CWWK AMD 7840HS CPU+Motherboard Combo Deep Dive

Posted on 01 Mar 2024 📧 Subscribe
Contents hide
1 CWWK AMD 7840HS NAS Motherboard – Any Good?
2 CWWK AMD 7840HS Mobo Physical Design
3 CWWK AMD 7840HS NAS Motherboard Review Conclusion – Pros and Cons
4 Need Advice on Data Storage from an Expert?

CWWK AMD 7840HS NAS Motherboard – Any Good?

If you have been in the market for building your own NAS from scratch on a budget, then if you push past all the Intel Celeron, Pentium and Core CPU+Mobo combos that are flooded in the market, you might well come across this recently revealed AMD powered monster of a CPU+Motherbaord combination – The CWWK AMD-7840HS board. Arriving under several retailer brand (including Topton), this board arrives with an 8 Core CPU that can burst up to 5.1 Ghz, 2.7Ghz int. Gfx, 4x 2.5GbE, a PCIe Gen 4×8 slot, USB 4, 2x Gen 4×2 M,.2 slots an d support for up to 9 SATA drives. I mean.. WOW. The TDP is a little higher than some might like, the ECC support is up for debate (more on that later) and the 20 Lane CPU is definitely being spread out pretty wide – but there is no denying that this is a serious bot of kit. So, what exactly do you get when you pay $499+ for this SoC Mobile CPU and Motherboard combo? What’s the design like? And should you be considering this for your next TrueNAS Build? Let’s take a closer look at the AMD-7840HS NAS board.

Here are a few examples of where you can get this board online:

  • (Topton) 8-Bay / 9-Bay Board AMD-7940HS $489 (AliExpress) HERE
  • (Topton) The AMD-7940HS CPU+Board + 1TB NVMe + 32GB DDR5 + SFF Cables + CPU HS $729 (AliExpress) HERE
  • (KingNovy) Complete Board + AMD-7940HS $509 (AliExpress) HERE
  • Learn more about other Recommended M-ITX CPU+Mobo Combos HERE in an article or HERE on YouTube

Note – Performance Testing and NAS Building are still ‘WiP’ on this board as I wait for the last few components to arrive for YouTube. I will update this article with additional information resources after testing is concluded

Specification Detail
Architecture Zen 4 (Phoenix)
Cores / Threads 8 / 16
Base / Boost Frequency 3.8 GHz / 5.1 GHz
TDP (Thermal Design Power) 35 W (Configurable 35-54 W)
Memory Support DDR5, LPDDR5x up to 7500 MT/s; Dual-channel; ECC support (in specific configurations of CPU)
Integrated Graphics Radeon 780M; Graphics engine boost clock: 2700MHz
PCI-Express Gen 4, 20 Lanes (CPU only)
Cache (L1/L2/L3) 64 KB per core / 1 MB per core / 16 MB shared
Process Size 4 nm
Socket Compatibility FP8
Production Status / Release Date Active / January 2023
Part Numbers 100-000000955 (FP7r2), 100-000000964 (FP7), 100-000001129 (FP8)
Maximum Temperature (tJMax) 100°C
Features AVX, AVX2, AVX-512, ECC Memory Support, AMD-V, Precision Boost 2

CWWK AMD 7840HS Mobo Physical Design

The CWWK 7840HS CPU+Motherboard combo represents a significant leap in compact computing, catering to a wide range of users from enthusiasts to professionals requiring high-performance systems in small form factors.

This combination of AMD’s Ryzen 7 7840HS processor and a feature-rich Mini-ITX motherboard offers an intriguing blend of power, efficiency, and expansion capabilities, making it an ideal choice for various applications, including gaming, content creation, and server use.

The motherboard itself is a lovely bit of engineering, designed with a matte black PCB and a high-density, moisture-free fiber 10-layer circuit board, ensuring both aesthetic appeal and durability. This design philosophy extends to the motherboard’s support for AMD’s “Zen 4” architecture Ryzen™ 5/7/9 series processors, providing users with the ability to choose a CPU that best fits their performance needs without compromising on form factor.

One of the standout features of this motherboard is its expansion capabilities, particularly notable given its 17×17 standard Mini-ITX form factor. It includes a PCI-E x16 slot (PCle4.0 x8 signal) for graphics or network card expansions, two M.2 NVMe (PCle4.0 x2) slots for high-speed storage, and SFF-8643 sockets that support up to four SATA 3.0 connections via cable.

This level of expandability is uncommon in Mini-ITX motherboards, offering users the flexibility to build a compact yet powerful system that can handle demanding applications and storage needs.

Memory support is another area where the 7840HS CPU+Motherboard combo shines. With dual-channel SO-DIMM DDR5 slots supporting up to 5600MHz (and backward compatibility for server-grade ECC notebook memory), it allows for high-speed, reliable memory configurations up to 64GB. This capability is crucial for application ons requiring fast data access and processing, such as video editing and 3D rendering.

