5 reasons why a server PC is hands down the best way to build a NAS

From budget-friendly pre-built enclosures to custom-built rigs, NAS enthusiasts have plenty of options to choose from for their ideal storage solutions. However, once you venture past the mainstream PC market, you may realize that it’s possible to integrate server-grade hardware into your NAS machine. So, if you’ve been eyeing server parts for a while, these five reasons should be enough to convince you to build your NAS with them.

5 Server hardware is fairly affordable

But there’s a major catch to this statement

Besides their easy-to-use nature, NAS devices are fairly light on your wallet with their cheap price tags. However, it’s just as easy to find inexpensive components that are designed for server tasks, and by extension, NAS workloads. Workstations powered by outdated Xeon chips have been making the rounds for quite a while, and if you know where to look, you can get relatively powerful hardware without spending over $300.

That said, there’s a major aspect to consider before you take the plunge and grab an “affordable” server machine. Despite their cheap prices, server-grade hardware is known for consuming excessive power. If you’re not mindful of your usage, you might find yourself with an astronomically high electricity bill. Of course, not all server machines are electricity-guzzling titans, so you should conduct some research on the hardware before you get tempted by the allure of cheap prices.

4 Adequate number of PCIe slots

The more, the merrier, right?

On paper, the idea of choosing a system with more PCIe slots as a NAS system may sound overkill, especially considering that the average user often relegates their NAS to storage tasks. However, there are a ton of reasons why you’d want more PCIe sockets on your NAS. For example, vacant PCIe slots will allow you to plug in additional NICs, including 10GbE cards. In addition to boosting your NAS’ read/write transfer speeds, adding extra Ethernet connections can provide better load balancing and port failover provisions.

As if that’s not enough, you can even slot in USB expansion cards to use external HDDs. Likewise, if you find yourself requiring more M.2 SSDs, you can easily do that with the help of certain PCIe adapters.

3 High performance in virtualization workloads

Who doesn’t love running tons of containers and VMs on their NAS?

Like it or not, you’re bound to plunge headfirst into the world of virtual machines and containers after investing in a NAS. Although premium NAS systems can handle moderately-taxing container workloads, there’s no denying that a server-grade machine will outperform your average NAS and even mainstream PCs when it comes to running multiple containers and VMs at the same time.

That’s because server processors have far more cores and threads than their counterparts, making them better at virtualization tasks. On top of that, the average server mobo has ample RAM slots and supports multiple memory channels. And while we’re on the subject of RAM…

2 Compatibility with ECC memory

Data corruption, begone!

While modern RAM modules are fairly robust, it’s still possible for memory bits to get flipped. Over time, this can lead to the corruption of stored data – and if you’re particularly unlucky, it’s possible for entire blocks of data to become inaccessible.

If you’re planning to build a NAS to store large amounts of important data, RAM sticks with Error Correcting Code can add an extra layer of security to your precious files. Since most server motherboards support ECC memory modules, they can help you design a more robust NAS than your average consumer-grade board.

1 Plenty of SATA ports

Enough to plug in all your HDDs and SSDs

Storage drives form the crux of every NAS system, and server motherboards can provide all the SATA ports you may need for your needs. Most rack servers also have adequate mounting slots for you to slot 10+ drives. Meanwhile, premium NAS enclosures usually top out at four drives, while the cheaper devices ship with merely two drive bays.

That’s before you include the extra PCIe ports that can provide even more ports for mounting all your drives, making server rigs ideal for high-end RAID configurations spanning multiple disks.

Related

What is RAID (and how to set it up in a NAS)

RAID is worth checking out if you desire fast transfer speeds or want to protect your data against drive corruption (or even both, at the same time)

Server PCs have some disadvantages you should be aware of, though

As I mentioned earlier, server PCs with ancient components can consume a lot of power, so it’s a good idea to avoid dual-CPU if you’re using your custom-built NAS for light workloads. As someone who has used everything from old PCs to server rigs for NAS and home lab workloads, I’d say the latter have a slightly higher difficulty curve when it comes to troubleshooting. But for someone who needs a powerful NAS solution, server systems are vastly superior to everything else you’ll find on the market.