BestConfigs: NAS PC

[jpishgar]

It's that time again! Time to update the Tom's Hardware BestConfigs! Once again, we are opening the field to user recommendations to get the best consensus for the absolute best of the best in each category. Post the best configuration you can put together for the following build category and our editorial team will pick 5 of the best to be put up to a public vote right here in the Systems forum. The top-ranking build will go on to become one of Tom's Hardware BestConfigs and you'll get the credit for having put together a brilliant build with a special credit in the feature article.

Post your entries to this thread for the category of:
Network-Attached Storage PC

Stay within $1,000 (without shipping) and no need to include OS, monitor, mouse/keyboard. To keep things fair and level the playing field, we ask that you restrict your product links to Newegg or Amazon. Please be sure to format your list of components as follows:

Joe's Anime/D&D Server
Processor: Component Name and Component Price
Motherboard: Component Name and Component Price
RAM: Component Name and Component Price
Graphics Card: Component Name and Component Price
Hard Drive: Component Name and Component Price
Case: Component Name and Component Price
Power Supply: Component Name and Component Price
Cooling: Component Name and Component Price
DVD Burner: Component Name and Component Price

See below for quick-copy/paste text of the BBcode.

[cpp]
Joe's Anime/D&D Server
Processor: Component Name and Component Price
Motherboard: Component Name and Component Price
RAM: Component Name and Component Price
Graphics Card: Component Name and Component Price
Hard Drive: Component Name and Component Price
Case: Component Name and Component Price
Power Supply: Component Name and Component Price
Cooling: Component Name and Component Price
DVD Burner: Component Name and Component Price
[/cpp]

We encourage users to use PCPartPicker's System Build for speedy construction. Do not post a link to your build, but rather please be sure to export as BBCode for a quick copy/paste as a response here, so users can easily see your component selections.

Good luck, and may the best builds win!

 

[bambiboom]

BestConfigs: NAS PC

NAS SYSTEM 1 >

This NAS system is intended to use FreeNAS that can take advantage of multiple cores, and good RAID 0 and/or RAID 1+0 performance. To reduce heat and 24/7 reliability, the AMD A8-5600K may be underclocked to 2.8-3.0 GHz. Also, for good disk performance and reliability, hot swappable, 7200 RPM enterprise drives are used. The ASRock 970 EXTREME4 has 4X 6Gb/s SATA connections- very useful, and the LIAN LI PC-K7B case was chosen for the number of drives possible and build quality, good air flow, and noise containment.

BambiBoom GigaDataPiler ServRock AMDisty International WalletJoyScream XIV £®©™?$$_8.5.13


Processor: AMD A8-5600K Trinity 3.6GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) Socket FM2 100W Quad-Core Desktop APU (CPU + GPU) with DirectX 11 Graphic AMD Radeon HD 7560D AD560KWOHJBOX > $99.99

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113281

Motherboard: ASRock 970 EXTREME4 AM3+ AMD 970 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard with UEFI BIOS > $99.99

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157262

RAM: Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CT2KIT51264BA160B > $72.99

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820191517

Graphics Card: Integrated

Hard Drive 1: Seagate Constellation CS ST2000NC000 2 TB 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - 6Gb/s SATA - 7200 rpm - 64 MB Buffer - Secure Erase - Hot Pluggable > $129.99

Hard Drive 2: Seagate Constellation CS ST2000NC000 2 TB 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - 6Gb/s SATA - 7200 rpm - 64 MB Buffer - Secure Erase - Hot Pluggable > $129.99

Hard Drive 3: Seagate Constellation CS ST2000NC000 2 TB 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - 6Gb/s SATA - 7200 rpm - 64 MB Buffer - Secure Erase - Hot Pluggable > $129.99

Hard Drive 4: Seagate Constellation CS ST2000NC000 2 TB 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - 6Gb/s SATA - 7200 rpm - 64 MB Buffer - Secure Erase - Hot Pluggable > $129.99

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822178323

Case: LIAN LI PC-K7B USB3.0 Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case > $79.99