HOWEVER, there is definitely a debate as to whether you can actually use ECC memory! CWWK lists 4 different CPU SKUs for this mobo and only 1 of them (the 7735HS) actually supports ECC. So, in order to investigate, I installed 1x 16GB Kingston ECC SODIMM 4800Mhz module and ran some SSH commands. Sadly, it appears that the default 7840HS version of this motherboard combo does NOT support ECC (SEE VIDEO ABOVE)

The combo’s connectivity options are equally impressive, featuring four Intel i226-V 2.5G RJ45 UDE network ports, HDMI+DP+Type-C triple display outputs supporting 4K@60Hz, and multiple USB 3.2 and Type-C interfaces. Such comprehensive connectivity ensures that users can connect a wide array of peripherals, displays, and network connections, making the system versatile for different setups and applications.

The CWWK 7840HS CPU+Motherboard combo is a great example of modern computing’s direction towards more efficient, powerful, and versatile systems within increasingly compact form factors. Whether for gaming, professional work, or server applications, this combo offers a compelling option for those seeking the pinnacle of performance and flexibility in a small package.

Its combination of a high-performance processor, expansive memory and storage options, and robust connectivity makes it a standout choice for enthusiasts and professionals alike.

The CWWK 7840HS CPU+Motherboard combo features ASMedia SATA controllers, specifically the ASM1166 and ASM1164 chips, which are central to its enhanced SATA connectivity. These chips enable the motherboard to efficiently manage SATA connections, ensuring stable and rapid data transfer rates for a range of storage devices.

The inclusion of two SFF-8643 connectors, influenced by these ASMedia components, significantly boosts the motherboard’s storage expansion capabilities. These connectors allow for up to eight SATA devices to be connected through breakout cables, optimizing storage scalability within a compact form factor. However, it’s important to highlight that these connectors do not support NVMe drives, focusing instead on maximizing SATA device compatibility.

This motherboard also boasts a single standard SATA port, complementing the SFF-8643 connectors to offer comprehensive support for SATA-based storage configurations. The strategic integration of ASMedia SATA controllers underscores a commitment to providing versatile and reliable storage solutions, tailored for users prioritizing a balance of speed, capacity, and efficiency in their builds.

The AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS is a notable entry in AMD’s mobile processor lineup, launched in January 2023. Part of the Ryzen 7 series and built on the advanced Zen 4 (Phoenix) architecture, this chip is designed to deliver high performance for laptops and portable devices. With 8 cores and 16 threads thanks to AMD’s Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT), the 7840HS offers substantial multitasking capabilities. Operating at a base frequency of 3.8 GHz with the ability to boost up to 5.1 GHz, it combines speed with efficiency, all within a 35W thermal design power (TDP). This processor also supports DDR5 memory and has integrated Radeon 780M graphics, making it well-suited for both productivity tasks and gaming.

Physically, the Ryzen 7 7840HS is manufactured using TSMC’s 4 nm process technology, which houses 25,000 million transistors on a 178 mm² die. This compact yet powerful CPU is designed for AMD’s Socket FP8, underscoring its mobile-oriented design with a configurable TDP range of 35-54W. It supports a wide range of features, including ECC memory for data integrity and PCI-Express Gen 4 for high-speed component communication.  The Ryzen 7 7840HS stands out with its inclusion of the latest Ryzen AI technology, aimed at enhancing generative AI applications, and its leading-edge Radeon 780M integrated graphics. This combination not only boosts traditional computing tasks but also opens up new possibilities in AI and gaming. The processor’s architecture enables significant improvements in instructions per cycle (IPC), benefiting from larger caches and faster memory support up to LPDDR5x-7500. Its performance is competitive with top-tier processors in its category, reflecting AMD’s commitment to delivering powerful computing solutions.

The discussion around ECC (Error-Correcting Code) memory support on the CWWK 7840HS CPU+Motherboard combo reveals a nuanced landscape of compatibility and performance considerations. While the motherboard touts support for “server-grade ECC” memory, indicating an ability to correct data corruption on-the-fly and enhance system reliability, the reality of ECC support is more complex. It requires alignment across the CPU, motherboard, and the memory itself. The AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS processor, integral to this combo, along with other CPUs offered by CWWK, presents a mixed picture regarding ECC compatibility. Despite AMD’s general support for ECC across many of its CPUs, the specific models available with this motherboard, including the 7840HS, do not officially support ECC, highlighting a disconnect between processor capabilities and motherboard features. This discrepancy underscores the importance of thorough compatibility checks for users who prioritize ECC for its error-correcting capabilities, especially in environments where data integrity is paramount.4

The situation is further complicated by the motherboard’s design and the marketing of DDR5 memory with “on-die ECC,” which does not equate to traditional ECC memory’s error-correcting functionality. This type of ECC, often referred to as a marketing gimmick, fails to provide the same level of error correction and data integrity assurance as server-grade ECC memory. As enthusiasts and professionals debate the motherboard’s ECC support, it becomes evident that while the hardware may technically support ECC, the practical benefits and implementation may fall short without the full cooperation of the CPU and explicit support from the motherboard’s firmware. This scenario leaves users in a precarious position, needing to navigate between marketing claims and technical specifications to determine the true extent of ECC support and its relevance to their specific use cases.

Given the technical details and specifications of the CWWK 7840HS CPU+Motherboard combo, we can infer some positive and negative points about this hardware combination despite the inability to access the specific Reddit page for user insights.

