Hi!
I'm planning on building a TrueNAS machine. After reading through the forum, I have compiled a list of components that I believe will suit my use case. I would greatly appreciate any feedback.
My intention is for the machine to function solely as a NAS, without running a media server or any virtualization tasks (for which I plan to use a refurbished SFF PC with PROXMOX).
The following are the types of data I plan to store:
Here are the components I have selected so far:
Now, I would like to share some of the main concerns I have. That doesn't mean I'm not open to receive advice on any other of part of the build.
CPU
Since the server will primarily serve as a file-sharing platform, the hardware guide suggests that the Pentium processor should suffice. My question is, should I consider spending a bit more on a more powerful CPU, such as the i3-6300 (around €40-50) or even a Xeon E3-1220 v6 (around €75), for a better overall experience? Or will I not notice a significant difference in this particular scenario?
RAM
I believe that starting with 16GB of RAM should be enough. Based on this, I have chosen to opt for a single 16GB module instead of two 8GB modules. This way, if I find the need to increase the RAM, I can always reach the motherboard's maximum capacity of 64GB without having to replace the initially purchased RAM. Is this reasoning correct? Additionally, does it make sense to ever have 64GB of RAM in this machine for my specific use case?
Boot drive
Instead of a SATA SSD, I have considered using an M.2 PCIe adapter, possibly one with space for two drives, and configuring them in a mirror setup. This way, I would still have two SATA ports available to install more hard drives in the future. What are your thoughts on this approach?
Storage
I was contemplating two options: either four 4TB drives or six 2TB drives. Based on what I have read in the forum, fewer larger disks is generally preferred over more smaller disks. In my case, four drives cost less and consume less power. I cannot see any downsides, so I am fairly confident about this decision. Am I mistaken in any way?
Regarding the choice of hard drive model, I have selected the WD Red Plus drives because they are designed for NAS use and are reported to be quieter than the Seagate Ironwolf, although slightly more expensive. I am open to suggestions on this matter, including other manufacturers or models.
Backup
My plan is to keep one of the drives at home and the other at my parents' place. I am primarily interested in backing up photos and personal data, and I am not as concerned about media files. Will a 2TB disk be sufficient for this purpose?
That covers everything. I await your responses.
Thank you for your time and for sharing your wisdom.
I'm planning on building a TrueNAS machine. After reading through the forum, I have compiled a list of components that I believe will suit my use case. I would greatly appreciate any feedback.
My intention is for the machine to function solely as a NAS, without running a media server or any virtualization tasks (for which I plan to use a refurbished SFF PC with PROXMOX).
The following are the types of data I plan to store:
- Photos and videos from our family's smartphones
- Personal documents
- Backups for some virtual machines
- Media files that will be served by Jellyfin (running on another machine)
Here are the components I have selected so far:
- Motherboard: Supermicro X11SSL-F (around €150, used).
- CPU: Intel Pentium G4600 (around €30-40, used).
- RAM: 1x 16GB ECC from Kingston (KSM26ED8/16HD) (around €50, new).
- Boot drive: 120GB Kingston A400 (€15, new).
- Storage: 4x 4TB WD Red Plus (around €100 each, new) in RAIDZ2.
- Power supply: BitFenix Whisper M 450W 80+ Gold (€85, new).
- Case: Fractal Design Node 804 (€140, new).
- Backup: 2x 2TB Seagate Barracuda Compute (€45 each) in external cases.
Now, I would like to share some of the main concerns I have. That doesn't mean I'm not open to receive advice on any other of part of the build.
CPU
Since the server will primarily serve as a file-sharing platform, the hardware guide suggests that the Pentium processor should suffice. My question is, should I consider spending a bit more on a more powerful CPU, such as the i3-6300 (around €40-50) or even a Xeon E3-1220 v6 (around €75), for a better overall experience? Or will I not notice a significant difference in this particular scenario?
RAM
I believe that starting with 16GB of RAM should be enough. Based on this, I have chosen to opt for a single 16GB module instead of two 8GB modules. This way, if I find the need to increase the RAM, I can always reach the motherboard's maximum capacity of 64GB without having to replace the initially purchased RAM. Is this reasoning correct? Additionally, does it make sense to ever have 64GB of RAM in this machine for my specific use case?
Boot drive
Instead of a SATA SSD, I have considered using an M.2 PCIe adapter, possibly one with space for two drives, and configuring them in a mirror setup. This way, I would still have two SATA ports available to install more hard drives in the future. What are your thoughts on this approach?
Storage
I was contemplating two options: either four 4TB drives or six 2TB drives. Based on what I have read in the forum, fewer larger disks is generally preferred over more smaller disks. In my case, four drives cost less and consume less power. I cannot see any downsides, so I am fairly confident about this decision. Am I mistaken in any way?
Regarding the choice of hard drive model, I have selected the WD Red Plus drives because they are designed for NAS use and are reported to be quieter than the Seagate Ironwolf, although slightly more expensive. I am open to suggestions on this matter, including other manufacturers or models.
Backup
My plan is to keep one of the drives at home and the other at my parents' place. I am primarily interested in backing up photos and personal data, and I am not as concerned about media files. Will a 2TB disk be sufficient for this purpose?
That covers everything. I await your responses.
Thank you for your time and for sharing your wisdom.