NAS

[Enquiries]

want to build nas to store file / pic and media server

[ed]

f you’re looking to build a NAS for file storage, photos, and as a media server (like Plex or Jellyfin), and you’re aiming for 50TB+ capacity, you’re definitely on the right track considering a custom build. Since you’re in the UK and want lots of storage, I’d recommend starting with a NAS chassis that supports at least 6–8 drives, like the Jonsbo N3 — it gives you enough space and airflow for a future-proof setup.

Here’s a suggested base to get you started:
• Case: Jonsbo N3 (best balance of size and drive capacity)
• CPU: Intel i3/i5 12th/13th Gen or AMD Ryzen 5/7 (low power, fast enough for Plex and Docker)
• Motherboard: ITX or mATX board with at least 6 SATA ports (or add a PCIe SATA/SAS card)
• Memory: 16GB DDR4 (32GB if you plan to run VMs or a lot of Docker apps)
• Drives: Start with 4–6 x 12TB or 14TB NAS drives (WD Red Plus, IronWolf, or similar) – use RAID 6 or ZFS (RAIDZ2) for redundancy.
• OS: TrueNAS SCALE (free and powerful), or UnRAID if you want more flexibility with mixed drives.
• Optional: Add a low-profile GPU if you need hardware transcoding for Plex (e.g. Quadro P400/P1000 or Intel QuickSync-compatible CPU).