WNYNAS

“Storage without structure is chaos.” This customer knew that all too well. Their aging Windows 7 Home server, running on three separate 4TB drives, was bursting at the seams—not just with data, but with inefficiencies. It was time for a change. They wanted a server that wasn’t just an upgrade but a leap forward.

The result? A TrueNAS powerhouse. Built with 48GB of DDR4 RAM, powered by an AMD 5600G, and equipped with a massive 40TB of new storage in a RAID-Z1 configuration. We didn’t stop there. Their existing drives? Repurposed into an additional RAID-Z1 group, ensuring no storage went to waste.

This isn’t just a new server; it’s a future-proofed data fortress designed for performance and efficiency. We even fine-tuned the BIOS to shut off desktop-centric features, saving power without sacrificing speed.

Server Specs and Highlights

Hardware Specifications

CPU: AMD 5600G
RAM: 48GB DDR4
Storage:
- 4x10TB helium drives in RAID-Z1
- 4x4TB drives in RAID-Z1
- 1x512GB NVMe drive for system and caching
Motherboard: 6 SATA ports, 2 NVMe slots
Power Supply: 850W 80 Plus Platinum
Chassis: 4U Rosewill rackmount, expandable up to 15 drives

Key Features

Massive Storage: Combined 56TB of usable storage across two RAID-Z1 groups.
Optimized for Efficiency: No dedicated GPU, reduced desktop features in BIOS for power savings.
Scalability: Room for up to 15 drives and additional NVMe slots for future expansion.
Future-Proof Design: Enough horsepower to handle demanding tasks for years to come.

The Build Process

1. Migrating the Existing Data

We started by transferring all the data from the old 3x4TB drives into the newly built 4x10TB RAID-Z1 array. This ensured no risk of data loss during the rebuild process.

Migration tools used:

TrueNAS replication tasks
Manual integrity checks post-transfer

Tip: Always verify data integrity when moving large datasets, especially when transitioning to a new storage structure.

2. Repurposing the Old Drives

Once the data was safe in the new array, we repurposed the customer’s original 3x4TB drives. We added an additional 4TB drive to create a second RAID-Z1 group, maximizing storage redundancy and reusability.

3. Fine-Tuning the System

To squeeze out every ounce of performance, we:

Disabled unnecessary desktop features in BIOS.
Enabled ECC-like RAM settings for added data reliability.
Configured TrueNAS pools with optimized block sizes for their use case.

Performance Metrics

After deployment, we ran performance tests to ensure the system was hitting its benchmarks.

Metric	Result
Sequential Write	XXX MB/s
Sequential Read	XXX MB/s
Power Usage	~40W idle, ~100W under full load

Conclusion

This build wasn’t just an upgrade; it was a transformation. By carefully balancing performance, power efficiency, and future scalability, we delivered a system that will serve this customer well for years to come.

Thinking about upgrading your own server or starting fresh with TrueNAS? Let’s talk. Whether you’re a small business, a data enthusiast, or just someone who needs reliable storage, we’re here to help.

From Windows 7 to TrueNAS: A High-Performance Server Transformation

2025/01/10