Sample builds

Featured build

This is the core NAS Killer 4.0 build. It’s almost as cheap as you can go in every category, with some considerations for efficiency (i.e. case with included PSU + 6 bays is a good value, but not the cheapest option). This build will absolutely steamroll any off the shelf NAS.

Hardware specs:

4C / 4T, 3.80GHz Turbo, 6746 passmark Upgradable up to 4C / 8T, 9280 passmark with i7-3770

8GB DDR3 RAM Expandable up to 32GB RAM

6 3.5" bays native Add 4 3.5" later via bay conversion

Options to expand via DAS additions (16 bays per LSI 9201-16e) Connect 2 x LSI 9201-16e via 2 x PCI-E

10GbE via Mellanox or Intel X520/X540

Ultra-quiet “Plus” build

The “Plus” build includes logical upgrades to the base NAS Killer 4.0. It supports up to 13 drives in one enclosure, has double the RAM, and is quite a bit faster with almost 50% more passmark. The SAS controller and cables are needed to connect all 13 HDD bays. I’ve also included a 5 pack of Arctic 120mm P12 fans, aCooler Master Hyper 212 Black, and a semi-fanless PSU to keep things cool and silent.

Hardware specs:

4C / 8T, 3.80GHz Turbo, 8238 passmark Upgradable up to 4C / 8T, 9476 passmark with E3-1270V2

16GB DDR3 ECC RAM Expandable up to 32GB RAM

10 3.5" bays native Add 3 3.5" later via bay conversion

Options to expand via DAS additions (16 bays per LSI 9201-16e) Connect 2 x LSI 9201-16e via 2 x PCI-E

10GbE via Mellanox or Intel X520/X540

6-bay Mini-ITX NAS

I never thought I would be recommending a Mini-ITX Xeon NAS, yet here we are. I’m in the process of building one of these myself as something I can travel with. Overall, it’s going to be quite powerful, quiet, power efficient, and most importantly: storage dense.

The DQ77KB is a pretty neat little board. It uses a 19V DC power supply that’s commonly found on medium to large size laptops. In this case, I’m recommending a 120W power supply which should be more that enough to cover 6xHDD + the recommended processor. The motherboard also has dual NIC, uses laptop-style SODIMM memory, and has an onboard MSATA port.

The case has room for 6x3.5" HDD as well as 2x2.5" SSD. The motherboard has 4 onboard SATA, so we need to add either a 2 port card (for 6xHDD) or a 4 port card (for 6xHDD + 2xSSD) to take advantage of the rest of the drive bays.

I recommend a MSATA SSD for cache if you’re going to use Unraid. This leaves 6x3.5" for parity and data. I’d only run 1 parity drive in a 6 bay NAS like this. If you go for the 4 port card, you can have 2 more SSDs as unassigned devices. (VM storage, unpack drives, non-parity/non-crucial data, etc.)

The configuration below includes a MSATA SSD, which is good for Unraid or an OS boot drive. If you plan on running a different configuration, you can remove it from the parts list.

Hardware specs:

4C / 8T, 3.30GHz Turbo, 6534 passmark Upgradable up to 4C / 8T, 8892 passmark with i7-3770S

8GB DDR3 RAM Expandable up to 16GB RAM

6x3.5" bays, 2x2.5" bays native

Dual Intel NIC

“Ultimate” Rackmount build

This has everything but the kitchen sink. 15 drive capacity, 10Gb networking, top of the range processor, and maximum RAM. The Arctic fans are highly recommended because the stock Rosewill fans are loud and ineffective. A single 10Gb Mellanox card is listed, but you will need two if you want to direct connect to another server. If you’re just connecting it to a SFP+ switch, you’ll only need one.

Hardware specs: