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Recommended Jonsbo N3 NAS Builds for $300 – $500 – $1000+

Best Jonsbo Builds for $250 / $500 / $1000 (or Pounds, or Euros!)

This is a guide on building your own Jonsbo N3 NAS for less than £300, £500 or £750-1000. With many of us feeling the pinch these days due to global financial issues affecting most of our wallets, it’s unsurprising to hear that many users looking to host their own private server are increasingly drawn to going full DIY. Despite the numerous alternatives out there in the market to build your own NAS drive from scratch, one brand has really built a great reputation for itself – Jonsbo, with its range of compact but exceptionally well-built NAS cases. One particular case that has drawn praise is the Jonsbo N3 case, a 5-6 Bay SATA enclosure that is very easy to build and of quite a high-quality standard, given the price tag. However, the case is only part of building your first NAS, and many users aren’t quite sure of the best components to choose and the best power-to-price ratio they need to consider. Your device may need to be on for days, weeks, months, and years at a time, so choosing the right components on day one is going to be crucial. Today, I want to go through three distinct but impressive Jonsbo N3 builds, that can be built for less than 250, 500, and 1000 pounds. Let’s go through some great Jonsbo N3 NAS builds.

Note – If you want to watch a FULL BUILD TUTORIAL of the Jonsbo N2 NAS with an Intel TopTon Mobo, you can watch our video HERE or use the detailed Step-by-Step Guide HERE.

Alternatively, you can find the video of this article, where we show each of the builds, plus commenting on possible alternatives – HERE on YouTube


Jonsbo N3 NAS Case Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The N3 can only support ITX motherboards or 20.3 x 17MM DTX motherboards.A 10.5MM increase in width compared to the N2, the depth upgrade is to put the power on the motherboard to make room for eight hard drives, and the height increase is to accommodate a higher specification CPU and heat sink as well as a mainstream specification graphics card.

Jonsbo can provide tray handles if you message them, but but it will be slower than ordering separately and at their discretion, but the agents or sellers in different countries may not have the inventory of this part. If the users need it, most likely, they can only provide this service (I asked them).

The N3 can be installed with a 130MM high tower radiator, and two 80*25MM fans can be installed on the rear panel. N3 can install a 130MM high small tower heat sink, and the rear panel can install two 80 * 25MM fans.

CPU can support up to i7 (non-overclocking). The GPU can support up to 4060 or 4060TI dual fan graphics cards. (Graphics card size parameters: length 250MM (excluding L-shaped bending height at the tail of the graphics card), graphics card height limit 130MM from gold finger to top, thickness not exceeding 50MM). Compared to N2, the N3 application layer is not only NAS, but customers can also use it as a small multi-storage PC.
The Jobsno N3 External chassis is 233mm(W) x 262mm(D) x 298mm(H). The CPU Cooler Height allows ≤130mm, the motherboard space size is 80 x 25mm sq, the PCIe card needs to be under ≤ 250mm and the PSU needs to be an SFX M-ITX style and less than ≤105mm in size.

Jonsbo N3 Build Disclaimers

Click Below to use our Price per TB Hard Drive Calculator:


Best Jonsbo N3 Build for Under/Around £250

This is often seen as the budget build for your Jonsbo N3 system. The list below provides a reasonably powerful Plex media server, the ability to run a compact and capable UnRAID server, a few robust container applications, and even lets you set up a combined NAS server and prosumer router using proxmox and pfSense, alongside your chosen open-source NAS software.

Jonsbo N3 + TopTon Intel n5105 Celeron / Pentium n6005 Build (+$35)

  • Jonsbo N3 Case £94.25 – Check Amazon HERECheck AliExpress HERE
  • Topton N5105 + 128GB NVMe + 4GB RAM £193.48 – Check Amazon HERECheck AliExpress HERE
  • 2x SATA 6 Connector £4.19 (note only need 8x, but cheaper to buy 2×6) – Check Amazon HERECheck AliExpress HERE
  • 400W SFX PSU £24.36 – Check Amazon HERECheck AliExpress HERE

