I gave my old PC two cheap PCIe cards, and it became more powerful than high-end pre-built NAS units

An old personal computer, once equipped with two affordable PCIe cards, transformed into a powerhouse more potent than pricey pre-built NAS units. The transformation began by stripping the Windows operating system and swapping it for a leaner Linux distribution, a common approach for repurposing old computers. However, the Linux distribution chosen should not be a typical desktop environment, but rather a streamlined OS devoid of extraneous UI elements and everyday productivity applications.

When compared to pre-built Network-Attached Systems (NAS) and their embedded processors, contemporary tower PCs with components from the past four to five years often possess significant computing power. The author, who currently utilizes a first-gen Ryzen PC for experimental NAS projects, firmly believes that recycling ATX systems into makeshift NAS servers is preferable due to their additional PCIe slots, which allow for the installation of diverse devices.