📢 Component Comparison for the Storage Server
When building a powerful and reliable storage server, it’s important to compare different options to find the best balance between price, performance, and durability. Below, we analyze alternatives to the initially selected components.
🖥️ Motherboard: ASUS TUF GAMING B650-PLUS vs. Alternatives
| Motherboard | Price 💰 | Chipset | RAM | PCIe | SATA Ports | Other Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASUS TUF GAMING B650-PLUS ✅ | €188.98 | B650 | DDR5 up to 6600MHz | PCIe 5.0 / 4.0 | 4x SATA, 3x M.2 | High durability, reinforced VRM, large heatsinks |
| MSI MAG B650 TOMAHAWK | €219.99 | B650 | DDR5 up to 6600MHz | PCIe 5.0 / 4.0 | 4x SATA, 3x M.2 | Extra USB ports, integrated WiFi 6E |
| Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX | €205.50 | B650 | DDR5 up to 6400MHz | PCIe 5.0 / 4.0 | 4x SATA, 3x M.2 | WiFi 6E, large SSD heatsinks |
🔹 Conclusion:
The ASUS TUF GAMING B650-PLUS offers good durability and compatibility with high-speed DDR5 at a lower price than others with similar features. The Gigabyte brings WiFi 6E, but it’s not essential for a wired storage server.
💾 NVMe SSD: WD Black SN770 2TB vs. Alternatives
| NVMe SSD | Price 💰 | Capacity | Read/Write Speed 📊 | Durability (TBW) | Interface |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WD Black SN770 2TB ✅ | €114.90 | 2TB | 5150MB/s – 4850MB/s | 1200TBW | PCIe 4.0 |
| Samsung 990 PRO 2TB | €159.99 | 2TB | 7450MB/s – 6900MB/s | 1200TBW | PCIe 4.0 |
| Kingston KC3000 2TB | €134.99 | 2TB | 7000MB/s – 7000MB/s | 1600TBW | PCIe 4.0 |
🔹 Conclusion:
The WD Black SN770 is the most affordable choice for a good balance between speed and price. The Samsung 990 PRO is faster, but for a server that already uses HDDs for mass storage, it’s not crucial.
📦 NAS HDD: Seagate IronWolf 8TB vs. Alternatives
| NAS HDD | Price 💰 | Capacity | RPM | Cache | Durability (MTBF) | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seagate IronWolf 8TB ✅ | €208.10 | 8TB | 7200 RPM | 256MB | 1.2M hours | Optimized for RAID and NAS |
| Western Digital Red Pro 8TB | €235.99 | 8TB | 7200 RPM | 256MB | 1.2M hours | Lower power consumption |
| Toshiba N300 8TB | €199.99 | 8TB | 7200 RPM | 256MB | 1.2M hours | Similar performance, slightly lower price |
🔹 Conclusion:
The Seagate IronWolf 8TB is reliable and designed specifically for NAS use, but the Toshiba N300 offers similar performance for a slightly lower price. However, Seagate is better optimized for RAID with a lower failure risk.
⚡ Power Supply: Mars Gaming MPB1000P vs. Alternatives
| PSU | Price 💰 | Power | Efficiency | Modular | Certification | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mars Gaming MPB1000P ✅ | €112.13 | 1000W | High | Modular | 80 Plus Gold | 10-year warranty |
| Corsair RM1000x | €159.99 | 1000W | High | Modular | 80 Plus Gold | 10-year warranty |
| Be Quiet! Straight Power 11 1000W | €189.99 | 1000W | High | Modular | 80 Plus Platinum | 10-year warranty |
🔹 Conclusion:
The Mars Gaming MPB1000P is affordable and offers good performance, but if maximum stability and efficiency are desired, the Be Quiet! model with Platinum certification is better. For a 24/7 server, it might be worth spending a bit more.
🔥 Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X vs. Alternatives
| CPU | Price 💰 | Cores / Threads | Base/Turbo Speed 🚀 | Cache | TDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X ✅ | €669 | 16C / 32T | 4.3GHz / 5.7GHz | 80MB | 170W |
| Intel Core i9-14900K | €699 | 24C / 32T | 3.2GHz / 6.0GHz | 68MB | 125W |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7900X | €429 | 12C / 24T | 4.7GHz / 5.6GHz | 76MB | 170W |
🔹 Conclusion:
The Ryzen 9 9950X offers massive raw power, but the Ryzen 9 7900X is much cheaper and delivers very close performance for a server. Intel has more cores but at higher power consumption and temperatures.
🔌 Motherboard Port Comparison: Options to Maximize Performance and Connectivity
| Motherboard Model | USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Ports | PCIe 4.0 Ports | Wi-Fi 6 | 10Gb Ethernet | Thunderbolt 4 | Price 💰 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASUS ROG Crosshair X670E Hero ✅ | 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 | 2x PCIe 4.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | €499 |
| MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK | 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 | 1x PCIe 4.0 | No | Yes | No | €169.99 |
| Gigabyte Z590 AORUS MASTER | 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 | 1x PCIe 4.0 | No | Yes | No | €329.99 |
| ASRock Z690 Steel Legend | 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 | 1x PCIe 4.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | €289.99 |
🔍 Analysis:
ASUS ROG Crosshair X670E Hero:
Justification: One of the best options for high-performance systems, ideal for video production projects. It offers 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (up to 20Gbps), PCIe 4.0, Wi-Fi 6, 10Gb Ethernet, and Thunderbolt 4 (up to 40Gbps). Perfect for heavy file transfers and live streaming.
MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK:
Justification: A very good and affordable alternative. Offers decent USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 speed and PCIe 4.0, but lacks Wi-Fi 6 and Thunderbolt 4. Good for those who want solid performance on a tighter budget.
Gigabyte Z590 AORUS MASTER:
Justification: Another powerful option with USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 and PCIe 4.0, but without Wi-Fi 6. Good Ethernet but not as many advanced features compared to ASUS or ASRock.
ASRock Z690 Steel Legend:
Justification: A very balanced choice. Offers 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, PCIe 4.0, Wi-Fi 6, and Thunderbolt 4. Ideal for content creators needing fast wireless and external device connectivity at a reasonable price.
💡 Final Conclusions about the Motherboard:
Best for maximum performance and connectivity: ASUS ROG Crosshair X670E Hero. Perfect for users who need extreme speed and expansion.
Best price-performance balance: ASRock Z690 Steel Legend. Strong performance with Wi-Fi 6 and Thunderbolt 4 at a more affordable price.
Best budget option: MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK. Solid performance for a lower price with PCIe 4.0 and 10Gb Ethernet.
🎯 Overall Conclusion
After analyzing the alternatives, the chosen configuration offers a balanced price-to-performance ratio.
There are more powerful options in some areas, but without a significant enough improvement to justify the extra cost. 🔥📦
✅ ASUS TUF B650-PLUS motherboard: Good quality at a reasonable price.
✅ WD Black SN770 2TB: Fast enough for the price.
✅ Seagate IronWolf 8TB: Perfect for NAS.
✅ Mars Gaming MPB1000P PSU: Good efficiency without overspending.
✅ AMD Ryzen 9 9950X: Maximum power for demanding processes.
If you have any questions or want more comparisons, I’m here! 💡🔥