===== Further Testing – COMING SOON =====

Check our YouTube channel for further videos on the AMD-7840HS NAS Motherboard for testing first (such as the video below):

CWWK AMD 7840HS NAS Motherboard Review Conclusion – Pros and Cons

Spec Highlights – 4x AMD MobileRyzen Options, SODIMM DDR5 Slots×2, ECC Supported, 2×M.2 2280 4×2 SSD Slots, PCIe 4×8 connector ×1 (x16 Physical), SFF-8643 x2 Connectors for SATA III, 4x 2.5GbE, USB 4 (20Gbs Limits) , Internal USB 2.0  – $489 on AliExpress and Check on Amazon

The combination of the AMD “Zen 4” architecture Ryzen™ 5/7/9 series processors with a very unique motherboard offers a high-performance platform that is particularly suitable for building a low scale, but HIGH POWER Network Attached Storage (NAS) server. The Mini-ITX form factor of the motherboard, compatible with 1700 series CPU coolers, ensures that it can fit into compact NAS cases while providing adequate cooling for the powerful processors housed within. In the realm of NAS servers, storage options and connectivity are key. The motherboard’s two M.2 NVMe (PCIe 4.0 x2) slots are ideal for high-speed storage drives that can handle intense read and write operations typical in a NAS environment. The inclusion of 2 * SFF-8643 sockets, which support up to four connections each and a total of 9 SATA 3.0, is an advanced feature that provides flexibility and scalability for storage expansion. This is particularly beneficial for NAS setups where large storage pools and redundancy (such as RAID configurations) are important. Network connectivity is another critical aspect of NAS servers, and this motherboard delivers with its 4 * Intel i226-V 2.5G RJ45 UDE network ports, allowing for high-speed data transfer and network redundancy or link aggregation if required. However, the lack of 10GbE port might limit the network throughput if higher speeds are needed, in which case the PCIe Gen 5×16 slot could be employed for an additional network interface card, although this might be considered an inefficient use of this high-bandwidth expansion slot. Lastly, the wide array of USB ports, including USB3.2 Gen2 Type-C with a 20Gbps rate and additional USB3.2 and USB2.0 ports, adds to the versatility of this motherboard. The built-in set of USB3.2 pin sockets also allow for further expansion and connectivity options, essential for a NAS that may need to accommodate a variety of peripherals or provide additional data transfer interfaces.

PROS
  • High-Performance CPU: The AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS processor, with 8 cores and 16 threads capable of reaching up to 5.1GHz, offers excellent performance for demanding applications and multitasking. This makes the combo suitable for high-end gaming, content creation, and computational tasks.
  • Comprehensive Connectivity and Expansion: The motherboard’s design, featuring a PCI-E x16 slot (physically, in reality it is x8 operational), dual M.2 NVMe slots, multiple SATA3.0 connections, and 2.5G RJ45 network ports, provides a wide range of connectivity options. This allows for extensive storage solutions, high-speed internet connectivity, and the possibility of graphics or network card expansions, making it versatile for various use cases.
  • Advanced Memory Support: With dual-channel SO-DIMM DDR5 slots supporting up to 5600MHz and server-grade ECC notebook memory (still being investigated about it’s compatibility in Mobo vs CPU in the 7840HS), the combo offers cutting-edge memory technology with high-speed and reliable memory options, beneficial for workstations and servers requiring error correction for stability.
  • Efficient Power Consumption: The TDP rating of 35-54W for the CPU indicates efficient power usage, which is crucial for keeping the system cool and reducing energy costs, particularly in environments where the system might be running continuously, such as servers or media centers.
  • Compact and Durable Design: The Mini-ITX form factor is ideal for users looking to build small, space-efficient systems without compromising on performance. Additionally, the high-quality, moisture-free fiber circuit board with full protection enhances the durability and longevity of the motherboard.
 CONS
  • Power Supply Requirements: The recommendation to use a power supply of more than 500W with 9 disks may necessitate a higher initial investment for users aiming to fully utilize the motherboard’s storage capabilities, especially in compact builds where space and cooling for large power supplies can be a concern.
  • Complexity for Beginners: The wealth of features and expansion options, while beneficial for experienced users, may overwhelm beginners. The technical nature of managing multiple storage devices, optimizing memory configurations, and ensuring compatibility with various components requires a certain level of expertise.
  • Limited PCI-E Bandwidth: The single PCI-E x16 slot operating at x8 signal might limit the performance of high-end graphics cards or other PCI-E devices. This could be a bottleneck for users aiming to achieve maximum graphical performance or looking to install multiple high-bandwidth PCI-E cards.
  • Cost: Given the high-end specifications and features, the CWWK 7840HS combo is likely to carry a premium price tag. This cost might be prohibitive for budget-conscious builders or those who do not require the advanced features offered by this combo.
  • Cooling Considerations: The compact Mini-ITX form factor, while advantageous for space-saving, may present challenges in terms of cooling, especially when housing high-performance components like the Ryzen 7840HS. Users will need to carefully consider cooling solutions to maintain optimal temperatures and prevent thermal throttling.

