The Best NAS Enclosure Cases on AliExpress for Your Custom Server Build

Last updated on 15 Sep 2023 📧 Subscribe
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1 The Best Desktop and Rackmount NAS Enclosures on AliExpress
1.1 Disclaimer – The Jonsbo N1, N2 and N3 are STILL the Best NAS Enclosures
1.2 Best DiY 2-Bay NAS Case on Aliexpress – The X8
1.3 Best DiY 4-Bay NAS Case on Aliexpress – The Innovision 4 HDD Enclosure
1.4 Best DiY 6-Bay NAS Case on Aliexpress – The R6 Tower
1.5 Best Budget DiY 8-Bay NAS Case on Aliexpress – The N8 LCD Case
1.6 Best Scalable DiY 8-Bay NAS Case on Aliexpress – The 18L Decal Chassis
1.7 Best 1U Rackmount NAS Case on Aliexpress – The Innovision 4-Bay
1.8 Best 2U Rackmount NAS Case on Aliexpress – The 12-Bay NF25612
1.9 Best 3U Rackmount NAS Case on Aliexpress – The 16-Bay R366-16
1.10 Best 4U Rackmount NAS Case on Aliexpress – The R466 24 Bay Industrial Case
1.11 Best Hyper Scale Rackmount NAS Case on Aliexpress – The Innovision R46560 60-Bay 6U
2 Need Advice on Data Storage from an Expert?

The Best Desktop and Rackmount NAS Enclosures on AliExpress

AliExpress, a vast digital bazaar teeming with tech offerings, presents a delightful challenge for the DIY enthusiast: the sheer magnitude of choice. Among its labyrinthine aisles, the domain of NAS enclosures emerges as a critical niche for those seeking to safeguard their ever-growing digital assets. Whether it’s the streamlined aesthetic of a desktop storage hub or the powerhouse efficiency of a rackmount system, the choices are as diverse as they are numerous. However, the myriad of options can often turn from a boon to a boggle. Enter this buyer’s guide, meticulously crafted to streamline your journey. Instead of sifting through the thousands, we’ve distilled the essence of AliExpress’s offerings down to an elite list of 10. Each selection has been handpicked, not just for its quality and performance, but for its ability to deliver unmatched value. So, come along as we demystify the expansive world of NAS enclosures, presenting a curated roadmap designed to guide you to the zenith of decentralized storage solutions on AliExpress. Your perfect pick, after all, might just be a click away!

Disclaimer – The Jonsbo N1, N2 and N3 are STILL the Best NAS Enclosures

Jonsbo’s range of NAS enclosures stands out as an industry benchmark for those keen on custom desktop NAS builds. These enclosures seamlessly blend aesthetics with functionality, showcasing a meticulous design ethos that addresses both the visual and technical demands of modern users. The build quality is exceptional, employing high-grade materials that not only ensure durability but also aid in efficient heat dissipation, a critical factor for continuous NAS operations. Furthermore, Jonsbo has consistently demonstrated a forward-thinking approach by incorporating features that cater to future expansion and adaptability. Their user-friendly design ensures easy installation and maintenance, making them a preferred choice for both novices and seasoned builders. Backed by positive user reviews and a reputation for reliability, Jonsbo NAS enclosures are, without a doubt, one of the best investments for those aiming to craft a high-performance, custom desktop NAS system.

Jonsbo N1 5/6 Bay

Price (9/23) – $96

 Jonsbo N2 5/6 Bay

Price (9/23) – $89

 Jonsbo N3 5/6 Bay

Price (9/23) – $92

Note – FULL Jonsbo N2 NAS Build Written Build Guide HERE and YouTube Tutorial HERE

Best DiY 2-Bay NAS Case on Aliexpress – The X8

Price (9/23) – $130 (Check Stock HERE)

2-bay empty enclosures play a pivotal role in the realm of DIY desktop NAS (Network Attached Storage) server builds. They offer enthusiasts and professionals a blank canvas, enabling them to handpick their preferred storage drives based on specific needs and budget. These enclosures typically come equipped with essential connectivity options such as USB, eSATA, and gigabit Ethernet, ensuring that data transfer speeds meet the requirements of most home or small business users. Furthermore, their compact design ensures efficient use of desktop space while also providing easy access for drive maintenance or upgrades. For many DIY enthusiasts, these 2-bay enclosures are the perfect balance between simplicity and expandability, offering an affordable and customizable solution for decentralized data storage. In terms of price point, scale and ease of setup, the X8 2-Bay enclosure is one of the very few serviceable 2 HDD NAS enclosures on Aliexpress. That said, I would always recommend skipping 2x bay enclosures in a DiY build, as they lack the expandability long term and a 4-bay device would likely use comparable power consumption anyway. Still, if you really want a 2-Bay NAS option, the X8 is a good start:

Best DiY 4-Bay NAS Case on Aliexpress – The Innovision 4 HDD Enclosure

Price (9/23) – $57.90 (Check Stock HERE)

The Innovision 4 is an exemplary 4-bay NAS enclosure tailored for enthusiasts and professionals who demand both aesthetics and high performance. Outfitted with four 3.5″ hot-swappable SATA/SAS drive bays, it offers unparalleled convenience for drive management and upgrades. Designed to seamlessly house a Mini-ITX motherboard with dimensions up to 170*170mm, the Innovision 4 remains vigilant in thermal management, incorporating an 80mm silent cooling fan. Its standout feature, a high-quality and stable 6Gb/s Mini SAS backplane, ensures brisk data transfers and consistent reliability. Users are kept well-informed of the system’s operational status through a comprehensive array of LED indicators, paired elegantly with a front panel (FP) controller. Visually, the Innovision 4 radiates a contemporary design ethos and is crafted with precision, using 1.0mm Superior SGCC, PC, and ABS materials. Additional storage versatility is provided with an internal 2.5″ SSD bay. Connectivity options are ample, featuring both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports on the front. Flexibility is further accentuated in its power supply compatibility, accommodating both standard 1U and Flex 1U formats. Perfectly suited for diverse NAS storage needs, whether for home setups or enterprise solutions, and even cloud storage, the Innovision 4 weighs 4.3kg net and is securely packed in a carton with EP padding. For those seeking a harmonious blend of design and functionality in their NAS solution, the Innovision 4 emerges as a compelling choice.

  • 4 x3.5″ hot-swappable SATA / SAS drive bays
  • Supports 170*170mm Mini-ITX motherboard
  • Comes with 1pcs 80mm silent fan
  • Support standard 1U / Flex 1U power supply
  • With high-quality &Stable 6Gb/s Mini SAS backplane
  • Richful Indicating workings status Led and FP controller
  • Fashion design & Exquisite workmanship, OEM Available

Hardware Specifications:

Model
  NAS04A
Dimensions
  L205*W265*H195mm
Material
  1.0mm Superior SGCC+PC+ABS
Storage Bays
  4* 3.5 “/2.5” Hard Disk Bays(Front),1*2.5”SSD Bay(Inside)
Backplane
  Hotswap function,With 6Gbps SATA Backplane
Cooling Fans
  1*8025mm Cooling fan
Main board
  Support Mini ITX (The height of the heatsink should be less 30mm)
USB interface
  1*USB 2.0 Ports,1*USB 3.0 Port (Front)
Indicator / Switch
  Power SW/Reset SW*1,Power/HDD LED*1, NIC LED*3,Open Alarm LED*1
Power Supply
  Support 1U Flex / Standard Server Powersupply
Application area
  NAS Storage for home/enterprise, Cloud Storage
Packing Info.
  Net weight 4.3kg, gross weight 5.00kg
Packing method
  Carton + EP
Package size
  320mm*240mm*240mm

Best DiY 6-Bay NAS Case on Aliexpress – The R6 Tower

Price (9/23) – $59.20 (Check Stock HERE)

The R6 (hot swap) stands out as a compelling 6-bay NAS enclosure that strikes the right balance between form, function, and expandability. With dimensions of 243 * 255 * 221mm, it boasts a build made from high-strength 1.0mm galvanized steel combined with aluminum panels, reflecting a high-grade aesthetic that complements its robust structure. Designed to accommodate a Mini-ITX motherboard sized 17cm x 17cm, it ensures compatibility without compromising on space. Critical to its functionality, the enclosure supports a 1U power supply of size 15 * 8 * 4 cm, while ensuring the CPU radiator height stays within a 40mm threshold. Its efficient thermal management is further accentuated with a 12CM fan, ensuring optimal operating temperatures. A standout feature is its capacity to support either 6 3.5″ or 6 2.5″ hot-swappable drives, offering versatility and ease of access. Notably, while the power unit is not included, it is compatible with the POS small 1U power specification. The R6 also offers a standard open key and a convenient USB interface for added connectivity. For those considering scaling up from a 4-bay NAS, the R6 presents an enticing proposition. It offers 50% more storage capacity, granting users the flexibility to handle increasing data needs while maintaining a compact footprint. All these attributes make the R6 not just a viable choice, but a forward-thinking investment for those prioritizing both space and data scalability.

Hardware Highlights:

  • Size: 243 * 255 * 221mm (depth * height * width)
  • Material: high strength 1.0mm galvanized steel, aluminum panels
  • Motherboard: 17cm x 17cm (Mini-ITX)
  • 1U power supply Size 15 * 8 * 4 cm
  • CPU Fan/HSHeight is Within 40mm
  • Fan: 1 12CM Fan
  • Bays: 6 3.5 “or 6 2.5” hard drive hot swappable
  • PSU: POS small 1U power (not included)
  • Extras: Key locked bays, a USB interface Power supply Supports FLEX 1U 15*8*4CM

 

Best Budget DiY 8-Bay NAS Case on Aliexpress – The N8 LCD Case

Price (9/23) – $136 (Check Stock HERE)

The N8 LCD equipped 8-Bay Empty NAS Enclosure/Case by Jonsbo is a masterclass in design and efficiency. Built with a sturdy combination of steel and aluminum, it’s designed to be both durable and visually appealing. With a focus on expandability, the N8 provides eight hot-swap locations for 3.5-inch hard drives and an additional slot for a 2.5-inch solid-state drive. Its compact structure does not compromise on performance; it accommodates a graphics card up to 240mm in length and a CPU heatsink with a height up to 65mm.

