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Hello,
I prepare to upgrade my DIY NAS. I'm thinking about something like this:
https://www.amazon.pl/MNBOXCONET-Q670-gniazdo-PCIe5-0-Barebone/dp/B0DJCQ5G2N/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_pl_PL=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&sr=8-1
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Intel i5 14400
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16 or 32 GB RAM
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SFF8643 to 4*nvme adapter
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https://www.amazon.pl/ASUS-Karta-rozszerze%C5%84-Hyper-dysk%C3%B3w/dp/B0863KK2BP/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_pl_PL=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&sr=8-1
On paper I assume I should be able to install 10 NVMe drives(4+4+2). And additional Sata SSD for True Nas.
Can you please let me know if this kind of setup is possble?
Kind regards,
Krzysztof Wierzbicki
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The good news is that your idea is largely sound: the MNBOX Q670 barebone with an Intel i5-14400 and 16–32GB of RAM is a solid platform for TrueNAS and NVMe-heavy workloads. The Q670 chipset gives you decent PCIe lane allocation, and the i5-14400 is efficient enough while still offering plenty of cores.
That said, there are some important limits to keep in mind:
• PCIe lanes & bandwidth – Even though your plan adds up to 10 NVMe drives (4 via the SFF-8643 card + 4 via the ASUS Hyper M.2 card + 2 onboard), you’ll still be bottlenecked by the total PCIe lanes available. A non-XEON platform like this has only so much to split between slots and chipset. The Q670 itself gives some lanes to chipset slots but not full x4 bandwidth per NVMe beyond a certain point. So yes — they may all connect, but performance will drop once you start filling all 10 with heavy workloads.
• Bifurcation support – Double-check that the Q670 board in the MNBOX chassis supports PCIe bifurcation to x4x4x4x4 for the ASUS Hyper M.2 card — many consumer boards don’t properly bifurcate unless specifically stated. Without it, the card may only expose one drive or run them at reduced bandwidth.
• Thermal & power – NVMe drives in this quantity can get very hot and draw significant power. Make sure you have adequate airflow and consider NVMe heatsinks.
For your use case — home NAS with RAID5-like protection and >16TB usable — 10 NVMe drives is arguably overkill. Unless you really need the IOPS and bandwidth of all-NVMe, a mixed setup of SATA SSDs for capacity and a few NVMe for fast VMs/cache might be more balanced.
Your idea of using a separate SATA SSD for TrueNAS OS is perfect.
Summary:
✅ Yes, possible in theory.
⚠️ Be mindful of PCIe lane bottlenecks and bifurcation support.
⚠️ Watch for heat, power draw, and reduced performance beyond 4–6 NVMe under heavy load.
If you’re set on pushing the platform’s limits, it will still be an impressive build — just know that at some point, the hardware can’t give each NVMe full x4.
