Am I making any mistakes with my OTiS build?

Builds [LGA1151,LGA1200] NAS Killer 6.0, Plex QSV Builds
1

I have learned so much from these forums. Really great people around here. I’m getting ready to build a NAS Killer to replace my ancient Synology DS212+. Main use cases:

  • Plex content storage and serving
  • Backup location for local devices, and backing up to B2
  • Video encoding (Handbrake)
  • Home Lab server to learn on and run a few light-weight applications on (wifi controller, Radicale)

I’m trying to strike a balance between cost and future-proofing. I’d like to go with an LGA1200 mother board so I can upgrade the processor down the road. Last year, thanks to JDM_WAAT, I got an HP ProDesk 600 G4 as my Plex server and that’s been working great, so for Plex the NAS will just handle file storage and Handbrake encoding of blu-ray rips. Here’s my main parts list:

PCPartPicker Part List

Type Item Price
CPU Intel Core i3-10100 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor $156.50 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler be quiet! Pure Rock 2 CPU Cooler $39.90 @ Amazon
Motherboard ASRock H570M-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1200 Motherboard $188.74 @ Amazon
Memory G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory $99.99 @ Newegg
Storage Crucial P2 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive $104.95 @ Amazon
Case Fractal Design Node 304 Mini ITX Tower Case $86.98 @ Newegg
Power Supply EVGA G3 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply $94.95 @ Amazon
Case Fan be quiet! Pure Wings 2 61.2 CFM 140 mm Fan $19.98 @ Amazon
Case Fan be quiet! Pure Wings 2 33.15 CFM 92 mm Fan $8.99 @ Amazon
Case Fan be quiet! Pure Wings 2 33.15 CFM 92 mm Fan $8.99 @ Amazon
Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
Total $809.97
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-03-22 17:58 EDT-0400

I know it’s more limiting for parts but I really like the mITX form factor. I plan to buy used for as many parts as I can. I’ll get 2 8GB WD drives when there’s a good price on them. I already have one, so I’ll run Unraid and use one drive as parity and then 16GB for storage. This will be my third build in the past 10 years.

My head has started spinning from reviewing mobo and processor options and looking at all the different builds people have done. I welcome any and all suggestions and thanks for reading and sharing your knowledge with the rest of us!

2

I just bought a HP ProDesk 600 G4 for my Plex server also and was thinking about how/what best to replace my existing 9 year+ old Unraid/PlexServer/NAS.

I would consider going with a higher end CPU for the new build, only because my last server build lasted 9 years and an extra hundred or two, over 9 years isn’t much.

Also, this server could pretty much replace your HP ProDesk since it can handle the Plex transcoding also.

Prior to purchasing the HP ProDesk, I was looking at the HPE ProLiant MicroServer Gen10 Plus. $600, 16GB, Intel Xeon E-2224, 4 drive bays (BYOD). No internal NVMe slot (for cache drive) though, which otherwise, would make this a great UnRaid NAS. Still might work for your needs though.

3

I also just noticed that your itx case with 6 drive bays in similar to my old server build. I used this LIAN LI itx 6 bay case - LIAN LI PC-Q08B Black Computer Case - Newegg.com.

Love the compactness and looks of the small itx case, but not sure if I would recommend it or do it again like that. Just not enough airflow.

4

Not to be pedantic, but you’re not building a NAS Killer. You’re building an OTiS.

You’re making a mistake with Mini-ITX. Also, there are plenty of affordable recommendations for fans and heatsinks, particularly Arcitc P12/F12 PWM PST fans, and you can check out some heatsink recommendations here.

5

Thanks for correcting me and the advice on Mini-ITX. Given that you have a node 304 build in your NAS Killer 4.0 guide can you let me know what makes my build an OTiS? Is it the processor and/or use cases?

6

NAS Killer builds use specific sockets. Currently the OTiS builds are LGA1151/1200 sockets. This is how I classify all builds.

The node 304 is on the list because it’s an option, and some people will look at it regardless of whether I talk about it or not. I don’t recommend it because the motherboards are way out of line price-wise compared to Micro-ATX or ATX, not to mention the lack of expandability. The Node 304 is almost as expensive as the Node 804, and that can hold twice as many hard drives/SSDs.

7

Thank for clarifying and for this whole site. It’s awesome.

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