This mini server chassis is air-cooled and supports a FLEX type 1U sized power unit. Furthermore, its compatibility with M-ATX motherboards up to 9.6 * 9.6 inches ensures versatility for various configurations. The N8 chassis package comes standard, and while it does not include the motherboard, hard drive, graphics card, or power, it sets the stage for a high-performing NAS setup. It’s not just about function, as its aesthetics are also notable with its sleek design that is sure to fit seamlessly in any tech environment.

Key Features:

  • Material: Robust blend of steel and aluminum for durability.
  • Storage: Eight 3.5-inch hot-swap bays and one 2.5-inch SSD slot.
  • Expansion: Four full height 12CM expansion slots.
  • Compact & Efficient: Mini server chassis with air cooling.
  • Motherboard Compatibility: Fits M-ATX motherboards up to 9.6 * 9.6 inches.
  • Graphics & CPU: Supports graphics cards up to 240MM and CPU heatsinks up to 65MM.
  • Power: FLEX 1U size compatible, 150 * 80 * 40mm.
  • Dimensions: Height 220mm, Width 305mm, Length 340mm.
  • Weight: 9.6KG.
  • Brand: Jonsbo – reputable and recognized in the tech industry.

Best Scalable DiY 8-Bay NAS Case on Aliexpress – The 18L Decal Chassis

Price (9/23) – $247.02 (Check Stock HERE)

The 18L 8-Bay NAS chassis emerges as a contemporary and versatile solution for the discerning tech enthusiast. Unlike traditional NAS offerings, the 18L doesn’t merely cater to the usual storage needs; it’s tailored for those seeking a multifunctional unit capable of blending seamlessly into diverse roles. The latest upgrade to version 1.2 brings several significant enhancements. The top cover glass, once a distinctive feature, has now been replaced with a ventilated metal cover for improved cooling. Hard disk spacing has been expanded for better ventilation, moving from 27.3mm to 29.8mm. Notably, the power supply’s exhaust position has transitioned from the front to the rear, enhancing airflow and thermal management. The front cover’s design has also evolved, transitioning from screws to a more user-friendly magnetic buckle. And while the number of lower fans has been reduced from four to two, this is balanced by the more efficient design alterations that prioritize heat dispersion.

In its essence, the 18L offers different configurations, ranging from an 8-bay setup paired with a 1U power supply to setups that accommodate varying numbers of bays with SFX and ATX power supplies. Its unique structure addresses the common issue in the NAS world: the heat buildup from higher-performance processors. By adopting a hierarchical design, the 18L ensures that users aren’t restricted to only low-power devices, paving the way for the integration of more powerful processing units. As a result, the chassis can transcend its primary storage function, doubling as a computing unit for tasks like rendering or even as a game console for your living room. Additionally, the inclusion of wood art material choices, from black walnut to mahogany, means that your NAS won’t just be a piece of tech equipment; it can be a stylish addition that complements your home decor.

Key Updates to 18L 8-Bay NAS Chassis (Version 1.2):

  • Replacement of top glass cover with ventilated metal cover.
  • Expanded hard disk spacing from 27.3mm to 29.8mm.
  • PSU exhaust position shifted from front to rear.
  • Transition of front cover fixation from screws to a magnetic buckle.
  • Reduction of lower fans from four to two.
  • Chassis includes: chassis body, 4-bay cage (x2), 2-bay backplane (x4), and a 2-bay replacement cage.
  • Does not come with USB front interface cable, SATA data cable, or backplane power supply module cable.

Best 1U Rackmount NAS Case on Aliexpress – The Innovision 4-Bay

Price (9/23) – $109 / $188 with 400W PSU (Check Stock HERE)

The Innovision 4-Bay 1U rackmount NAS chassis presents a cutting-edge solution for modern data storage and management needs. Spanning a depth of 560mm, this 1U chassis features 4 hot-swappable drive bays, all powered by a 6GB Mini SAS backplane, ensuring swift and stable data transfers. Users have the flexibility to choose from three distinct configurations: the base version that includes the chassis with a SATA backplane, 4 HDD trays, and four 4028mm fans; a second version that augments the base with a robust 1U 400W power supply; and a third variant that supplements the base option with practical two-section slide rails, facilitating easier installations in rackmount scenarios.

This chassis doesn’t just champion function but is equally attentive to form. It’s optimized for server configurations and can accommodate motherboards up to 12″x10.5″ in size. Ventilation is adeptly managed with four 4028mm PWM cooling fans, ensuring that components stay within optimal thermal thresholds. Its construction, forged from Super Anti-finger ROHs SGCC and durable plastic, exudes quality while resisting wear and tear. For those looking at expansion capabilities, the Innovision 4-Bay chassis provides an option for standard PCI/PCIE lateral expansion slots. Power compatibility is versatile, with the chassis supporting standard 1U power units up to 225mm. Storage is comprehensive with four 3.5″ SAS3/SATA3 hot-swap drive bays and an additional internal 2.5″ drive bay.

Designed for a multitude of applications, from handling large data sets to catering to the Internet of Things, cloud storage, and security monitoring, the Innovision 4-Bay is a formidable contender in the 1U rackmount space. It’s worth noting for those seeking alternatives or variations, the CSE_S16504 chassis is available, supporting even larger motherboards of dimensions up to 13″x12″. Moreover, users can opt for a high-quality, stable SAS/SATA backplane with options ranging up to 12Gb/s, available in either SATA or Mini-SAS SFF8087 interfaces.

Highlights of the Innovision 4-Bay Rackmount:

  • Compact Design: 1U chassis with a depth of 560mm, optimized for server configurations.
  • Flexible Configurations: Three distinct options catering to diverse needs, ranging from base configurations to those with enhanced power supplies or slide rails.
  • Storage Capacity: 4 hot-swappable 3.5″ SAS3/SATA3 drive bays with a 6GB Mini SAS backplane, and an additional internal 2.5″ drive bay.
  • Cooling Efficiency: Comes equipped with four 4028mm PWM cooling fans, ensuring optimal thermal management.
  • Motherboard Compatibility: Accommodates motherboards up to 12″x10.5″ in size.
  • Durable Construction: Built from Super Anti-finger ROHs SGCC and high-quality plastic material.
  • Expansion Capability: Option for standard PCI/PCIE lateral expansion slots.
  • Versatile Power Compatibility: Supports standard 1U power units up to 225mm.
  • Multifunctional Applications: Ideal for large data sets, Internet of Things, cloud storage, and security monitoring.
  • Alternative Model Available: CSE_S16504 chassis for those seeking variations or larger motherboard support.
  • Backplane Options: High-quality, stable SAS/SATA backplanes with speeds up to 12Gb/s, available in either SATA or Mini-SAS SFF8087 interfaces.

Best 2U Rackmount NAS Case on Aliexpress – The 12-Bay NF25612

Price (9/23) – $156 (Check Stock HERE)

The 12-Bay NF25612 rackmount NAS enclosure offers an advanced storage solution tailored for robust enterprise needs. Housed in an optimized 2U rackmount chassis, this system ensures seamless compatibility with motherboards, with the NF5612 supporting sizes up to 12″x10.5″ and the NF6512 catering to larger dimensions up to 12″x13″. Cooling is efficiently managed with three 8038mm hot-swappable PWM fans, guaranteeing optimal thermal conditions even under intensive operations. The chassis, crafted from Super Anti-finger ROHs SGCC and premium plastic material, promises durability and longevity. At its core, the NF25612 boasts a high-quality Mini SAS 6.0Gb/s backplane, ensuring rapid and reliable data transfers. Storage capacity is ample with 12 hot-swappable 3.5″ SAS3/SATA3 drive bays, complemented by two internal 2.5″ drive bays. Power needs are flexibly met with options ranging from 500-800W, with both single and redundant 1U 80 Plus Server power supplies available. The enclosure also offers versatile expansion slots, with configurations that can include 7 low profile or up to 3 full-height & full-length slots. Primarily designed for high-end applications, the NF25612 is perfectly suited for corporate databases, data centers, enterprise servers, and more. For those seeking alternative configurations, the CSE_S26508 chassis is available, compatible with even larger motherboard dimensions.

Highlights:

  • Optimized Design: Streamlined 2U rackmount server chassis.
  • Motherboard Compatibility: Supports sizes up to 12″x13″, depending on the model.
  • Efficient Cooling: Features three hot-swappable 8038mm PWM cooling fans.
  • Robust Construction: Built from Super Anti-finger ROHs SGCC and durable plastic.
  • Ample Storage: 12 hot-swap 3.5″ drive bays, complemented by two 2.5″ internal bays.
  • Flexible Power Options: Ranges from 500-800W with single and redundant supply choices.
  • Expansion Versatility: Up to 7 low profile or 3 full-height expansion slots.
  • Diverse Applications: Ideal for corporate databases, data centers, and enterprise-level needs.
  • Alternate Model: CSE_S26508 chassis for broader motherboard compatibility.

