Yet Another PC Part Thread - NAS Components

Switchblade88 on 31/03/2022 - 22:29

As per OzBargain tradition, I have come for advice and feedback on PC components that I've been researching.

TL;DR I want a cheap flexible NAS.

Specific requirements:

  • I reckon I can build a PC for less than an equivalent QNAP/Synology appliance. I want 10Gbe direct connection to my main PC.
  • Minimum 5 drive capacity
  • Budget: $700ish ex HDDs, assuming that's less than a dedicated 10Gbe NAS

I've got a couple of PSUs floating about, as well as an 8-port HBA that will connect to the HDDs. Will need an SFP card to get 10Gbe speeds on both NAS PC and my main PC.

Current list:
Intel 10400F $189
Gigabyte z590 Aorus Pro AX $220
16Gb 3200 MHz RAM $100
Cooler Master Hyper 212 cooler $59
2x NC552SFP cards, plus cable $100

This is about $650 on eBay in total. I haven't found a good case yet (hotswap drives would be great!) so I'm open to suggestions.

I need 3 PCIe 16x slots for GPU + HBA + NIC, and the wifi/bluetooth was an added bonus. Also has 4x M.2 slots for possible caching drives.

Feedback or suggestions for me?

Computing Computer Desktop Computer NAS

Comments

  • DrDuck on 31/03/2022 - 23:24
    +6

    I had your mentality 5-10 years ago and built my own NAS with parts sourced from eBay and umart. Long story short, I found myself spending far too much time on NAS maintenance and upkeep, and the running costs were much higher than an off the shelf NAS.

    These days I'm running a 5 year old Synology unit I bought off FB Marketplace for a few hundred dollars, and an IntelNUC Ubuntu server with Docker for anything not strictly NAS related. Nothing wrong with wanting to tinker but don't undervalue your time.

    • Switchblade88 on 31/03/2022 - 23:43

      Thanks for your input!

      I will say that I really love the tinkering aspect. Problem is that my main PC is also the Plex server, and I can't do any experimentation with Docker and Home Assistant on a system I'm using as a daily driver, hence my preference for a separate flexible PC rather than a dedicated appliance.

      I am keeping an eye out for used equipment (ex servers would be great) however most old gear is too inflexible for what I'm aiming for, or too heavy for postage.

      • DrDuck on 31/03/2022 - 23:54

        I also ran a plex / emby server for a while, but these days I subscribe to someone else so they can do the hard work and pay for storage (/r/plexshares or /r/embyshares).

      • Snozzly on 01/04/2022 - 09:19
        +1

        I used to use old server gear for a bunch of things and they're just too proprietary for my liking. Stuff like the storage interface, firmware, OS compatibility.

        I run an 1800x and 32GB of ram in a 3u chassis running Proxmox VE for the operating system. It nearly runs everything, if I didn't have a USG Pro for a router it'd be doing my routing too.

      • [Deactivated] on 02/04/2022 - 08:39

        ex servers would be noisy. Some low power CPU maybe, to be quiet. NAS is the box that runs 24/7

      • FiveDarrah on 04/04/2022 - 13:43

        Given your somewhat specific use case, building would be better. And buying new means not running into gremlins.

        Getting 10gbe on a synology would be pricey, either as an add-in or built in (haven't looked). For general data serving/storage then synology would be my go to suggestion.

    • funkyblue on 01/04/2022 - 10:32

      I had the same thing. Purchased a new Synology last year. Never regretted it. It just works. Uses bugger all power as well.

      • Switchblade88 on 01/04/2022 - 10:51

        I was comparing to all the Synology/QNAP/Terramaster options… any with 10Gbe and >5 drives are at least $1300 which is basically double the cost.

  • garetz on 01/04/2022 - 04:25
    +2

    a nas doesnt really need a dedicated gpu, just use whatever you have to set it up, then as a nas, you should be able to connect to it over the network.

