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Nice find. It's listed as the MW-N100-NAS with an additional number "24010004" on the motherboard. Article here: https://nascompares.com/2024/07/27/the-mw-n100-nas-n100-10gbe-m-itx-6-bay-motherboard-just-released/ The chipset for the 10G NIC is a Marvell AQC113C, which seems to be a rather new one also used by some ASRock industrials boards, with PCIe 4.0 compatibility, so I strongly assume that it supports C-states. It must be using at least two PCIe 3.0 lanes, which is supported by the fact that they dropped the PCIe slot, which can be up to x2 on the retail N100 boards by ASRock. (But usually just x1 on Topton boards.) As for the SATA, those would be three more PCIe 3.0 lanes, leaving four remaining. But the SATA chipset? Couldn't find anything. If it's the JMB585, it won't be that great. (ASMedia is the way to go, if one is looking for maximum power savings.) But I don't understand why they don't offer 8 SATA ports. According to the specs, the N100 can support 4 SATA natively (via two PCIe 3.0 lanes), so for a NAS they should have gone for 4 additional SATA for a total of 8, and dropped one of the M.2 slots instead (imho). DDR5 means you could in principle go up to 64 GB of RAM eventually… realistically only 48 GB at the moment. 2 * USB 2.0 Type-A on the motherboard for an Unraid boot drive is always great. With potentially four remaining PCIe lanes, the two M.2 NVMe SSDs could in principle be x2, but probably just 2 * x1.

A new N-series processor was spotted in the wild, the N250 aka Twin Lake: 4 E-cores, 4 threads, base clock 1.2 GHz. It is presumed that it will still use the current N-series' Gracemont E-cores, i.e. the rebranding from Alder Lake-N to Twin Lake would not signify any architecture changes. https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-n250-twin-lake-low-power-cpu-spotted-features-4-e-cores I'm far from knowledgeable, when it comes to the labyrinthine Intel CPUs and architectures, but people are saying that any second generation N-series would use the Skymont architecture, but as far as I remember, that was an old architecture years ago, and the next generation after Gracemont is currently Crestmont. On the other hand, the name Skymont seems to have been reused by Intel for the E-cores of the upcoming 2024 Lunar Lake Core Ultra series. (It's all very confusing.) But if true, a second generation N-series probably wouldn't arrive before late in 2025. Though judging from online discussions on Lunar Lake, this has no effect on the N-series, so it could actually take a couple of years before any new generation arrives. EDIT – another article on the N250 and the new Twin Lake series, even theorizing on the i3-N400 and i3-N405: https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cpus/intels-newest-e-core-only-twin-lake-cpus-are-on-the-way-starting-with-intel-n250 Intel will also release the (non-N series) Intel 310 as a successor to the Intel 300, which are dual P-core CPUs, and the new one will be derived from the Raptor Lake S Refresh series, so it's very unlikely that new N series chips would be anything more than a Gracemont refresh.

Researched a little myself. The USB is just transmitting the data between the Key M slot and the chipset, which is a Diodes/Pericom PI7C9X2G404SL, and that is a switch, so no bifurcation is needed on the board. (Don't even know if M.2 bifurcation is possible directly.) But it's a 4 port 4 lane switch, so it's only using 3 out of 4 possible ports, and it's PCIe 2.0 instead of 3.0, so each x1 slot will be bottlenecked at 500 MB/s instead of 1 GB/s. https://www.diodes.com/part/view/PI7C9X2G404SL So not really useful. (Maybe it's better to use a simple M.2 to PCIe x4 riser/extender, and then use a gen3 x4 to quad x1 switch/extension in the PCIe slot… if those even exist.)