Best 3U Rackmount NAS Case on Aliexpress – The 16-Bay R366-16

Price (9/23) – $367 (Check Stock HERE)

The 16-Bay R366-16 rackmount NAS enclosure stands out as a masterfully engineered solution tailored for intricate storage needs and diverse applications. Set within a 3U space, its dimensions span 482(W)660(D)133mm(H), accommodating a motherboard size up to 12″ x 13″ – ensuring compatibility with EATX, ATX, MATX, and ITX mainboards. A distinguishing feature of the R366-16 is its substantial storage capacity; it can hold up to sixteen 3.5-inch hot-swappable hard disks and includes brackets for two additional 2.5-inch OS drives, giving users maximum configuration flexibility. Alongside its storage prowess, the enclosure offers an optical drive room designed for notebook slim drives. Airflow is optimized with four standard 80mm cooling fans, ensuring the internal components stay at peak performance temperatures. Furthermore, this NAS is built with a dedication to longevity and stability, evidenced by its SGCC case material and truly isolated anti-vibration design. Additional design considerations, such as the user-friendly lifting handle, make installation and transport remarkably effortless. Front panel settings include two USB2.0 ports, various indicators, and switch functions, offering easy access and clear operational status at a glance. Adhering to CE and RoHS standards, the R366-16 demonstrates a commitment to quality and environmental responsibility.

Highlights:

  • Generous Storage: 16 hot-swappable 3.5″ drives, with brackets for two 2.5″ OS drives.
  • Motherboard Compatibility: Supports up to 12″ x 13″, compatible with a range of mainboard sizes.
  • Optimized Airflow: Equipped with four standard 80mm cooling fans.
  • Build Quality: SGCC material with a thickness of 1.2MM ensures durability.
  • Anti-Vibration Design: Ensures drive longevity and consistent performance.
  • User-Centric Features: Front panel USB ports and a user-friendly lifting handle.
  • Expansion Slots: Supports seven full-height and vertical add-on cards.
  • Broad OS Support: Compatible with all operating systems.
  • Environmental Commitment: CE and RoHS compliant.

Best 4U Rackmount NAS Case on Aliexpress – The R466 24 Bay Industrial Case

Price (9/23) – $578 (Check Stock HERE)

The R466 24-Bay 4U rackmount NAS enclosure epitomizes a blend of vast storage capacity and robust design tailored for intricate storage needs in industrial environments. Occupying a 4U rack space with dimensions of 482(W)660(D)178 mm(H), the unit is engineered to accommodate a motherboard size up to 12″ x 13″. Its prime highlight is the substantial storage provision with 24 slots for 3.5-inch HDD trays. Built with the robust Ma Steel and a flowers-free zinc plating, it promises durability and resilience against industrial wear and tear. The enclosure is optimized for efficient cooling, featuring four standard 80mm cooling fans. Its panel is designed for user convenience, housing two USB2.0 ports, power and restart switches, and a set of indicative lights. With an option to incorporate either an ATX PSU or a PS2 redundant power supply, the unit ensures reliable power management. Moreover, it offers seven full-height and straight expansion slots for enhanced functionality. Every detail of the R466, from its build quality to its impressive storage capacity, is designed to deliver unmatched performance in demanding settings. However, it’s essential to note that while the product offers immense value, the shipping costs due to its size, weight, and origin (China) are considerably high, at $166.74.

Highlights:

  • Capacious Storage: Features 24 slots for 3.5-inch HDD trays.
  • Durable Build: Made with Ma Steel with flowers-free zinc plating, and a thickness of 1.2MM.
  • Efficient Cooling: Outfitted with four standard 80mm cooling fans.
  • Power Options: Compatibility with ATX PSU or PS2 redundant power supply.
  • User-Friendly Panel: Provides two USB2.0 ports, power/restart switches, and a suite of indicative lights.
  • Expansion Capability: Supports seven full-height and straight expansion slots.
  • Quick Delivery: 1 week for samples and 2 weeks for bulk orders.
  • Weight: Gross weight of 20KGS, Net weight of 16KGS.
  • Large Shipment Capability: Can be shipped in bulk with container loading quantities specified for various container sizes.
  • Shipping Costs: Due to its volume and weight, shipping comes at a premium of $166.74.

Best Hyper Scale Rackmount NAS Case on Aliexpress – The Innovision R46560 60-Bay 6U

Price (9/23) – $2155 (Check Stock HERE)

The Innovision R46560 is a standout 60-Bay 6U rackmount NAS enclosure, designed for those who prioritize expansive storage and reliability in high-demand environments. Sporting an optimized 4U rackmount server chassis, it’s engineered to house a vast array of 60 3.5-inch SATA hot-swap drive bays, which are also compatible with 2.5-inch HDD/SDD. This enclosure is constructed from SGCC 1.0 mm heavy-duty steel and super ABS, ensuring durability and resistance against potential wear. Further enhancing its build quality is the super anti-finger ROHs SGCC & Plastic material. For cooling efficiency, three 120mm PWM fans are integrated to ensure optimal temperature management. The server is adaptable, supporting motherboards up to the size of 12″ x 13″. Given its vast storage capacity, the R46560 is ideal for applications demanding large data handling, such as the Internet of things, cloud storage, and security monitoring.

It’s truly remarkable to reflect on the impressive storage capacity that the Innovision R46560 offers. 60 SATA/SAS bays in a single unit are a testament to how far storage solutions have come, catering to businesses and industries that handle vast amounts of data. Such extensive storage capabilities mean businesses can consolidate data in one location, optimizing access, backups, and overall data management.

Key Features:

  • Optimized Design: 4U rackmount server chassis tailored for efficient use of space.
  • Expansive Storage: 60 3.5-inch SATA hot-swap drive bays compatible with 2.5-inch HDD/SDD.
  • Cooling Mechanism: Equipped with three 120mm PWM cooling fans.
  • Durable Build: Constructed from SGCC 1.0 mm heavy-duty steel and super ABS.
  • Motherboard Support: Accommodates motherboards up to the size of 12″ x 13″.
  • Backplane Options: Comes standard with a 12Gb/s Mini HD hot-swap backplane. Alternatives include a 6Gb/s Mini SAS Expander and a 12Gb/s Mini HD Expander backplane.
  • Ideal Applications: Suited for large data processing, IoT, cloud storage, and security monitoring.
  • Customizable: Offers flexibility in configurations to meet specific needs.
  • Dimensions: L650W437.5H265( mm ) or 25.57x 17.20 x 6.94( inches ).
  • Other Features: Two USB ports and optional silm CD bay.

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      437 thoughts on “The Best NAS Enclosure Cases on AliExpress for Your Custom Server Build”

      2. I bought a Topton computer on Aliexpress and I was so angry with myself, it was a poor quality product, without technical support, it was money thrown away. If you want some advice from a friend, look for another brand.
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      3. Loved your vid, TrueNAS is a bit sketchy to first setup but does it job after a while of tinkering. The 6 port sata controller based on the ASMedia 1166 chipset is the way to go? Works great with TN instead of the JMB585… Don’t cheap out on that one. I used a PCI x4 card, neater and cleaner with cables. And btw, for the money and quality of parts stop using the Ali bords and just buy an Asus N100 or something… Good bios, great hardware and you can support local or national companies
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      10. 6:20 You have seen nothing. I once received a server power cable packed in a box which was larger then the case box on your desk. Bit shorter but much wider. It was also packed in all kinds of bubble wrap. A fricking standard power cable! ????
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      13. I just purchased a NAS case on Aliexpress for $772 with delivery absolutely insane but it’s completely CNC aluminum and has 10 nvme capable bays. The X-nas chassis. Looks cool so I bought it. Filling it with a Single AMD EPYC CPU 256GB ram and a few 8TB U.2 drives and 100GbE.
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      15. It would have been nice to speak to what each build is capable of. I’m thinking about building a nas but I have no idea if I’m putting something together that would be overkill
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      19. So you get the unraid license for free? So your nas cost hundred bucks more. And it is an Motherboard and a io shield.

