NAS (network-attached storage) is incredibly helpful. If you work from home and manage large files or just want a robust data backup in your home, a NAS will make backing up your work considerably easier. Unfortunately, NAS setups can be expensive—and potentially difficult to build. If you’re considering using a NAS, determining whether you should purchase one or go the DIY route is crucial.
What Is NAS?
NAS stands for network-attached storage—it’s like an external drive but attached to your wider network. Like a cloud server, you’re able to upload your files to the NAS to reliably store them on an external drive. However, theprimary benefit distinguishing NASfrom cloud storage is that it offers better upload and download speeds. After all, the NAS is directly attached to your network and doesn’t require an internet connection (though wireless options exist).
What Do You Need to Build NAS?
NAS devices themselves are relatively simple. Building one involves acquiring a case, motherboard, PSU, CPU and cooler, RAM, and several HDD/SSDs. Most DIY NAS builds use a small form factor (SFF) or mATX case—ideally, with a generous enough amount of drive bays to allow for upgrades.
Depending on the case you purchase, you’ll also need a mATX, Mini ITX, or Mini DTX motherboard. Look for one with numerous SATA ports, since you’ll need them for your drives. If your motherboard has PCIe slots, you can install expansion cards to increase the amount of SATA ports you have available.
As NAS is used primarily for storage, you won’t need a spectacular GPU. Instead, we recommend you purchase or repurpose a CPU with integrated graphics. This will minimize the amount of space wastage inside the NAS and reduce the overall cost of the build. If your CPU doesn’t have a stock cooler, you must purchase one powerful enough to keep your build running cool.
Because you won’t install a GPU, your power supply likely won’t need to exceed 400W. You will need a few sticks of RAM, however. 4GB of RAM is usually sufficient if you’re storing files, but if you intend to do any form of virtualization, use a demanding OS, or are planning to create a media streaming center, it might be worth installing an additional 4GB to 12GB.
The most important part of your NAS is the storage. It’s recommended to purchase a storage drive that offers at least 1TB of space. Seagate’s IronWolf drives are perfect for installation in a NAS; they come with an enormous range of data options (2TB to 22TB), have a high workload rate limit, and are designed with RAID configurations in mind.
DIY NAS vs. Pre-Built NAS: Which Is Better?
DIY and pre-built NAS setups both have a few distinct benefits and drawbacks. As NAS setups are expensive, determining your preference before you make your choice (and potentially regret it) is crucial. Cost, convenience, upgradability, performance, and complexity are the most important factors you need to consider before purchasing.
If you want to save money, building your own NAS is the way to go. The DIY process ensures that you have choices throughout every step of the process. You can start by building a simple system with all the requisites, including two drives. If the case you select has extra drive bays, building your own NAS allows you to postpone expenses through gradual upgrades.
Though building a comparative DIY NAS is cheaper than purchasing a professional build, it’s not cheap by any means. For example, the popularSynology DiskStation DS1522+costs approximately $770 without disks. The costs of a comparative DIY build would total approximately $395 without disks, including an estimated:
You could save money by downloading a free, open-source NAS OS, like Amahi or Rockstor. Note that the disks aren’t included with either NAS build. So, if you wanted to purchase drives for the DIY or the pre-built NAS build, you could pay as little as $100 for a Seagate IronWolf Pro NAS 2TB drive.
While the above example shows that you may build a cheaper NAS with budget parts, it’s worth going to the top of your budget if possible—purchasing parts that arejust good enoughmay lead to bottlenecking or performance issues later on.
Convenience
In terms of convenience, pre-built NAS setups are the clear winner. Most NAS models offer a hands-off installation process. They also tend tocome packaged with comprehensive security configurations. You’ll have access to all the features you need without any complex setup required, and if you somehow run into issues, you’ll have a warranty and comprehensive customer support to rely on.
Upgradability
One of the best qualities of DIY NAS setups is how customizable and upgradable they are. The above DIY build has several PCIe slots and five drive bays, ensuring that you can increase its capacity as your storage needs become greater. You don’t have to use specific parts, either—if you’d like to use a decorative PC case or an LED CPU cooler, you’re free to do so.
Depending on the pre-built NAS you purchase, the level of upgradability may differ. The aforementioned Synology DiskStation DS1522+ has five 3.5" drive bays, offering practically limitless storage potential. If you run out of space, you can purchase two DX517 expansion units to increase its total drive bays to 15. Shop carefully, as other pre-built NASs effectively limit you to the hardware they’re purchased with.
Performance
The most significant potential drawback to DIY NAS setups is that you may lose out on performance. Pre-built NASs are crafted by professionals. As a result, you may expect a consistent level of quality from these machines.
If you’re tech-savvy, it’s possible to reach the same level of performance—but if you aren’t, it’s important to work carefully. To start, you’ll need topurchase parts that are all compatible. PCPartPicker can help with this. Purchase quality parts that are unlikely to bottleneck your system’s performance, and remember toavoid the most common PC building mistakes. The same PC-building rules apply to a NAS; it’s just another type of computer, after all.
Next, you’ll need to install the operating system. Free and open-source operating systems like TrueNAS are perfect for a DIY system. You may need to configure options like the network interface, link aggregation, VLAN interfaces, default gateway, static routes, and DNS. You risk some performance losses if the system and services aren’t configured properly, so be prepared to tweak settings in the first few weeks of use.
What you’ll learn from performance benchmark comparisons ultimately depends on the DIY NAS and pre-built NAS that you compare. For example, when Michael Klements compared a Raspberry Pi NAS and an Asustor Drivestor 4, he found that the Asustor Drivestor 4 won out in terms of performance. Its benchmark write speeds were as high as 217 MB/s, while the Pi NAS maxed out at 98 MB/s. However, the Pi NAS had considerable hardware limitations. you may easily achieve impressive read and write speeds if you select the right parts and OS configuration for your DIY NAS.
Should You Buy or Build a NAS?
If you’re looking for a manageable and easy-to-use system, a pre-built NAS is the best choice. Experts design these systems to maximize reliability and performance—and while the upfront cost might be intimidating, you’re likely to find it worthwhile. If you’re familiar with or interested in sysadmin work, a regular hardware tinkerer, or just have some old hardware components lying around and wish to save money or start a new pet project, you’ll love the challenge that building your own NAS provides.
Choose the Best NAS for Your Needs
While purchasing a NAS is a major investment, it is one that will quickly pay itself off. The average WFH video editor or remote developer will find the ability to back up their files without the hassle of bandwidth limitations liberating, and the cost of purchasing the NAS itself will quickly be surmounted by the savings gained from dropping cloud storage subscriptions. Whether you choose a pre-built or DIY NAS, you’ll love the convenience that the device brings.