Very interesting, especially with the Mini-ITX kit. Though the SATA chipset connects to only one lane of PCIe 3.0, so this is only a good idea, if you plan to use HDDs. (Four SATA SSDs would be bottlenecked.) Question: since the M.2 slot actually has 4 lanes (gen3 x4), could you use something like the M.2 Key M to triple PCIe x1 riser/adapter/extender by Kalea Informatique? It would give you options for adding (a) an x1 4-port SATA controller for a total of eight SATA ports, (b) a gen3 M.2 SSD carrier card (x1) or even more SATA, and (c) an SFP+ 10GbE card like the TRENDnet TEG-10GECSFP 3.0R. (With only one lane, the latter wouldn't run at full 10G speed, of course, but could still reach something like 700–800 MB/s.) You would lose one PCIe lane in the process, though. (But maybe there are extenders with 4 * x1 or 2 * x1 + 1 * x2 PCIe slots. ❓)

TRENDnet TEG-10GECSFP 3.0R? https://www.trendnet.com/langge/products/10g-sfp-pcie-adapter/10-gigabit-pcie-sfp-network-adapter-TEG-10GECSFP-v3 Maximum power coonsumption: 1.5 W

64 GB for N series CPUs would be really nice. I have read so far that only the Intel Core CPUs might enjoy the upcoming memory boost… but of course I could be wrong. Nice to know about the 48 GB. 👍 As for a carrier card: that would be a gen3 single M.2 carrier card for 1 GB/s. A dual card with a PEX would surely work, too, but you'd only get 500 MB/s per SSD. (And then you can just use a dual or quad SATA SSD controller anyway.) One possibility for a PLX/PEX card: https://www.kalea-informatique.com/lrnv9547lp-2i-pci-express-x-8-to-dual-m-2-nvme-ssd-switch-adapter.htm There are also quad PEX cards by Kalea, but then you'd only have 250 MB/s per SSD, but still 1 GB/s overall… so you could actually add 16 TB raw as 12 TB RAID5. 😆

I have a question about the ASMedia chipset ASM1061 for PCIe 2.0 x1 to dual SATA at 500 MB/s each, which is perfect for SATA SSDs at (almost) full speed: https://www.asmedia.com.tw/product/77BYq58SX3HyepH7/58dYQ8bxZ4UR9wG5 It has been mentioned a couple of times in this thread, and several controllers using the ASM1061 seem to be on the recommended list, but at least one user also wrote that at least this one older PCIe-2.0-based chipset doesn't play quite so well with regard to power efficiency, ASPM, C-states etc. compared to the newer PCIe-3.0-based ASMedia chipsets, i.e. the ASM1164, ASM1166 & ASM1064, which according to the specs support L0s/L1/L23/L3 power saving states and L1 substate deep power saving mode on the PCIe side, plus Partial/Slumber and Device Sleep power management on the SATA side. So does anyone know for sure if the ASM1061, which doesn't even support SATA Partial/Slumber power management states like its bigger brother ASM1062, should be avoided if one were to build a NAS/server that is to be as power efficient as possible? I'm asking because I stumbled on a yet-to-be-released ATX board, the ASRock Rack W680 WS: https://www.asrockrack.com/general/productdetail.asp?Model=W680%20WS#Specifications It has a total of 14 SATA ports, whereas 6 of those beyond the usual 8 are provided using 3 ASM1061 chipsets. (Maybe a bit too big of a board for my taste, but that's when I remembered about the ASM1061.) tia

Good video by Wolfgang — @notthebee ? — on an ASRock N100DC-ITX build. He also briefly mentions the slightly increased power consumption regarding the Realtek NIC, and I have read elsewhere that these can make a build draw more power than when using boards with Intel NICs. His solution according to the video was this command: echo 1 | sudo tee /sys/bus/pci/drivers/r8169/0000\:01\:00.0/link/l1_aspm PCIe single SFP+ NIC used for the build is the TRENDnet TEG-10GECSFP : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N4FYWUN So the N100DC-ITX is A-OK for a powerful enough but still low-power NAS build, but (as mentioned in passing in the video) the real bottleneck will be the memory with only 32 GB max. (I haven't yet read anything about N100 boards accepting 48 GB of RAM. With an update, some latest gen Intel chips will also be able to work with 64 GB per RAM slot, but I can't say if the N100 will be among those… probably just the Intel Core CPUs.) Personally, I might still use ASRock's N100M Micro-ATX board and live with 2–3 W higher power consumption… that way you would be able to use a standard ATX PSU and wouldn't need to fiddle around with DC power vs SATA power connections and a PSU jumper bridge, and you'd get a second PCIe 3.0 slot (x1), e.g. for 2–4 more SATA drives down the road, or for an M.2 NVMe SSD carrier card.

