't want nor need to know how or why it works. They won't be able to troubleshoot it hardware-wise themselves, nor know a damn thing about it. They are still required however to plug in their own hard drives and configure the RAID if they wish it. There are markgets for NAS. But it's getting to be silly how many home-target NAS are being pushed out there that cost a ridiculous amount of money for what is essentially a computer that needs HDD's. For that cost, you might as well build your own computer. Or just take any old computer, but gigabit lan in it, fill with HDD's and run FreeNas. All problems solved on the cheap.

    Support? Laughable. You'll talk to someone in Duabi or New Dheli or whereever, they'll tell you to unplug it, reset your router, plug it back in, push the power button and wait for it to re-connect. They can't help you with HARD DRIVE problems which is the SOLE purpose of the thing--to serve from HDD's.

    I'm all for an attractive easy headless case with built in parts for HDD's. But for $400 and higher for this thing? Please. Any fool reading this website can NewEgg the parts needed, child's play, and have a NICE looking little microatx box housing the SAME capacity and function for less money. The issue with that? Requires a little elbow greace to assemble? Are these the same people who can't change their own tire? ... Probably. There went my whole argument.
    Reply
  • 06 December 2008 02:23
    very very very IMPORTANT!!!!!
    already build an ss4200-ee with 4x1TB hdd, but it went down after 2 weeks.after changing the hardware the data was not recoverd cause the firmware of the ss4200-ee is not similar in another same ss4200-ee
    now i have to wait 1 month for the nas to come back from egypt where intel repairs those nas in the middel east
    for those who r intrested into building a nas, think of software raid not hardware.
    Reply
  • 06 December 2008 02:39
    I really don't understand any of these NAS devices. I have an dual core socket 939 motherboard with 3 4-disk RAID 5 arrays (Linux software RAID) and a bunch of single disks, and I can get 40 MB/sec from the single disks over my gigabit network, and faster from the RAIDs. I have the drives in a bunch of Silverstone CFP51 4-drive bays.

    Total cost for a cheap case, 4 of the CFP51s, PCI and PCIe controllers, motherboard, CPU and 4 GBs of RAM is probably $7-800, ready to hold 16 hard drives, and considerably faster.
    Reply
  • malveaux 06 December 2008 03:41
    claude,

    Exactly my point. Since that machine has EVERY piece of hardware SOLDERED to it, you can't just replace ONE part if it breaks. You replace the WHOLE thing. And that's NOt including your HDD's, which they don't help you with, that's just the chasis and the board that has the SOLDERED OS in place, with ZERO input points for changing that.

    Support is not possible with a unit like this. Meaningful support, that is. Support that is, "oh sorry to hear that, want to ship it over sears to me? $200 dolla? OOps! It no work, buy new one. BAI!"
    Reply
  • V3NOM 06 December 2008 09:14
    ^what the cheese.
    Reply
  • Taracta 07 December 2008 02:15
    The real issue with this device is the SIZE! For just holding four (4) drives it is HUGE! Properly built this case could hold 2 to 3 times (8 - 12)as much drives.

    You can also get this product without an OS (EMC software) and use Home Server as the OS.
    Reply