Can you swap motherboards and CPU's on a already built NAS?

TrueNAS General
1

So the question is:
If I build a NAS on my old rig can I swap it to a new rig and keep the nas or do I need to start all over and build a new nas?

So I was thinking of using my old I7 7700k and my Maximus Formula 9 to build a nas using 2 M.2 drives on a 4 lane pcie card.

Afterwards:

I would swap it to my newer motherboard a Z690 hero and use the same nas, like the operating system is saved on the m.2 so why wouldn’t it work if I put them all on a 4 lane pcie card?

The only reason I’m not using the Z690 hero right away is I don’t have a spare CPU and the 1700 socket CPUS are still quite pricey.

2

Sure. The only possible issue is that the new motherbooard might have different network hardware than the old, which might mean you’d need to redo your network configuration.

3

So, I would be able to keep all the data though right?

4

Of course.

5

Awesome thanks for the help! One last question! Can you use usb 3.1 for data transfer, or is it too slow? It says 10g transfer speeds.

6

Thanks for you reply earlier, I’m going to grab dinner and check back later. :slight_smile:

7

Generally best not to–best to transfer data to the NAS over the network.

8

Network, you mean using a Ethernet card?

Something like this?

NETELY PCIE X8 to 2X 10GbE Network Adapter, 2X 10Gbps RJ45 Ports, PCIE X8 Lane, Intel X540-AT2 Converged Ethernet Controller, 10GbE PCIE NIC Adapter for Windows and Linux Desktop PCs (X540T2)

9

Yes the onboard Network interface or you get a dedicated card (which probably isn’t needed if you’re not going for higher speeds).

The clients that are connecting also need a 10G card then, Intel X520 is a good starting point.

NAS = Network Attached Storage :wink:

If you plan your future upgrade you may want to rethink upgrading to consumer hardware though, best to go with used server hardware as the next step.

10

Would the onboard network interface be using the pre existing ethernet connection through the modem? So if both the computer and the NAS are connected to the same modem you can transfer data without having to use a dedicated card?

It’s just for me personally. I just want to store all my games on it, photos and game asset files for my game I’m working on.

Also that’s true about the NAS= Network Attached Storage. I have one currently, but it’s like 8 or 10 years old at this point and I figured I would make a back up NAS before it dies since it’s a Drobo and they don’t really make them anymore. It’s pretty slow too, goes from anywhere from 0kbytes to 150mb, usually on average 60. But it transfers though usb 3.0

11

If you mean a router or switch by modem, then yes.

You would connect your NAS to your network and then other devices on the network can access its shares.

If you had a direct USB connection before, you could purchase two 10G cards and setup a direct connection between your main machine and NAS additionally to the ethernet connection used for internet access.