    Your specs are very high for nas use, you want the lowest TDP to performance to price you can find depending on your usecase

    below is the most power efficient builds.

    https://forums.serverbuilds.net/t/guide-nas-killer-4-0-fast-…

    is a good beginners guide

    https://www.windowscentral.com/heres-what-you-need-know-when…

    • Switchblade88 on 01/04/2022 - 10:47
      -1

      I've got a GT710 which isn't much use for anything else, so it's going in.

      Your specs are very high

      I'm not aiming for efficiency so much as low cost and high capacity.

      Those 'NAS killer' builds seem to be a generation or several behind (i.e. no m.2 slots??) and the Windows Central build doesn't have 10Gbe, not to mention US only pricing. So not really useful to me.

      • garetz on 01/04/2022 - 13:29

        efficiency means low cost high capacity, it just depends on how much you are willing to spend really

        generation doesn't matter in nas builds, all that matters is how much power you need vs storage vs use case
        power = tdp to performance to price

        10Gbe is not inbuilt in most motherboards, you should use a dedicated card, so the builds not including it is irrelevant, that is for yourself to research

        • Snozzly on 01/04/2022 - 13:48
          +2

          Found it far cheaper to buy a cheap used (or even new old stock from china) eBay 10gbe card than to buy a motherboard with even 2.5gbe built in.

          Even cheaper if you have the ability to use fibre and SFP+

          EDIT: Just noticed that OP is going to use SFP+

          I hope those Emulex cards work as well as they think they'll work because holy molly getting the old Emulex cards to function properly is a PITA.
          I swapped mine out for ConnectX 3's you can get on eBay brand new for very cheap.

          • Switchblade88 on 01/04/2022 - 21:30
            +1

            @Snozzly: Thankyou, for actually reading my post lol

            I'd heard good things about the Mellanox cards but they were quite a bit more than the HP cards. The NC552SFP cards were only $40 delivered and are dual port, which gives me flexibility for additional connections and the like

            The biggest query is still the CPU/mobo combo, and seeing if there's a cheaper/better solution with triple pcie x16 slots.

  • the Unforgiven on 02/04/2022 - 23:28
    -2

    I have 2 of these. You can get them in RAID config too
    https://www.pccasegear.com/products/23687/hotway-h82-su3s2-8…

    • Switchblade88 on 03/04/2022 - 01:48

      That's a glorified USB HDD caddy. $529??

      That is not a NAS, since it can't run Plex or any other server side workloads, as well as not being able to setup multiple users since it's not network accessible. Definitely not what I'm looking for.

      • the Unforgiven on 03/04/2022 - 02:19
        -2

        It's a DAS Sunny Jim. Since you didn't know what it was.
        I run special software on it, but since you were so nice, I won't bother telling you about it

        • Switchblade88 on 03/04/2022 - 10:48

          As per my original post,
          It doesn't meet my requirements. So it's no good to me. Did you see what I was actually looking for?

          I run special software on it

          Did your fancy software give it an SFP port?

          Come on, I appreciate helpful posts but you were more interested in bragging rights for your own hardware than reading the title…

          • the Unforgiven on 03/04/2022 - 16:40
            -2

            @Switchblade88: Who's bragging? It must be you
            You are more interested in berating than learning

            As I said I have 2 of them with a total of 88TB & I use the software to look after the files that I put on the HDD's as I use the DAS as one big drive of 44TB (the software mirrors the HDD"s & if 1 HDD dies, I just take out the HDD & the software will repair the 'pool'). I have it attached to my PC, but I also run a cable from my PC to my PC. I can can have Plex, I can have whatever player I want; I have my own system with storing files, it has done me for over a decade now, so why change. The DAS's don't have any SSD's to run them, I can pick them up and connect them to the TV if I want to and play, after I pay for the software again. So I just paid if for my PC & let it spread from there like a virus.

            Tell me o whatever 1, how many NAS's or DAS's or whatever have SFP ports?

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