Is this the perfect Mini NAS?

I'm mini-fying my entire Homelab, but shrinking my NAS has been a problem.

Is the 4-bay NucBox G9 the perfect choice? It fits in 1U, has 4 M.2 NVMe SSD slots, an Intel N150 CPU, and dual 2.5 Gbps networking. The specs seem like they'll do great, but the proof is in the pudding...

Some of the things I mentioned (some links are affiliate links):

- Geekbench test results:

Contents:

00:00 - The need for mini
01:02 - NucBox G9 overview
01:52 - Quick teardown
02:52 - A quick boot into... Windows?
03:39 - Ah, Linux
04:16 - 4x NVMe SSD install
04:58 - Hot hot hot
05:51 - Drive and network benchmarking
06:30 - Uh oh
07:43 - Oh no
08:09 - One drive works
08:23 - Trying other SSDs
09:05 - One more trick, toaster mode!
09:57 - The perfect Mini NAS?

[Gueleric]

Well, you can definitly tell GMKtec didn't have a say in the making of this video 😂

[hackbustersminecraft]

I feel like the not following USB C standards part is not ok in the slightest. One day someone WILL try to plug it into their device and fry it. It's pretty much the same as pumping 19V through a microusb or minusb or literally any other USB port as the type C PD spec is only an addon.
And I feel that manufacturers arent called out on this enough. While technically it would be your fault for not reading the spec on the PSU, the manufacturer could've just used a standard barrel jack, which is perfect for this and has existed for ages. There's no excuse to put a USB C port on a charger that doesnt adhere to the spec at all and is worse for wear mechanically.

Rant over

[NathanBudd]

Most channels, when I hear "COMPANY X sent this to me for free..." I'll switch off.

The respect that Jeff has built up over the years calling a spade a spade means that I'm watching whether he bought it, was sent it free or won it in a box of cereal!

[JeffGeerling]

*UPDATE* – I tested a few of the mods you have helpfully suggested in the comments. Removing the bottom plate, installing 4x NVMe heatsinks, adding a _120mm Noctua fan_ blowing directly across all the NVMe drives, sealing the gap between the top and bottom side of the motherboard—even reducing power limits further in the BIOS!


So even with those mods, I'd be weary of using the G9 long-term. I fear there may be a power limit issue when running four modest-power NVMe drives. Maybe there are some other NVMe SSDs that don't need as much power, but I'm already a few hundred bucks into this experiment. I don't want to have to deeply modify my NAS just to get it to meet my minimum expectations!

[NatePerdomo]

YouTubers have an incentive to say positive things about products, even if the product was sent for free and no money was exchanged for the review. Whether they say so or not, a positive review means that brands are more likely to send products in the future. That means more content, more tech, and ultimately more money for the channel. It's honestly refreshing to see a genuine review like this. It's not scathing, and it's definitely not a puff piece. It's just a guy trying to use a computer the way he wants and documenting the issues he encounters along the way.

[fatenevermore]

I've had the same unit for a couple weeks now running with 2 SSDs in it. I ended up putting heatsinks on the SSDs, putting new thermal paste on the CPU, and putting Ubuntu into Power Saving mode. More work than I'd like to put into an off the shelf device, but it's been rock solid ever since.

[ironlungx]

I'm so glad you have proper subtitles on your videos. one of the best YouTubers!

[_syedmx]

6:36 Hawk TUI, Never heard of that utility lol :D

[AliHaider]

thank you so much for clearing the doubts I had. I am also on a hunt of a decent miniNAS setup.

[ntnwwnet]

Betteridge's law of headlines (and youtube titles): "Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no."

This video is no exception. 😂

[silverismoney]

I got one of these about a month ago, I found all the same issues you did too. I run ZFS and proxmox on mine and I found it rebooting, getting too hot etc. My solution was to take the plastic cover off, turn the unit upside down, put heatsinks on the NVMes and then put a 60mm USB powered fan sitting atop the NVMEs and blowing air down on to them. My temps are down to 30-40C range (They're a mixture of Crucial and WD ones) and I've not had any problem since doing that. I'm happy with what I paid for it, and the best part was I had all the NVMe's already just in little USB-C caddies.

[SonicManEXE]

I am on the hunt for a small, power-efficient NAS. I bought this right when it came out and immediately returned it. I was also having freezing issues and the heat made me so concerned. I don’t have the expertise to set up benchmarking like Jeff does, but the physical heat by touching the case alone was enough to get me to return it instantly. Why should I trust this thing with all my data if it gets this hot? Sorry mini PC enthusiasts, this is not it.

[lilsmithers]

This a dream product if they got the cooling right.

Looking forward to the day you succeed with the mini nas Jeff. It's exactly what I want to.

[UNgineering]

4 NVMe slots is great, until you start buying quality 4tb ssd's, then your wallet goes "hol up"

[rmcbryde]

This is the NucBox G9 review I've been waiting for! Thanks for confirming my suspicions about this thing being too good to be true.

[sylvifisthaug]

I absolutely love the disclaimer at 0:53 . It's short, consise, well-written and most importantly relays that information in a bit more detail, just to strengthen your integrity for the review.

[bullybeef]

Man, this honest review of a product that was sent to you for free just earned you my subscription. Gonna be tuned in here for when you do find the perfect mini nas. I’m going to be looking for one in the future

[rbarriae]

Honesty, that's what is most appreciated in a youtuber. Thanks for your time Jeff. Greetings from southern Chile!

[RogierYou]

Needs a metal plate with cooling ribs designed in a way that the SSD’s connect to the plate with thermal paste.

[AlphaLibre]

I liked your critique. It seemed very thorough and should allow for them to understand where they are make improvements for future builds. You didn't try to hide anything and you weren't insulting. It was nice to watch.