Noob Question: Building a Xpenology

[divprn]

Hello guys!

I'm trying to build a new nas. I'm complete noob and this will be my first nas. Here are the things I would like my nas to do:

- Virtual Machines

- Storage and sync (photos from by macbook, pc, iphone, etc)

- Plex media and Video transcoding

- Backups

I want to build it in a ITX case (ideally in Jonsbo N1 as I just love this case). I looking for recommendations for what latest hardwares to choose and buy for this new build that is compatible with Xpenology DMS (I think the latest is DSM 7.2). 

- What lastest processor can I use (4/6 cores with iGPU) that is compatible with DSM 7.2? Needs to be power efficient.
- What ITX motherboard that has "Auto Power On" feature, as it'll be running 24/7.
- What DSM platform to choose? D920+?

I'll be starting with 3x10TB hdds to start with, and expand as needed later down the line. Will the DSM detect new hdds added later? or do I need to populate all the bays with hdds before installing the DSM?

Any further advice is appreciated.
 

[Fox Mulder]

On 5/15/2024 at 7:27 PM, divprn said:

Hello guys!

I'm trying to build a new nas. I'm complete noob and this will be my first nas. Here are the things I would like my nas to do:

- Virtual Machines

- Storage and sync (photos from by macbook, pc, iphone, etc)

- Plex media and Video transcoding

- Backups

I want to build it in a ITX case (ideally in Jonsbo N1 as I just love this case). I looking for recommendations for what latest hardwares to choose and buy for this new build that is compatible with Xpenology DMS (I think the latest is DSM 7.2). 

- What lastest processor can I use (4/6 cores with iGPU) that is compatible with DSM 7.2? Needs to be power efficient.
- What ITX motherboard that has "Auto Power On" feature, as it'll be running 24/7.
- What DSM platform to choose? D920+?

I'll be starting with 3x10TB hdds to start with, and expand as needed later down the line. Will the DSM detect new hdds added later? or do I need to populate all the bays with hdds before installing the DSM?

Any further advice is appreciated.
 

You might want to use Proxmox if you are after virtualization on your NAS. I can't give you specific instructions as to how, but a simple search will give you good results.

storage is the basis of all Xpenology/Synology machines. Syncing is dependent on what applications and VPN configuration you are using. Synology offers a few options for that. Personally I don't care much for the Synology Photos solution as it is not flexible enough for my taste, but it does have a android/apple app to make things easy.

Plex is an app that you'll need to install on the NAS. Again, no experience with it, as I use KODI and my existing media streamer does the transcoding, so I don't need to put that load on the NAS. But in general, you'll need a platform with (at least) an integrated video card.

 

I would recommend LGA1151 based platform. With a 7th-9th gen Intel CPU and as much RAM as the ITX motherboard can take (usually it tops out at 32GB, but some boards that use Laptop RAM can double that). I cut costs by getting some of the components used. Such as a Asrock Z370 motherboard, and the i7-8700k CPU. If you aim for virtualization, try to get the CPU with highest number of cores. (and as much RAM as you can)

Be aware that Jonsbo N1 is a VERY tight fit PC case (I use it myself) which creates issues with cooling. Especially if and when you'll maximize it's storage options. Temperatures exceeding 50c for Hard drives are not unheard of, and NVME can climb close to 80c (which would likely cause a thermal shutdown). You might want to consider Jonsbo's larger cases for better cooling. I use a front fan, low profile CPU cooler, another case fan positioned above the CPU cooler, and a router cooler dual fan - Outside the case. This all brings down the temperatures (I live in a tropical country) to under 50c for both mechanical Hard drives and NVME.

 

from my experience, 8th gen works fine with DSM 7.2.x and I would imagine it's the same for 9th gen, and maybe also 10th.

I'm not sure what you mean by "Auto power on". Is it to restart automatically in case of a power outage? Because most motherboards offer that option.

If you are going for transcoding, DS920+ or DS1522+ is probably the best option. You can set the storage panel size manually so it doesn't matter what the original model actually offers.

DSM will detect new HDDs as they're added and let you add them to an existing volume, or create a new one.

 

Cheers!