edit/delete: looked into the wrong manual

Another one: the new CWWK Mini ITX NAS motherboard, which also sells under the Topton brand, either with the N100 or the i3-N305: https://cwwk.net/products/12th-i3-n305-n100-nas-motherboard-6-bay-dc-power-2xm-2-nvme-6xsata3-0-pcie-x1-4x-i226-v-2-5g-lan-ddr5-itx-mainboard Variants with the N97 and the N200 are also possible, it seems. 6 SATA ports, five of them seemingly via the JMicron JMB585 chipset (PCIe 3.0 x2 to 5 SATA), available via a 4i Mini SAS connector and two standard SATA ports. Now, when looking at other N series boards, the Intel chips seem to have the option for either one or two native SATA lanes. (And according to the diagram in the OP, N series can have up to four native SATA lanes via 2 * PCIe 3.0 x1.) However, on this board, and according to the CWWK specs, the N CPU gives us only one native SATA lane, and the JMB585 chipset offers the other five, four of them via Mini SAS, so we won't get full SATA speeds for the 5 chipset SATA lanes, only 393.8 MB/s on paper, real-world surely less. (But that would still yield an internal read speed of around 2 GB/s with six SATA SSDs in a RAID5/RAIDz1.) 2 * backmount M.2 NVMe slots at gen3 x1 speed (0.985 GB/s) each Backmount memory: 1 * DDR5 (32 GB or maybe 48 GB max) Two USB 2.0 Type A slots, good for an Unraid boot drive DC input 4 * 2.5 GbE RJ45 ports with Intel i226-V, which is better for power consumption than Realtek, as e.g. found on the ASRock N100M One additional PCIe 3.0 x1 lane, which you can use for either: PCIe slot (x1 physical, open), or mini PCIe slot (backmount), or SIM card (backmount) Note: the JMB585 might not be friendly, when it comes to ASPM.

Biostar BIADN-IHT (Mini ITX) with options for N97, N100 and i3-N305. https://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en/ipc/introduction.php?S_ID=92 Not really suited for a NAS build: only one native SATA, only one M.2 Key M x1 slot, no PCIe slot.

Shenzhen Gowin have released three 1U rackmount solutions based on the N100 and i3-N305, including a fanless option… well, semi-fanless (see below). These actually show very well, what you could theoretically achieve with a low-power CPU that has only nine lanes of PCIe 3.0. These machines are primarily meant as a router/firewall and small server, but maybe it's possible to tweak them for home NAS/server use. The N305 flagship models come with either two 25GbE SFP28 ports, provided by an NVIDIA ConnectX-4 Lx (formerly Mellanox), using the MCX4421A-ACQN chipset, or with two 10GbE SFP+ ports (NIC/chipset unknown). Note: I might have read somewhere that the Mellanox/NVIDIA/Acquantia NICs don't play well in terms of power management/saving, and that Intel NICs/chipsets are superior in this regard. Gowin GW-BS-1UR2-25G (32GB RAM): https://www.gowinfanless.com/products/network-device/1u-2u-server/gw-bs-1ur2-25g Gowin GW-BS-1UR2-10G (32GB RAM): https://www.gowinfanless.com/products/network-device/1u-2u-server/gw-bs-1ur2-10g The base model (N100) "only" comes with dual 10GbE SFP+. Gowin GW-BS-1UR1-10G (only 16GB RAM): https://www.gowinfanless.com/products/network-device/1u-2u-server/gw-bs-1ur1-10g As for storage, the servers provide two PCIe 3.0 M.2 NVMe slots at x1 speed, and two SATA ports. You could add four more SATA ports with two M.2-to-dual-SATA adapters using the ASMedia ASM1061 chipset (PCIe 2.0 x1 to dual SATA), but you would lose both M.2 slots. You could go with a single quad-SATA or even 6-port SATA solution (ASM1164 or ASM1166), while retaining one M.2 slot, but the SATA drive speeds would be capped at 250 MB/s max and 166 MB/s respectively, because even though the ASM11xx chipsets support PCIe 3.0 x2, the M.2 slots are only x1. At any rate, there seems to be enough space inside the 1U chassis to house four additional 2.5 inch SATA SSDs. You would just need to solve the SATA power issue, either with splitter cables or with a different PSU or maybe some adapter cables for the built-in PSU. Speaking of: the PSU has a fan, so even the "fanless" model wouldn't be quiet, but you can replace the fan… or maybe even the PSU. (?) Back to NAS/server use… one fundamental problem: to accomodate for all the I/O, the two built-in SATA ports are actually not the usual native ports; according to ServerTheHome, the server seems to be using an ASMedia ASM1153E chipset for USB3-to-SATA conversion instead… and I can't say if this would work well with Unraid or ZFS. But all in all, it shows that you can do a lot with only 9 lanes of PCIe. What about power consumption? According to STH, who have tested the i3-N305 25G model, the idle consumption (afaik without storage) is around 27–29W, whereas the 25G NIC would be gobbling up at least 10–12W of that. (It would be less, of course, with a dual SFP+ NIC.) Under load it's about 51W maximum. I assume that the high idle consumption is also due to all the I/O built into these machines, so it's not really a good solution for a home NAS/server imho. And according to one user report at STH, the board, even when the CPU & system have been shut down, will still draw 15W.

