It's been several years since I built my original unraid and it's built off old personal hardware.  It's been a great friend but it's time to upgrade since each update has increased memory usage (currently at 97%).  

 

So here is the very generic question:

Since I think I want to build it myself, what should the specs be?  I don't use it for much of anything other than picture and video storage.  Currently have 10TB capacity and almost full.  Want to add extra drives so enough SATAs are key.

I know this is a generic question but would like to throw it out there.  I've thought about buying a NAS storage device preconfigured but this seems more fun.

 

👋Hey Jsfunk,

Keep in mind, this is my brain at almost 3 AM EST, just rambling about a very generic build question, lol. Obviously, more detailed or in-depth builds can scale up depending on your needs (power users, please don’t come for me—I swear I respect your 50-drive, water-cooled NAS fortresses). But hey, if you just want a solid, no-fuss Unraid setup, here’s what I’d suggest!

 

If You’re an Intel Guy:

-If reliability and power efficiency are priorities, Intel is a great choice for an Unraid NAS, especially if you ever want to add Docker containers or Plex in the future. Intel CPUs with Quick Sync can handle video streaming and transcoding well, even if you don’t need it now.

 

Recommended Specs:

-CPU: Intel i3-12100 (great efficiency) or i5-12600 for more overhead

-Motherboard: B660 or Z690 with at least 6 SATA ports (expandable via HBA card)

-RAM: 16GB DDR4/DDR5 (32GB if you ever add Docker/VMs)

-Storage Controller (if needed): LSI 9211-8i or Dell H310 (flashed to IT mode) for extra SATA ports

-Cache Drive: NVMe 500GB-1TB SSD (Samsung 970 Evo or WD SN770)

-Power Supply: Gold-rated 500-650W (Seasonic or Corsair)

 

Why Intel?

-Lower power consumption
-Quick Sync for future Plex use
-Strong single-thread performance for NAS workloads

 

 

If You’re an AMD Guy:

-If you want a powerful and scalable system that can handle more than just storage, AMD is a great option. Ryzen CPUs offer more cores for the price, which is useful for things like Docker, VMs, or extra server tasks.

 

Recommended Specs:

-CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600 or Ryzen 7 5700X (low power, high performance)

-Motherboard: B550 or X570 with at least 6 SATA ports (expandable via HBA card)

-RAM: 16GB DDR4 (upgrade to 32GB if running extra services)

-Storage Controller (if needed): LSI 9211-8i or Dell H310 (flashed to IT mode)

-Cache Drive: NVMe 500GB-1TB SSD (Crucial P3 Plus or WD Black SN850)

-Power Supply: Gold-rated 500-650W (EVGA, Seasonic)

 

Why AMD?

-More cores for multi-tasking
-Better performance in workloads beyond just storage
-Can be more cost-effective than Intel at higher core counts

 

*Since your main priority is storage expansion, both Intel and AMD are solid choices. If you’re all about power efficiency and simplicity, Intel is great. If you want more flexibility to add extra services later, AMD gives you more bang for your buck. Either way, just make sure you have enough SATA ports (or an HBA card), and you’ll be golden. And if you ever feel like diving deeper into power-user territory, well… that’s how you end up with a full-rack server in your basement and an ever-growing electricity bill.😆


Best of luck with your new server (or should I say, your next great brainchild?),

-DirtyDarrell

 

I am also looking into options for new server hardware. There are both AMD and Intel CPUs with integrated graphics. You wouldn't need to buy a new graphic card for your system to check up on your server locally if needed. You can search online for a list of CPUs that do have integrated graphics.

 

I would definitely advise to get a good air cooler for your CPU. The newer CPUs are getting hotter.

 

I found most motherboard listings on e.g. amazon don't have the amount of SATA ports in their description anymore. But check the picture carefully, and you can see how many they have. You also can check the board's manufacturer to see exactly which SATA controller(s) they use, and how many ports are on the board. Check with the Unraid list of well functioning / supported hardware. (I disabled a Marvell controller on my board when starting with Unraid since it caused errors)

 

All the best for your project!

Edited March 1, 20251 yr by Juniper

@DirtyDarrell Thanks for the response.  I'm starting to build my list of components.  There's lot of Z760's and not many 690's.  Would that work you think?

 

On 2/27/2025 at 3:59 PM, DirtyDarrell said:

Recommended Specs:

-CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600 or Ryzen 7 5700X (low power, high performance)

-Motherboard: B550 or X570 with at least 6 SATA ports (expandable via HBA card)

 

I am also thinking about a new build a long these lines. But these CPUs have no iGPU.

Do you need a GPU for the initial setup? If using a VM wouldn't you also need a discrete GPU?

@DirtyDarrell Can you confirm if the B550 motherboard (I'm looking at an ASUS) would be Windows 11 compliant with TPM 2.0? I'm looking to upgrade my Unraid server and I have a Windows 10 VM installed. I would like to upgrade the VM to Windows 11. I have been unable to find a definitive answer on the B550 regarding TPM 2.0

All Ryzen CPU except 1000 series have TPM 2.0 built in (the 1000 series only TPM 1.2).  All motherboards going back to the first series of MB chips support it by enabling fTPM in the BIOS.

On 4/1/2025 at 7:50 PM, azflyer19 said:

@DirtyDarrell Can you confirm if the B550 motherboard (I'm looking at an ASUS) would be Windows 11 compliant with TPM 2.0? I'm looking to upgrade my Unraid server and I have a Windows 10 VM installed. I would like to upgrade the VM to Windows 11. I have been unable to find a definitive answer on the B550 regarding TPM 2.0

Apologies for the late reply, but yes to my understanding all B550 mobos support Windows 11 integration.

@ShahmattYes, you'll need some sort of GPU for the setup, esp with hosting VM's. It really depends on what you're trying to achieve to be honest, but even a cheaper low end series 1650 or 1660ti does wonders for VMs and Headless stuff (very easy on pockets too).

@JsfunkThe Z690 and Z790 (I assume you meant Z790 instead of "Z760") chipsets both support Intel 12th-gen (Alder Lake) and 13th-gen (Raptor Lake) CPUs, and with BIOS updates, they can also support 14th-gen (Raptor Lake Refresh). I don't have much personal experience here, but both are very solid options IMO