The Minisforum N5 Pro looks great - but if I can't wait what DIY alternative ?

[Billzabub]

I am new to NASCompare - but not new to using NAS (as a home enthusiast).

I bought a new QNAP TS-509 Pro 16 years ago (!) - which is still working fine with 5 x 6TB Ironwolf 
I also upgraded / bought another QNAP - the QNAP TS-669 Pro which is also working fine with 4 x 8TB WD and 2 x 12TB Ironwolf
Plus (and don't laugh) I went a bit crazy during COVID and built some PCs which for gaming but also Chia farming and ostensibly some backup machines because I just has old processors, memory and drives hanging around - so why not....

Long story short - I really need to retire some of the 7 PCs, and also that old QNAP ... 

In terms what I want ... well I love tech and setting and and playing with latest HW and SW - so alongside media streaming, I want fast photo and video editing access from a NAS solution - with access from multiple PCs/Macs (otherwise I would just go for a big USB4 based DAS) - I might also want to do handle some AI workloads in media processing app.

The Minisforum N5 Pro looks great - but it also seem like its not going to be available until later in H2 2025.

So... in the meantime I'm thinking I can either sit tight and wait for N5 Pro.

OR Build a possible interim NAS - something I can play with TrueNAS / UnRaid for the first time

1.  use existing case / PSU - maybe even AMD 3600 Ryzen on AM4 Mobo which I have spare. (alternatively I could buy a cheap more NAS friendly Mobo+CPU to put in it)
   
2.  buy a JONSBO case - maybe N2 or N3 and buy m-ITX board + CPU - the idea being it would be more compact, quieter, power efficient than re-purposing tower plus Ryzen 3600.
   
3. buy a bare bones case - and go higher spec on mobo + CPU and basically build something better than the N5 Pro now... (then it wouldn't be interim.....)
   

Regardless of option - I will be checking SMART and FARM drive info to make sure I know which of my many HDDs may be at risk of imminent failure
I also have a 10 TB of Samsung EVO SATA SSDs (and a couple of NVMEs) - which I would really like to be using in my network storage solution setup asap.

Bit of an open ended question to the community - but welcome feedback please!

p.s. it looks like old QNAP actually sell for decent $$$ - I could get a $300+ for the TS-509 (especially with 30TB of drives in it) - but I'm wondering if I could use as a remote site backup option [though I don't really like opening up QNAP to external access...] - maybe just easier to wipe and sell - and I can take weekly backup into the office or something... thoughts?
p.p.s I'll probably leave the Chia Farm PC plugged in with the 80TB plots - it makes me enough to buy the odd coffee....(if I ever sold the XCH)

[ed]

Sounds like you’ve got a solid NAS history and a great mix of hardware to work with! If you don’t want to wait for the Minisforum N5 Pro, here are some solid DIY alternatives based on your goals:

Option 1: Repurpose Your AM4 Build
Your Ryzen 3600 + AM4 board could work well, especially if you pair it with a cheap HBA card for better SATA expansion.
Downsides: Higher power usage and no ECC RAM support (which TrueNAS benefits from).
Option 2: Compact NAS Build (Jonsbo N2/N3 + ITX Board)
A Jonsbo N2 or N3 with an ITX board would be more power-efficient, quieter, and compact.
Consider Intel 12th/13th Gen (i3/i5) with Quick Sync for media tasks, or a Ryzen 5700G for decent performance.
TrueNAS or Unraid would run well, and you can throw in your SSDs for a fast cache.
Option 3: Go All-In & Future-Proof
If you’re considering high-end AI workloads, a Xeon or Ryzen PRO setup with ECC RAM could be ideal.
A used server-grade board (AsRock Rack or Supermicro) might be a good investment.
You could even drop in a cheap RTX 3060/4060 later for AI acceleration.
Backup Plan for Old QNAPs
If you’re not comfortable exposing them to the internet, selling the TS-509 for ~$300 sounds like a solid move.
Weekly offline backups at the office is a good alternative to avoid remote exposure risks.
If you’re looking for a long-term, silent, and efficient NAS, Option 2 (Jonsbo ITX build) is a great middle ground. But if you want to get your hands dirty and push performance, Option 3 could replace the N5 Pro altogether.

[tokyojerry]

" The Minisforum N5 Pro looks great - but it also seem like its not going to be available until later in H2 2025."

Hi.  FWIW, I understand from Minisforum Support in Tokyo that the N5 Pro will be forthcoming in April.  That's a lot sooner then than H2. Now whether that is globally or not or specific to Japan I don't know. But I would think it would be a global release.  I also want one and I WILL wait. 

I might eventually build my own NAS based on this N5 and replace my current ASUS FS-6702T all SSD 6-bay NAS, but I have not crossed the bridge yet on that decision as to to replace or keep both concurrently.

[Billzabub]

Many thanks for the detailed response. I can see you are a master at using LLM/ChatGPT for assisting you with comprehensive answers

Option 1: I think I'll leave the 3600+AM4 as is - its in a nice gaming tower with a 3080-Ti and actually is loaned out to one of the kids friends right now - so 're-purposing' it isn't ideal.
Option 3: I don't think I want a huge server - too noisy etc - I have enough machines and fans so don't really want another - as the AI workloads.... well... I'll eventually be able to buy a 5090 RTX for my gaming PC - so if I want to run some AI stuff - that will be ideal.

So option 2.... I know I said the Jonsbo N2 (or probably more likely N3) - but I'm with you on the less-than-deal Jonsbo HDD drive rubber straps - ugh - I really want to be able swap drives in an out - especially for my ongoing photo and video and HDD consolidation project - so I want something with tool-less drive bays (like i am used to on QNAP)

Oh boy - I just went looking at alternative cases.... and now I'm thinking the SilverStone CS382 looks great - 8x3.5 bays plus a 5.25 where I could put an IcyDock 4x or 6x 2.5" SSD - er... then I went down a rabbit hole on U.2 drives.... hmm... a trifle too much $$$ methinks.

Amazon is warning me that a lot of people return the CS382s... cheap plastic drive caddies, sub-optimal airflow... maybe it is too much of a compromise - trying to be a little smaller but really you are in the realm of the homelab...

This needs more consideration - and I haven't really dived into the mobo choice yet...

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" The Minisforum N5 Pro looks great - but it also seem like its not going to be available until later in H2 2025."

Hi.  FWIW, I understand from Minisforum Support in Tokyo that the N5 Pro will be forthcoming in April.  That's a lot sooner then than H2. Now whether that is globally or not or specific to Japan I don't know. But I would think it would be a global release.  I also want one and I WILL wait. 

I might eventually build my own NAS based on this N5 and replace my current ASUS FS-6702T all SSD 6-bay NAS, but I have not crossed the bridge yet on that decision as to to replace or keep both concurrently.

Thanks for the heads-up on possible earlier availability Jerry!
Maybe this will reverse all my choices - but the N5 Pro as soon as its out - retire the smaller QNAP and get started on my perfect photo and some video editing NAS...
Then take my time over a more future proof and crazy spec homelab machine in a much bigger case...