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112099

Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 430B 430W ATX12V V2.3/EPS12V 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply > $59.99

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151074

Cooling: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2 Continuous Direct Contact 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler > $34.99

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099

DVD Burner: ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM > $17.99

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204

______________________________________
TOTAL= $996.99

NAS SYSTEM 2 >

BambiBoom GigaDataPiler iServRock WalletJoyScream IV £®©™?$$_8.11.13

This NAS system is configured so as to emphasize initial quality, data precision and security, and performance parameters with a higher expandability in place of budgeting so as to simply achieve maximum storage capacity. In this view, a high quality system that is a solid foundation to add RAM and drives as needs change.

The system is based on a quad core Xeon E3, ECC, error correcting RAM , RAID multiple configuration capable server /workstation Intel C216 motherboard supporting 32GB and USB 3.0, a dual LAN, plus NAS-certified 6GB/s drives, and mounted in a case that can accommodate eventually eight (8) 3.5" drives. and 360W and as a Gold plus efficiency There is an optional graphics card for server /network setup, monitor, and maintenance functions and an optional DVD burner for software installation, though this is not necessary if employing a USB drive.

1. CPU > Intel Xeon E3-1230 V2 Ivy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1155, 69W Quad-Core Server Processor BX80637E31230V2 > $235 (On Passmark CPU benchmarks, this CPU is rated as No. 50, scoring 8880]

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117286

2. Motherboard > ASRock C216 WS ATX Server Motherboard LGA 1155 Intel C216 > $183

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157411&Tpk=ASRock%20C216%20WS

3. Memory > 8GB (2 X 4GB) Kingston 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM ECC Unbuffered DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Server Memory Model KVR16LE11S8/4I > $90 ($45 each)

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820139077

3A. OPT' L Memory > 16GB Kingston (2X 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 ECC Unbuffered Server Memory w/TS Model KVR16E11/8 > $154 ($77 each) (Using 2 X 8GB allows expansion to the full 32GB)

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820239370

4. OPT' L Graphics Card > PNY VCGG2101D3XPB GeForce 210 1GB 64-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Low Profile Ready Video Card > $20 (normally $30)

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133425

5. Storage > Three (3) Seagate NAS HDD ST2000VN000 2TB 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s Internal Hard Drive > $330 ($109.99 each)

____ http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-SATA-Cache-Drive-ST2000VN000/dp/B00D1GYNT4/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1377096563&sr=1-1&keywords=Seagate+NAS+HDD+ST2000VN000

6. Case > Antec Three Hundred Two Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $70 ( 3 external 5.25", 6 internal 3.5", USB 3.0)

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129180

7. Power Supply > SeaSonic SSR-450RM 450W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply > $75 (The power needs are calculated as > CPU 80W + RAM 20W (4 slots X 5W) + drives 90W (10 drives X 9W) + graphics card 60W+ CPU and 4X case fans at a total of 60W = 310W / 310W at 75% load = 413W

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151117

8. OPT’L > DVD Burner > ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM > $20

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204

_______________________________________________________________

Total= $973 or > +$62 optional 16GB 1600 memory, +$30 optional graphics card, +$20 optional DVD burner


SYSTEM 3 > BestConfigs : Budget Workstation > A $1,000 CAD / Graphics Workstation >


BambiBoom PixelSnaffler Cadamodagrapharific iWork WalletJoyScream V £®©™?$$_8.21.13

This is a CAD / graphics workstation based on the NAS system above, just in time for a future BestConfig category of “Budget Workstation > $1,000”, taking advantage of the very good cost / performance ratio of the components in NAS System 2. The Budget Workstation category would be significantly expanded in possibilities if the budget were $1,400 as this would allow a faster Xeon- possibly an E5 LGA 2011, an SSD boot drive and / or backup drive, and a wider variety of Quadro or Firepro graphics cards.

