For the longest time, I’ve been eyeing an upgrade for my home server. My trusty Fractal Node 304 had served me well, but with a growing media library and an ever-expanding collection of Docker containers, its limits were being tested. I was maxed out at just 2 HDDs, 2 SSDs, and a single NVME drive. The writing was on the wall: I needed more bays.
After months of browsing and deliberation, I finally pulled the trigger on the Jonsbo N3. This compact NAS-style case, with its eight—yes, eight!—3.5" HDD bays, was the perfect solution. I managed to snag it from AliExpress on a great deal, sweetened with a coupon, and the project began.
This post is all about the hardware journey. Let's get into the nitty-gritty of the build.
The Core of the Upgrade: The Jonsbo N3 Case
The Jonsbo N3 is a really nice case. It’s sleek, compact for what it offers, and was surprisingly easy to build in. The hot-swap backplane for the drives is a welcome luxury after the tetris-like experience of the Node 304.
However, no upgrade is ever completely straightforward, and this one had its share of surprises and necessary part swaps.
The Power Supply Shuffle
My first hurdle was the PSU. My old Silverstone Strider 550W 80Plus Gold was simply too big to fit in the N3's unique compartment. The solution? I had to borrow the Corsair SF600 Platinum from my gaming PC. This small-form-factor (SFX) PSU fit perfectly, but it introduced a new problem: the cables were too short to reach the power connector for the drive backplane.
A quick order for a molex splitter cable solved that issue, providing the necessary reach and connectors to power all eight drive bays.
A Quieter Cooling Solution
I’d read online that the stock fans in the N3 can be a bit loud, which is a no-go for a server that runs 24/7. Before even starting the build, I swapped them out. I replaced them with a combination of Arctic P8 Max PWM and P9 PWM fans, all sourced from AliExpress. The difference is night and day—the server is now whisper-quiet.
Motherboard Discoveries and Necessary Expansions
My motherboard is a Gigabyte Z690I AORUS ULTRA. It’s a fantastic ITX board, but it only has four SATA ports. With a case that holds eight drives, I clearly needed an expansion card. I picked up an ASM1166-based SATA card, which gives me an additional six ports, perfectly future-proofing my storage needs.
Here’s the funniest part of the entire build: while planning this upgrade, I discovered my motherboard has a second NVME slot on the back! I’d been running this board for over a year and had no idea. It was a free storage upgrade I never knew I had. A pleasant surprise, to say the least!
CPU Cooler Upgrade
With more power and potential heat, the stock Intel cooler for my i5-12500 wasn't going to cut it anymore. I upgraded to a Noctua U9S, and it’s been fantastic—keeping temperatures low and noise levels even lower. While I was in the BIOS setting fan curves, I also took the opportunity to update the firmware from F21 to F31 for better stability and compatibility.
The GPU That Didn't Make the Cut
I had a grand plan to retire my old MSI GTX 970 and install my RTX 2080 Founders Edition. The goal was to run local LLMs and do some image generation directly on the server. Alas, the best-laid plans... The RTX 2080 was simply too long to fit in the N3's layout.
After a moment of disappointment, I decided to see it as a feature, not a bug. By sticking with the Intel iGPU for Plex transcoding and leaving the PCIe slot empty, I’m saving a significant amount on power consumption. The 2080 can stay in my gaming rig for now.
The Finished Product and What's Next
After an afternoon of cable management and troubleshooting, the build was complete. My new server is now sitting quietly, with room to grow from four drives to a potential ten (including the SSDs and NVMEs). It’s more powerful, significantly quieter, and has the storage headroom I desperately needed.
This post has covered all the hardware details, but the real magic happens in the software. I run everything on Unraid, managing a suite of Docker containers for everything from media serving and home automation to networking tools and cloud storage.
In my next post, I’ll dive into the software side of things—how I set up Unraid, my essential Docker containers, and how I manage my new, expansive storage pool. Stay tuned!
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