The original post: /r/homelab by /u/Ok_Spread2829 on 2024-12-29 08:19:00.

Hey everyone! I’m looking to piece together a quiet (or as close to silent as possible) rack-mount storage array for my homelab. My main goal is to have around 16 TB of usable space in RAID5 while keeping costs down.

I have two potential “brains” to run it:

  • An M1 Mac mini on macOS, or
  • A 2015 Mac mini running Fedora.

I’m leaning toward a JBOD enclosure + software RAID to keep the budget in check. I’d also like to 3D print a custom rack mount for it, but I’m open to other ideas. Noise is definitely a concern, so I’m curious if anyone has modded JBOD enclosures, swapped fans, or done any creative dampening to cut down on vibrations.

Requirements / Constraints

  • 16 TB usable (thinking 4×6 TB or 5×4 TB).
  • RAID5 (open to mdadm, ZFS, or SoftRAID on macOS).
  • Rack-mounted (planning to 3D print brackets, but off-the-shelf solutions are cool too).
  • Noise minimization (quiet fans, drive choice, etc.).
  • Budget-friendly (trying not to break the bank here).

Questions

  1. Any JBOD enclosure recommendations?
  2. Hardware vs. software RAID?
  3. Drive picks for lower noise? (Open to SSD if there are reliable ones for cheap)
  4. 3D printing or shelf-based rack mount tips?
  5. Any alternative approach?

Looking forward to hearing your experiences and suggestions!