So I’m looking to build my own CM4-based NAS appliance. I figure that I’ve got the time to build it, and it’ll be cheaper, more powerful and more capable than an off-the-shelf appliance (such as a QNAP or Synology device).

I’m looking to use it for self-hosting, probably 2 - 4 SSD’s to run it (Happy to spend the money on the drives, as I can spread that out over time)… will likely start with a relatively cheap 2tib 2.5" SSD like the Crucial BX500 and scale up as I go…

I’d like a relatively neat box - something like the Argon EON. I’d like to use the CM4 because it’s got the PCI-E so you can use a relatively full-speed ACPI interface to the SATA ports, which rules out the Argon EON (Except, possibly, as a donor case). I don’t have a 3D Printer, but I’d be happy to purchase a printed model from a makers group or similar. I’m happy to actually build up a unit (setting up fans, etc.) but I’ve no soldering experience whatsoever.

Software-wise, I’ve already got a RPI4 which I’ve been playing around with… Seems pretty good, and I had pi-hole running on it for a while (until SD card unreliability took it down).

Does anyone have any experience with a build like this? Any advice on what cases to use, what hats for the PCIE-to-SATA work best? Anything at all, really, that you’d advise?

  • Aux@lemmy.worldEnglish
    4·
    1 year ago

    CM4 won’t be more powerful than off the shelf solutions. RasPis are quite bad at dealing with storage. Also IMHO Synology software is a much better experience than open source alternatives. After spending months test driving NextCloud etc I went with Synology and I don’t think that alternatives will be able to catch up any time soon.