Silent NAS Build

Hi All,

I wanted to share my latest build (Silent NAS) as well as my thoughts and choices with this build. I will try to add some pics of the build. Hopefully, this post helps others in some small form. I basically wanted to return the favor to this forum and to many other forums that has been a wealth of information for me personally.

The NAS is up and running for a couple weeks now. Why the NAS? Well like many of you my family has a bunch of external drives with all our media etc. The NAS will be mainly used to store our family albums, music, movies and a central storage area for an upcoming HTPC build. A word of caution, please keep any sensitive information stored elsewhere and disconnected from the Network even if your network is encrypted and firewalled. An example of this would be your Tax forms.

This Silent NAS build is a contradiction in terms when I say it is a Power House machine yet energy efficient. You want to limit power consumption for a home NAS system, since your NAS will be running 24/7. For my build, as is, a 200W PSU/Pico is needed with a recommended 250W if I include a GPU according to the PSU calculator. Also, you would need an OS for your NAS. Here is a sample of the more popular free NAS OS's: FreeNAS, CryptoNAS, OMV, and NAS4Free. I am including a link below that will have a lot more details better than I could ever give.

I will be using Nas4Free (formerly FreeNas 7) just because it has a nice GUI and I had no issues setting it up. Five minutes for installation and another 15 for a basic configuration, 30 minutes if you take the time to read the step by step wiki page. I had issues with the FreeNas 8(the newer version) although others had great success, as well as with OMV. NAS4Free is based on FreeBSD 9.x whereas FreeNAS 8 is based on nanoBSD.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network-attached_storage
http://www.nas4free.org/
http://www.freenas.org/
http://www.openmediavault.org/
http://cryptonas.org/

My NAS build will be a bit different to most NAS builds due to some personal key points. For one, I am not recycling any old components. Its not just a NAS, but it can also be flipped into a backup personal working machine. Yet, still minimizes power using WD Green Drives, low voltage low latency RAM and a power efficient Mobo. I also added a Power efficient PSU with lots of future proof support for growth and/or additional GPU's if needed. A NAS only system can be built for a third of the cost of my current build using various other configurations... even less if you recycle components.

My key points
*Absolute must --- needs to be Silent.
*Absolute must Six 6GB/s SATA and USB3.0 support. (This option narrowed my selection list)
*Should not be as big as my Full Tower build (my earlier post in this forum).
*Room for expandability.
*Able to convert/support as a backup work/gaming machine for the latest and upcoming media.
*Looks Good.


Additional links:
Itemized List for Silent NAS and Silent HTPC builds
View attachment SilentNAS_and_SilentHTPC_Itemized_List.xls

The CoolerMaster Xtraflo slim fan is available at the following links:
http://www.cmstore.eu/ (only a few bucks here)
http://www.moddiy.com/ (available here but it is 3x the normal cost)

Here is a all-in-one website I think is an excellent source for anyone wanting/searching for a HTPC beginners build guide.
http://mymediaexperience.com/getting-started-with-my-media-experience/

Online PSU calculator
http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

===========================HTPC============================
Case:......LIAN LI PC-TU200B Mini-ITX
Mobo:......ASUS P8Z77-I Deluxe LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Mini ITX
GPU........HIS H657H1G Radeon HD 6570 1GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready
RAM:.......G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 Low Voltage Desktop
CPU:.......Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 Quad-Core
Cooler:....CORSAIR CWCH60 Hydro Series H60 High Performance Liquid CPU
PSU:.......SeaSonic X series SS-400FL Active PFC F3 400W ATX12V Fanless
HD:........Western Digital Caviar Green WD20EARX 2TB 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s
SSD:.......OCZ Vertex 4 VTX4-25SAT3-128G 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC
Fan:.......(120mm x120mm x 15mm) CoolerMaster Blade Master XtraFlo 120 Slim Case Fan
K & M......Cideko Air Keyboard Conqueror


===========================NAS==================== ========
Case:.....LIAN LI PC-V354B Micro ATX
Mobo:.....ASUS M5A88-M AM3+ AMD 880G HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
RAM:......G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 Low Voltage Desktop
CPU:.......AMD FX-8150 FX 8-Core Black Edition Processor Socket AM3+ - FD8150FRGUBOX
Cooler:....CORSAIR CWCH60 Hydro Series H60 High Performance Liquid CPU
PSU:.......KINGWIN Lazer Platinum Series LZP-550 550W ATX SLI Ready
HD:.........Western Digital Caviar Green WD20EARX 2TB 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s (x4) Raid5
SSD:.......Intel 520 Series Solid-State Drive 120 GB SATA 6 Gb/s 2.5-Inch
Fan:........(120mm x120mm x 15mm) CoolerMaster Blade Master XtraFlo 120 Slim Case Fan
BD-RW:....Home Surplus


====================Full Tower Build - Water Cooled================
Case:.....HAF-X
CPU:......Intel core i7 3960x
Mobo:....Rampage IV Extreme x79
GPU:......EVGA GeForce GTX 580 Classified Hydro Copper (x3)
PSU:......Enermax MaxRevo EVO EMR1350EWT
HD:........WD VelociRaptor 600 GB SATA III 10,000 RPM (x2) in Raid1
SSD:......OCZ 120 GB Vertex 3 SATA III 6.0 Gb-s
Sound:...Asus Xonar Xense Premium Gaming Audio Set
RAM:......G.Skill Ripjaws @ 2133Mhz 32GB RAM
Fan Controller:......Lamptron FC-5 V2 Black Fan Speed Controller

16GB, four "and a half" cores... have you considered turning this into a full blown ESXi host server?

txus.palacios said:

16GB, four "and a half" cores... have you considered turning this into a full blown ESXi host server?