 

Here are a few examples of where you can get this board online:

  • (Topton) 8-Bay / 9-Bay Board AMD-7940HS $489 (AliExpress) HERE
  • (Topton) The AMD-7940HS CPU+Board + 1TB NVMe + 32GB DDR5 + SFF Cables + CPU HS $729 (AliExpress) HERE
  • (KingNovy) Complete Board + AMD-7940HS $509 (AliExpress) HERE
  • Learn more about other Recommended M-ITX CPU+Mobo Combos HERE in an article or HERE on YouTube
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      158 thoughts on “CWWK AMD 7840HS CPU+Motherboard Combo Deep Dive”

      1. Hmm. I hope they will make lower tier CPU version. As it is a bit overpowered for a lot of applications. If they could shave 100$ and do 4 core version, at 15W TDP, maybe drop 2 of the NICs, that would be perfect (well, it would be perfect with builtin SFP+, but one can dream).
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      2. Hey there, I’ve been testing a similar board for a few days and have two problems. Even though I use a 4pin fan on a 4pin connection, the fan does not react to temperature changes. Likewise, the sindown of the hard drives does not work when I use Unraid.

        Do you have any experience with this? Is that always the case with these motherboards? Is it due to the limited bios or do you have a tip for me?

        Thanks
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      3. And here I sit trying to decide whether to build a NAS using a mini ITX mobo or get my Cisco UCS C240 M4 with 12 10TB SAS drives running. The Cisco is kind of big and noisy though and a bit of a power hog. It has two 1200W power supplies. Lol
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      5. Thank you for showing us this motherboard and for the way you describe things. I imagine this board to be in a rack server, or tower server. Which negates the need for ITX form. This CPU is a workhorse as you mentioned. Thank you so much again.
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      6. I’m new to this stuff, what kind of case would you guys use for say 4, 6 or even 10 drives? I like that inserted mobo with 2016 cpu, my drives aren’t that new but i’d love to rock 2.5gbit
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      9. Hello. Can someone confirm that the motherboard only has LGA 1700 cooler (Intel) compatible holes? I was surprised as I was expecting an AMD but it does not fit (too long for the holes on the board).
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      11. Do you know where can I buy a a 4x 3.5″ tray with integrated sata backplane to build my own case around?
        Something not to expensive but functional.
        Buying one of these retal nases to break it apart is expensive and kinda stupid 😀
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      17. My just arrived here in Spain today. Bought off the basis of your review. Arrived nicely and well packaged. Will be Saturday before I can put it in, but I bought it with the fan and cost me 400€ direct from manufacturer. Build looks extremely good to me (somewhat untrained eye as I only build new stuff once in a blue moon). I also got 64GB of DDR5 from Amazon for 333€ (2 x 32GB). First major hardware upgrade to my 11 year old TrueNAS build.
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      19. In the earlier video you talked plenty about how the CPUs TDP is more than you like, did you do any power consumption testing on this? Kinda interested to see how low the idle and regular NAS work consumption is.
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      20. Another interesting summary.

        Have you verified the sata throughout on the N305 board, or Indeed the N100 version? Someone recently did some heavy testing on the BKHD green N100 version and oddly the sata controller was tied in at pcie2x1 speeds. Which is a bit mad since the cpu is pci3x9. Any thoughts?
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      22. I have done some testing with this MB and can confirm the following:
        Support for 96GB Crucial 5600 – CT2K48G56C4685

        Still investigating the performance of the onboard sata ports but initial tests show about a 20% drop compared to a SAS 3008 HBA

        Server 2022 support but installing the drivers is a pain in the ass.

        Power at idle Windows Server 2022 with 96GB + 5 SSDs:
        High performance: 42W
        Balanced: 35W
        Power saving: 30W
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      25. @nascompares Did you have any issues with this board posting ? Ive got a solid green light when gitting the power button. No sounds at all, fans dont spin up either
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      27. I saw this board and want it! I was thinking it would go good in the KCMconmey 8 + 2 Bay DIY NAS case. I like the bays being stacked. Now just time to save for the board.
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      32. I contacted cwwk and they showed my screenshots of the AMD page for the china version of the 7840HS which supports ECC (product 13056), also they showed me a video where its “working”, but couldn’t really identify anything on it, not sure if it “really” was working.
        Maybe re-check your config or contact cwwk yourself ^^
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      34. thanks for checking! As for the ECC support, some motherboard vendors have claimed ECC support in the past but they actually meant “can use ECC RAM modules without ECC feature enabled”. I hope this case is like you said, and there is a processor option that supports ECC. But sadly it’s not the board you have
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      35. *UPDATE* Just a heads up. regarding ECC support, I did a quick test using a 16GB ECC Kingston 4800Mhz module and..well… here is how it went – https://youtube.com/shorts/Wnu2FbMY7H4
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      36. If you’re willing to look at MicroATX boards, and I would due to the availability of the relatively inexpensive Fractal Node 804 case (mATX, 10 3.5″ bays), you open up a world of possibilities. For instance the ASRock B550M Steel Legend, with 2.5GBe, 6xSATA, and 2xfull length M.2 slots (and 1x short M.2 slot for a Wi-Fi card). If all you want is mirrored flash storage, get 2 M.2 drives, and one 2.5″ SATA to boot from, and get a small/cheap case like the Fractal Core 1000 (#notspon).
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      41. Excellent presentation. Thank you. Really wish these had 10gb network as a default. This thing should easily saturate a 10gb and probably come close on 25gb. I just don’t understand why these companies are putting such a default bottleneck on their devices.
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      42. @nascompares Can you tell me where you find the info about bifrucation? My board arrived and I can’t find an option for it.