The system is based on a quad core Xeon E3, ECC, error correcting RAM , multiple RAID configuration capable server /workstation Intel C216 motherboard supporting 32GB, dual LAN, USB 3.0, 6GB/s drives, and mounted in a case that can accommodate three 5.25" drives and six 3.5" drives. The E3-1230 was chosen as it is has a healthy clock speed (3.3 / 3.7GHz), is hyperthreading (the 1220 is not), as a V2 (Ivy Bridge) as it is 69W instead of the Haswell (V3) 80W, but mostly because there are at the moment more server / workstation motherboard choices using LGA 1155 than 1150. The Firepro V4900 is very good value at $151, performing about the same as a Quadro 2000 ($382) - quite good in 3D. For those CUDA-centric applications, providing 192 cores, there is listed an optional Quadro K600 ($170).

It is very encouraging that today, $1,000 can build a Xeon 3.3 / 3.7GHZ quad core > 16GB ECC 1600 > Quadro / Firepro > 1TB workstation.

1. CPU > Intel Xeon E3-1230 V2 Ivy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1155, 69W Quad-Core Server Processor BX80637E31230V2 > $235 (On Passmark CPU benchmarks, this CPU is rated as No. 50, scoring 8880 - compare to E3-1220 V2 at No. 128, score 6464 )

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117286

2. Motherboard > ASRock C216 WS ATX Server Motherboard LGA 1155 Intel C216 > $183

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157411&Tpk=ASRock%20C216%20WS

3. Memory > 16GB Kingston (2X 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 ECC Unbuffered Server Memory w/TS Model KVR16E11/8 > $154 ($77 each) (Using 2 X 8GB allows expansion to the full 32GB)

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820239370

4. Graphics Card > AMD 100-505649 FirePro V4900 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 Workstation Video Card > $151

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814195109

4. OPT'L> Graphics Card > NVIDIA Quadro K600 VCQK600-PB 1GB GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Low Profile Workstation Video Card > $170

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133482

5. Storage > Western Digital WD Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive> $90

____ http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Caviar-Internal-Desktop/dp/B004CSIG1G/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1377100704&sr=1-1&keywords=wd+black+2tb

6. Case > Antec Three Hundred Two Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $70 ( 3 external 5.25", 6 internal 3.5", USB 3.0)

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129180

7. Power Supply > SeaSonic S12II 620 Bronze 620W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS 12V V2.91 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply > $65 (This power supply is somewhat oversized to accommodate a future 150W graphics card)

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151096

8. DVD burner > ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM > $20

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204

________________________________________
Total= $968 or $987 with Quadro K600


Cheers,

BambiBoom

 

[AMD Radeon]

AMD Radeon's Low Power NAS build

CPU: Intel Pentium G2020 2.9GHz Dual-Core Processor ($61.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock H77 Pro4-M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($57.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($97.90 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Red 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($146.43 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Red 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($146.43 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Red 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($146.43 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Red 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($146.43 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Mini MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $988.57
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-06 02:32 EDT-0400)

 

[Rafeed Iqbal]

Rafeed's No Nonsense Nas (NNN) 18TB ed.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Celeron G1610 2.6GHz Dual-Core Processor ($42.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B75 PRO3-M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Sandisk 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $977.88
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-07 06:28 EDT-0400)

 

[g-unit1111]

G-Unit's "Holy Hard Drive" Build:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD A10-5800K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock FM2A75 Pro4 ATX FM2 Motherboard ($85.97 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Mushkin Chronos 60GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($133.48 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($133.48 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($133.48 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($133.48 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 400R ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($71.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1005.83
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-16 13:17 EDT-0400)

A 64GB is only for the OS and a couple of main programs, you get 12TB of storage, a Seasonic power supply, and it's powered by an AMD A10-5800K so there's no need for a central GPU.