Click to expand...

LOL, actually not really, but I could if I need to. I built the NAS with the mindset it can be easily converted to a work horse if needed, as well as, room for growth to rival my Full Tower build. I do not know if you got a chance to take a look at my Full Tower build, but if you do let me know what you think? Its a beastly Power House. As for the NAS, it is an over the top Power House as well which reflects my Key considerations.

I am actually only using 8GB on the NAS at the moment. In anticipation of the HTPC build it was worthwhile to buy the full 16GB set. However, I was using the full 16GB at the time. Thanks for that catch, I will update the post since the remaining 8GB is currently being used for the HTPC build I am testing out now.

Two quick notes I wanted to add to this Build of which I will post pics of the solutions and how it looks.

(1)In my research before I attempted this build I found that there where a lot of people having issues adding the H60 to their NAS system using the LIAN LI PC-V354B. That is, if it did not allow for significant modifications or compromises. I installed the Radiator at the top fan vent, which poses the second issue.

(2)Not much room left for a fan. There are available slim fans (120mm x 120mm x 12mm) but reviews claim they were quite loud at a high CFM. Instead I am using the CoolerMaster 120mm x 120mm x15mm Xtraflo fans. I have to say they are extremely quiet with a very good CFM.

But! ...Yup there is a small downside ...they are not available in any of the America's, only in Europe or Asia. I am not sure why. I will post the Vendor links in an Excel sheet over the next day or two if not sooner for all of my components, just as I did for my Full Tower build.

Gotcha. Probably you'll have to do some dirty modding to get a 25mm fan there, and, static pressure == thick fans, thin fans usually have close to zero static pressure.

Speaking of the NAS software, have you considered OpenIndiana + nappit?

txus.palacios said:

Gotcha. Probably you'll have to do some dirty modding to get a 25mm fan there, and, static pressure == thick fans, thin fans usually have close to zero static pressure.

Speaking of the NAS software, have you considered OpenIndiana + nappit?

Click to expand...

I could not agree more. To get a 25mm at least on the top vent or the back panel will need some fancy-work or realignment of the mounting holes. It was just off by a tad in my case... no pun intended. I had a spare 20mm thick fan but even that also was too large to be used effectively at the top.

I could have easily removed the HD tray and mount the H60 to the front fan like most others have done and include a push pull-pull setup. However, I try not to take away too much function from a case if I can help it. It was actually fun and enjoyment for me trying to figure out a balanced solution to make everything fit. Which is one of the reasons I wanted to post this build to help others that will be using the same Case. The fallback option was to return the case and find something else that I like with more room.

Yup, I agree about the static pressure which is one of the reason I did not want to go with the 12mm especially to push through the 27mm thick Rad. The 15mm thick fan I used is not that much better, but I took a chance and ran some tests under Prime95. Temps got up to 70 degrees but under normal usage it has not crossed the low 40's (38-43) . I could live with those results considering my room temperature, more importantly it is silent. So at the moment, I got two fans at the front of the case for fresh air intakes, one fan at the back panel for exhaust as well as the top vent with the H60 unit.

When the build was first completed I used the stock cooler. hahah, this thing sounded like a jet plane especially when it constantly cycles up to cool the CPU. Adjusting the BIOS settings for silent running did not help much either. I had also bought the Hyper 212 but that just took up too much real estate. Using the H60 had a low profile and it is silent. I was also looking at some other low-profile CPU coolers had the H60 installation did not pan-out.

I heard/quickly-viewed OpenIndiana but did not consider it at the time, since in my research I mostly came accross FreeNas, OMV and Nas4Free in forums. These were also the more popular choices from PC Magazine and Maximum PC for beginners. I agree that it is absolutely great for beginner DIY NAS builders. I am sure there are others that are just as simple. I have not heard of nappit but I did review the site just a few moments ago. I am still new to the NAS building so I am still feeling my way around. Once I have a handle on things I figure I can jump into something more robust. Both your suggestions I like and the installation/configuration seems pretty straight forward. The GUI is nice as well... plus a bit more detailed documentation. I will definitely keep these options open and look into further. I welcome your input by the way.