        I’ve installed one 32 GB Micron ECC stick. Sadly, ECC doesn’t work. There is an option to enable ECC in the bios but it seems to do nothing. I’m really dissapointet right now, ECC was the main reason for odering the board. Did you have any contact with cwwk support so far?
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      43. Glad to hear your cat is well and on the mend. 🙂

        Great overview video. I wasn’t aware of this board, so I’m really glad to see it here. One reason I haven’t loved a lot of the CWWK (and Topton, etc.) boards in the past is parts of them have seemed kind of kludged together in the name of squeezing just enough ports on the board, nevermind whether there’s enough PCIe bandwidth to support them all.

        I feel like this board in particular is a big step up in that department. It seems like the engineers who laid it out really tried to be thoughtful about how to balance features and ease of use.

        Not sure why there’s one lone SATA port on the board. Maybe it’s for a boot drive?

        I like seeing the two MiniSAS HD connectors; the really save space on the board, get a full 8 drives (instead of the usual 4-6 on a mini ITX), and will simplify cable management. Fewer ports also means fewer points of failure and less confusion when working on the board.

        I’ve had some bad experiences with some Asmedia controllers when working with TrueNAS in particular (the one in the QNAP JBODs won’t work at all with TrueNAS and and a LSI SAS controller connected to SATA disks–SCSI errors forever). It’s possible that was a combination of the Asmedia controller and QNAP’s firmware, though.

        That said, I’m interested in seeing how you find the controllers’ performance and stability. Hopefully, they can support the full bandwidth of up to 8 HDDs, or 4 HDDs and 4 SSDs (not sure about 8×2.5″ SSDs…that might be too much?). I’m also curious of your insights as to why there are two controllers. Is it a cost saving measure vs. one 8 channel controller?
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      46. when you get the ECC ram you need to check dmesg with

        dmesg | grep EDAC

        If the ECC is enabled you should see something like this (this example has 2x 16GB and 2x 8GB ECC RAM installed)

        [ 0.449223] EDAC MC: Ver: 3.0.0
        [ 50.316366] EDAC MC0: Giving out device to module amd64_edac controller F17h_M10h: DEV 0000:00:18.3 (INTERRUPT)
        [ 50.316372] EDAC amd64: F17h_M10h detected (node 0).
        [ 50.316378] EDAC MC: UMC0 chip selects:
        [ 50.316379] EDAC amd64: MC: 0: 8192MB 1: 8192MB
        [ 50.316382] EDAC amd64: MC: 2: 4096MB 3: 4096MB
        [ 50.316388] EDAC MC: UMC1 chip selects:
        [ 50.316390] EDAC amd64: MC: 0: 8192MB 1: 8192MB
        [ 50.316392] EDAC amd64: MC: 2: 4096MB 3: 4096MB

        the EDAC subsystem is the linux kernel component that reads the error report from the ECC, and will enable only when ECC is detected
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      47. I wrote a whole comment but foolishly added a link and my comment got eaten by the spam gods. I was saying the 7840HS officially doesn’t support ECC memory, but the PRO version of that chip does. However, the difference between those chips might just be a simple microcode toggle in the AGESA.

        You can see a diagram on the techpowerup page that breaks down the entire FP8 laptop platform that is used with the 7840HS. It only has 20 lanes since this is a laptop platform after all. 8 for gpu, 8 for nvme and the rest for wifi, lan and sata. To get that extra connectivity you’re gonna have to sacrifice some lanes. I wish we got a version of this board with no connectivity, just a pcie x16 and an x4 so we could use adaptors to get the connectivity we need. (or even just an x16 and use the rest of the lanes for 2 10gbe nics and an x2 nvme for boot)
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      50. Board looked good for a replacement for my current TrueNAS system, but TWO things stand against it – no 10Gbit preferably SPF+ and Asmedia SATA on SFF-8643 connectors – I’d rather have a LSI chips driving those ports to handle high usage
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      51. I could not get my Kingston ECC memory to work in ECC mode. I enabled ECC in the BIOS and disabled PFEH, but no signs of it working in Linux.

        Also idle consumption with only 1 USB stick was 17W. 16W after enabling ASPM.

        For now I am not satisfied with this product, as I mainly bought it for its ECC support and presumably low power consumption.
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      53. What I really would like to see in a NAS mainboard is one to two 10 GbE SFP connectors. Those 2.5 GbE connectors may be cheaper but its not worth it for most use cases today. SFP especially because you are free to choose between fibre or dac cables and tranceivers if you need to use copper. Most affordable 10 GbE switches have SFP ports and limitations on how much copper transceivers you can use. 9 SATA are great. M.2 is only useful for caching until you go for 25 GbE or higher. But all those NIC depend on a number of PCIe lanes a mobile CPU could possibly not provide.
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      55. The board seems to have ASPM disabled thus drawing 17W (as mentioned in the other comment) off the wall. Is there an ASPM / PCIe native power management setting in the BIOS? Also powertop would be interesting
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      57. this is a bit more strident content and i like it – could make a good router board also – good look at the new hw, think about bonding all ethernet in followup, pls mention if x16(x8 elec) supports bifurcation for 4 more nvme…boards probably has good power stats both in performance and power usage – things are getting better – also compare costs to comm alternatives – should do well
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      59. 0:26: ⚙️ Exploring a unique AMD mitx board with ECC support for DIY NAS enthusiasts.
        2:55: ???? Review of a CPU and motherboard combo focusing on components and setup details.
        6:13: ???? Highly expandable motherboard with potential for nine SATA connections and Gen 4 architecture for M.2 NVMe connectors.
        9:41: ???? Exploration of AMD-7840HS CPU+Motherboard Combo with additional components and configurations.
        12:04: ⚙️ Exploring hardware compatibility and performance testing of a new CPU+Motherboard Combo.
        14:47: ⚙️ Detailed breakdown of hardware information reveals support for ECC memory on CPU.
        17:24: ???? Analysis of Gen 4 * 2 slots performance and bandwidth on AMD-7840HS CPU+Motherboard Combo.