 

[jinayhvora]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i3-3220 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($118.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B75M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($72.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($62.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define Mini MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($89.98 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($65.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $950.88
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-07 12:12 EDT-0400)

 

[mastrom101]

The SSD NAS

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Pentium G2020 2.9GHz Dual-Core Processor ($61.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: ASRock B75 PRO3-M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($328.40 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $950.31
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-07 17:25 EDT-0400)

 

[Grant Spedding]

Compact Power Efficient NAS

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD A4-4000 3.0GHz Dual-Core Processor ($45.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock FM2A85X-ITX Mini ITX FM2 Motherboard ($105.38 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($137.68 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Red 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($146.43 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Red 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($146.43 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Red 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($146.43 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Red 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($146.43 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Node 304 Mini ITX Tower Case ($69.40 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Antec Basiq 350W ATX12V Power Supply ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1019.15
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-07 21:23 EDT-0400)

 

[Guest]

8TB of Storage on Whatever you Want 😉

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks


CPU: AMD A6-5400K 3.6GHz Dual-Core Processor ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock FM2A75 Pro4-M Micro ATX FM2 Motherboard ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($44.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital WD SE 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($167.85 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital WD SE 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($167.85 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital WD SE 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($167.85 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital WD SE 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($167.85 @ Newegg)
Case: Silverstone SST-PS07B MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($82.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 360W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
[urlExt=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812119270]Rosewill 10" Serial ATA III Red Flat Cable ($2.49)[/urlExt]
[urlExt=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812119270]Rosewill 10" Serial ATA III Red Flat Cable ($2.49)[/urlExt]

Total: $1002.31
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-08 03:10 EDT-0400)

 

[Sangeet Khatri]

Sangeet's Epic 18TB NAS

+ 8 SATA 6GB/sec ports
+ Upto 8HDD's Space in the Case
+ Very Much Power Efficient (under 250W)
+ 32GB Boot Drive (for extreme fast boot ups, no one likes waiting for NAS to boot up)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD Athlon II X2 340 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A85XM-HD3 Micro ATX FM2 Motherboard ($68.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill 2GB (1 x 2GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Sandisk ReadyCache 32GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($128.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($128.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($128.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($128.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($128.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($128.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($22.50 @ Newegg)
Total: $998.38
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-17 02:48 EDT-0400)

 

[Sangeet Khatri]

Sangeet's $680 12TB NAS PC

+ Because for NAS you probably don't need more than this

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD Athlon II X2 340 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI FM2-A75MA-P33 Micro ATX FM2 Motherboard ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill 2GB (1 x 2GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($128.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($128.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($128.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($128.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($22.50 @ Newegg)
Total: $681.42
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-17 02:43 EDT-0400)

 

[lp231]

Processor:AMD A4-4000 @3.2GHz Dual Core<$45.99@Newegg>
Processor Cooling:Stock Cooler<$@Newegg>
Motherboard:Gigabyte GA-F2A85XM-D3H<$79.99@Newegg>
Memory:G.Skill 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1333<$36.99@Newegg>
Graphic Card:AMD Radeon HD7480D integrated graphics<$@Newegg>
Solid State:Adata Premier Pro 64GB<$69.99@Newegg>
Hard Drive:4x Western Digital Red 3TB<$583.96@Newegg> $145.99ea
Optical Drive:LG 24x DVD Writer<$17.99@Newegg>
Power Supply:Corsair CX430 80Plus! Bronze<$39.99@Newegg>
Case:SilverStone SST-PS07B<$74.99@Newegg>
$949.89

 

[truprecht]

Snazzy NAS

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Pentium G2020 2.9GHz Dual-Core Processor ($62.29 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus P8H77-I Mini ITX LGA1155 Motherboard ($102.24 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($90.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($122.22 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($122.22 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($122.22 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($122.22 @ Amazon)
Case: Lian-Li PC-Q25B Mini ITX Tower Case ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $964.37
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-12 17:40 EDT-0400)
(edited 8/12 to conform to NewEgg/Amazon-only constraint)

Who wants a mid-tower case for a NAS? Splurge on a beautiful, compact Lian Li aluminum itx case with a 5-slot hot-swap drive cage, and you have 12TB of storage that looks good on a shelf in the livingroom. The ASUS itx MB has 6 SATA ports, and the PSU is modular to keep the small case tidy. The trade-off is inexpensive 7200 RPM HDD's that are not purpose-built for a NAS... but that's what RAID is for!