        And proxmox is a hypervisor and has absolutely nothing to do with network attached storage.
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      25. @10:43 6 bays are the best you can make a 5 discs raid and still having an hot spare. beyond 6 bays drive are expensive, case is big, and motherboards are hard to found.
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      26. i thought you were nice but lot of chineses nas manufacturers are banrupt after this video ????
        super funny and very great tips. especially what i love about your channel is that you care about budget, you don’t simply recommend the most expensive tools out there.
        findind theses rare gem is an absolute hard work, and your 50 tabs opened here are just the surface of the iceberg ^^
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      28. @1:10 someone at ali express brainstorming “he needs a nas case, show him the some fake fingernails” everyone else “oh yeah great idea boss”. it’s because of the automatic translation, you can’t use the website in its original language and even if you could, you should provide your request in chinese i guess.
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      40. Thank you. I’d love to see the next steps: actually connecting the box to the internet and your in-house network and configuring the system to function as intended. Good job!
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      42. Unfortunate the Asrock Z690M-ITX/AX is not easy to find anymore (Amazon uk/de don’t ship to Denmark and .se have almost nothing to offer. And the price has gone up quite a bit on Ali Express unless your willing to take a chance at a used board. To me the Z790M-ITX Wifi seems to the be the same board, just with DDR5. Also supports 12gen Intel cpu’s. Perifials seem the same as the Z690-ITX/AX Should there be any problems going with this board ? ( I can buy this new in local stores at a little higher price as your initial listing for the Z690 from Amazon.
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      43. Yeah the delivery costs make reasonable cases seem very unreasonable costwise all of a sudden. That’s when you need a third party like a Groupon for geeks which will get the orders together, fill up a container and ship it for the cost of just a few shipped cases but shared over a large number of people it would be reasonable (I don’t know what local shipping costs would be like but PC cases seem to get shipped about regularly enough that I can’t imagine that it’s too expensive)
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      45. Helpful hints:
        1) first boot the motherboard outside of the case. If it is dead you don’t want to be wasting time installing it and routing cables
        2) never use a cheap USB drive. Use a Samsung Fit or Bar USB Drive. You can do a search for the guy who tested them out and they beat out the rest. I am not sure but I think you can clone the USB. If so get two so when the first one dies you are not scambling looking for configurations.
        3) update the BIOS. If the board dies it can be RMA’ed.
        4) Use the Preclear tool in Unraid on the hard drives before using them. Side note, if you want a really nice NAS case SuperMirco offers a 4 bay one. It is not cheap but it will last and also keep your drives cool. best of luck.
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      46. back when i build my nas , i buy a full atx lga 1150 with 2pcie 16x 2pci 6 drives 4dim , for 70eu , and got a celeron for 40 that i later upgrade with i5 , got a 10gb nic , and still got a free pcie for gpu or extra storage , and house everthing in old style case that had 8 drive slot , and 4dvd slots , yes is bit bigger and you may need more time to swap a drive , but is much more powerful and upgradable ,
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      48. I have two of your presented cases at home. The first ugly one in 8-bay configuration and the silver one you almost buy (https://youtu.be/68sudIiwh5w?t=1027) without display. On the ugly one there has very little space between the HDD cage and fans even for a standard Sata cable. I had to buy special cables with short connectors and 90 degrees cables to be able to fit them in without too much strain. Also the space for CPU fan is cramped (about 40mm max) and definitely has not enough space to cool powerful CPU. The silver one has one great feature that not many of other NAS cages have, and that is SFF connector to connect disk backplanes. So, if you use external RAID card you can end up only using two cables to connect 8 drives. It also have removable plate for installation of motherboard which is useful at least in the building process. And it has nice space for CPU fan.
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      49. It’s really crazy how budget you can go! ATM I’m looking at a total budget of 200usd for a NAS with 16TBs of storage in a raid 6 config no idea how I did it but it’s an amazing thing crazy utility.
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      51. you deserve a like and sub
        give this man a like
        ????????????????????????????????????????????
        it’s rare to find legend people nowadays
        Thanks man that was super helpful
        ❤
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      54. Wow. another great video. Thanks so much for all the excellent content. I’ve been gearing up to replace my old Dell PowerEdge r510 12-HDD server. It’s such a noise generator and power hog. I wonder if you could maybe do a video that focuses on daisy-chaining servers for more space. I don’t want to manage multiple Unraid instances. What I’d like to do is set up one server and then attach multiple SANs as my library grows.
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      55. Thaks a lot for this! It made building my N2 NAS a breeze. Different motherboard, different power supply, but this video is an excellent resource in any case.
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      59. Great experiments! May I ask What’s the power consumption of this DIY NAS? Also if we don’t mind put the power block into the case, can I use my old pc regular power block to power up this DIY NAS? Many thanks!
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      61. ‘This is some Tron-level Logan’s Run-style casing…’ too funny. I don’t do any NAS but am a hardware fanatic but I would tune in just for the entertainment value. Keep ’em coming.
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      62. In the days of lore, way back, when Drobo first appeared and later all the little NAS boxen were born; I decided that they were too expensive and way under-powered. Then I found a way to build my own home lab NAS, one where I could host containers as well as serve shares, etc. This predates Unraid and TrueNAS. Many pros were building rackmount 4U servers but then came along some very well suited m-ITX server boards. Supermicro, Asrock, Gigabyte, etc. The first build utilized Joyent’s fork of OpenSolaris and their base image called SmartOS, providing ZFS, Zones, networking, etc. in a private cloud. Then Linux became capable of the same (Joyent was bought by Samsung and development slowed). I switched to Ubuntu Server with LXD to manage native containers and VM’s and Microk8s for Kubernetes. I was even able to import my zpool. But now I am thinking I may switch to TrueNAS Scale and build a 3rd generation NAS with a Jonsbo NAS case. Newer m-ITX boards have come a long way. The advent of those M.2 PCIe SATA adapters, will free up the 16x PCIe slot allowing for dual 10GbE network card. Ultimately, home builds can be built for less but if you put a bit more power into the build, you get a lot more out of it. However, you will end up being more expensive but your NAS will be more of a home lab server.
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      65. Why did I end up here? I was searching for nail extensions on AliExpress and WTF.. here I am…. I understand nothing about what you’re talking about, however thumbs up and you have a new subscriber ????
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      67. I have the same NAS case, and I’m curious about your hard drives’ behavior. Mine are always active and noisy, even when not in use. Do you experience the same issue with your setup?
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      70. Would you make an episode about what’s better? UnRAID or TrueNAS? What gives more possibilities? What is updated more often? And what, in general, will be a better solution?
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      75. Thanks for the great info. 
        I have just built my home made NAS based on this tutorial with Unraid and it is spinning away happily on my table.
        I deviated slightly by going with the Node 304 case which I purchased locally from eBuyer for £74 delivered and the same board with 4 GB memory and the 128 GB NVME from Amazon for £151. With the saving I also added a 10 Gbe PCI card from Ali Express for £71 and a Hisource 4 port 2.5 Gbe + 2 10 Gbe uplink ports for for £29 from Ali Express
        I have to admit that getting the 10 Gbe link working with Unraid (!***!) was a bit stressful, but everything now works as it should.
        Onwards and upwards and thanks again.
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      79. Thank you so much for this detailed video. I used it for my own Jonsbo N2 build and it was so helpful with the step-by-step instructions and guidance on the gotchas. It saved me so much time to pre-plan. Excellent video!
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      83. Hey, as this vid is 4 months old, I just wanted to ask if the mobo is holding out good? I’ve been considering it myself, just wondering if theres anything you found out later that someone looking to buy one may want to know before making a decision. Cheers for the good vid ????
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      88. HI, Great vid! I must have watched this a few times now, and am currently building my own. Currently unable to track down the pdf for the header pin layout. Did you ever add the link in for that?
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      96. This video is really well done. I have been trying to give an answer to this question for four years now. The problem is summarized at the end of the video. My time costs much more than what I save by building it myself “from scratch”. But on the other hand I am too stingy , and I like to build things myself. Frustration.
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      98. The “weird” 19″ enclosures are just about 300 to 350 mm deep. That allows the user to put them in a network rack which has typical depth of about 400 to 450 mm. Not everybody has the space to install a server rack which is usually 800mm to 1000mm deep.
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      101. The price of the shipping from Aliexpress not only varies, but can make or break your budget so it should definitely not be left out. For example here are the prices as of Nov 2023:
        Jonsbo N2 (Aliexpress): $93 + $97 shipping to the US = $190
        Jonsbo N2 (Amazon): $150
        Jonsbo N2 (Newegg): $140

        Jonsbo N3 (Aliexpress): $117 + $99 shipping = $216
        Jonsbo N3 (Amazon): $170
        Jonsbo N3 (Newegg): $162

        As you can see, if you are in the US it’s a no-brainer to buy the case from Amazon/Newegg as Aliexpress offers an inferior shipping experience.
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      104. Honestly it’s like they are trying to make a bad design (and they are insultingly expensive), in my opinion a nas good for most personal use’s doesn’t have to be a very powerful machine, you have to take in account power usage (electricity cost’s money) and noise as it most likely going to work near people. The motherboard should be placed preferably on top for good heat dissipation with an air vent or option 2 on the side and top vent, in both cases with enough room for a beefy cooler (to reduce fan usage and noise) . Jonsbo n3 is good but they just had to insult us with not having a top vent and some decent hdd bays also the price so high and your getting so little especially considering that the users are going for this option precisely because they don’t want to spend to much money and the build quality could be better !
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      108. Can you confirm that the Asrock mobo will allow 4x+4x+4x+4x lane bifurcation? I cannot confirm it, and the HyperCard requires lane bifurcation to work. An ixt board with two onboard nvme drives plus 4 drives through pcie would be a killer compact, all flash, low power, portable nas.
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      113. Just a couple notes on this as I have the same case. First if you did NOT use the angled sata cables on the backplane they won’t warranty the case. Second I found a flat dual molex adapter that saved me even more room. Between the angled sata cables (same slim blue your using with 90 degree one end), and the molex adapter I was able to replace that loud inefficient 15mm fan with the standard 25mm one. Also replaced those grates on both side with basic wire grills. Both those things got me better air flow as well as less noise.
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      115. Not all rack chassis need many hard disks. Perhaps people use it with proxmox, Linux server etc. Some need short depth chassis. That is why there are some strange solutions.????
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      118. i’m a bit disappointed, your title said you were gonna build a NAS, but you just assembled a NAS :/ (i was expecting electronic component tinkering, not computer parts tinkering…)
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      119. I have just built a TopTon board (Same version) with a Jonsbo case. One note is you can actually fit that board out with 64Gb Mem so Truenas has plenty of spare capacity. I also spec’d out a lot better power supply just for the peace of mind. Wish you had done this review earlier as I would have gone with the case you had.
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      125. I’m a little confused… Did you show the correct extra parts (Re: video ~35:00)? Of the four parts shown, it seems that I would need (1) of the parts shown (top & bottom right side parts), but nothing from the left top/bottom parts. Additionally, if I select either top or bottom right side parts then I now have (2) 20-pin connectors (one from the front panel USB and one from the adapter (top/bottom right side parts)) which now need to go to a 20-pin + 20-pin splitter (not shown on your display of parts). Unfortunately, my Topton MoBo has not arrived yet so I can’t reference what is there in order to understand what’s what with all the parts you showed. Can you provide any more clarity to this? Thank you so much and thanks, again, for making this very informative video!!!!
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      126. Investing that much time and effort probably isn’t worth it unless you have time to waste or very specific possibly high-end applications.
        Also, you may want to got get a more current ITX board + CPU for more performance and RAM in this case.
        Honestly for a simple setup like that it probably is better connecting something like a TerraMaster D5-300C or ORICO-NS500RC3 to a Raspberry Pi.
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      127. I dont think you save so much time going turn key as you have to learn the software. Easiest is take an old machine, install Nas software learn how it fits in your life. Then upgrade hardware later. As a person whos built many computers, the hardware part wasnt the issue. Learning the Truenas/Proxmox/Unraid interface probably didnt take longer than the Synology interface. Now I have a machine which can grow cheaply if needed.
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      128. Those front USB connectors are standard, USB3 and USB3.1 for the Type A and Type C connector respectively, and are found on most modern motherboards. That Topton board is made as cheaply as possible, so it only has basic USB2 connectors, which is why they wouldn’t fit.
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      130. Totally a great replacement for another orange channel. You explain everything that you had to go through and other options to tackle those issues. Great vid! It s subscribe for me bud!
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      132. I’m coming back in to re-review my overall thoughts on the N2. This past week I updated my hardware so I could utilize NVME, 10gbe and the 8500T cpu I had laying around.

