I was thinking on buying a 2-4 bay HDD powered enclosure as a NAS for my mini pc, since I already have that, and buying or building a full-fledged diy NAS seems a bit expensive.

I want to hear some opinions from you guys, since it seems using this method is a mixed area from the selfhosted pros. I would be hoping that by using a powered enclosure, that would alleviate or solve the USB port overcharging issue, which have appeared in my mini pc when trying out an external HDD with a normal sata to usb converter.

Did you have any experiences with a setup like this one?

  • Uninvited GuestEnglish
    2•1 month ago

    Thanks for the reply! I have a couple USB 3.0 2-drive docks that just sit out in the open - consolidating in to a single, enclosed unit with a fan would be nice (since mine or open, you really hear the HD spin up/click when accessing it).

    What do you use to adjust your drives’ spin down? hdparm? hd-idle? I have one drive that is constantly spinning/accessed so the thermal concerns with the unit do weigh on me.

    • fmstratEnglish
      3•1 month ago

      Oh man it’s been a while, but I think I used hdparm. They basically show up as individual USB drives and were SMART capable.

      The DAS is disconnected now for a road test (this system will eventually live in a van), but once I reconnect it I could check if you would like.

        • fmstratEnglish
          2•24 days ago

          So see my other comment on the heat above, but smartctl and hdparm both work great with it. For this warm room I’ve stuck a fan in front and temps stay below 40C so far.