What do you think about this offer?
That should be a good board. Same cpu as a nano pi m4. Seems like a good deal. And while it can't boot from ssd, I'm pretty sure it can boot from emmc2. The biggest problem is there is no official support from Armbian and no bullseye (omv 6.x) image in the archives - https://armbian.hosthatch.com/archive/rockpi-4b/archive/
Oh, that's a bummer! I didn't know about that. So, you wouldn't recommend it for my use case?
So, you wouldn't recommend it for my use case?
Unfortunately, no.
I thought, because it is the same CPU like the NanoPi M4, it is also supported by Armbian. Seems like my impulsive "finally want to try out SBCs for NAS" is at the wrong time and I'm just out of luck.
What other SBCs could be an option for me to use with at least 2 HDDs (most optimal with SATA and maybe later more), Gbit ethernet and enough power for my needs, without spending a fortune? (Like older models that still are capable and supported.)
I am sorry that I ask so many questions, but I am very thankful for all your answers, guys!
I thought, because it is the same CPU like the NanoPi M4, it is also supported by Armbian.
CPU is only one part. bootloader and few other things also need to be supported.
What other SBCs could be an option for me to use with at least 2 HDDs (most optimal with SATA and maybe later more), Gbit ethernet and enough power for my needs, without spending a fortune?
Not sure where you live but ameridroid has the Odroid HC4 in stock. Hardkernel seems to have them as well. I have one and it is a nice system. Pretty much limited to two drives though.
I live in Germany and here is also an online shop who has the Odroid HC4 and the N2+ in stock.
The HC4 is ready to use with 2 SATA HDDs, but lacks expandability. It probably would be great if I had 1 or 2 large capacity HDDs, which I currently lack.
The N2+ is interesting, but lacks PCIe and SATA and I couldn't find some kind of SATA hat. Also that the 4x USB 3.0 ports share one host is suboptimal.
The perfect "eierlegende Wollmilchsau", as we say in Germany for a things that checks all my needs, would be the NanoPi M4V2, but it is nowhere available in Germany, either new or used.
Maybe I have to wait some time and then attack the SBC adventure again, when more SBCs are in stock again.
The N2+ is interesting, but lacks PCIe and SATA and I couldn't find some kind of SATA hat. Also that the 4x USB 3.0 ports share one host is suboptimal.
Are you really going to be using that much disk I/O to saturate a USB3 port? The RPi4 wouldn't be much better. You could get an RPi CM4 (if you could find one) and use a sata pci-e card OR the CM4 with this https://www.axzez.com/axzez-circuit-boards
Agricola , PeteyBling, Not wanting to sound ........ (dont even know the word!) but i highly doupt that system stays under 10W, perhaps Agricola can prove me wrong.
I used to have Odroid HC4 with two 3.5" sata disks attatched, two fans, extra power supply for the disks and fans (because temperature at summer is very high and i didn't want risking the disks running at high temp all the time, both disks spinning system idle getting 27W measured at the plug.
Now i use a second hand HP ... its on my singnature!!, the same disks, the same fans, an SSD, getting 25W at idle, one hdd spinning the other idle.
i highly doupt that system stays under 10W, perhaps Agricola can prove me wrong.
I wouldn't be so sure. I ran six arm boards, one 3.5" hard drive, three SSDs, and 120mm fan on 59W - Multi-system case. Using a smaller 65W power supply and removing the 120mm fan dropped it to 49W.
Now i use a second hand HP ... its on my singnature!!, the same disks, the same fans, an SSD, getting 25W at idle, one hdd spinning the other idle.
That's remarkable. What are you measuring with? A kilowatt meter?
That's remarkable. What are you measuring with? A kilowatt meter?
Yes a kilowatt meter. Indeed its remarkable, i thought it would be much higher around 50W.
I wouldn't be so sure. I ran six arm boards, one 3.5" hard drive, three SSDs, and 120mm fan on 59W - Multi-system case. Using a smaller 65W power supply and removing the 120mm fan dropped it to 49W.
Still with that power supply, depending on how old and efficient it is, with any arm board a 3.5" hard drive and a fan can be higher than 10W.
Those 10W diference from 59 to 49 assuming it was measured at the same state of all the boards was because of the power supply alone.
Nice work btw!
That reminds me i never tried replacing the power supply i used ........ too late now 
Indeed its remarkable
Why is it surprising?
One of the great advances that the Sandy Bridge architecture brought is precisely this. When the processor is idle it reduces its multiplier and consequently its consumption in a very noticeable way. The processor in question is a Haswell, one more generation, same architecture but 22nm compared to 32nm of Sandy Bridge, so it is even more efficient.
More than 20 years ago I installed a computer next to the television in my house (HTPC), and I updated it as new technologies came out. I had it until Raspberry PI3 appeared much later to replace it next to a server away from the TV and the sofa, absolute silence at last. The challenge before was always the balance between enough power to play video while looking for contained consumption and minimal noise. When Sandy Bridge appeared on the market (before Raspberry) I installed a Core i5 2500K next to the TV. The result was idle consumption of around 30W and power to spare only with the integrated graphics card to play video with the resolution of that moment (1080p). This was a big leap compared to everything that existed until now. It only remained to install a large heatsink with a 120mm fan to escape the noise and voila.
Knowing all this, when I consider how to configure a server, which I also know will be idle most of the time, I don't worry too much about the maximum consumption, I prefer to look at the minimum consumption, which will be 90% of the time. Even when this CPU is asked to do a heavy job it will do it in less time than a slower processor, so in the end the total consumption should not be very different. Energy is neither created nor destroyed, the same work costs the same effort.
Actually we are talking about processors from 10 years ago or more. I am convinced that any modern processor will still exceed these consumptions.
The disadvantages of a complete system like this are the waste of energy in the form of heat. The plate is larger, therefore the paths are longer from one place to another. The power supply must have enough capacity for the processor at maximum power, therefore when the processor is idle we have an oversized supply that will not be as efficient at that time. There are sound systems etc that need to be powered. Etc. But in the end all this can mean... 5W more? 10 maybe?
You can adjust that little extra consumption by configuring a low consumption board and CPU, ARM or whatever, but I really think it's an unnecessary headache for the difference in final consumption. If you have fun doing it go ahead, this should be fun. But if it is to save on the electricity bill, you only have to do the calculation to realize that it does not make sense.
Just checked in the basement, I am using 116 Watts for
Not too bad.
Anyone aware of an ARM platform they can support a large number (8+) of SATA connections, or do I need to be looking at x86 for that many drives?
If the latter, any recommendations on a low power x86 board?
Anyone aware of an ARM platform they can support a large number (8+) of SATA connections, or do I need to be looking at x86 for that many drives?
I don’t think so.
Only platform that could do that would be the one that support pcie cards, so that you can add 4xN sata ports onto it. But i wouldn't do that on ARM.
I have a five port sata card on my CM4 with rpi io breakout board. Works well. Testing axzez interceptor with five ports as well. rockpro 64 can use a pcie card but I haven't tried a card that can support more than five ports. But I agree that you are getting to the point where typical SBC arm boards are not meant for this.
Are there somewhere some bandwidth benchmarks already done ? I'm interested to know how those little boards can work with Gigabits LAN + USB HDD attached to them.
Are there somewhere some bandwidth benchmarks already done ? I'm interested to know how those little boards can work with Gigabits LAN + USB HDD attached to them.
Can't provide any benchmark but can say that it's capable of saturate the LAN easy.
Just make sure that you're using a proper USB-to-SATA controller/box and not just a portable drive or a alienexpress s**t thinggy.
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