        My reports – This case is not enjoyable for heat when thinking about NVME. My initial thoughts was that everything would be great. I had a proper cpu cooler and then also a heat sink for the nvme. Upon firing up everything looked great…..but then I got warnings. My NVME was getting to temps of almost 60c!

        I quickly shut the system down and pulled the shell off to make sure the heat sink was alright. Everything seemed just fine but after further thought I have always had airflow over the basic heatsink which make a bit difference.

        So what do I do?

        Luckily I had either a 140mm or 120mm BeQuiet! Silent Wings 2 fan laying around and jerry rigged it to the top shell and decided to blast the entire mobo with the airflow. CPU is sub 35c and the NVME is now sub 34c.

        Users Wanting NVME beware and reminder you HAVE to have decent airflow. The N2 simply is not great for airflow with NVME or other pcie adapters that generate any kind of heat.
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      137. according to Topton, the pin headers on their motherboards (N5xxx and N6xxx) is only USB 2.0, were you able to confirm/deny it? The blue ports on the mobo however are indeed 3.x
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      138. i might be the only one hear but i really enjoyed this video i like looking at different nas / server cases i guess my dream is to make a custom case that does it all so more ideas the better 🙂 Thanks for sharing the video with us????????????JP
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      139. The 1U case doesn’t seem to be marketed towards NAS use. Bet it would be nice as a PC case for those who rack mount their PC’s and can get by with a 1U. It seems to even support 2 slot GPU’s.
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      147. your antiquated selection is crap in 2023.
        Fractal Design Node 804 – Black
        MSI PRO B550M-VC WiFi ProSeries Motherboard
        Ryzen 7 5700G 8-core, 16-Thread Processor
        Thermalright AXP120-X67 WHITE ARGB Low Profile CPU Air Cooler
        Corsair VENGEANCE LPX DDR4 RAM 32GB (2x16GB) 3200MHz
        WD_BLUE SN570 1TB M.2 2280 PCIe Gen3
        IBM M5015 Array Card, Megaraid 9260-8i SATA/SAS Controller RAID 6G PCI-E x8
        INTEL Original X540-T2 Ethernet Converged Network Adaptor X540T2BLK
        8×3.5 drives, + 8x 2.5 drives & small cage
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      148. Congratulations on the 100K it is quite an accomplishment. Brilliant video. Fantastic presentation. I have a big unraid system featuring a Xeon E3 with 16 bays. but I do EVERTHIING on this. I have never regretted building my own NAS.
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      151. 13:32 – I have the case and my mates have it too. it’s really a nice case to have 🙂
        it’s 8-bay with 1u PSU, 6-bay with SFX, and 4-bay with ATX. I don’t think you can get the top glass panel anymore. the wood panel is an actual wood panel, which you can replace it with a widescreen.
        It has a single USB port on the side but the cable is not included.
        The official case name is “Warhead Treasure”. Pro version also exists which fits ATX motherboard and SFX PSU – still 8-bay which is great because you don’t have to deal with the PSU noise.
        There’s no manual so you’ll have to figure it out yourself.
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      160. Beautiful build, nicely done, and I love the “on the cheap” side of things (so much, must be the Scottish in me ????) Makes me want to do this rather than get another Synology. I have the skills, but Synology just made things so “easy” that I got lazy. Thanks for the video and congrats on 100K! Here’s to the next 900K ????
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      173. I built my DIY NAS using an 8-bay Nas case ( 16:00 ) and mATX FUJITSU D3417-B21 GS2 + Core i5-7500T, but I’m going to replace CPU with a Xeon e3-12xx (v5 or v6 ) to use ECC memory.
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      174. I built one from used parts on eBay, for the magic price of about £187, 10 SAS 2tb drives i picked up for 80 quid, Dell H200 perc 24 quid( needed firmware changing to LSI SAS 9210-8i ), the motherboard (FM2 with 8gb of DDR 3 and 500w PSU) came to together from what someone was tipping, 64gb SSD OS disk i picked up for around 7 quid, eBay again, the only build that was new was the Mini SAS 36Pin SFF-8088 to 4 x 29Pin SFF-8482 SATA Power Cable 0.5m 20 quid, 2 x Molex to 4 SATA power cable 10 quid and a new ATX case from Amazon for around 30 quid, i manage to pick up 6 BEQUIET 120mm fans for 16 quid, i used TrueNas 12 at the time, now been updated to version13, it runs as my SMB and plex server, its on a 1Gb Lan of which i can use nearly all of the bandwidth maintaining 110MB all the time download(single user at a time), at the end of the day, i really enjoyed building it, it was fun, Im planning on building more, good stuff
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      178. I can afford to buy a branded NAS, but I prefer to go through similar to what you see in this video, not because I want to appear tech savvy, but because of the drinking involved during and after the build. I especially relish the heavy drinking involved when it fails and I have no one to blame but myself. Cheers!
        ????????
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      182. I have a 1u 1bay chassis as a router running opnsense. It doesn’t need a ton of storage so I have a couple of 128gb m.2s in raid 1 and a 1tb ssd in the bay for logging. Sure, I don’t use it as a NAS, but not everything in a rack needs dense storage
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      184. So I have an enclosed rack that is short depth(stupid idea on my part), about 375mm depth max for any case. In it my Home Assistant box is just a Intel N95 based cpu mini pc sitting on a shelf in it. I want to keep it simple, but may replace it at one point with another small, energy efficient device build. So something like that 1U may be perfect because it wont need a ton of space since I have a NAS. What I would like to find is a short depth 4-5U rack mountabe with full size ATX board capability and 4-12 drive hot swap.
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      186. Oh man, only found out about the n3 the other day, looks like ill be changing my n1 for that, there is also a low profile rtx 4060 out now, i just wish 20tb drives were cheaper ????
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      187. If you want to run an SSD at network speeds you’ll need a 10Gbs NIC – probably a PCIE card. If you want multiple SSDs you’ll need to balance your NIC and carrier SSD card (if you’re not using sata SSDs). Probably at least two PCIEx8 slots on the motherboard or multiple x4 if you’re doing individual nvme drives. I’m not sure SATA ports are good for much beyond your video library and backups. You could RAID SATA SSDs, but I’d be concerned about that as a future-proof strategy, given how nvme seems to be the direction.
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      189. Hi. I built your big NAS build. I would have two questions:

        A) I use Samsung QVO 8 TB drives. Is there anything I have to do / setup because I use SSDs?
        B) Your amazon Link to the SATA-Port Replicator says “Tbkoly Controller Card”, if I use the link it leads to “SaiDian 1 x SATA-Port-Multiplier Controller Riser Card Adapter 6 Gbit/s 1 auf 5 Port SATA 3.0 Motherboard”, there is no Tbkoly Controller Card on Amazon. I couldn’t find one and used the replacement instead, but it didn’t work. It works perfect if only one drive is connected, the second drive does not appear. Any idea, or like a new link to a working port multiplier?
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      191. I like the enclosure at 18:56. I would put a passive pcie slot cover sas internal to external adapter in there and run 8 sas drives in a raidz2. Or I could get 2 anclosures. To populate a 16e sas card. Sas also allows 10 meter cables so I could put it away from my desk and ears.
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      194. I looked around and ended going with the antec p101 silent atx case. 8x hdd bays (more if you use the 5.25, plus 2 ssd mounts. Good ventilation and sound proofing plus full atx support for expansion
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      199. That 14:24 case is literally the worst type of case. You can still use 8 bay but you can’t use ATX in it. If you want to use ATX PSU, you need to remove 2/4bay HDD from that case to put it.

        Here’s the video about that case:
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPaDCiyY3Kw&t=964s
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      200. The first removable hard drive bays I build into my system was when I build a 486 with IDE drives. It rocked ????byes I am old and so are removable drives
        I wouldn’t buy a 4 drive for 3×5,25 just get a 5 drive for the same space.
        The only case I would buy is 6×2,5 and as silent as possible. PCIe slot(s) is a must.
        But I would need 3… ceph cluster yay ????
        You want a cheap rackmount case for your storage? Go second hand. Loads of cheap ex datacenter stuf.
        Also nice.. asrock sp3 mini itx board. It has 2x10g and 6xu2. And sp3 processors are cheap..
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      201. One thing to keep in mind when checking rackmount chassis, is depth. I have a 18U rack with about 23” depth, and really need to be careful because most chassis are larger than my rack.
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      202. Really enjoyed this video! Recently this has become a new hobby for me – looking for new NAS cases on Ali 🙂
        I own the one at 9:04. Has a full height slot which is nice, but only 80mm fan + motherboard is a nightmare to fit it. In hindsight, I think the best case in this form factor is the U-NAS NSC-410. 4 hotswap bays, 120mm fan and support for an ITX motherboard that mounts on the side (which is much easier than cramming it at the bottom), only downside is the price.
        I also own a 6 bay NAS chassis sold under the brands Yufu and Auriga. It’s not the most compact, but it does support MicroATX motherboards with full height PCIe as well as a standard ATX PSU. This one was not featured in this video, but I think it is a really good case for home labs because it looks nice + easily expandable with standard components.
        Cheers!
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      203. Really enjoyed this video! Recently this has become a new hobby for me – looking for new NAS cases on Ali 🙂
        I own the one at 9:04. Has a full height slot which is nice, but only 80mm fan + motherboard is a nightmare to fit it. In hindsight, I think the best case in this form factor is the U-NAS NSC-410. 4 hotswap bays, 120mm fan and support for an ITX motherboard that mounts on the side (which is much easier than cramming it at the bottom), only downside is the price.
        I also own a 6 bay NAS chassis sold under the brands Yufu and Auriga. It’s not the most compact, but it does support MicroATX motherboards with full height PCIe as well as a standard ATX PSU. This one was not featured in this video, but I think it is a really good case for home labs because it looks nice + easily expandable with standard components.
        Cheers!
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      204. I’ve always been of the DIY persuasion when it comes to my NAS.

