04-30-2025, 02:32 PM
Thanks for reaching out—and you're absolutely on the right track! You’ve clearly done your homework, and it shows. Going DIY with something like the Jonsbo N5 is a fantastic way to get power, flexibility, and value that pre-builts just can’t match—especially for a media-heavy setup like yours.
Your Planned Build:
Case: Jonsbo N5 – Great choice. Compact, stylish, and fits plenty of drives.
Motherboard: i3-N305 – Here’s where I’d pause. It’s efficient, but may be underpowered for your use case (Plex for multiple users, running Sonarr/Radarr, VMs or Docker containers, torrenting, etc.).
CPU: Intel i5-13500 – Now we’re talking. This is a beast for Plex, especially if you’ll be transcoding for remote users. Just make sure your motherboard supports it (you’ll need something with LGA 1700 + DDR5 support).
RAM: 32GB DDR5 – Perfect. Great for Unraid with Docker containers and caching.
Fans: Noctua NF-P12 – Quiet and reliable. No complaints here.
Storage Adapter: M.2 to SATA – Works, but make sure it’s from a reliable brand and check compatibility with your chosen motherboard BIOS.
A Few Suggestions:
Motherboard Upgrade:
Since you're going with the i5-13500 and DDR5 RAM, skip the i3-N305 board. Instead, look at something like:
ASUS PRIME B760M-A DDR5
Gigabyte B760M DS3H AX DDR5 These give you full support for the CPU and plenty of expandability.
Power Supply:
Go with a fully modular 550W–650W 80+ Gold PSU. Corsair RM650x or Seasonic Focus are solid picks—clean cabling and enough headroom for future drives.
Drives & Expansion:
Since you're already sitting on 40TB+ and planning for 60TB+, maybe consider starting with 6–8 bays and a high-quality HBA (Host Bus Adapter) like an LSI 9211-8i (flashed to IT mode) instead of relying only on M.2 adapters for SATA ports. They're more reliable long term.
Unraid is an excellent choice for your needs—flexible, user-friendly, and great for mixed drive sizes.
Your Planned Build:
Case: Jonsbo N5 – Great choice. Compact, stylish, and fits plenty of drives.
Motherboard: i3-N305 – Here’s where I’d pause. It’s efficient, but may be underpowered for your use case (Plex for multiple users, running Sonarr/Radarr, VMs or Docker containers, torrenting, etc.).
CPU: Intel i5-13500 – Now we’re talking. This is a beast for Plex, especially if you’ll be transcoding for remote users. Just make sure your motherboard supports it (you’ll need something with LGA 1700 + DDR5 support).
RAM: 32GB DDR5 – Perfect. Great for Unraid with Docker containers and caching.
Fans: Noctua NF-P12 – Quiet and reliable. No complaints here.
Storage Adapter: M.2 to SATA – Works, but make sure it’s from a reliable brand and check compatibility with your chosen motherboard BIOS.
A Few Suggestions:
Motherboard Upgrade:
Since you're going with the i5-13500 and DDR5 RAM, skip the i3-N305 board. Instead, look at something like:
ASUS PRIME B760M-A DDR5
Gigabyte B760M DS3H AX DDR5 These give you full support for the CPU and plenty of expandability.
Power Supply:
Go with a fully modular 550W–650W 80+ Gold PSU. Corsair RM650x or Seasonic Focus are solid picks—clean cabling and enough headroom for future drives.
Drives & Expansion:
Since you're already sitting on 40TB+ and planning for 60TB+, maybe consider starting with 6–8 bays and a high-quality HBA (Host Bus Adapter) like an LSI 9211-8i (flashed to IT mode) instead of relying only on M.2 adapters for SATA ports. They're more reliable long term.
Unraid is an excellent choice for your needs—flexible, user-friendly, and great for mixed drive sizes.