{
  "id": 16644970,
  "title": "I turned my old laptop into a NAS, and its built-in battery replaced a UPS I never had to buy",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/i-turned-my-old-laptop-into-a-nas-and-its-built-in-battery-replaced-a",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-26T18:31:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "XDA Developers",
    "slug": "xda-developers",
    "url": "https://www.xda-developers.com/old-laptop-nas-battery-replaced-ups/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The author decided to turn their old laptop into a NAS instead of purchasing a new NAS with a built-in battery. The author's storage needs were modest, and the compact all-flash NAS system they settled on only had two drives installed. The author believed that using a UPS would be unnecessary because the NAS didn't consume much power, especially when idle.\n\nThe laptop, specifically a Ryzen 5 4500U processor, drew between 3.2W and 8.7W during idle. When handling low-to-medium workloads, the power consumption reached around 12W. With the 46Wh battery, the laptop NAS could provide approximately 3.5 hours of runtime in non-demanding situations. If more runtime was needed, a power bank could be connected.\n\nApart from providing backup power, the laptop's built-in battery also prevented file system issues and corrupted files after power outages. The author noted that monitoring the battery status in Linux was straightforward, using data from interfaces like /sys/class/power_supply/. They also mentioned the ability to trigger a script when the battery percentage dropped to around 15%, which could safely stop services, complete pending file operations, unmount filesystems, and shut down the system.\n\nThe author preferred converting their old laptop into a NAS rather than buying a dedicated NAS with a built-in battery for several reasons. Their storage needs were modest, and the workload on the system didn't strain the built-in battery significantly. However, they acknowledged that longer runtimes might require a power bank, and for extended power outages, a UPS with a suitably sized battery would be more suitable. The author ultimately concluded that buying a separate UPS would add cost and clutter without offering enough practical benefit for their particular setup.",
  "summary": "An old laptop makes a surprisingly good NAS, especially when the power goes out.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}