Another factor might be the SATA chipset: the CWWK uses the JMB585, and from what I could gather online, unlike e.g. the ASMedia ASM1166, the JMicron chipset apparently doesn't support ASPM (device sleep), and if true, then with a NAS board based on the JMB585 you would be drawing more power at idle than with one that uses an ASM11xx. However, in their specs PDF for the JMB585, JMicron actually state that they support not only "PCIe link layer power saving mode", but also "SATA link power saving mode (partial and slumber)" and "SATA Partial / Slumber power management state". So I can't say for sure if the reports about problems with JMicron & ASPM are true. Maybe one of you knows more about those chipsets with regard to power management. JMB585 etc.: https://www.jmicron.com/products/list/15 ASM1166: https://www.asmedia.com.tw/product/45aYq54sP8Qh7WH8/58dYQ8bxZ4UR9wG5

Turnkey update: Ugreen NASync DXP2400 (2-bay) and Ugreen NASync DXP4800 (4-bay) to be released in a couple of months, both using the N100 CPU. No official page on their site at the moment, but here is one from the Google cache: archived: https://archive.is/saRkb original: https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:https%3A%2F%2Fnasync.ugreen.com%2F And an article here: German: https://www.computerbase.de/2024-01/ugreen-nasync-neun-nas-mit-intel-cpus-und-10-gbe-enthuellt/ Google Translate: https://www-computerbase-de.translate.goog/2024-01/ugreen-nasync-neun-nas-mit-intel-cpus-und-10-gbe-enthuellt/?_x_tr_sl=de&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en Both will come with two M.2 SSD slots, probably x1, one or two 2.5GbE NICs depending on the model, and only 8 GB of DDR5 memory, which you can update to 16 GB (officially), and maybe to 32 GB (inofficially). Unclear if you'll be able to install Unraid, but I assume it will be possible, similar to TerraMaster, Asustor et al.

Another thing to note is that the U300 chipset connects with a DMI at a speed/bandwidth of PCIe 2.0 x8, i.e. 4 GB/s max, so even if you used the 8 PCIe 3.0 lanes on the chipset for two full-speed gen3 M.2 NVMe drives, the DMI wouldn't be able to handle it anyway. I really like the idea of an all-NVMe server build, and imho it's the future, especially for turnkey solutions, but for a DIY build the system should probably have a DMI at PCIe 3.0 x8 (7.8 GB/s) to be able to handle the theoretical speed. And to enjoy that speed in the real-world, you'd need a fast NIC, preferably based on SFP28. You'd need at least four PCIe 4.0 lanes for that, so any board using the U300 would probably not be a good idea anyway. But a case could be made for a dual SFP+ (or 10G RJ45) system with gen3 M.2 NVMe SSDs running at x2 speed. Would be a potent system, too, and you could probably go to as much as 8 SSDs with HBAs or PCX cards.

