Network Attached Storage (NAS) has become increasingly popular, allowing individuals belonging to smaller businesses to store and access their data remotely. It also starts the debate of choosing the best NAS OS for your NAS system. Given the ever-increasing data requirements of gamers and people from all walks of life, people need a place where they have guaranteed safety and quick accessibility of data. While many companies offer pre-built NAS machines, a NAS using an old gaming PC is a better option for most. This article will discuss the top 6 NAS OS that can be used on an old gaming PC-turned-NAS machine.
Table of Contents
TrueNAS (Previously known as FreeNAS)
TrueNAS is an open-source operating system based on FreeBSD. It’s known for its simplicity and ease of use, making it a popular choice for beginners. With TrueNAS, users can set up their NAS with minimal effort and start storing and accessing their data right away. TrueNAS also includes a robust set of features such as file sharing, encryption, and backup, making it an excellent choice for businesses and individuals alike.
OpenMediaVault
OpenMediaVault is another open-source NAS operating system that’s based on Debian Linux. It’s designed to be user-friendly, with a web-based interface that allows users to manage their NAS without having to use the command line. OpenMediaVault supports a wide range of file systems, including NTFS, FAT32, and EXT4, and also includes features such as RAID, SMB/CIFS, and NFS sharing.
Rockstor
Rockstor is a Linux-based NAS OS that’s known for its robust features and easy-to-use web interface. With Rockstor, users can set up their NAS in minutes and start sharing files with their network right away. Rockstor supports a wide range of file systems and features, including BTRFS and RAID, making it an excellent choice for businesses and individuals who need a reliable and secure NAS.
XigmaNAS
XigmaNAS is an open-source operating system based on FreeBSD. It’s known for its stability and security, making it an excellent choice for businesses and individuals who need a reliable and secure NAS. A fun Wikipedia fact, XigmaNas is the result of the continuation of the original code for the FreeNAS (now TrueNAS OS). XigmaNAS includes somewhat similar features to TrueNAS, such as file sharing, encryption, and backup, as well as support for a wide range of file systems and RAID levels.
Unraid OS
Unraid OS is a unique NAS operating system that allows users to build a custom NAS with any combination of hard drives and SSDs. It’s known for its flexibility and scalability, making it an excellent choice for users who want to create a custom NAS that fits their specific needs. Unraid OS includes features such as Docker and VM support, which allows users to run additional applications on their NAS. The robust support for various NAS applications is primarily the reason why Unraid OS is a paid NAS OS. Nonetheless, it has a one-time fee which is affordable for most people who can afford to set up a NAS system with an old gaming PC.
Conclusion
In conclusion, many NAS OS can be used on an old gaming PC to create a powerful and reliable NAS machine. Each of the six NAS OS discussed in this article has its unique set of features and benefits, making them suitable for different use cases. Ultimately, the choice of the NAS operating system will depend on the user’s specific needs and requirements.
Hey! This was our second part on the blog series on using an old and old gaming PC as a NAS, where we discussed abou NAS OSes. If you like our work, check out our latest posts as well :).