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I'm not really sure why everyone insists on making a super powered NAS server.

I just built one this weekend using FreeNAS on an old P4 Processor w/2GB of RAM that's PLENTY fast..

I'm streaming 1080p movies off it over wireless and it's smooth as silk.

Unless you are working with really heavy file loads, a 'modern' computer running FreeNAS is a waste of resources.

My whole reason for using FreeNAS was to be able to hodge-podge a NAS server together from old obsolete parts.. Take my giant desktop system, shove the 8 Hard Drives into the FreeNAS box, and run my desktop in a Micro-ITX footprint with SSD.... and still have easy access to the files on the FreeNAS server shoved away in a quiet corner.

You are going to be limited by the network cable plugged into the back of it anyway.. Even if you have a gigabit network setup.. that's only ~120MB/s that can be shoved through it.

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