£284.85 (128GB M.2 NVMe + 4GB RAM + 400W PSU)

(Optional/Swap) If you want to save some money:

  • Topton N5105 (NO EXTRAS) £159.82 – Check Amazon HERECheck AliExpress HERE
  • Cheaper 250W SFX PSU £13.15 – Check Amazon HERECheck AliExpress HERE
  • (needed for cheaper PSU) SATA to Molex Adapter £0.78 – Check Amazon HERECheck AliExpress HERE

£247.47 (no M.2 NVMe and Cheap PSU)

Note, you need an SSD for TrueNAS OS (USB for UnRAID)

(Component Prices and eShops – 9 Images):

This build, just a bit over 250 pounds, offers a well-built base system, 4 GB of memory to start, and an included gen 3 NVMe SSD for your boot drive. Additionally, it has four individual 2.5G Ethernet ports that can either be solely dedicated to your NAS or divided between your chosen NAS OS and router OS. If you’re on a tight budget or wish to save for storage media later, consider downsizing the PSU to a more economical 250-watt PSU and buying the memory separately. These minor tweaks might save you as much as 40 to 45 pounds, depending on the adjustments you decide on.

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Best Jonsbo N3 Build for Under £500

At this price point, things get serious! Even if you exclude storage media costs and focus on the NAS hardware itself, $500 is substantial for DIY enthusiasts, especially when considering the time spent building the device and buying components from various brands. But if you’re willing to spend up to $500 on your custom-built NAS system with the Jonsbo N3 case, you’ll find a decent amount of flexibility. The subsequent build balances both internal and external performance against your budget. Moreover, the configuration below is priced around $450, allowing you some leeway in either saving extra cash, adding storage, or upgrading existing components (e.g., memory or network ports).

Jonsbo N3 + Intel Core i5 12th Gen + 16GB RAM + 10GbE Build

  • Jonsbo N3 Case £94.25 – Check Amazon HERECheck AliExpress HERE
  • 2x SATA 6 Connector £4.19 (note only need 8x, but cheaper to buy 2×6) – Check Amazon HERECheck AliExpress HERE
  • 400W SFX PSU £24.36 – Check Amazon HERECheck AliExpress HERE
  • B660M ITX Motherboard £235.79 + Intel Core i5 12490F CPU + 16GB RAM – Check Amazon HERECheck AliExpress HERE
  • ARGB CPU Radiator Fan (LGA1700) £13.38 – Check Amazon HERECheck AliExpress HERE
  • (better option for CPU Fan) Noctua NH-L9x65 CPU Cooler £49 – Check Amazon HERECheck AliExpress HERE
  • X540-T2 Intel Chipset PCIe x8 Dual Copper RJ45 10Gbps £39.34 – Check Amazon HERECheck AliExpress HERE
  • Tbkoly Controller Card Motherboard Expansion Card 1 To 5 Port SATA £20.45 – Check Amazon HERECheck AliExpress HERE
  • (Optional) 2x M.2 NVMe PCIe 4 X 8 Card GLOTRENDS Dual M.2 PCIe 4.0 – Check Amazon HERECheck AliExpress HERE

Total $410.65 (i5 CPU + 16GB RAM + 2x10GbE + 400W PSU + Case + Cables)
Note, you need an SSD for TrueNAS OS (USB for UnRAID)

(Component Prices and eShops – 8 Images):

This design of this build is significantly more future-proof than its predecessor, but it comes with increased power consumption. The build takes advantage of newer generation PCIe lanes, boasts more cores than the previous design, and confidently supports adding top-tier NVMe SSDs to your storage system in the future. It’s essential to note that this build requires a more hands-on approach. The base network port will need an added network adapter card to expand ports or boost existing port bandwidth to 10G. Finding off-the-shelf motherboards in mITX form with numerous Ethernet and SATA ports that also support modern Intel Core processors can be challenging. Because this design demands an Intel i5 12th gen CPU, the motherboard only features four SATA connectors. The Jonsbo N3 case accommodates up to six SATA drives, so to maximize this on this motherboard, you’ll need a PCIe SATA card with two additional SATA ports. Another option is to buy a different motherboard that supports more SATA connectors but sacrifices network speed, CPU support, or other features.

