Pre-built NAS vs. DIY storage server: Which one’s better for you?

From archiving the important documents stored across all your computing devices to catering to your file sharing and synchronization needs, there are several perks of owning a Network-Attached Storage system. But when you’re looking to break into the NAS ecosystem, you’ll find yourself at the crossroads debating whether you should build a custom storage server or go the pre-built route. Well, there are advantages and drawbacks associated with both setups, and this article will go over all of them to help you make the right choice!

Pricing

Winner: Pre-built NAS, easy

Leaving aside the high-end NAS units such as the TerraMaster F8 SSD Plus or F4-424 Max, pre-built systems are usually light on your wallet, and you can grab a decent storage server for well under $300. Heck, some NAS manufacturers even include a drive or two in their enclosure. Factor in their efficient power utilization, and it’s a good idea to grab a pre-assembled chassis for your next NAS when you wish to save some bucks.

Meanwhile, building your own NAS from scratch will almost always be more expensive than buying a similarly spec’d pre-built system. Even if you manage to score a good deal on outdated, pre-owned server hardware, you’ll quickly realize that these devices consume an ungodly amount of power, making them more expensive in the long run.

Upgradability

Winner: Self-assembled NAS, and it’s not even close

DIY setups have the same upgradability as an average PC, as you get the option to swap out pretty much any component to suit your growing storage needs. Nearly every ATX, mATX, or even mini-ITX motherboard will have a spare PCIe slot or two, allowing you to interface anything from SATA and USB expansion cards to NICs and (preferably low-profile) GPUs with your NAS.

One of the biggest drawbacks of the average pre-built NAS is that there’s not a lot you can do to upgrade their specs. Assuming the RAM isn’t soldered to the motherboard, swapping out the memory stick for a higher capacity one is pretty much the only meaningful upgrade you can make to your storage server. More often than not, your pre-built NAS will have a processor embedded into the mobo, making CPU upgrades impossible. Likewise, only a small fraction of chassis provide spare PCIe slots to extend the functionality of your storage server.

Ease of setup

Winner: Pre-built NAS by a longshot

Most pre-built NAS enclosures are designed to have absolutely painless configuration procedures, making them great for newcomers. For HDD NAS, you simply need to slot your drives into the bays, while all-flash NAS units typically require you to fix the M.2 SSDs in place with a screw – and you’re pretty much done with the heavy lifting. Once you’ve connected the NAS to a switch, you can install the proprietary OS and get your network shares up and running within a few minutes.

In contrast, DIY NAS units require a lot more work. Not only do you have to choose components that are compatible with each other, but you’ll need to assemble everything yourself. While it’s not exactly difficult to do so, there’s no denying that buying a NAS is way more convenient than putting them together. Plus, the operating systems on a self-built NAS are often more complex than their proprietary counterparts. Speaking of…

OS support

Winner: Self-assembled NAS (and the sheer number of distros available for them)

Customizability is a huge aspect of what makes a DIY NAS better for tinkerers, and the same holds true on the software front. For starters, you’re free to choose between NAS-centric distros like OpenMediaVault, Unraid, and TrueNAS Scale/Core, with each OS packing unique features. But if you’re a hardcore Linux user who can’t make do without their preferred distro, you can just as easily install all the essential NAS packages on said OS and turn it into a makeshift NAS. Heck, you can even load up the ol’ reliable Windows 11 on your custom-built storage server if you’re fond of Microsoft’s flagship OS.

Related

Here’s how you can build your own NAS using TrueNAS Scale

A DIY TrueNAS Scale server for all your storage needs

Unfortunately, pre-built NAS enclosures tend to be rather restrictive regarding the OS, with big-name manufacturers shipping proprietary operating systems with their devices. Functionality-wise, these can range anywhere from decent to borderline unusable. Sure, you can technically switch the BIOS on most of these rigs to boot from a custom operating system, but doing so may end up voiding your warranty.

Size, portability, and power consumption

Despite having different shapes and sizes, pre-assembled NAS devices often possess compact chassis and consume fairly low power. That’s because the majority of these systems are equipped with mobile processors that consume a fraction of the power as their desktop equivalents, with some CPUs such as the Intel N100 possessing a TDP of merely 6W. In fact, certain all-SSD NAS systems have such small footprints that you can even carry them with you on your trips.

Of course, it’s entirely possible to build your own miniature NAS, though it won’t be as economical as buying a small 2-bay NAS or an all-flash system. Plus, embedded processors aren’t exactly easy to come by in the consumer space, and even the weakest desktop-grade Ryzen 3 or Intel i3 CPUs consume more power than their mobile-grade counterparts. So, unless you’re using an SBC (which probably won’t have enough SATA ports anyway), it’s quite hard to match the portability and low power consumption of a pre-built setup.

Performance

Winner: Self-assembled NAS

DIY NAS devices excel at raw firepower, making them perfect when you wish to use your storage server as a home lab experimentation machine. So long as you’ve got a relatively newer processor with at least six cores and aren’t lacking in the memory aspect, you can run full-fledged VMs on your NAS operating system and expect robust performance for even non-NAS workloads.

As you may have guessed, the lower TDP of NAS units also results in comparatively weaker performance, especially in virtualization tasks. Don’t get me wrong, you can easily host some of your favorite services on a pre-built enclosure, but you probably won’t be able to run more than a VM or two on low-power NAS systems, especially those powered by anything weaker than an Intel i3 N305.

So, what’s the verdict?

DIY NAS for performance (and customizability); Pre-built NAS for the convenience

If I were to start my NAS journey once again, I’d probably still pivot to assembling a storage server. Not only are self-built systems more powerful, but you also get the option to choose from a variety of operating systems. While the extra power consumption is bothersome, the upgradable nature makes building your own NAS worth it if you’re a power user.

That said, pre-built NAS enclosures have their own advantages. Pricing-wise, it’s hard to beat these systems, even more so once you include their low power consumption. Proprietary NAS operating systems have also gotten a lot better these days and can be more beneficial for users who aren’t willing to spend hours learning the UIs of custom distros.