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Looking for advice for media server storage expansion (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) by priapus@sh.itjust.works to c/selfhosted@lemmy.world
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I currently have a pretty simple media server. It runs on a desktop made of old parts and has 4 6 TB drives in a raidz1 array. It is used by a lot of friends who add a lot of media, so its been nearly at capacity for a while. The desktop has no more open SATA ports or drive enclosures, so I'm not sure what the best option for adding more drives is.

I know the most obvious answer is buying NAS, but I think it might be a little complex for what I need, because no other devices need any access to this storage. I was considering purchasing a DAS, as it seems like a simple option, but I've seen many people say its not worth purchasing a DAS over a NAS. Any opinions would be appreciated.

Edit: Thanks for the suggestions! I'm likely going to go with a new case for some extra drive bays and a PCI-E SAS controller, this seems like the best option for the simplicity and price!

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[-] terraborra@lemmy.nz 7 points 6 days ago

I have the Silverstone GD-08 case that can fit 12 hard drives. It’s an inexpensive solution for a dedicated htpc/media server. Even managed to fit in an RX 6600 so my wife can play low spec games on the tv.

Then all you need is a pcie expansion card as others suggested.

[-] priapus@sh.itjust.works 1 points 6 days ago

That's a great suggestion, thank you! I looked at a few cases with more drive space but didn't see any this inexpensive.

[-] CmdrShepard42@lemm.ee 1 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

I use a Fractal Design Define R6 but their newer model is around the same price (it actually appears to be $60 cheaper than the Silverstone case on NewEgg) and can hold the same number of drives. They're solid cases.

https://www.fractal-design.com/products/cases/define/define-7/

For your lack of SATA ports, you can either buy a new mobo (use PCPartPicker and filter by SATA ports) or an LSI SAS HBA card to gain additional SATA ports.

[-] priapus@sh.itjust.works 1 points 5 days ago

I didn't know that case could fit that many drives! I'm a fan of Fractal Designs cases, have used and recommended them for a few gaming PCs before. Thanks for the recommendation!

[-] CmdrShepard42@lemm.ee 1 points 4 days ago

Yeah it only comes with 6 trays, so you'll need to order more, but you can fill out the entire front section with drives.

this post was submitted on 01 Jan 2025
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