        I recently rebuilt my NAS using an Antec VSK4000E-U3 case and a Rosewill RSV-SATA-Cage-34. Both parts cost me just under $130 USD. Popped in a m-ATX board, Ryzen 4600G 6-core CPU, and 16GB of RAM. The case is large enough to fit an ATX board, if I wanted to. This new setup is so much nicer to service than the old Antec Nine Hundred case I was using.

        Is it a bit ugly? Maybe. You decide. Video of the rebuild is on my channel.
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      205. the most puzzling decision is having a 1U PSU even for the 8+ bay NAS. Yes it is technically a PSU and you can technically get even 1000w PSUs in that form factor but it’s far from the best and cheapest when you start going above 300w, which is what you probably need for 8 drive spinup loads
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      206. Would you consider doing a DIY compact SSD NAS?

        What I have in mind at this point:

        – M.2 to 6x SATA adapters
        or M.2 NGFF 4x cards + pcie 4x to multiple SATA ports
        – 5.25″ to 6x 2.5″ drive trays
        – an external DVD duplicator case with 2/3/4 5.25″ front bays
        – a few SATA power-cable splitters and SATA data cables
        – high capacity SATA SSD’s (like the Samsung QVO 8GB)

        Biggest question mark still is the mobo, maybe a single board like the latest Lattepanda Sigma ?

        Would love your take on this.
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      207. You mentioned about the screen option on so many of the cases but seem to have missed the screen option on the Treasure 8 bay. You even put a picture of the black version with the screen turned off. I have been eyeing this one up for a while but pulled the trigger on the Jonsbo N3 earlier this week. Maybe once I have the Jonsbo build done I will pick one up. Granted I know the screens not an official option but when on ali …
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      209. 23:49 that is not a NAS chassis it is a regular server chassis, it is perfect for an ITX router board (the one with 4 2.5gb ports, or any ITX board actually), I’m thinking getting one of those, 26:23 I got the 8 bay 500mm deep version a month ago and the quality is excellent, got that version because you can fit a regular ATX PSU and a mATX board inside (kind of, I had to flip the fan bracket and fans to fit an Asrock B450m Pro4 R2.0 ) and the length is perfect for my 9U networking rack (650mm deep, usable 550mm), shipping to Mexico was expensive (3466 Mexican pesos, around £165) but understandable, the box it came in is massive and it is very heavy, also it was delivered by FeDex so no complains there, if you want some pictures of my chassis I’ll be happy to send them
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      211. Very useful because I keep having the nagging doubt that there must be something out there that could be scrapped together to do “Docker for Data Science” by day and backup by night. I am just afraid that a Celeron with 16 Gig RAM max won’t cut it for the by day Python/PostgreSQL workloads — even for a single user setup run from a laptop. I am hopeful that the NAS manufacturers will soon introduce something with a little more CPU and RAM. Otherwise I am creating a Frankenstein Apple Mini connected to a NAS perhaps via its own Ethernet or USB 3.2.
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      213. if i wanted stuff from ali express, id goto amazon.
        really, i dont trust it anyway, and its damn near the same stock. when it comes to electronics
        the 1/3U “server” chasis are most likely be ideal for only the server itself with a 16+ bay mounted next to it. if i had the choice, this honestly is how i want to build out. but im poor, and can only afford a boring box. the 4U is shallow, and better for homelab setups.
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      214. i’m not particularly certain about those “ex-chia” cases, as you called them, in terms of how the drives are mounted. there’s no backplane in those things, and i don’t think there is any sort of mechanism to secure the drives, so, i think the case is gonna become a giant speaker
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      216. I just bought a Terramaster F4-423 for $350 including European VAT. With an accumulation of discount coupons and coins like you need to buy on Ali. Looks more cost effective than some of these chassis.
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      217. The hanging drive configuration predates Chia mining by a decade or so. It’s simply the most compact storage you can create for rackmounts and when you pay for each U in a data center they pay for themselves pretty quickly. Though I’ve never heard the term Hanging drive before. These systems absolutely need to have good integration with the HBA or RAID controller used so it is easy to identify the individual drives. There’s few things worse than realizing you just pulled the wrong drive when swapping out a dead drive. So individual signaling LED for each drive is a must have.

        The 1U one drive chassis is not intended as a NAS or storage server, obviously. They are usually used as application servers where they have one discrete machine for each server instead of using virtual servers. It’s old school thinking but still often used for it’s simplicity and because they are cheap. But they do eat the rack units! Some times you see them mounted two at a time in a rack with one on the front and one on the back. When doing that it’s important that the fans are blowing the right direction, which is front to back for the one in front and back to front for the one in the back. Getting a PSU with an inverted fan can be a problem.

        There’s also possible to mount some of these rear wards in the rack, that is at the back it will look as if you have a long full size 1U chassis mounted. Then all fans can be mounted in the “normal” direction.

        This doubles up the capacity per Unit in the rack, but can be a bit tricky to maintain.

        Finally you have blade server variants where you have two to four blades in a 1U rack, each with their own dedicated 3½” drive. Again they are sometime able to be mounted in a front / back config, so up to 8 blades per 1U. But again they are not intended to act as NAS or storage servers.
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      219. I think the big difference with those “weird” rackmount cases, is that they prioritize short depth. They are wider than they are deep.

        This could be very useful! I considered rack mount for my last build but the depth of most cases makes in impractical in my apartment. Think about the ikea “lack rack” style builds.
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      232. I got the same mobo (justo with the intel N6005)… there’s an internal USB port… just sayin its safer tu put the usb in ther so no one “accidentally ” pulls it out… huge mistake I made with going with a pico PSU… changed it to a 400w… no working fine… thank you for your videos! ther really helped deciding what to get!… went also with unraid
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      233. “Best Jonsbo N2 Build for Under/Around £250”
        You need a maths lesson, parts included in this comes to around £300 not £250 (based on your pricing shown)
        Also pricing is a lot higher than you stated form the sources you stated, and you use both £ and $ which is confusing /constructive criticism use one or the other
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      234. 49:16 Well I personally usually chek that 127 other things in the BIOS to make sure I don’t have to reinstall the whole system just because I changed something like SecureBoot only after I installed the OS. 🙂
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      236. Hey – nice job here. There is also the value of the learning that is in depth – you can also upgrade individual components to go with as you need. The cost of upgrading a turn key is quite a bit larger – you have about the same 2x factor I think. Interesting – worth the hour invested to watch here!
        And congratulations!
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      237. I ordered the parts for the 1.000 £ built. Thank you very much! I would have used your amazon-links (I actually did) but Amazon does not want to deliver anything to me. When I ordered, they asked me for a read-access to my bank account till the end of the year. So I had to order elsewhere. I think, you would need an amazon-alternative that is not 4 weeks away from my location.

        But anyway, great built! Looking forward to an five ssd drive nas, with 5*8 TB SSDs ????
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      239. I just built one for my friend, N6005 + 16 RAM + H6 case + 1 TB NVME SSD + 250W PSU + Unraid Plus, and spent nearly £330.

        Of course, I was building this while in China, so the shipping cost is way lower, but spent another £25 mailing it to UK.
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      241. Hey, I’ve been looking for an alternative to my NAS as mine is currently my old gamingpc, which is complete overkill and higher than ideal power consumption.

        Can I as, why this wouldn’t be good to use with TrueNAS at it seemingly fits their hardware requirements.

        I’m a bit new to all this, so please excuse me if this is a dumb question.
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      244. I *loved* this build video. So much detail, great explanation, and it is clearly a done with love for this topic. I’d be interested in a similar build video if you can find a low-cost build with drive trays rather than those off rubber-pull attachments.
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      247. It’s not just about the time spent. It’s about how much your data is worth. If you’re not thinking about things like patrol reads and notifications on disk failures. Rebuild processes for the array. Those types of things… you can end up with bit rot or data loss when not noticing hardware failures.
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      248. It’s so weird to me that JONSBO is a brand of NAS now, when fifteen years ago JONSBO was a line of table lamps at IKEA. (Rather nice ones, too!)

