I have an old Alienware r8 and several 2-4 TB HDDs gathering dust in a closet. The Alienware actually runs remarkably quiet and it occurred to me I could turn it into a DIY NAS.
I’m not entirely sure where to start though. Some immediate questions:
- What’s a good NAS OS to install?
- Any fun things I can do besides plex transcoding with a 1080 GPU?
- Would it make sense to run a Pixelfed/Mastodon server off this guy?
- Can I run a RAID on it without buying a separate HDD bay?
Background:
I already have a Synology NAS running Plex. It transcodes 1080p fine which is really all I need it for.
Other than a Plex port forward, I have zero experience putting services out on the public web (but would like to learn!).
1·4 hours ago- I like Unraid myself. It has some handy features, like being able to simulate the data on failed drives until you can bring the system down to replace them.
- Install the Servarr apps and set them up according to the TRaSH guides.
- Sure, why wouldn’t it? It’s more than capable of handling it.
- IDK, I use Unraid, so my system isn’t a traditional RAID, hence the name.