Development workstation
- Many cores for compiles and containers (12+ cores).
- 64 GB RAM so IDE, VMs and browsers coexist.
- Two NVMe drives: OS and a fast scratch volume.
- A mid-range GPU only if you run local AI or GPU work.
Workstations & homelabs
Beyond the gaming PC
The same builder and compatibility engine handle servers, NAS boxes and workstations. Use the guidance and the capacity planner here, then build the parts list.
Virtualization host
- Core count and RAM decide how many VMs fit; plan 2 to 4 GB per light VM.
- ECC memory where the platform supports it.
- Mirrored boot SSDs, separate datastore.
- 2.5 GbE or faster networking; consider a second NIC for management.
Home server
- Low idle power matters more than peak performance.
- Integrated graphics or a small GPU for media transcoding.
- A case with several 3.5-inch bays for growth.
- Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, Proxmox, TrueNAS) is free and well supported.
NAS
- NAS-rated drives, bought in a redundant set.
- RAIDZ2 or RAID 6 for drives above 8 TB.
- Usable capacity is well below raw: use the planner below.
- RAID is not a backup: plan an off-site or offline copy.
AI inference server
- VRAM first: one 24 GB card beats two 12 GB cards for a single large model.
- PCIe lanes and physical slots for multiple cards.
- A 1000 W or larger ATX 3.1 supply with native 16-pin cables.
- Airflow: multi-GPU rigs need front-to-back case flow.
Hybrid storage and compute
- Separate pools: NVMe mirror for VMs, HDD RAIDZ2 for bulk data.
- An HBA card once you exceed motherboard SATA ports.
- Leave a PCIe slot for a 10 GbE card.
- Document the layout; future you will thank you.
NAS capacity planner
Raw capacity is what you buy; usable capacity is what you can store. Redundancy, file system overhead and free-space reserves all take a share.
Double parity with ZFS integrity. The common choice for home NAS pools of 4 to 8 drives.
Reads scale: (n-2) x. Writes: parity.
Raw
16.0 TB
Usable
8.0 TB
Practical
5.8 TB
Survives failures
2 drives
Space efficiency
50%
Drive power (active)
24 W
Example drive cost
€ 476
- ZFS performs best with at least 20% free space; the practical figure already reserves it.
- Redundancy protects against drive failure only. It does not replace backups against deletion, ransomware, fire or theft.
Practical capacity converts decimal TB to the binary units your OS shows, then subtracts file system overhead (ZFS keeps a larger reserve).
Cases with room for drives
| Case | Boards | 3.5-inch bays | 2.5-inch | Size (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fractal Design Node 804 | Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX | 8 | 2 | 344 x 307 x 389 |
| Fractal Design Define 7 | E-ATX, ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX | 6 | 2 | 475 x 240 x 547 |
| Corsair 4000D Airflow | ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX | 2 | 2 | 453 x 230 x 466 |
| Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact | ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX | 2 | 2 | 424 x 210 x 475 |
| Fractal Design North (mesh) | ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX | 2 | 2 | 447 x 215 x 469 |
| Fractal Design Pop Air | ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX | 2 | 2 | 454 x 215 x 473 |
| Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO | E-ATX, ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX | 2 | 4 | 465 x 285 x 459 |
| Cooler Master MasterBox NR200P | Mini-ITX | 1 | 2 | 292 x 185 x 376 |
| NZXT H5 Flow (2024) | ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX | 1 | 2 | 430 x 227 x 465 |