Hi All,

Please excuse my amateur-ish images of the NAS build. Finally, I had some time to load pics of the installation of the NAS build using a LIAN LI PC-V354B Micro ATX Case. Also included are some close-up shots of the minor modifications made to the Slim Fan itself to get everthing to work well with the H60 unit.This setup is probably the only modification I can think of that requires the least amount of modification work if you wish to include an H60 cooling unit without sacrificing any other functionality feature of the case... Yet still maintain optimum cooling. In addition, there is a lot of real estate room left for air circulation. One main factor why this build works so well is that the PSU, HD and the Mobo "cycle down" accordingly using the implemented green technology. As a result, you can be assured that heat generation and power usage are pretty low (A key feature for any 24/7 system).

I will try to limit the number of images loaded for the NAS build, so if you need a glimpse of something specific let me know and I will see what I can do.


1Mobo_on_SidePanel
The LIAN LI PC-V354B case has the Mobo being attached to the side panel. This made it very easy to mount the Mobo. Also, reattaching the side panel to the case with the Mobo was much easier if you lay the case with the opposing side facing/on the floor. This made it much easier to insert the Mobo into the backplate as well as to rescrew the side panel to the case.

If LIAN-LI had asked me what I would personally change in the case to further expand its design... it would be the placement of the top and rear fan vents. If the front of the case faces you, I would have liked to see the top fan vent shifted about 3/4-1inch to the left. Also, have the back panel vent shift to the right about 1/2 an inch and/or down 1/4 of an inch. Any of these modifications should not change/impact any other CPU cooler mods while still leaving enough room for any type of enclosed water cooling unit. I was off by about 3/8 of an inch from fitting the H60 to the back vent perfectly. Moving the fan controller to a different location can also help. That said, I really love the case and its minimalistic look and sound design (rock-solid).

2InsideCaseTraysRemoved
I like the fact that you have such easy access to any part of the case as well as being flexible to remove all or add components as needed. The Optical drive can also be replaced with a mod for a slim fit ROM with room left over for an SSD if you needed additional space.

3MountFantoTopVent
Since I am using a 120mm x 120mm x 15mm fan I could not use the traditional fan mounting screws. Here is what I needed and easily obtained at any local hardware store. Four 6-32 x 3/8 Flat head machine screws to attach the radiator to the case from the outsite of the case. The flat-head screws will fit perfectly in the countersunk mounting holes. You have the option to use a round head. Please note not to get anything longer than 3/8 in length as this can rupture the radiator. I was able to find all my supplies at a local Lowes location. Precautionary step: I temporarily used longer screws shown in the 3MountFantoTopVent image to keep the mounting holes aligned as I mount the radiator using the shorter 3/8 screws. Once the initial 3/8 screws catches remove the longer 6-32 screws and replace with 3/8's.

4H60andFanMountedInsideCase
Here you can see the H60 unit mounted with the Xtraflo slim fan. Before attaching the H60 unit to the case, I had mounted the Fan to the radiator using 6-32 x 1inch screws which was about 2 threads too long so I used a lockwasher at each screw to reduce the difference. Attention should be paid to the two red boxes I made in the image. The Mobo sits about 5mm under the fan and at the same time the fan extends over the Mobo about 5mm. To the left red square outline there is exaclty enough room left to insert the male 4pin connector from the PSU. To the right I had to notch the slim fan about 5mm on one side of the fan so it slides over the PWM Fan Connector when connected to the Mobo. The next image below will show a close up of the modification to the fan. Also, if you look carefully to the rightside of the fan it is up against the closed latch of the RAM lane. It is not rubbing or placing pressure against the board or RAM slot but you will need to fit your RAM in first if you intend to use all the lanes.

5SmallFanMod
Here is a close up shot of the notch I made to the fan. I used a marker to draw a rough estimate of the connector location during a dry-fit. I have a Dremel tool, but I could not find it at the time. Instead I improvised by using a tiny drill bit and drilled tiny holes creating a perforated rectangle. This made it easy to snap off instead of trying to use a mini-saw or the like. Less effort too. Optional - I also used a file to smooth the edges.

6EverythingMountedInsideCase
Well for the most part this is absolutely everything in the case. Using the Semi-Modular PSU helped save on the PSU clutter. I notced in my research that most people who have a LIAN LI PC-V354B Micro ATX Case tend to have the HD Sata ports on the same side as the Mobo. This is ok if you have one or two drives and it makes for a cleaner look. But for a NAS I would suggest to have the HD ports installed similar to my configuration. The reason being its easier to access and replace drives where as the alternative would require you sliding the whole Mobo panel off and risking a loose power connections.

7EnclosedCase
System is up and running.


Additional links:
Itemized List for Silent NAS and Silent HTPC builds. You can build either of these systems for much less with different configurations... even less if you recycle components. It all depends on what you want out of your system.
View attachment SilentNAS_and_SilentHTPC_Itemized_List.xls

The CoolerMaster Xtraflo slim fan is available at the following links:
http://www.cmstore.eu/ (only a few bucks here)
http://www.moddiy.com/ (available here but it is 3x the normal cost)

Here is a all-in-one website I think is an excellent source for anyone wanting/searching for a HTPC beginners build guide.
http://mymediaexperience.com/getting-started-with-my-media-experience/

I will post my HTPC build details once I have a free sec.