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Best Jonsbo N3 Build for £750-1000

For those who want to build a NAS that rivals even the best off-the-shelf models available today, the following $1000 build offers some incredible performance. With this budget, you can get a truly formidable Plex media server, a robust virtual machine host, and even full surveillance with support for over 40 cameras (assuming you’re using an appropriate NAS software platform). The Jonsbo N3 NAS build is a powerhouse, providing enough capability for nearly any home or small business task.

Jonsbo N3 + Gen4/5 MoBo + Intel Core i5 12th Gen with Int Gfx + 32GB RAM + 10GbE Build

  • Jonsbo N3 Case £94.25 – Check Amazon HERECheck AliExpress HERE
  • 2X SATA 6 Connector £4.19 (note only need 8x, but cheaper to buy 2×6) – Check Amazon HERECheck AliExpress HERE
  • 600W SFX PSU £43.78 – Check Amazon HERECheck AliExpress HERE
  • Asrock Z690M-ITX/AX gEN 4/5 Motherboard £171.20 – Check Amazon HERECheck AliExpress HERE
  • Intel Core i5-12600K 12th Gen £239 – Check Amazon HERECheck AliExpress HERE
  • Re: CPU, features: 1 x 2.5 Gigabit LAN
    802.11ax Wi-Fi 6E Module
    1 x PCIe Gen5x16 Slot*
    4 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors
    1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_1, Key M), supports type 2280
    PCIe Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) mode*
    • 1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_2, Key M), supports type 2280
    SATA3 6.0 Gb/s & PCIe Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) modes*
    * Supports NVMe SSD as boot disks
    * Supports ASRock U.2 Kit
  • Corsair VENGEANCE LPX DDR4 RAM 32GB (2x16GB) £59.99 – Check Amazon HERECheck AliExpress HERE
  • ARGB CPU Radiator Fan (LGA1700) £13.38 – Check Amazon HERECheck AliExpress HERE
  • (better option for CPU Fan) Noctua NH-L9x65 CPU Cooler £49 – Check Amazon HERECheck AliExpress HERE
  • X540-T2 Intel Chipset PCIe x8 Dual Copper RJ45 10Gbps £39.34 – Check Amazon HERECheck AliExpress HERE
  • Tbkoly Controller Card Motherboard Expansion Card 1 To 5 Port SATA £20.45 – Check Amazon HERECheck AliExpress HERE
  • (Optional) 2x M.2 NVMe PCIe 4 X 8 Card GLOTRENDS Dual M.2 PCIe 4.0 – Check Amazon HERECheck AliExpress HERE

Total £586.63 (Amazon) + £144.76 (Aliexpress)
Note, you need an SSD for TrueNAS OS (USB for UnRAID)

(Component Prices and eShops – 9 Images):

At the core of this design is the Intel i7 12th gen CPU, boasting six cores and twelve threads. Complementing this, the motherboard has full support for up to 128GB DDR4 memory (with prices still fluctuating for such large kits). But even with 32GB or 64GB kits being relatively affordable, it provides an excellent base for this system. For networking, the base board has two 2.5GbE ports, with the option to upgrade to 10Gbe using a suitable PCIe network card. However, similar to the $500 build, you’ll need to make some compromises if you want to maximize SATA drive connectivity due to the limited SATA ports on the motherboard.

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Conclusion:

Building a Jonsbo N3 NAS system is an exciting project, allowing you to tailor the system to your specific needs and budget. Whether you’re aiming for a budget-friendly media server or a high-powered machine for intensive tasks, the Jonsbo N3 case provides a solid foundation. Always remember that while building the hardware is crucial, choosing the right software and ensuring that it runs seamlessly is just as important. As the NAS market evolves, DIY solutions like the Jonsbo N3 builds will only become more prevalent, offering enthusiasts and professionals alike more flexibility and options. Happy building!

Jonsbo N3 NAS Build with TopTon Board Build (Complete Guide) – UnRAID/TrueNAS (click below)

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