Hello. I've been thinking about putting together a NAS of some sort, but I'm not sure what kind of computer I need for my uses. I don't need anything serious or extreme, maybe something to get my feet wet in the "world of network attached storage". I am not running a company or anything, just personal use. I would use it to backup my parents' and my own computer maybe once a week. I also take a lot of family photos that would need to go on the NAS. I have a music library as well as a growing collection of movies (I have around 10 movies at the moment).
I don't really have a budget, but I would like to keep it low.
I have an old computer laying around that could be salvaged.
The storage size I have in mind is maybe a RAID-1 3tb setup. That seems sufficient for now.
What would work best for me? A new dedicated pc? A fixed up old pc? A rasberry pi? A synology type enclosure?
Thanks.
check out some systems where its the cpu and motherboard combined! they come in an mini-itx format and have ddr3 and sata 6 slots for under $100, that way you could salvage parts from your older computer!
That's a great suggestion icekingak_47 and to add to that idea. Although 2 3TB drives may be sufficient now, be mindful of how you will be able to upgrade this system later. I'm running into the issue where I put my WHS build in a mid-tower and I now I just don't have the room for another drive. I have 2 drives sitting on the bottom of the inside of the case because there is nowhere else for them to go.I think my only options are going to be move to a full tower case or get an external enclosure. Both of which can be pricey(especially on the SWMBO front) and not as visually pleasing. You will be amazed once you enter into the realm of NAS how fast those things fill up and just how much data you will want to keep on hand.
What are your suggestions in terms of these boards, any in particular? I'd also be very interested to go about this method
I like those ideas!
What i can salvage from my old computer is a cpu (core 2 quad), motherboard, memory (8gb), and the case. I was planning on getting a better, quieter power supply. And I have no available hard drives to use. So I will need to buy those.
would you still recommend the itx motherboard route?