Last updated: September 4, 2024 at 04:59 PM
Power Efficient NAS
Comments Summary
Suggestions for CPU and Motherboard
- Consider using Intel N100 instead of low power Celerons for better processing power: "if you want plex, low power cpus are probably a bad choice, the 8500's transcoding capability and cpu power are great."
- Opt for Intel Core i5-8500 for its transcoding capability and performance: "Motherboard and CPU were picked up together second hand."
Hardware Suggestions for a Power Efficient Build
- Build a new NAS server with components like:
- Antec P101 Silent ATX Mid Tower Case for spacious HDD and SSD capacity: "room for 8 HDDs + 2 SSDs."
- Corsair RM750x SHIFT 750 W 80+ Gold PSU for power efficiency under low load: "RM750x was still doing well under low load."
- MSI Z390-A PRO motherboard for multiple SATA ports and support for higher C states: "as it has many SATA ports."
BIOS Tweaks for Low Power Consumption
- Enable features like C-State Limit, Package C State Limit, and Native ASPM: "BIOS tweaks reduced idle power consumption to around 11W."
Other Recommendations
- Consider using Ryzen 5600g and B550 server for lower power consumption: "idles around 19W without messing with C States."
- Explore mini-ITX motherboards like Supermicro A2SDi-2C-HLN4F for low power CPUs: "mini-ITX MBs with low-power CPUs."
- For DIY NAS, consider Raspberry Pi 4 8GB setup for portability and efficiency: "Raspberry Pi is incredibly reliable and efficient."
- Invest in Intel i3-8100 for a NAS setup with 10G Ethernet below 20W: "allows a 10G Ethernet < 20W power draw."
- For ECC support, consider using the TerraMaster F4-422 NAS and switching to TrueNAS: "F4-422 used for TrueNAS with SSD cache and 10GbE port."
- Avoid mixing animal farms with storage rooms to prevent disasters: "an unsafe setup could lead to disaster."
Considerations
Pros
- Components like Intel N100 and Core i5-8500 provide good processing power for tasks like virtualization and transcoding.
- Strategies like BIOS tweaks and hardware choices like the Antec P101 case contribute to power efficiency.
- Recommendations for alternative setups like Raspberry Pi 4 and Intel i3-8100 offer different options for a power efficient NAS.
Cons
- Achieving idle power consumption below 10W may be challenging due to component requirements like RAM and storage.
- The Raspberry Pi 4 solution may lack the processing power needed for certain NAS tasks.
- Using old Apple time capsules for NAS may limit expandability and advanced features compared to dedicated NAS hardware.
Overall
Based on the Reddit comments, a power efficient NAS setup can be achieved by carefully selecting components like the Intel N100 or Core i5-8500, optimizing BIOS settings, and choosing energy-efficient hardware like the Antec P101 case and Corsair RM750x PSU. Considerations like the TerraMaster F4-422 for ECC support and alternative setups like Raspberry Pi 4 provide additional options for a power efficient NAS build.