But not to forget: The U300 has a way larger number of PCIe lanes, among them 8 at PCIe 4.0 (CPU-direct), so there are a lot more options for home server builds & expansion, if we ever get any boards, of course. The current N series is extremely limited in this respect.

There's another Mini-ITX variant by ECS, namely the ECS ADLN-I: https://www.ecs.com.tw/en/Product/Motherboard/ADLN-I/specification Similar to the ADLN-I3 & ADLN-I3 IPC, but with two native SATA ports instead of one, and missing the PCIe 3.0 x1 expansion slot. The Key-M M.2 slot is gen3 x1. This board is geared towards low-TDP builds and comes with three variants: N100, N200 (both 6W) and the i3-N300 (7W). Not a lot will be possible with this board except a humble onsite or offsite backup server. You could add 2.5GbE with an M.2 Key-E adapter. If you go for 10GbE with an M.2 Key-M adapter, you'd be stuck with the two SATA ports. So probably not a good choice except for very special builds.

Es gibt auch die Option, über den M.2 Key-M Slot eine 10GbE-NIC einzubauen, z.B. mit dem EGPL-T101: https://www.innodisk.com/en/products/embedded-peripheral/communication/egpl-t101 … kostet aber ordentlich extra. Dann hätte man 10G, einen nativen SATA-Port, und beim Kontron die Key-B-Schnittstelle für weitere SATA-Ports (s.o.), und den PCIe 3.0 x1 Slot immer noch frei, entweder für eine M.2 NVMe SSD (x1 Speed) oder für weitere SATA-Ports via Controller-Card. Ein solcher Mini-ITX-Mod würde am Ende recht teuer werden, komplex sowieso… somit wäre es sicherlich billiger, sich mit dem N100 zu begnügen und das ASRock N100M (Micro-ATX) zu nehmen, denn bei dem hat man direkt zwei PCIe-Slots zur Verfügung, x2 und x1, plus 2 native SATA, plus x2 M.2 Key M. (Dieses ASRock-Board mit dem i3-N305 wäre genial… gibt's leider nicht. 😕)

Da wäre das Problem, dass dieses Board noch nicht einmal 2.5GbE hat. (Der Realtek RTL8111H kann m.W. nur 1GbE.) Aber evtl. kann man den M.2-Key-E-Slot umfunktionieren, mit Extender/Converter in einen 2.5GbE-Port mit PCIe-Bay-Bracket. Diese Converter gibt es, aber ich weiß nicht, ob es mit speziell diesem Key-E klappt, denn das ist ein CNVio-Slot: Normalerweise gibt es auch Dual-SATA-Adapter für Key-E-Slots, aber nicht mit CNVio. Ob also ein 2.5GbE-NIC-Adapter in diesem Slot läuft, kann ich nicht sagen.

