Signature tool · free
Build Your Homelab
Pick a use-case and a budget; get a full build — NAS or mini-PC, drive plan with usable-TB-after-redundancy, switch, and a right-sized UPS — plus the number nobody else prints: total idle-watts and what it costs you a year. Copy the link to save or share the exact build.
Inputs
The NAS spec database
Every unit the configurator reads, sortable on any column. Tap a header to sort — idle-watts and the drive-lock flag are the two columns no rival exposes.
18 units · sorted by Idle W ↑
| Raspberry Pi 5 (8GB)mini-PC | — | 1 | — | 8 GB | — | — | Open | — | 4 W | $120 |
| Beelink EQ13 (N100)mini-PC | — | 2 | 2× | 16 GB | — | — | Open | — | 6 W | $160 |
| TerraMaster F2-212NAS | 2 | 0 | — | 1 GB | — | — | Open | 40 | 10 W | $170 |
| Asustor Flashstor 6 FS6706TNAS | 6 | 6 | 2× | 16 GB | — | — | Open | 80 | 12 W | $500 |
| Synology DS423+NAS | 4 | 2 | 2× | 6 GB | — | — | Locked | 100 | 13 W | $500 |
| UGREEN NASync DXP2800NAS | 2 | 2 | 2× | 16 GB | — | — | Open | 100 | 15 W | $400 |
| Synology DS923+NAS | 4 | 2 | — | 32 GB | ✓ | — | Locked | 100 | 15 W | $600 |
| QNAP TS-464NAS | 4 | 2 | 2× | 16 GB | — | — | Open | 120 | 18 W | $600 |
| Synology DS1522+NAS | 5 | 2 | — | 32 GB | ✓ | — | Locked | 100 | 18 W | $800 |
| Asustor Flashstor 12 Pro FS6712XNAS | 12 | 12 | 2× | 16 GB | — | ✓ | Open | 80 | 18 W | $900 |
| Aoostar WTR Promini-PC | 4 | 2 | 4× | 64 GB | — | — | Open | — | 18 W | $450 |
| Minisforum MS-01mini-PC | — | 3 | 4× | 96 GB | — | ✓ | Open | — | 18 W | $650 |
| TerraMaster F4-424 ProNAS | 4 | 2 | 4× | 32 GB | — | — | Open | 60 | 20 W | $500 |
| UGREEN NASync DXP4800 PlusNAS | 4 | 2 | 2× | 32 GB | — | ✓ | Open | 120 | 24 W | $600 |
| Synology DS1821+NAS | 8 | 2 | — | 32 GB | ✓ | — | Locked | 100 | 26 W | $1000 |
| UGREEN NASync DXP6800 ProNAS | 6 | 2 | 4× | 64 GB | — | ✓ | Open | 120 | 28 W | $1100 |
| QNAP TVS-h674NAS | 6 | 2 | 4× | 64 GB | — | — | Open | 120 | 28 W | $1300 |
| UGREEN NASync DXP8800 PlusNAS | 8 | 2 | 4× | 64 GB | — | ✓ | Open | 120 | 32 W | $1400 |
Spec values are seed estimates from manufacturer sheets and published power-draw data, for planning totals only. Verify current models and prices before you buy.
Starter builds
Four builds that cover the common homelab jobs. Open one to load it into the configurator, then tune the storage target, budget, and electricity rate to your rack.
Plex 4K Media Server
58 W idleAn iGPU that hardware-transcodes 4K without the fans spinning up — sized for a growing library.
Asustor Flashstor 6 FS6706T · 32 TB usable · ~$81/yr power
Backup Vault
51 W idleA quiet, dual-parity 3-2-1 target that survives two drive failures and idles near nothing.
Asustor Flashstor 6 FS6706T · 32 TB usable · ~$71/yr power
Self-Hosting Node
42 W idleA DIY Docker/Proxmox box for the *arr stack, Immich, and Home Assistant — RAM to grow into.
Beelink EQ13 (N100) · 12 TB usable · ~$59/yr power
First Rack
58 W idleThe buy-once starter: a real 4-bay, four drives, a managed switch, and a UPS — no regret migration.
Asustor Flashstor 6 FS6706T · 16 TB usable · ~$81/yr power
Configurator FAQ
How is the annual power cost calculated?
The configurator sums each component’s idle draw — the NAS or mini-PC at idle, plus roughly 5 watts per spinning drive, plus the switch and a little UPS overhead — into a total idle-watt figure. That runs 24/7, so annual kWh is idle-watts × 24 × 365 ÷ 1000, and annual cost is that times your electricity rate (default $0.16/kWh; check your bill). Idle is the honest number because a NAS spends almost all its life there.
Where do the specs and prices come from?
They are seed estimates drawn from manufacturer spec sheets and published power-draw data, used for planning totals only. Street prices move constantly, so live pricing always goes through the retailer at the moment you click a link. Treat the numbers as a realistic budget and power bill, not a quote — and verify the current model before you buy.
What does the "will it transcode" verdict mean?
For a media-server build, the deciding spec is whether the unit has an iGPU with QuickSync that can hardware-transcode 4K. Most libraries direct-play and never transcode, but the moment a client needs a different codec or bitrate, a CPU-only box falls over. The verdict tells you which side of that line your pick sits on, and how many 4K streams it can realistically handle.
Can I share or save my build?
Yes. The configurator encodes your inputs into the page URL as you change them, so copying the link — or bookmarking it — saves the exact build. Send it to a friend and they will see the same unit, drive plan, power numbers, and totals.
Why does the drive-lock column matter?
Some vendors enforce a first-party drive-compatibility list, so third-party drives either will not initialize or lose features. That can add hundreds to a build. The spec database exposes a drive-lock flag on every unit so you can filter it out before you commit — the migration filter no other comparison site ships.