Editing Introduction to a Self Managed Life: a 13 hour & 28 minute presentation by FUTO software (section)

==== Being silly: adding eight 3.5” enterprise class hard drives to the Asustor Flashstor mini-pc. ====

Let’s say you chose to use this device as a server down the line. It only has NVMe slots for solid state drives. 24 terabytes of flash storage might be too little for you. If you want to use hard drives with it, you can’t plug desktop drives directly into it; but that doesn’t mean you can’t try. :)

You can actually add eight 3.5” desktop hard drives to an asustor flashstor if you bought one with a '''USB-C 4.0 port'''. If you’re looking to expand beyond NVMe, the higher end models with USB-C ports allow this. If you wanted to go crazy, you could get the following hardware. To be clear, this is ridiculous &amp; not recommended; but there’s something fun about doing ridiculous things. The lengths I have gone through to make use of hardware I already own are great, and I feel compelled to share some of what is possible with you.

* '''USB-C to PCI Express Card enclosure''': [https://www.startech.com/en-us/usb-hubs/2tbt3-pcie-enclosure This unit] allows you to plug a desktop PCI Express card slot into a computer that has a USB-C port. This is needed since the flashstor has no PCI Express card slots fit for desktop PCI Express cards. You might have to cut a hole in it for the SATA cables to come out of.
* '''PCI Express Serial ATA card:''' [https://www.ebay.com/itm/235464441248?_skw=Intel+RS3WC080&itmmeta=01JE2DYJ39X6E1NKT2GP1AS8V9&hash=item36d2c63da0:g:CCUAAOSwV-pmX3xi&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA8HoV3kP08IDx%2BKZ9MfhVJKkYGG99u%2FPOyPVfli1VueephfY%2BGqf7itGPMgXK9xShe8TO%2F13dLnEVBooi09dW9ucYYBmmKuUWb%2Bklu5F7ZOnOqT4ElYFOD5WYW%2BEopRsmt5d%2FkPeRRw017E%2BNG9Vw314EAe2bRQy6uCoaUvPIN8kyPH9KL4MntdQwmCFrwfF5uxIhLfnNUaA9I7KetS1rB%2BFQD9R2XPt0jqfIoa6Zm5MMxsDO1uvhf7Pj1CpfOr4sI6KcjRjJGboW3btGqsWtVMbkzNJJ6gIge4pvstvwwIwf3U8WSiTkw1aDplebZRVtYQ%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR9yh-s3wZA This] lets you plug in another 8 serial ATA desktop hard drives.
* '''Mini SAS to SATA cable, SFF-8643:''' An [https://store.supermicro.com/us_en/supermicro-minisas-hd-to-4-sata-30-60-70-70cm-cable-cbl-sast-0704.html SFF-8643 adapter cable] goes between your PCI Express SATA card and your eight hard drives. You would need two.
* '''Power Splitter''': Needed for powering multiple drives, something like the [https://www.startech.com/en-us/cables/pyo4sata startech SATA power splitter].
* '''SATA drive power supply:''' You’d now need to power those SATA drives.
** Something like [https://www.amazon.com/Warmstor-Adapter-Computer-Connector-Converter/dp/B076WZ1N4K/ref=sr_1_1?crid=37QM5VOFZAM1Q&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.at93EUUqXo4LGsFjaIg29R-3dDWigqy5MVKmMfIc25yVZWtMqLDzaSH-DHMJYveHuMrs1bMeVSNTqIfDEcuR4zNnfmb44SYNvSe9ZIwYayzkeF5ujjqWWJoOQUxT8etauoS_V66crJBIkf0DITtJN6fJdcnduzoipt7rnRagWy14VBViEpoWeBAO0Fyfht6AfmB3Xn6ymUIyFiie2_j5yQOP5wGBtK2ng7o6GjnRfvY.7fqScExFcxLobhy3oP0mk34glrLTeHSzt46MPMK8Ro4&dib_tag=se&keywords=Sata+Power+Supply&qid=1733101321&sprefix=sata+power+supply%2Caps%2C281&sr=8-1 this] could power 2 drives at a time.
** Any PC power supply that can do over 10 amps on the 12 volt rail would suffice for eight 3.5” enterprise class serial ATA hard drives, but you see why this is getting silly.
** Either you are going to have to do some research to find a sleek looking power supply that does 10 amps at 12 volts to reliably power eight 3.5” enterprise class hard drives, OR:
** Short the green PS_ON wire on a desktop PC power supply to the black wire with a paperclip to turn it on. Desktop PC power supplies only turn on when they are plugged into a desktop computer, and this would only be plugged into the drives.

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