---
title: "bigibz1 Homelab Hardware Reference"
aliases: [bigibz1-lab, bigibz1-setup]
tags: [homelab, hardware, nas, proxmox, hba, storage]
sources: [raw/bigibz1.md]
created: 2026-04-17
updated: 2026-04-17
---

## Overview

Hardware inventory from bigibz1's personal homelab. Useful as a real-world reference for budget multi-node builds combining NAS + compute with an HBA for external storage expansion.

## Servers

| Machine | CPU | RAM | Storage | Role |
|---------|-----|-----|---------|------|
| Lenovo ThinkStation P340 SFF | Intel i7-10700 | ~80 GB DDR4 | 512 GB SSD | Primary compute — runs [[wiki/homelab/proxmox-install-setup-2025\|Proxmox VE]] |
| HP ProDesk 600 G3 Mini | Intel i5-7500T | ~16 GB RAM | 256 GB SSD | Secondary node (likely lightweight services or NAS companion) |
| TerraMaster F2-425 2-Bay NAS | Intel N150 | — | — | Dedicated NAS with 2.5GbE |

## Networking

- TerraMaster F2-425 provides 2.5GbE — a meaningful upgrade over 1GbE for local file transfers and media streaming
- Remaining network gear not listed (switches, router unspecified)

## Storage / HBA

- **LSI HBA 9300-8e** — SAS Host Bus Adapter for external storage expansion
- **SFF-8644 → 4× SATA breakout cable** — connects HBA to SATA drives
- **SATA power splitter 1→4** + power extender — powers multiple drives from a single PSU connector

### Drives

| Drive | Size | Type | Notes |
|-------|------|------|-------|
| Seagate IronWolf HDD (×2) | 8 TB each | NAS | Purpose-built NAS drives |
| HGST HDD | 4 TB | Storage | Reliable enterprise-surplus option |
| WD Blue HDD | 2 TB | Storage | Budget general storage |

**Total raw storage:** ~22 TB across 4 spinning drives

## Key Takeaways

- **HBA expansion pattern** — LSI 9300-8e lets you attach more drives than the NAS bays allow; SFF-8644 → SATA breakout is the standard cable for this
- **Two-tier compute** — P340 SFF (powerful, noisy/power-hungry) pairs with a mini PC (efficient) for a common homelab split: heavy workloads vs always-on services
- **TerraMaster F2-425** with N150 + 2.5GbE is a competitive budget NAS option as of 2025–2026
- **IronWolf for NAS bays, commodity drives for HBA-attached expansion** is a sensible tiered approach
- Total ~22 TB raw with a mix of IronWolf, HGST, and WD Blue — real-world budget build, not theoretical

## Related

- [[wiki/homelab/homelab-from-scratch-budget-build|Homelab From Scratch — Budget-First Design]]
- [[wiki/homelab/proxmox-install-setup-2025|Proxmox VE — Install & Setup]]
- [[wiki/homelab/home-server-101|Home Server 101 — Beginner Self-Hosting]]

## Sources

- `raw/bigibz1.md` — scraped from bigibz.com homelab page