        Timestamps by Tammy AI
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      60. Hi,
        I hope later you will test the hard drive power supply holder on the motherboard to see how many HDD can it powered.

        When I looking back at motherboard, I suspect the manufacturer intent is that HDD power supply holder is most likely to power only 1 HDD (the one that will be connected to the SATA port) and the SFF 8643 is to be use on a backplane.

        Depending on this test, it might affect which case that is better for this motherboard
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      66. Love these videos… But just do not recommend those Sata cables that are already managed in the wrapping.. They gave me nothing but issues with my DIY build and ended up those cables. TrueNAS was just throwing erros because of them
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      67. When given the opportunity to mill a finely shaped heatsink with fins to maximise surface area for dissipation of heat they really did just slap an oblong of copper on there and call it
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      69. I like these hardware videos but personally I’m still not sure what direction to go in terms of software. I would love some kind of Unraid vs TrueNAS content. What I’m most concerned about is long term maintenance and running of the software stack. Switching drives, ease of updates, daily use gotchas that kind of thing.
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      72. It was funny to see, that when you plug in the Ethernet cable at 11:39, the green link LED will light up, but only after that will you plug the mains cable into the power supply. (It hasn’t had time to fully discharge since the previous power off.)
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      74. I just put the board in my shopping card @ Topton, got a nose for it, it seems. ????????

        It’s waaaaay over my budget to be honest, but you def got my attention now! ????????
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      75. i ordered the all in bundle last week from topton and it was shipped yesterday. Now eagerly awaiting it for my N3 build.
        9:25 bottom right standing, is the cpu heatsink sitting ontop of that cap?
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      81. thanks for the description of this board. this is exactly what I was looking for. I just ordered it and I am looking for the board documentation if you managed to find it. found some links in chinese but nothing so useful yet.

        also, I think I read the TDP can be changed by bios setting from 35 to 54w so that may explain why you see only 3,6ghz as max cpu speed.
        any idea on the TPM module that could fit? I see this is a 10 pin but not sure which to grab from aliexpress or others.

        fan out sata cable can be ordered in the bundle for a few extra euros.
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      88. Sorry to be thick, how do you know the quality of these electronic parts. If say, Synology spec components, they have to support them. How do I avoid building a NAS with low quality parts? Thank you.
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      92. Yes! — Ugreen DXP4800 Plus next week is fantastic! That’s the one I “pre-ordered” in form of that weird $5 for 40% off deal. I hope it is going to be good and we are really in fact able to use Unraid with it? Great content, thank you! 🙂
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      95. I don’t care about power consumption. Let me see it work. If I have to get another PS to run it in my jonsbo, so be it. However you can let me know about buying direct, which I have that option, but never used that companies boards.
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      96. I also received this board yesterday. I am unable to make my ECC ram work though. I have enabled the ECC option in the BIOS and disabled PFEH, but ECC does not show up in Linux. Did you get it working?
        Also power consumption at the wall is about 17w with only 1 usb stick and no drives and Corsair SF600 psu.
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      105. Sorry, I went through but I didn’t see one with 6+ SATA, 10GigE in a single port, and a pair of NVME sockets. Is that an unrealistic spec to be looking for? I don’t mind which form factor the motherboard has.
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      106. I have a Rosewill RSV-L4500U NAS chassis.

        It’s a proper case with room to grow with 15 drive bays. I don’t understand why you pretend here that there’s nothing out there that will take a bunch of drives and still support ATX boards. It’s not like the chassis is incredibly expensive either.
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      107. Not spending $300+ without 10GbE. What’s next? A 20 port 2.5GbE board? Do these manufacturers not understand that there is MORE than just 2.5?
        Nonetheless, thanks for the video!
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      111. Totally not related but I’d be curious on how that N305 board would fare as a TV box?