Bei Bicker Elektronik gibt es mehrere Boards von Kontron, und die verkaufen auch Einzelstücke… z.B. das gerade erschienene 13th-Gen-Core-Mini-ITX-Board K3833-Q, oder die älteren K3833-Q2 und -Q3 mit Celeron J bzw. Pentium J… also könnte es durchaus sein, dass Bicker (und andere) auch die N-Series-Boards an Privatkunden verkaufen werden, wenn sie erscheinen, mindestens das Top-Modell mit dem i3-N305. Meine eigene Idee im Spoiler (nicht wichtig für diesen Thread) Als Turnkey-NAS mit dem i3-N305 gibt es von TerraMaster auch das 4-Bay-Modell F4-424 Pro: https://www.terra-master.com/global/products/homesoho-nas/f4-424-pro.html?page=menu&mid=1494 … und Unraid kann man auf TerraMaster üblicherweise recht einfach installieren. Von den Spezifikationen her ist nicht klar, ob es der i3-N305 oder der i3-N300 ist, aber wenn die Einsteigermodelle den aktiven N95 mit 15W TDP benutzen, würde es keinen Sinn ergeben, wenn das Pro-Modell nur mit dem passiven i3-N300 daherkommt. (So oder so: Die Intel i3-N30x-Varianten sind keine Core-i3-CPUs.) Mein Problem sind die verdammten 2.5GbE-Ports. Mit einer M.2-SSD x1 (gen3) bekommt man intern fast 1 GB/s, mit x2 fast 2 GB/s, und mit einem RAID5/RAIDz1 mit vier SATA-SSDs sogar theoretisch bis zu 2.2 GB/s, mit HDDs immerhin noch 800–900 MB/s, und ich verstehe beim besten Willen nicht, warum die Hersteller nicht eine PCIe-Lane opfern, z.B. dann mit einem statt zwei M.2-Slots bzw. mit x1 statt x2, und dafür eine 10G-Verbindung einbauen. Wenn man das will, muss man wohl selber bauen, und mit Mini-ITX-Boards wird's dann echt tricky. Irgendeine Option muss man dann opfern: entweder den M.2-Key-M- oder den PCIe-Slot. Die Kontron-Boards haben da wenigstens noch den Vorteil eines x1 M.2-Key-B-Slots, sodass man dann auf immerhin drei High-Speed-SATA-Ports kommt, mit einem Dual-SATA-B+M-Key-Adapter. Wenn's nur HDDs sein sollen, gibt es auch Quad-SATA-Adapter, z.B. den Delock 61062, aber der hat die x1 nur über PCIe 2.0, also pro SATA-Lane nur 125 MB/s, falls man vier HDDs benutzt… und ich kann nicht sagen, ob der Marvell-Chipset ASPM unterstützt. (Vielleicht gibt's ja Quad-SATA-Adapter für PCIe 3.0 Key-B. Oder hat ein M.2-Key-B-Slot sowieso immer nur PCIe 2.0 x1 für eine SATA M.2 SSD? Da bin ich überfragt. ❓❓❓) EDIT: Es gibt PCIe 3.0 Key-B-Adapter mit dem ASM1064-Chipset (PCIe-Quad-SATA-Controller), welcher angeblich auch ASPM unterstützt, z.B. https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005005218217433.html … ändert aber nichts daran, falls der Key-B-Slot nur PCIe 2.0 x1 hergibt; aber dann bekäme man immerhin die Option für eine SATA-SSD, oder für zwei SATA-HDDs… und hätte dann sowohl den x2 Key-M-Slot als auch den PCIe 3.0 x1 Slot noch frei.

Three more N-series turnkey solutions by TerraMaster, which can be easily used to install Unraid on. Two models with the N95 CPU: TerraMaster F2-424 (2-bay): https://www.terra-master.com/global/products/homesoho-nas/f2-676.html?page=menu&mid=1506 TerraMaster F4-424 (4-bay): https://www.terra-master.com/global/products/homesoho-nas/f4-654.html?page=menu&mid=1500 One pro model with the i3-N305 (or i3-N300?) CPU: TerraMaster F4-424 Pro (4-bay): https://www.terra-master.com/global/products/homesoho-nas/f4-424-pro.html?page=menu&mid=1494 Note: it's an active chassis, so I assume that the CPU (like the N95) is the 15W i3-N30x option, i.e. the i3-N305. All of them come with 32 GB of DDR5 RAM max, two M.2 M-key slots at x1 speed, and two 2.5 GbE RJ45 ports. PS – tutorial on how to install Unraid on TerraMaster NAS': https://nascompares.com/guide/install-unraid-on-a-terramaster-nas-drive-a-step-by-step-guide/ Note: it's currently unclear whether the N95 & N305 NAS' have an internal USB Type-A port.

Among my home lab plans is an option for a small off-site remote backup server. I would use the following basic components: Kontron K3921-N1 Mini-STX (Intel N50, 2C/2T, 6W passive, DC) – https://www.kontron.com/en/products/k3921-n-mstx/p180695 Kingston 8 GB DDR5 4800 SODIMM non-ECC (KVR48S40BS6-8) Seagate IronWolf Pro HDD 22 TB USB 2.0 9-pin header to dual Type-A connector splitter cable (for internal Unraid boot drive) Problem is: I can't seem to find a Mini-STX (mSTX) chassis with an internal 3.5 inch HDD bay. The only ones I could find have one or two 2.5 inch HDD or SSD bay(s), e.g. the ones by Akasa. Anyone know of such a chassis? (tia!) The only important thing is that it should be as small as possible. But it needn't be passive; an active chassis would be fine, too, even with more than one fan. (I could just buy a PWM 4-pin splitter cable.) PS: if you find any problems with the above (very basic) build, let me know. 🙏

