After losing data to a few dead external hard drives over the years, I decided it was finally time to make the move to a proper NAS.
For now, my needs are pretty simple - just needed for data storage and network share for Kodi streams. So, I started with a hand-me-down Dell Optiplex 790 I had sitting around and threw in a few drives.
| Type | Part | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Case | Stock | $0 |
| Motherboard | Stock | $0 |
| CPU | Intel i5-2400 | $0 |
| RAM | 16GB DDR3 | $0 |
| PSU | Stock | $0 |
| CPU Cooler | Stock | $0 |
| SSD Cache | Samsung 840 120GB | $0 |
| SATA Cables | 3-pack SATA cable | $6 |
| Case Fans | Arctic F9 90mm | $8 |
| Fans | Arctic P8 80mm | 2x$8 |
| Fan Leads | 5Pin to 4Pin Fan Adapter Cable | $2 |
| Unraid Drive | SanDisk 32GB Flash | $7 |
| Storage Drives | HP MB4000GCWDC 4TB | 2x$72 |
| Storage Drives | Hitachi HUA723020ALA641 2TB | $0 |
| Drive Bay | EverCool Dual 5.25" to Triple 3.5" Bay | $29 |
| Total | ~$215 |
Issues -
Once I installed the EverCool Drive Bay, I couldn’t get the front panel back on. Some sand paper and elbow grease and it now fits like a glove.
Drives in the EverCool Drive Bay are hitting ~45 C after hours of reads/writes. Still waiting on the fan leads to arrive from China. Should be within the next week or so then I can get the fans wired up and replace the loud stock ones.
Planned upgrades -
Purchasing SAS controller, SAS > SATA/SAS breakouts, and SATA Power splitters in order to add a few more drives.
Big thanks to everyone on Discord for all of your help through the process!