        (Unlike a lot of other IKEA product names, JONSBO does not appear to be a Swedish placename, but there was a 20th Century Norwegian artist named Kåre Mikkelsen Jonsborg so maybe that’s the etymology idk)
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      252. Pretty Nice Video of this build! But the most important question i have is how high is the power consumption ? Is it the same like the Qnap / Synology or is the power consumption much higher because Qnap / Synology did some optimization of their used components ?
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      254. “Sorry Captain Planet” you had a few clever comments. I have a Synology DS213 that I now realize is 10 years old but it’s all I need with 2 1TB WD Red drives in hybrid. If I had the need I’d be into building my own.
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      255. New to your channel. NASCompares and you’ve never built a NAS from scratch before?! You can build one better than any QNAP, Synology, etc. for less. As for the USB connectors from the case. They match EXACTLY what they are since one is USB 3.0 and the other is USB-C 3.2. There is nothing non-standard about them. The issue is your motherboard only has USB 2.0.
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      262. Brilliant video! This is the best tutorial and guide I’ve seen for building a fully-functional, do-it-yourself NAS. I especially appreciated the step-by-step details, and your objective, brand and device-specific recommendations, evaluations, and critiques of each of the components. The Unraid solution allowing the use of such an enormous variety and size of SATA disk drives is likewise amazing. You have motivated me to take this on myself. Thank you! Now subscribed.
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      269. Been down both paths for 20+ years. If I want to impress my peers I build my own servers. If I want to impress my family get a Synology. Played with Unraid to make hardware pass through setups with Windows XP/98 systems and 3DFX and Creative EAX cards and its an ongoing project, fraught with many many issues. They are fun projects, but you will get to the stage that other hobbies call you and a Synology is the way to go. After all, we don’t live forever and the kids will inherit them, so they need something less IT knowledge base intensive.
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      270. I’ve been looking to upgrade my Synology to a DS423+ or similar, that’s what brought me here.
        But, from what I could see, this build is just not worth the cost or hassle when I can get a pre-built unit with Synology’s DSM that is basically plug and play. Great if you want to build your own system for the hell of it, but personally I just can’t justify the time.
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      271. One recomendation I would make is using a way better power supply like an FSP or Sparkle to enhance the reliability and stability of the build (start with a good foundation) and to turn the power supply around so the vents allow the power supply to suck in cool air and the rear to exit the heat. Most newer motherboard do use the USB3 connectors provided by Jonsbo. The rest of the video is great. Congratulations to your subscriptions! Dr. Dave
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      274. Hmm way less money then i thought. Built my own stuff sense my early teens but never looked in to NAS. Now days whit all the data we have on our hands this might be a good time to start my first NAS project. Grats on 100k and thanks for the info.
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      275. What a fantastic guide! I THANK YOU!
        I’ve assembled PC last time probably 35 years ago – not many things have changed since then I can see.
        Btw why did you go with 5105 rather than 6005? No big price difference there…

        You have kept the t-shirt but you have changed the watch between the recordings – even 2 times !!! 😉
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      276. Great video as always. I was just curious about something in the £500 build with the F CPU. I’ve never used an F CPU but I always thought that it would not boot or display video without a discrete GPU or does motherboard you mentioned itself allow video output maybe through the onboard VGA/HDMI/DVI port? I apologise in advance if it was already answered in other comments or maybe the seagulls addressed it in the video!
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      283. some times i think this man live on a boat and has the greatest stabilization software on the planet because the seagulls use him ass a pit stop. good content, i have a asustor and im not fallowing the 123 or 321.
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      284. No, thank you for the fantastic video. Hope you hit 200k soon you guys deserve it. Really appreciate the thorough details My one tip would be to invest in a build mat for that poor old scratched table, helps dampen noise, stops things rolling, can be anti static or have a brand logo.
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      285. Maybe its where your from, but here in the states, I think most of us would go for a cheap, used Asrock Rack or Supermicro motherboard and cheap used CPU. Will have to jump to matx, as itx server boards are harder to find used. My truenas build is a $100 supermicro board, $35 Intel 7100, 32GB of cheap used ECC ram. Has 3 pcie slots, 1 m.2 and 8 sata ports, 2 onboard NICs and ipmi to play with. Mine is just a file server, so pretty minimal horsepower needed. Pushes 10Gbe easily. Might need something a little newer if running apps/VMs, like an 8th/9th gen Intel with more cores.
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      286. Thks Robbie buts I likes your Sabrent DS-UCTB 10-Bay USB 3.2 Enclosure (~US$350) Review a lot better or maybes the cheaper Mediasonic Probox 8 bay USB 3.0 HDD Enclosure (~US$250) ;
        Hey, I heard more from that Sea-Gull than Eddie lately (?Where’s the old Eddie-nator at?)
        Oh, justs-likes the Eddie-nator, that Sea-Gull shows-is quite enlightening 😉
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      289. When you do the N3 NAS build it would be interesting to find out if the Asrock H610M-HDV Motherboard will fit, it is an m-atx board but is only 19.7 cm x 18.8 cm so might fit and would allow use of both PCIe slots.
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      290. Congrats on 100k! This was an interesting video… I look forward to seeing you put it through it’s paces. It’s a shame that the Jonesbo case only holds five 3.5″ drives, though… if it at least held the full 6 that motherboard and cable supported, it might be more of a contender for my next upgrade dollars, once my 4-bay Synology is no longer adequate. (Doesn’t seem worth the money to upgrade and add only a single drive)
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      291. I do like these DIY Nas Video a lot. Thank you. Please more!
        How reliable is all that „crap“ from ali express anyway? I have serious doubts that the 500buck build mobo will post without a gpu. And why all that questionable stuff anyway, why not a Corsair psu and a ie msi motherboard?
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      295. The SATA cables for the Jonsbo N series cases must have right-angle plugs on one side. Don’t forget that.

        Those Topton (and other names) motherboards seem to be riddled with bugs and weirdly high idle power consumption (still low, but could be lower). Much like their pfsense appliances, they seem cheap and they have the right hardware, in theory, but it seems they have weird behaviors all around.

        Name brand motherboards can be finicky enough. While the chinese ones are cheap, I would not put one of those in charge of my data.
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      296. the fact that we can even think of building a DIY NAS for 250$ is great, though at that budget I would really consider buying used (which I understand it was not the scope of the video), in the end CPUs, RAM, SSDs and cases do not really age, sometimes I even buy used HDDs if they don’t have a lot of hours on them and I can pick them up personally
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      298. Shame that if you live in Denmark the case costs a whopping 40 quid in shipping (same online shop as the one used in the video for the purchase) while it ships free to the UK, which in reality turns it into a 140 quid case for me = budget build is not really an option….
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      301. General advice: do not cheap out on PSUs, to some it might look like a waste of money but consider that the machine you are building has to last many years and will most probably be on 24/7 or almost, the PSU is not only in charge of powering your system but also to protect it, a short circuit or a power loss in the house can harm/kill components or even effect their lifespan if the delivered voltage (by the PSU) is unstable. Also when it comes to cheap PSUs do not trust what the label says, it is normally best to check out what the community’s suggestion is before pulling the trigger.
        Its fine to buy a 25$ PSU, but please consider the downsides, in my view my HDDs and hardware (and arguably data) are worth and extra 20$ even for my low budget.

        The video war really helpful though, will there also be a video regarding the setup (software side)? I’m still hesitant to build my own NAS mostly because I’m not sure how difficult it is to replicate various services offered by synology and qnap (like Synology Drive easily available on PC and Smartphones) and how secure it would be on something like TrueNAS and others
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      307. I watched this vid and got the Tipton, I can’t work out how to turn down the fan header which seems to run at full whack all the time which is annoying, I don’t see it in the bios only the cpu. Is there another way to control the fan header?
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      308. For a future video, I would be interested to know how that Jonsbo N2 case handles the heat of a 13th gen i3 or i5 or i7. Does it throttle badly? Does it cook the drive underneath?
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      313. I’ve built many computers over the years. For me, assembling the hardware is fairly easy, configuring the software/OS is what will be a challenge for me. I have two old synology NASes and they’re ok. I’m looking to upgrade, so having the option to build a new NAS is a good thing to have. Knowing me, I probably won’t build because the software seems like something I would have to invest time into learning (and I don’t have the time unfortunately). The detailed guide on the website is really good and I will be bookmarking it in case I change my mind.
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      317. Congrats on 100k subs! I also built a NAS/HTPC (with TrueNAS) in this case recently. For the most part, I love it and would absolutely recommend it for DIY NAS/HTPC builds.

        Regarding the not-so-quiet case fan: if your motherboard has an extra fan header, connect the fan to that instead of the drive backplane. The backplane has no speed control and runs it at 100% speed 100% of the time. But hooked into the motherboard you can set the speed in the system’s BIOS. Mine now runs very quietly while still keeping the drives at 30-45°C (depending on load).

        My only gripes with the case are:
        1/ I wish the shank (the unthreaded part) of the bolts for the drive track grommets were longer so that they could be screwed in tightly.
        2/ Why is the dust-catching mesh only on the side grills of the motherboard section but not on the top grill? It should be the opposite since the top is where most air intake will be happening and the sides would be exhaust (or they could have put mesh on all the grills). I removed the mesh from the sides of the motherboard area and hot-glued a mesh to the top.
        3/ Too many different bolt types for the exterior. One part has Phillips thumbscrews, another has small hex flat head bolts, another has Phillips truss head bolts, and still another uses the standard Phillips hex head case bolts. If those hex flat head bolts were Phillips instead, the whole case could be managed with a single Phillips screwdriver. And the truss head bolts could have just been standard case bolts.
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      320. Just to point out the metal thing you call “backplane” is actually called “i/o shield”. There’s a backplane on this case though and that’s the green board on the drive bay where you connect your drivers.

        TrueNAS would’ve worked, although it’d have complained about not enough memory. it would’ve probably been fine though.