Another industrial Mini ITX board, this time with the dual core N50, the Aaeon MIX-ALND1: https://eshop.aaeon.com/industrial-motherboards-intel-n50-mix-alnd1-a10-n50.html Not a lot you can do with this board: no PCIe slot, only one native SATA, an x1 M.2 M-key, but at least an x1 M.2 B-key, which might be suited for a dual SATA extension. So you should be able to turn this into a NAS with 5 SATA ports for SSDs or 7 SATA ports for HDDs. But it only comes with dual 1GbE network connectivity, so you would need to use the x1 M.2 E-key for a 2.5 GbE adapter. But even with a 1GbE connection it might work for an off-site backup NAS. But you would need to find a solution to power the SATAs, because this only comes with DC power. PS (edit): as for turnkey NAS solutions, there's also the Aoostar R1, which uses the N100: https://aoostar.com/products/aoostar-r1-2bay-nas-intel-n100-mini-pc-with-w11-pro-lpddr4-16gb-ram-512gb-ssd Two SATA bays for HDDs or SSDs, dual 2.5 GbE ports, and an x1 M.2 M-key slot. Reminds me a bit of the Apple Time Capsule. 😉 Don't know, however, if this NAS supports auto-boot on wall power on.

Einfach mal schnell aus dem anderen Thread übertragen. 😉 Vom Maxtang ALN-10 soll es auch eins mit dem N300 geben, allerdings ist bislang nur die N100-Variante verfügbar: https://store.maxtangpc.com/product/embedded-motherboard/ Das ECS ADLN-I3 IPC war anscheinend schon einmal kurz in Neuseeland im Verkauf, aber momentan kann ich nichts finden… aber auch hier gibt es eine N300-Variante: https://www.ecs.com.tw/en/Product/IPC/ADLN-I3_IPC/specification Von Kontron wird es nur ein Board mit dem i3-N305 geben, das K3931-N6: https://www.kontron.com/en/products/k3931-n-mitx/p178833 Von Changwang bzw. Topton gibt es auch eins mit dem i3-N305: https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005006307397620.html … benutzt aber den JMB585-Chipset für SATA, also kein ASPM und eher nicht zu empfehlen. Bislang ist die Auswahl also eher mau bzw. nur angekündigt bzw. mit dem N305 statt dem N300… aber das dürfte sich m.E. ändern.

One of the boards on my favorites list for an Unraid build is the Supermicro X13SAE. (Non-IPMI because I probably won't need that and could save a bit on power consumption.) The board comes with a legacy PCI slot at 5 V, 33 MHz, and 32 bit. Now, there are a couple of PCI 2-port or 4-port SATA controller cards, e.g. something like this – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R3YFFR7 – or this one: https://www.amazon.de/-/en/dp/B08GPVPS12/ From what I could gather, a 32-bit 33 MHz bus will only give you transfer speeds of either 133 MB/s or 266 MB/s, as found e.g. here: https://community.fs.com/article/pci-vs-pci-x-vs-pci-e-why-choose-pci-e-card.html Question: why the two values? 266 MB/s max would be fine for e.g. a big backup HDD, but is that to be expected? What would be the technical reasons/specs for the lower value of 133 MB/s. Elsewhere I've read that 33 MHz & 32-bit at 5 V yields a maximum of 1 GB/s, comparable to PCIe 3.0 x1, but this wouldn't fit with Supermicro's block diagram, which has a PCIe 1.0 x1 connection (0.250 GB/s) going into a PCIe-to-PCI bridge (see image below). However, even that would still be fine for one HDD, i.e. I would use only one of the ports on a PCI SATA controller card. But if the speed per port would drop to 125 or 133 MB/s, that wouldn't be desirable. So does anyone have more insight? Or even real-world experience with legacy PCI SATA controllers & transfer speeds? Thank you in advance. 🙏