The original post: /r/homelab by /u/NecessaryValue9095 on 2025-03-13 17:51:46.

I’m rebuilding my NAS and looking for hardware recommendations. I purchased an ABERDEEN 4U 16-bay server and want to replace the internals with something quieter, more power-efficient, and expandable. My plan is to run Unraid with no vms or containers. Those will be ran in a separate Proxmox machine.

Build Goals:

• Lots of PCIe lanes (for future JBOD expansion)
• Low power consumption
• Affordable but scalable

I’ve narrowed it down to the Supermicro X11DPL-I, an ATX dual-socket motherboard that will be a direct fit in the chassis. Unless I’m wrong, I should be able to jerry rig an ATX PSU in place of the server one.

Currently, I’m debating between these CPUs:

• Xeon Bronze 3204 (6C/1.9GHz, $15 each)
• Xeon Silver 4209T (8C/2.2GHz, $50 each)

Since this is just a NAS (running Unraid), I don’t think I need the extra cores, but would the clock speed difference be noticeable? I want to keep power draw minimal, so does it make sense to go with the Bronze, or is the Silver a better balance? Is their a better option out there?

Thanks in advance!