NAS for beginner homelab

[Enquiries]

This is my first time setting up a homelab and after playing around with a raspberry pi I decided I wanted to start a media server. I recently bought 2 14tb SAS HDDs and need help (pretty lost) on what NAS would fit my needs the best. I don't watch many shows but I'd like to move away from having a ton of subscriptions and like the challenge of setting it up myself.

Thank you for the help!

[ed]

Thanks for reaching out — sounds like you're off to a great start, and it's smart to take the Raspberry Pi route first to get your bearings. Now that you’re stepping up to full-blown NAS territory (and already have 2 x 14TB SAS drives), we’ll need to think a bit carefully about hardware compatibility, especially with SAS.

Here’s a breakdown of what to consider and what fits within your budget:

Key Things to Know About Your SAS Drives:
Most budget/home NAS systems (like Synology, QNAP, or UGREEN) are built for SATA, not SAS.

To use SAS drives properly, you’ll either need:

A NAS with a SAS-compatible backplane (rare in this price range), or

A DIY system with a SAS HBA card (like an LSI 9207-8i) that connects the drives directly via a breakout cable.

So if you want to use those 14TB SAS drives, you're almost certainly looking at a DIY NAS build — and that’s a good match for someone who enjoys the challenge and flexibility.

Best Approach in Your Budget (~$450):
DIY NAS with TrueNAS SCALE or Unraid
Use a small form factor PC or mini server.

Add an LSI SAS HBA card (flashed to IT mode).

Run TrueNAS SCALE or Unraid from a USB or SSD.

Great for learning, supports media server apps (Plex, Jellyfin, etc.).

Hardware suggestions:
Look for used Dell PowerEdge T30, Lenovo TS140/TS440, or HP MicroServer Gen8/Gen10 — sometimes available refurbished for ~$200–$300.

Add your SAS HBA (LSI 9207-8i or similar) for $50–$80.

Use the rest of your budget for RAM upgrade or boot SSD.

What You Shouldn’t Buy:
Off-the-shelf 2-bay NAS like Synology DS224+ or QNAP TS-230 — they won’t accept SAS drives, and you’ll be locked out of using the drives you already bought.

USB enclosures — not reliable for long-term media server use.