        And congrats on 100k subscribers mate.
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      322. Actually great to see this option being shown, between an off the shelf ready to go NAS and a rack mounted NAS (but not everyone has the space for 1U, 2U or even 4U racks). I might go down this route next time.
        If you can find one get the Intel N100 board instead, for a little more money (coz it’s newer) it’s way more powerful then the N5105, I’m running pfSense on the Intel N100 as my router, but I haven’t seen a board only version on Aliexpress yet although the search is terrible, it’s just what I’d do, especially if you wanna run lots of containers or CCTV recording, the N5105 can do that just fine, coz I’m doing it on my QNAP TS–464, just thinking more longer term.
        Robbie, one thing that might be worth testing is PSU orientation and temperatures, I see you put the fan facing inwards, would be interesting to see if temps on the motherboard and in fact drives were higher or lower if the PSU was facing out through the case vents, and thinking about after seeing Gamers Nexus test a Fractal Design mini ITX case, if there’s any sound difference the orientation.
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      323. Robbie, how about a video where you give us a glimpse of your upcoming videos and open the comments to request videos. I watch a lot of your older videos as I tackle new projects and find that many are out of date due to software updates, many need clarification ( I need the Step By Step Guide For Complete Idiots type instruction), and asking questions generally gets no replies from anyone.
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      324. Nice project but some improvements are possible. For example some cable management should be in order in the space behind your fan. As it is now the cables are obstructing the airflow to the Sata backplate. And the airflow is already disputable as it is with such constructions. And by the way: that “backplate” is also known as an i/o shield.
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      326. Great video, exactly what I was looking for.
        I would like to point out a detail that was left out about the total cost, standard low budget PSUs normally have abysmal power efficiency under light load which means that the PSU could even pull double the required wattage from the wall (so, half goes to waste because of inefficiency), over a span of 5y this could add up to a substantial difference in the final price.
        (this is based on the fact that normally a NAS comes with a 12V power supply which is designed for that type of load while a standard PSU for PCs has 3V, 5V and 12V rails and the unit normally has its peak efficiency around 50-65% load)
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      328. I’ve been thinking about building a NAS myself but conflicted with platform. I want storage but also the ability to run a plex server and a small vm or two for system monitoring and other random things.
        Would a topton N6005 board suffice for this or, do I need to go with a ryzen 5700G?
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      333. Great video, and congrats on the 100K although I’m only just finding the channel now. Currently running 3x Buffalo Linkstation units on RAID 1 each and looking for something to increase my capacity/drive use efficiency and this has been a huge help. Any recommended 6x 3.5″ bay cases out there?
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      335. Great Video. I got motivated to build my own NAS, but when I checked out current prices on the recommended parts, I ended up with a $500 shopping cart on Amazon. Bummer. I guess word got out. That’s generally what happens. Still looking to keep the cost to about $250 – $300 . . .
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      336. Does any air actually flow out between the drives? I mean, that’s the point of that case fan right?

        Why would you run the OS from the USB stick? Wouldn’t it be considered better practice to use the nvme or the last sata for a small ssd?
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      341. I may have missed it, but was there a power consumption figure mentioned for this? PSU efficiency is quite important when you’re leaving something running 24/7! I was tempted to build one with a pico itx psu but daisy chaining power connectors is very frowned upon to get the necessary molex/sata connections!
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      345. Nice video, thankyou congratulations to 100k subs. I am horrified by the psu. This thing looks like fire hazard, I would not connect anything to it. Was probably the cheapest shit money could buy.
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      346. Wouldn’t it be better to put the power supply the other way around, so the fan is drawing the air through it’s dedicated grill on the NAS side? Or there was a particular reason to not do that that I haven’t noticed?
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      352. Fun! Wish I had build it like this myself last year, but that motherboard didn’t exist back then. Man, what a beautiful case. Mine is huge.

        Just as you’ve described, both NAS solutions have their ups and downs. I like both. My Asustor has been nice to me. The ones I built are used to back it up.
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      361. Another great video, and congrats on the 100K subs.
        You’re gonna have to do A LOT more content with this new bad boy. Detailed setup, apps, containers etc. Can’t wait for more!!!
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      374. Thank you so mutch @Robbie and eddy for the great videos and geting to 100K you both deserve this and more @NASCompares ps how about a DIY nas with a APU 8 or more cores and 32 gig of ram or 16 gig 6 m.2 0r 6 sata ssd`s and a nic 2.5 or 5 or 10 gig so on you get what i mean then plex test it with a vm and prox mox thanks as ever Kenny
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      375. The sad thing is that buying a modular PSU and short cables, in order not to have to deal with cable management, would cost more than the entire build.

        I really would ike to see a standard to make PC builds as cable-less as possible. Think about HP and lenovo workstations, or the old Mac pro.

        Congrats on the 100K milestone.
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      376. Great video! I’d love you to do a higher spec version of this video and see what you can put together on a £1000 budget. Even if it’s just a demo of what components you’d put together on that budget without the actual build! Would be great!
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      377. It’s not the peace-of-mind that’s worth the difference in price between the home built unit and a, say, Synology unit. It’s the support you get on an off-the-shelf unit and, specifically with Synology, it’s the software suite; DSM and all the wonderful Synology packages.
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      380. So the total cost in cash terms (but not time clearly) would be in the same order as say a TERRAMASTER F4-423 at around £450. So on that basis what does your DIY approach offer over the prebuilt solution? ????????‍♂
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      383. Thanks for the video and congratulations on reaching 100k subs. Definitely a major landmark for any channel.

        I’d be very interested in how this compares to the Storaxa if that ever arrives.
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      384. Congrats!
        You’ve read my thoughts with this DIY NAS. But I had some doubts about noise level of each part (PSU fan, motherboard fan, etc.), then got tired of reading reviews for each potential part of this build… Finaly, I’ve bought terramaster and cleaned up my shopping cart at Ali. )))
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      387. Robbie, thanks a lot for doing this! I have a couple of questions: (#1) About 23:18 you stacked up all the PSU wires (of the DOA PSU) behind the fan intake guard. Are you concerned about the reduced airflow from the cabling obstruction, and if not, why not? (#2) The RMA PSU came without cables, how did you handle that? One last note, your closing comments on being time rich-money poor and the expertise needed to do all of this are GREAT! So many people just forget about all of that and it’s really important to remember. Thanks again for another very informative video.
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      389. Thanks! After being retired for 8 years from IT at a fortune 50 company, I have spent the last 6 weeks watching network and nas videos on YouTube because I got a knee replacement and have lots of time. @Nascompares is one of the better channels and to celebrate thier 100k here’s a tip. If you can afford it, you can too!
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      391. Yeah, Roll-your-own!… Here goes, DSM.7.2 with RedPill on Xeon E3-1226, 16GB Ram, 10 Sata ports (6 active now), two NVME drives) and a Four Port 2.5GB LAN. All for less than that NAS board plus its ram!. Oh, Container Manager in 7.2 is just brilliant!.
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      392. Greetings from Germany. I also discovered your channel a few months ago and subscribed. Congratulations on 100k subscribers. I like to watch your channel and it has also helped me in the decision which NAS I buy and then landed on the Synology DS 920+. Self-build is no longer an option for me. I used to assemble my PC myself, but that’s long gone. The professionals can still better assemble a system than me and it’s enough for me if I then only perform the one or other upgrade.
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      393. Congratulation for you 100k subscribers, well done.
        Just a stupid question. Why did you install the PSU with the fan pointing into the housing instead towards the housing? At least I would have installed it the other way around so that it could freely suck or blow air directly outside…
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      399. I subscribed when there were only a couple thousand subs. I thought to myself that this channel would never break 10K because NAS is such a small market. But here you are, 100K. Congrats!
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      402. Congratulations mate. I’m a recent subscriber, and I don’t watch every video (I mainly skip the ones on low-end NAS’s like the Synology 225X or whatever, as I know I’ll never get those), but you’ve provided great information and even when I feel I have a pretty different lean on a lot of things, I enjoy it nonetheless.

        And here I was expecting the 100K special would be Robbie embarking on The Great Seagull Massacre of 2023. Maybe an idea for 200K!
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      409. Congrats! Pretty soon you can slap a shiny plaque behind you, or maybe make a NAS case out of it!. A channel I run needs just 8k to hit 100k. Man is it slow going once you start watching the subscriber count 😀
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      410. This was fun…nice to see you build that in an hour ????

        Would have been nice to use a faster motherboard with more memory that can handle more complex VM duties… This seems like something you’d find in prebuilts
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      411. Congrats on 100K subscribers.
        Yeah, I can easily see 10+ hours of build time which at any reasonable hourly rate would easily add $200 to $400 dollars unless one was doing it as a learning experience and was extremely cash poor and time abundant (a student or someone laid off in a severe recession). Reminds me of the old Heath Kits for radios and other electronic devices. Even if one would do it once, would one do it twice, let alone half a dozen times? I am still puzzled by the price disparity between a laptop and a NAS. If I go to my local Target department store I can see laptops from an i7 all the way down to a Celeron. A NAS doesn’t have a large screen or a keyboard why does it cost more to manufacture than a laptop? Or the disparity between a NAS and an Apple Mac Mini. A NAS is brain dead, but has lots of storage, while an Apple Mac Mini has lots of processing power, but little storage and needs a “Time Machine” (which Apple no longer manufactures) for backup. Perhaps there is a synergistic setup between an Apple Mac Mini and a NAS. But, unless there is a new Apple product announcement Docker X86 is crippled on Apple Mac Mini with Apple Silicon (M1, M2, etc) and one is dependent on a limited and aging supply of Apple Mac Minis (which are soon going to lack security upgrades).
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      414. I get the budget objectives of this build but personally I’d want a more standardised components setup. Brand name PSU for sure (e.g. seasonic sgx-500 fully modular), a major brand ITX or matx mboard running a recent gen intel (for transcoding ability so no need for gpu) and a matching case to suit either a storage or performance server bias or both. Unraid has the flexibility for sure I have mine on a 12 year old system running backup for other devices as its main function. I was going to throw it out for ewaste otherwise but it got me thinking with the case it was in being about to hold 10 hdds. That’s often the first time you come across unraid when you wonder what do with old hardware after an upgrade.
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      418. congrats on the subs! great video. How high are the heatsinks on the mobo? I have an ye olde HP microserver with nice pro-level drive caddies that I’ve been wondering about updgrading for a while. In the microserver the proprietary size HP Mobo has 30mm high heatsinks, and is squeezed in under the drive bays at the bottom. Do any of the BKHD mobo heatsinks/connectors stick up higher than that? Might work if I can urge the microserver case to develop a new hole for the backplane.
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