 

[Sangeet Khatri]

Sangeet's $560 9TB Home NAS :

+ 9TB Storage
+ Enough for most home users

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD Athlon II X2 340 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI FM2-A75MA-P33 Micro ATX FM2 Motherboard ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill 2GB (1 x 2GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($128.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($128.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($128.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($36.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($22.50 @ Newegg)
Total: $559.42
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-18 00:56 EDT-0400)

 

[renzhe]

Don't You Know What a NAS Is?

Processor: Intel Xeon E3-1220V3 ($206.99 @ Amazon)

Motherboard: SUPERMICRO MBD-X10SLL-F-O ($169.99 @ Amazon)

RAM: Kingston 8GB ECC Unbuffered DDR3 1333 Server Memory KVR13E9/8HM ($76.74 @ Amazon)

Boot Drive: SanDisk Cruzer Fit 8GB ($8.91 @ Amazon)

Hard Drive 1: Seagate NAS HDD 4TB ST4000VN000 ($211.96 @ Amazon)

Hard Drive 2: Seagate NAS HDD 4TB ST4000VN000 ($211.96 @ Amazon)

Case: NZXT Source 210 ($29.99 @ Amazon)

Power Supply: Seasonic SSR-550RM ($79.99 @ Amazon)

Total: $996.53

A NAS is a server. It needs to be on 24/7 and be able to handle it without screwing up your data. That means you need server memory (i.e. ECC), motherboard, and CPU. Furthermore, you need server HDD's. You can't use commodity drives 24/7 and expect reliability. These Seagate NAS HDD's are built for durability and efficiency in a NAS application. Also, I went with 2 x 4TB instead of more smaller drives because adding more 4TB drives is the better price-per-TB option than a bunch of 3-TB drives (and you shouldn't mix drives). For now, RAID1 these two drives (or RAID0 or JBOD if you want capacity and/or speed in exchange for redundancy), then you can RAID-Z1 or whatever later. Also, this motherboard only has 4 memory slots and supports up to 32GB, hence the single 8GB stick. Add one when you reach 12TB, another at 20TB, and the last one at 28TB. Note that this case has 8 internal 3.5'' drive bays. You can suspend 3 more up in the 5.25'' bay area with elastics. You shouldn't have any optical drives anyway.

 

[Durandul]

This build has enough power to serve a small office, just a bit excessive for home use. 8 gb of memory and 4 cores / 8 threads of processor is more than most households need (in my opinion). The only lacking area I see here though is cooling. Otherwise a very interesting build.

 

[FlyingHawk08]

Just Another Tower Storage Box

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Pentium G2120 3.1GHz Dual-Core Processor ($66.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus P8H77-M LE Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($71.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($57.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Red 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($143.00 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Red 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($143.00 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Red 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($143.00 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Red 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($143.00 @ Amazon)
Wired Network Adapter: Rosewill RC-404 10/100/1000 Mbps PCI Network Adapter ($8.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Silverstone PS08B (Black) MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($34.90 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Cooler Master i600 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $847.85
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-17 19:48 EDT-0400)

Has Dual Gigabit Ethernet for multiple accessing and higher throughput.
NOTE. Assumes end user has spare boot hdd or USB to install os on.

 

[lp231]

Don't You Know What a NAS Is?
A NAS is a server.

Some say NAS is a server, while other say NAS is just a type of storage connected over the network, so everyone within that network can save and share files. NAS don't even need a fancy setup, a simple dual core and 2GB of ram would be sufficient for its needs. Prebuild NAS don't even run on Xeons, like Netgear ReadyNAS, it uses Intel Atom or a Intel Core i3. What you have there is a file server.
And 8GB USB 2.0 flash drive as a boot drive?!

