Which Parts should I use to make a Home NAS?

asem1123 · April 24, 2018

I want to make a home NAS server so my family can access data from it from any device (besides mobile phones i guess). Also I could use that server to store some videos to edit.

So, what are the recommended parts to build this server? How much CPU cores do I need (is a Pentium G3930 enough)? How much RAM? Can windows be used for the operating system (file sharing)? What should the casing be? And I'm going to use WD Reds btw, how do you restore lost files if a drive failed?

AskTJ · April 24, 2018

1. Pentium will be enough.

2. You will be fine with 4gb of ram.

3. I suggest you have all your devices on your home network to be connected via Ethernet. Then, enable file sharing on all the devices. Then share your hard drive onto your network and it should popup there. Make sure you use a USB 3.0 hub and connect it to the PC via USB 3.0.

If a drive failed, look up any drive recovery service and ship it over to them, in lots of bubble wrap. If their close, drop it off and save your drive from more damage and save on shippings costs.

Lurick · April 24, 2018

If you're just storing files then you don't need a lot of horsepower, a Pentium or low powered Ryzen chip will do the job just fine. You can use Windows for the OS but something like Ubuntu Desktop would be fine as well (and free). The case can be whatever you want that will work for the location you plan to keep the server in. If it's a closet or some enclosed space then just make sure you have enough airflow.

For failed drives it depends on your setup. If you're using a RAID then you just drop in a new drive and rebuild the RAID array and you shouldn't lose any files, depending on the number of lost drives. Just remember that RAID isn't a backup solution, I would sign up for something like CrashPlan or another backup service and have it backup the important folders/files off-site as well. If you're going to be tossing video footage on there that doesn't need backing up then exclude that but photos and whatnot I would definitely backup.

Edit:

A couple options I threw together. Not sure how many drives you think you'll have but I went with a small case that can support 8, obviously if you need less or can use a larger case then the cost will come down quite a bit on that front. I did go with 8GB of memory, assuming you go with a backup solution as well and have a good bit of data to backup. The recommended RAM to backup size is 1GB of RAM per 1TB of data or per 1 million files. I picked out a slightly higher wattage PSU due to the Gold efficiency rating over a Bronze efficiency unit but you can drop that to a CX(2017) model if you need to shave a bit more off the price.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Celeron G3930 2.9GHz Dual-Core Processor ($36.49 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI - B250M PRO-VD Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($46.78 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Patriot - Signature Line 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($68.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Kingston - A400 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($35.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Silverstone - GD08B (Black) HTPC Case ($144.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $383.23
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-04-24 07:37 EDT-0400