homenas Help a Noob Build a Family NAS in the GTA area - Have Drives, Need Everything Else!

[ankitgarg]

Hi everyone,

I'm completely new to building servers but I'm determined to create a reliable NAS for my family. The main goal is to have a central, safe place for all our family photos and videos that we can easily upload to from our phones and computers.

I've done some initial research, but I'll be honest—I'm a total noob and feeling a bit overwhelmed, especially with software choices like TrueNAS vs. Unraid. I'm hoping to get some advice on parts and maybe even find someone local who can help guide me through the process.

Here’s a breakdown of my project:

My Location:

• Near Mississauga, ON (happy to connect with anyone in the GTA)

My Goal & Usage:

• Primary Use: Centralized file storage for family photos and videos.
• Users: Maximum of 4 family members accessing the files.
• Key Feature: The ability to easily back up photos/videos from our various devices.

My Budget:

• Under $1000 CAD. This budget is for the server components only, as I already have the drives.

What I Already Have (Drives):

• 5 x 5TB Hard Drives
• 3 x 12TB Hard Drives
• A few spare SSDs (can be used for the OS or as a cache drive if recommended)

What I Need to Buy: I need recommendations for all the core components:

• CPU
• Motherboard (needs enough SATA ports for at least 8 drives, plus the SSDs)
• RAM
• Case (needs to physically hold at least 8 x 3.5" hard drives)
• Power Supply (PSU)

---

My Main Questions for the Community:

1. Part Recommendations: Based on my budget and use case (simple file storage), what CPU, motherboard, RAM, case, and PSU combination would you recommend? I'm looking for reliable and power-efficient parts if possible.

2. NAS Software (OS): I got really confused trying to understand TrueNAS, Unraid, etc. Given that I have a mix of different-sized hard drives (5TB and 12TB), what would be the most user-friendly and effective OS for a beginner like me?

3. Local Help (The Big Ask): This might be a long shot, but is there anyone in the Mississauga/GTA area who builds systems or is an experienced hobbyist willing to help me out? I'd be happy to pay a reasonable fee for your time to help me select the final parts, build the machine, and get the software set up correctly.

Thank you so much in advance for any guidance you can offer! I'm excited to get this project started.

[GMUDuckman]

1. Parts recommendation for your budget: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/HDMHjn (Note: You mentioned videos, I figured you may want to use plex or jellyfin, so you may want to consider a GPU for hardware accelerated transcoding)
2. Still in preview, but probably your most solid choice - https://hexos.com/. Yes, I may be drinking the LTT Kool-Aid, but honestly it makes TrueNAS so much easier, and the $199 one-time purchase does still fit in that $1000 budget, I think (I'm working in USD so I may be a little off)
3. Can't help you there - not in Canada, but you could always try the Mississauga sub: https://www.reddit.com/r/mississauga/

[Electronics Wizardy]

3 minutes ago, GMUDuckman said:

Parts recommendation for your budget: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/HDMHjn (Note: You mentioned videos, I figured you may want to use plex or jellyfin, so you may want to consider a GPU for hardware accelerated transcoding)

I'd just get the non f version of that CPU. Makes it much easier to install and work with as you have a video out, and has one of the best transcoding GPUs on it

 

I'd go unraid with that mixed drive array. 

 

 

[OddOod]

Welcome to the forums!
 

1 hour ago, ankitgarg said:

Motherboard (needs enough SATA ports for at least 8 drives, plus the SSDs

Or just get an HBA. It's rare to find mobos with more than 6 sata ports and when you do, they tend to be expensive. 

1 hour ago, ankitgarg said:

CPU

If you're just running a couple containers and a NAS OS (HexOS is probably your best bet), you can use pretty much ANY CPU. I'd probably go with a used 5600G so you get that iGPU. Plus AM4 mobos are cheap and DDR4 is far more stable than 5

 

1 hour ago, ankitgarg said:

RAM

TrueNAS likes 8GB plus 1GB per drive. Admittedly, given how cheap RAM is these days and how much TrueNAS likes to use spare RAM for cacheing, I'd probably get a 32GB kit. 2x16GB@3600 

 

1 hour ago, ankitgarg said:

Power Supply (PSU)

You'll want to get one that you can get more modular cables for. I like Seasonic, but they're spendy. You'll want to get at least an extra 4x sata power cable.

 

1 hour ago, ankitgarg said:

Case (needs to physically hold at least 8 x 3.5" hard drives)

Phanteks sells stackable HDD carriers. You could probably fit 8 in a G400, though you might need a G500. If you have access to a 3D printer, you could just print the caddies. 
One thing I will mention: I have found it very useful to write the drive's serial number so it is visible when they're installed. That way if when one of the drives starts throwing errors, you can easily find it.

[Ha-Satan]

6 minutes ago, OddOod said:

I'd probably go with a used 5600G so you get that iGPU

Hell, even that might be overkill given OP's stated use case sounds like basically just file storage, so I bet something even older/cheaper like a 3200G or 3400G might be fine.

[ankitgarg]

I deeply appreciate everyone's incredible insights and thoughtful contributions!