I have an aging N54L and am looking to replace it with something of a similar footprint but with more power, has anyone had any experiences with anything newer?
I'm looking for something relatively modern and future proof, currently I'm running unRAID but this isn't a requirement.
Cost is also a factor (it would be good if it was under $500)…
HP Gen8 ?
Depending on usage I would not recommend this. I went this path and then found you couldn't just throw Win7/10 on the Gen8. Need to go Windows server, Linux or FreeNAS or whatever. Also there is a lot more configuration required in terms of HP LiLo. FreeNAS is fine but for some people this may require too much investment in time to learn and configure. Really depends on what you want to use it for and your level of IT competency.
Suppose, I'm using my G8 micro server with vmware running Xpenology & Windows 10
Works perfect as a two-in-one (home server and NAS in one)
Actually it’s very easy now.
Maybe when windows10 first came out it could be a little tricky to find drivers but now it’s pretty much all auto detected on installation.
I’ve got 2 gen8s. One running windows 10, one running Unraid and they are super solid and easy to setup.
Ive swapped out the cpus so now both have Xeon e3-1265l processors in them so heaps of grunt which is a good option. There’s loads of info out there on the swap if you are that way inclined.
They are getting hard to find new now though
That is good to know, thanks. I have also updated CPU (1260l), RAM, HP Raid Controller on mine but recently FreeNAS got corrupted somehow and so I haven't had the time to refresh it. Might give the ol' Win10 a run. Was going to try UnRaid but I am quite time poor.
Thanks Krenske. Recently installed Win10 and working fine. Just managing the raid array through the HW raid controller and LiLo.
I went with a Synology DS1019
Not exactly the same, but more power and fills my specific use case.
Was quite a bit more expensive though.
I was also looking for a newer alternative to the N54l last year.
Depending on how much power you need I built my own based around a ASRock J4105M and Fractal Arc Mini R2.
Came in under $500 and was a similar size to the n54l. There's also ITX boards if you want something smaller still
Do you have a breakdown of the build or pcpartpicker link?
Motherboard | ASRock J4105M $120.00
Ram | Gskill Value 2x4 GB $70
Case | Fractal Arc Mini R2 $92
SSD | Kingston A400 240GB $42
PSU | Existing Corsair V450 $0
SATA Card | Generic 4-port Card Marvell 88SE92xx $28
Prices are probably a bit less now.
Guessing not a media server as no GPU? Not sure that mobo's Celeron can do HD/4K.
Sticking a HD5450 into the N40L/N54L was the best option for a media server.
@Hybroid: I doubt it'll transcode 4k for plex but it's fine as an smb backend for kodi. It has a 16x slot to put a low power GC into if more media power is required.
I will keep my poor little N54L until he dies, always impressed me how long he has been going for without missing a step
I dread the day my beloved n40l dies. One of the best Ozbargain purchases I've made. 5+ years going strong. Running 24/7.
Heck, I would just buy a used n54l or n40l.
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