        I’m still looking for the perfect replacement for my nvidia shield, but it’s just too damn good compared to the alternatives, yet it’s so old and lacking development
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      112. Could someone please let me know if there’s some manual available for the i3-N305 board? In particular, I’d like to know the specifications of the CPU fan (type (fixed or variable RPM), size, voltage). Thank you.
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      113. I went with a G ryzen and a b550m VC from msi-only new part- board has 2xnvme pcie3x4-this cuz the G ryzen-, 8 EIGHT sata ports by the way sata and nvme can all work at same time, a couple pcie slots for any future whatevers. Now for my use case, 1G lan is more than enough, Id say but still have them pcie slots justin! 6x hdds now and an os ssd, no cache drive, dont think ill need it, at least not now, and i read that most ssds will have not a good time being cache, since their lifetime is on the amount written. Wanted to get one of them X99 setups though, but this was quicker and less power, all on an old PC case with hdd mounting spaces with a couple extra fans thrown in there
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      114. What about this new board from CWWK? (can’t seem to add the link)
        It is AMD based with no intel transcoding support but it has alot more power (dedicated GPU)compared to the N305, more storage connectivity upto 9 sata ports, ECC memory support with the 7940HS CPU and even an pcie slot for future 10gb upgrade. Will this board be the endgame for DIY builders or am I missing something?
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      115. If you haven’t a problem with second hand things. I have picked up an i5 8500t with an Asus z390 ATX mobo with Asus hyper M.2 card, 64GB ddr 4 2666, ATX Gold powersupply all in an old case with lots of 3.5 and 2.5 inch bays. Still have a lot of PCIE and Sata ports free for the future. Power draw <40W. All for around €200, storage not included
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      119. While I see the appeal of MOBO+CPU options, I think the lack of serviceability makes them simply not worth it. I recently bought a 4650G because of the ECC support and okay CPU performance (and because it was dirt cheap, $110). Just slot it into any AM4 Gigabyte/ASUS board and UDIMM ECC is fully supported for a total of $200 MOBO+CPU. Still thinking about if I should do an ITX build with Jonsbo N1 or an ATX building with a Define R7.
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      120. Another great video! Thanks!
        Is it possible to build an efficient PC on one of these motherboards in which the raid array will be managed like a NAS and will have most of its functions? I don’t have typical network needs because I work alone on video editing, but I care about data security. I was thinking about a PC with two NVMe drives and a 4-6 HDD array.
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      121. The n305 board sharing the pcie late between the m.2 and the 3.0×1 slot was the reason the went with the n100 green board. Those lanes are not shared. Of course, after I ordered it, About a month ago Topton released a new version of the n305 board that does not share this lane.
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      122. i highly recommend a used Server with a Xeon 26xx, 26xxv2, or 26xxv3. Can pick them up with CPU + Ram for 80 to 150 bucks, and some come with 10G Lan and more SAS/SATA then one needs.
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      125. The N-series of Intel chips, especially not of the 8-core variant, are pretty weak, so if you plan to use them with dockerised apps, not so good… Intel’s i* H-series and now Ultras are the way to go for efficiency and because they have iGPUs with well supported hardware accelerated transcoding for the media serving use-cases – some apps/platforms may require extra cost for supporting Nvidia or AMD encoders – they make good basis for such builds. Newer gen may also be seated in TB3/TB4 enabled board, so device extension is quite possible…
        However, one could venture experiments with Epyc Siena. Why? Most boards for Siena come with 2 or 4 NICs, 2 of which often are RJ45 ports, with the other 2 for SFP28, so up to 52Gbps trunked output… enough to feed a quadruple of 10Gbps clients. Of course, those optical ports need connecting to a good switch. MikroTik has one with 16 SFP28 ports, if I recall correctly. SFP28 ports and transceivers can work at 10Gbps speed, basically being supported in SFP+ cages… Then, those Siena boards can be paired with Siena chips… starting from an 8 core 16 thread units you can scale now or in the future, depending on workloads, up to 64 core 128 thread design of Zen 4c chips, granted running at the efficiency oriented part of the bell curve. Add to that DDR5 RDIMMs support and 6 to 8 slots of those, and you can start small, then bump your platform as needed or as promos happen… Same for the storage and extensions… MCIO or slimSAS ports on boards are great for cable routing, after all most boards support splitting of signals into 4x or 8x SATA or SAS devices. Still, with a couple of MCIOs, you can easily use one or two split to cover spinning rust devices and still have some for bifurcation for NVMe U.2 drives to get better speed out of the NAS. Why is that a great thing? If you ever wanted to do a SATA SSD NAS, you’d be looking into 4TB+ models. Currently, at those capacities, SATA devices cost roughly the same as many cheaper enterprise PCIe3 or PCIe4, often around $20 of difference… for max throughput and iops nearly 5 times higher than the average SATA units… Once those U.2/U.3 drives drop in prices for high capacities, they may become defacto first choice even for homelab and NAS uses. Then, having a board that can easily already support those devices would be great and far easier to sell the idea to your spouses, so the wife-approval factor may be a benefit here as well.
        So building NAS on your own you need to differentiate between those with minimal usage scenarios needing something as efficient as possible and those willing to have a platform they can expand in the future per the needs or promos…
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      126. While Synology seems to be taking forever to upgrade to gen 12 processors, I am more and more looking with interest the Supermicro SuperWorkstation 531A-IL for a solid unRAiD build. What do you think?
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      128. I just finished up my nas upgrade with an Minisforum BD770i. The AMD Ryzen 7 7745HX (8c/16t) is a beast. In Unraid system idle it uses only 23w since it’s a mobile chip. I used an m.2 nvme to 6x sata adapter and it works like a charm. Since Plex natively supports amd igpu’s this mobo is a champ at transcoding. I highly recommend this motherboard.
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      129. Greetings and thank you for the video! I enjoy your channel.

