Sample builds
Featured build
This is the core NAS Killer 4.0 build. It’s almost as cheap as you can go in every category, with some considerations for efficiency (i.e. case with included PSU + 6 bays is a good value, but not the cheapest option). This build will absolutely steamroll any off the shelf NAS.
| Type | Part (link) | Expected Price |
|---|---|---|
| Case | Cooler Master Elite 350 | $85.00 |
| Motherboard | ACER/ECS Q77H2-AM | $24.38 |
| CPU | Intel Core i5-3570S | $32.00 |
| RAM | 8GB DDR3 Non-ECC UDIMM | $15.00 |
| CPU Cooler | Thermaltake Gravity i2 | $10.00 |
| Power Supply | 500W included with case | ----- |
| Sata Cable | 6 Pack SATA cable | $8.00 |
| Total | ----- | $174.38 |
Hardware specs:
- 4C / 4T, 3.80GHz Turbo, 6746 passmark
- Upgradable up to 4C / 8T, 9280 passmark with i7-3770
- 8GB DDR3 RAM
- Expandable up to 32GB RAM
- 6 3.5" bays native
- Add 4 3.5" later via bay conversion
- Options to expand via DAS additions (16 bays per LSI 9201-16e)
- Connect 2 x LSI 9201-16e via 2 x PCI-E
- 10GbE via Mellanox or Intel X520/X540
Ultra-quiet “Plus” build
The “Plus” build includes logical upgrades to the base NAS Killer 4.0. It supports up to 13 drives in one enclosure, has double the RAM, and is quite a bit faster with almost 50% more passmark. The SAS controller and cables are needed to connect all 13 HDD bays. I’ve also included a 5 pack of Arctic 120mm P12 fans, aCooler Master Hyper 212 Black, and a semi-fanless PSU to keep things cool and silent.
| Type | Part (link) | Expected Price |
|---|---|---|
| Case | Silverstone KL04B | $85.00 |
| Motherboard | Supermicro X9SCM | $50.00 |
| CPU | Intel Xeon E3-1270 | $32.00 |
| RAM | 16GB DDR3 ECC UDIMM | $49.00 |
| CPU Cooler | Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black | $25.00 |
| Power Supply | MasterWatt 550 semi-fanless | $65.00 |
| SAS HBA | LSI 9201-8i | $30.00 |
| SAS Cable | 2 Pack SAS breakout | $12.00 |
| SATA Cable | 6 Pack SATA cable | $8.00 |
| Fans | Arctic P12 120mm 5 Pack | $28.00 |
| Total | ----- | $384.00 |
Hardware specs:
- 4C / 8T, 3.80GHz Turbo, 8238 passmark
- Upgradable up to 4C / 8T, 9476 passmark with E3-1270V2
- 16GB DDR3 ECC RAM
- Expandable up to 32GB RAM
- 10 3.5" bays native
- Add 3 3.5" later via bay conversion
- Options to expand via DAS additions (16 bays per LSI 9201-16e)
- Connect 2 x LSI 9201-16e via 2 x PCI-E
- 10GbE via Mellanox or Intel X520/X540
6-bay Mini-ITX NAS
I never thought I would be recommending a Mini-ITX Xeon NAS, yet here we are. I’m in the process of building one of these myself as something I can travel with. Overall, it’s going to be quite powerful, quiet, power efficient, and most importantly: storage dense.
The DQ77KB is a pretty neat little board. It uses a 19V DC power supply that’s commonly found on medium to large size laptops. In this case, I’m recommending a 120W power supply which should be more that enough to cover 6xHDD + the recommended processor. The motherboard also has dual NIC, uses laptop-style SODIMM memory, and has an onboard MSATA port.
The case has room for 6x3.5" HDD as well as 2x2.5" SSD. The motherboard has 4 onboard SATA, so we need to add either a 2 port card (for 6xHDD) or a 4 port card (for 6xHDD + 2xSSD) to take advantage of the rest of the drive bays.
I recommend a MSATA SSD for cache if you’re going to use Unraid. This leaves 6x3.5" for parity and data. I’d only run 1 parity drive in a 6 bay NAS like this. If you go for the 4 port card, you can have 2 more SSDs as unassigned devices. (VM storage, unpack drives, non-parity/non-crucial data, etc.)
The configuration below includes a MSATA SSD, which is good for Unraid or an OS boot drive. If you plan on running a different configuration, you can remove it from the parts list.
| Type | Part (link) | Expected Price |
|---|---|---|
| Case | Fractal Node 304 | $90.00 |
| Motherboard | Intel DQ77KB Mini-ITX | $41.00 OBO |
| CPU | Xeon E3-1260L | $40.00 |
| RAM | 1x8GB DDR3 SODIMM | $22.00 |
| MSATA SSD | TCSUNBOW 240GB SSD | $37.00 |
| CPU Cooler | Thermaltake Gravity i2 | $9.00 |
| Power Supply | 19V 120W DC power supply | $23.00 |
| SATA Data Cable | 6 Pack SATA cable | $8.00 |
| SATA Power Cable | DQ77KB 4xSATA power | $9.00 |
| SATA Power Splitter | Startech 4xSATA power | $7.00 |
| SATA Card | 2 Port SATA3 card | $14.00 |
| Total | ----- | $300.00 |
Hardware specs:
- 4C / 8T, 3.30GHz Turbo, 6534 passmark
- Upgradable up to 4C / 8T, 8892 passmark with i7-3770S
- 8GB DDR3 RAM
- Expandable up to 16GB RAM
- 6x3.5" bays, 2x2.5" bays native
- Dual Intel NIC
“Ultimate” Rackmount build
This has everything but the kitchen sink. 15 drive capacity, 10Gb networking, top of the range processor, and maximum RAM. The Arctic fans are highly recommended because the stock Rosewill fans are loud and ineffective. A single 10Gb Mellanox card is listed, but you will need two if you want to direct connect to another server. If you’re just connecting it to a SFP+ switch, you’ll only need one.
| Type | Part (link) | Expected Price |
|---|---|---|
| Case | Rosewill RSV-L4500 | $135.00 |
| Motherboard | Supermicro X9SCM | $50.00 |
| CPU | Intel Xeon E3-1270 V2 | $75.00 |
| RAM | 32GB DDR3 ECC UDIMM | $140.00 |
| CPU Cooler | Arctic Freezer 12 | $20.00 |
| Power Supply | Cooler Master MWL 500 | $50.00 |
| SAS HBA | LSI 9201-8i | $30.00 |
| SAS Cable | 2-Pack SAS breakout | $12.00 |
| SATA Cable | 6 Pack SATA cable | $8.00 |
| 10Gb Card | Mellanox MNPA19-XTR | $29.00 |
| 10Gb Cable | CISCO SFP+ 3M cable | $9.00 |
| Fans | Arctic P12 120mm 5 Pack | $28.00 |
| Fans | Arctic F8 80mm 5 Pack | $24.00 |
| Total | ----- | $610.00 |
Hardware specs:
- 4C / 8T, 3.90GHz Turbo, 9476 passmark
- 32GB DDR3 ECC RAM
- 15 3.5" bays native
- Options to expand via DAS additions (16 bays per LSI 9201-16e)
- Connect 2 x LSI 9201-16e via 2 x PCI-E
- 10Gb via Mellanox MNPA19-XTR (need 2 cards for direct connect)