NAS chassis (for MATX motherboard + pressurized airflow cooling + pre-embedded nut design)

Given the critical importance of hard drive longevity in a NAS, and temperature being one of the key factors affecting mechanical hard drives, this NAS chassis's hard drive enclosure incorporates a pressurized airflow design. Actual tests show that even during Shenzhen's indoor summer, the temperature of continuously operating hard drives does not exceed 35 degrees Celsius.

Diagram of pre-embedded nuts:

1. M3 x 8mm 40pcs
2. M3 x 10mm 26pcs
3. M5 x 12mm 8PCS (for securing cooling fans)

1. 8CM (1~2pcs, for chassis cooling)
2. 12cm 1pcs (for hard drive cooling)

1. Flush cutters (for removing manual supports)
2. Pliers (for processing the motherboard I/O shield when it exceeds limits)

Perform the first layer edge test for plate 8 to ensure the printed square remains within the build plate boundaries. If it's outside the build plate, adjust the build plate's position and run the printer's automatic calibration program again. Repeat this step until the printed square is within the build plate.

Method for embedding nuts: The downloaded 3MF file has pre-set automatic pause points for printing. When printing reaches a pause point, you will need to manually embed the M3 hex nuts, then click 'resume printing' on the printer.

Use flush cutters to remove the supports from the main chassis body as shown in the image.

Assemble the main chassis body and hard drive enclosure body using M3 x 8mm screws.

Install the motherboard + I/O shield in sequence (Due to printing size limitations, if the I/O shield is too long, you may need to use pliers to narrow the extended portion; the image below shows the I/O shield after narrowing), the SSD bracket, and the small 1U power supply, then connect the cables. Route the hard drive cables from the holes in the chassis and hard drive enclosure to connect the hard drives. Secure the power button to the chassis cover, then connect it to the motherboard's power pins.

1. When installing only one 8cm fan, if installed at position A, the chassis will have negative pressure, providing superior cooling performance; however, dust is prone to accumulating inside the chassis, and CPU cooling is enhanced (when the motherboard's CPU is near the cooling vent)

2. When installing only one 8cm fan, if installed at position B, the chassis will have positive pressure; cooling performance is relatively inferior to the former, but dust accumulates less rapidly inside the chassis, and the SSD receives direct cooling.

   

Hard drive enclosure cooling fan installation method: Install the 12cm fan as shown in the figure, securing it to the hard drive enclosure cover using its included screws (or M5 x 12mm screws). Route the fan cable as depicted in the diagram. The fan should be oriented to blow air towards the hard drives. After installing the fan and securing the fan plate, it can be directly snapped into the hard drive enclosure without screws (snap-on quick-release design for convenient wiring).

Method for installing the hard drive tray or air guide: Use M3 x 8mm countersunk screws to secure the hard drive/air guide to the hard drive tray. The hard drive's label card can have custom text defined in the slicer software. Then, insert the hard drive tray's notch downwards into the hard drive enclosure, remove the fan section of the hard drive enclosure, and connect the hard drive cables. (Each hard drive bay in the enclosure has a reserved screw hole, allowing you to lock the hard drive with a longer M3 screw, thus preventing the hard drive from falling out due to gravity, even if oriented downwards).

After confirming proper wiring, perform a power-on test. If the test is successful, install the remaining screws to complete the assembly of this NAS chassis.

I, the author, originally intended to repurpose an old computer to build a NAS. However, since there were no suitable NAS chassis designs for MATX motherboards on model websites, I had to design this NAS chassis myself for personal use. But one day, after setting up the NAS with my old computer (i5 4590 processor), I played a 4K HDR video (Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour), and it was surprisingly laggy. Upon checking, it turned out this CPU does not support 4K HDR hardware decoding, even though it was a formidable CPU years ago. Inspired by Taylor, I did not hesitate and immediately ordered an N150 industrial motherboard!!! (The image below shows the effect of installing the N150 industrial motherboard (17*17cm)).