        Looking forward to your video on NAS with ECC memory. I bought a *used* Lenovo P520 that included 128gb ecc memory and a 2135 XEON for $300 US. The internals are fantastic. The power – ouch – it has a 900 Watt power supply. I bought 6 *used* 10TB HDD and 2 1TB NVMe drives. I’ve installed TrueNAS Scale just to play around with it (I’m an old pro on building PCs but a newbie on building NAS and VMs). Wish me luck…and any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
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      131. Hey, I have been really struggling to find a NAS to upgrade to. I want to run mostly 4k HDR HEVC content. I play it mostly on my LG G1. And I don’t understand HEVC thing, some of that content doesn’t run when I play it on the TV off my Plex Server ( currently using a Synology 216+). I have watched quite a few videos but I still can’t make an educated purchase.
        Can point me to a product? I really want good performance in a small box. A small pc sounds like a good choice but I kind of prefer a NAS, somethign that runs at home 24/7.
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      132. N100-N305 MB+CPU are crap. If you Seriously need more and faster PCIE lanes, or if you need more than 16 GB ADRESSABLE, not just recognized RAM. (By the way only single chanel) this combo is not the best.
        I Strongly recommand the combo MB + CPU from CWWK => AMD-7840HS/8845HS/7940HS – 9 SATA/8-BAY/9-BAY NAS – USB4 – 4 NETWORK 2.5G – PCIE X16 ITX MOTHERBOARD:
        I dont put links, i don’t why, but my comments won’t show up. Soo i try without link.
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      134. why is everyone so obsessed about ITX mobos?
        they lack PCIe and SATA connectivity, RAM expansion, space for bigger (silent) cpu cooler,
        if I weren’t using my X99-S desktop workstation as main PC, I’d simply make it a NAS build, since also the case (Fractal Define R5) supports 8 HDD bays already…
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      135. Just yesterday I finished building & setting up my first NAS. Went with Gigabyte B550i Aorus Pro paired with Ryzen 7 PRO 4750G, 2x 32 gb ECC, 4x Exos 18X and SN850X, built in Node 304. I think it’s quite well balanced home NAS for 2.5 Gbit network.
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      138. Anyone up for a challenge?

        Mini-ITX, Intel, >=11th Gen Intel CPU with 2x Media Engines, IPMI, IOMMU, 5x SATA, 1x NVMe, 1x PCIe x16, 1x >= GigLAN, 1x Monitor-Port, >=2x USB, (ECC support)

        Any experience with these NVMe to SATA adapters?
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      141. Since ECC is one of the most important things in a NAS if you value data integrity (which most NAS builders do), maybe you could bring out more prominently which ones support ECC and which ones don’t?
        And for a list of “best NAS CPU+mobos for NAS” there’s very little ECC support among the suggested alternatives.
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      144. I think as soon as you review an item the aliexpress stores use this as an opportunity to start increasing prices. Sometimes they just up their shipping costs to give the illusion of a cheaper product. ???? Or am I just being cynical.
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      145. I would say that a SuperMicro X14QEH+ mainboard with 4 Intel Xeon Scalable 5th gen Platinum 8593Q processors. This way you have 17 MCIO PCIe 5.0 x8 connectors and room for 24 NVMe PCIe 5.0 SSD’s at full speed. +2 NVMe PCI 3.0 x4 ports for slower speeds. That Mobo will certainly fully saturate 400GBps networks. It’s a cheap ass solution for if you want to replace a NetApp MetroCluster. Especially when compared to the best NAS/SAN solution in the world, the FAS9500.

        I don’t get why you would call consumer goods, the best motherboard CPU/Combo’s while there are so much better Enterprise solutions.
        with your solutions it is even hard to saturate a normal 10/40 GBps connection. As soon as more then 40 users connect to your storage solutions, you will run into bottlenecks.
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      146. The problem is these boards are not built to last. I have an alderlake n305 mini itx diy router like these and it just stopped working. It never reached temps above 80 degrees Fahrenheit and ram and name test fine outside of motherboard. Dealing with topton customer service has been an ordeal the past two months trying to RMA.
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      148. I have an idea for building a Gen 4 TrueNAS.
        Biostar b550m MX/E, already indicates it supports bifurcation and its good price where im at. Bifurcation cause i plan to use a 4x nvme adapter.
        My old Ryzen 3600. Relatively power efficient, at first i had the idea for an Epyc build, but that idles close to 100W.
        ECC unbuffered memory can also be used here.
        Also have a RX6400 when i need to use a gpu, as this will be a TrueNAS machine i probably wont need a gpu much.
        I will probably buy two 40gbe mellinox connect x3 and some DAS cables.
        Would need to think of something for an efficient small psu, i like sfx ones, but most of them have bad efficency at low wattage.
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      149. Is there any sense in getting the 13900H? Will all that power be utilized? Why not just go and buy the 12800H, even though there is a performance drop of 25,000 passmark vs. 29,400 passmark. The number of PCI-E lanes is the same – 28. Also, DDR4 is cheaper than DDR5.
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      153. I stay away from n series (n100,n305) chips. They don’t support hyperthreading (all “E” cores), don’t have good single core performance, and only provide 9 lanes of pcie gen 3. Makes it very difficult to build a NAS with SATA, NVME, and 10 gig networking without something getting starved for pcie lanes
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      154. I bought the Aoostar R7 on the back of your review so would be interested to see what you do with it. So far mine is running Unraid and I am seeing some interesting behaviour. Works, mostly 🙂
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