 

[srikar king]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD A6-5400K 3.6GHz Dual-Core Processor ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: MSI FM2-A75MA-P33 Micro ATX FM2 Motherboard ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($35.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Desktop HDD 4TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive ($159.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Desktop HDD 4TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive ($159.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Desktop HDD 4TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive ($159.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Desktop HDD 4TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive ($159.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Desktop HDD 4TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive ($159.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($36.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($22.50 @ Newegg)
Total: $1005.40
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-21 06:06 EDT-0400)

 

[casper1973]

Casper's "Network Attached Silence"

Focused at home users. Main aim of this build was low power consumption and low noise whilst maintaining great performance.
NAS drives are generally ran 24-7. Having a huge powerhouse whirring away while you try to sleep is not an entertaining thought. Then there are the electricity bills... This is where the Network Attached Silence is required!

CPU: Intel Core i3-3220T 2.8GHz Dual-Core Processor ($131.05 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: SilenX EFZ-92HA3 48.0 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler ($16.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock H77 Pro4-M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Mushkin Essentials 12GB (3 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Red 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($144.41 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Red 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($144.41 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Red 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($144.41 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define Mini MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic X Series 400W 80 PLUS Platinum Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/RSBS DVD/CD Writer ($21.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $993.22

Key Points
- Very efficient processor. Dual-core @ 2.8GHz with HyperThreading yet it only has a TDP of 35W which means we can use a very quiet cooler. Could possibly go passive but I chicken'd out
- Motherboard has 4x SATA-III and 4x SATA-II so plent of room for expansion. Gigabit Ethernet port which is an essential.
- Very quiet case with added sound dampening. Has 6x hard drive bays which is amazing considering it is a mAXT case. Could convert one or both of the 5.25" drives to 3.5" if required. This makes a maximum of 8 bays to match the 8 SATA ports.
- PSU is fanless to further reduce noise. It's also Platinum rated to save on power usage.
- WD RED might only be 5400RPM but they perform really well for it - even beating some 7200RPM drives. And of course 5400RPM = less power.
Some Tomshardware benches on WD RED - http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/red-wd20efrx-wd30efrx-nas,3248-4.html

 

[ZirconiumX]

Matthew's "I beat you, Sangeet!" NAS
alternatively,
"Needs more Storage" NAS

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD A4-3300 2.5GHz Dual-Core Processor ($39.59 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Xigmatek EP-CD903 61.2 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($12.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI A55M-P33 Micro ATX FM1 Motherboard ($47.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston HyperX 1GB (1 x 1GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($15.93 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Desktop HDD 4TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive ($170.30 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Desktop HDD 4TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive ($170.30 @ Amazon)
Storage: Toshiba 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Toshiba 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Toshiba 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Toshiba 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec VSK-3000 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $947.04
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-26 05:14 EDT-0400)

$47.35 per Terabyte of storage.

/-Matthew.out

 

[MeezyATL]

Low Power NAS

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130T 2.9GHz Dual-Core Processor ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H87M Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($87.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($73.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Red 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($134.15 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Red 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($134.15 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Red 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($134.15 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Red 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($134.15 @ Amazon)
Case: Thermaltake VI5000BNS MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($42.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1001.09
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-10-01 06:04 EDT-0400)

Combine a 35w Haswell CPU, WD red HDDs, and bronze cert PSU to achieve very low power consumption. Could run HDDs in either raid 5 or 6 depending on whether you value capacity or reliability.

 

[guchaochen]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i3-3220T 2.8GHz Dual-Core Processor ($124.29 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus P8H77-I Mini ITX LGA1155 Motherboard ($104.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 60GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($54.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Lian-Li PC-Q25B Mini ITX Tower Case ($115.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 450W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($74.99 @ Amazon)
Other: Rosewill 10" Serial ATA III Red Flat Cable w/ Locking Latch Support 6 Gbps, 3 Gbps, and 1.5 Gbps transfer rate Model RCA-RU-10-SA3-90-RD *3 ($2.49*3=$7.47 @ Newegg)
Total: $997.66
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-10-03 23:52 EDT-0400)

 

[truprecht]

I'm sincerely flattered!

 

[AxlFone]

Axl*s NAS server





CPU: Intel Core i3-3220 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($118.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1155 Motherboard ($128.57 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston XMP Blu Red Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($51.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($68.68 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Mini MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($61.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Capstone 550W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $990.16