Using mechanical drives I could have gone even higher with 8TB and 10TB models readily available. If money was no object, I could have easily used 4 of these SSD's, or opted for the newest 4TB models, which could have potentially given me a whopping 16TB of SSD capacity. These SSD’s also give me the performance I want when running virtual machines over the network. 4TB total space was ideal for my needs I currently have around 1.5TB of data on there, so plenty of room for future needs.

In respect of the NAS part of my system, I opted for 2 x 2TB SSD’s from Samsung. With the capacities available in modern hard drives, it means you can have tons of extra storage available, without having to cram it all into your existing desktop computer. There are many commercial ones available from companies such as Synology, QNap, Western Digital, and with those you simply buy one or more hard drives, add them to the NAS unit, then plug it in to your existing setup. Its a bit like having another computer connected, except that it doesn't usually have its own screen, keyboard or mouse and this is what the term 'headless' refers to. It is typically large capacity storage and as the name suggests, is connected over the network. The build uses standard desktop hardware, and I have splashed the cash a little on some SSD’s.įor anybody who hasn't looked at NAS before or knows much about it, it stands for Network Attached Storage. We don’t see many builds that are used for NAS or server purposes this is my take on that exact purpose. This build is less about the hardware and more about how I setup and use the system for its intended role. There are 2 headless adapters listed above the 1080p model is the recommended option unless you already run a 4K screen. Note : There is no monitor, keyboard or mouse associated with this build since it runs headless. G.Skill Ripjaws Series (2x8GB) F3-2133C9D-16GXH 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM PC3-17066 (2133)ĭell DW1510 Wireless Network Adapter AGN (Broadcom 4322 Chipset)

HP NC360T Dual Port Giagbit Ethernet LAN CardĬompulab fit-Headless 4K HDMI Headless AdapterĪlternative 1080p Version Headless Adapter

Building a CustoMac Hackintosh: Buyer's Guide

Compulab display emulator mac pro