****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I had never built my own system before, limiting myself to minor upgrades and fixes to components like memory, drives, etc., and was a little intimidated by the whole thing. However, when I finally "cut the cord" and decided to create a Plex server, I soon realized that I'd have a hard time finding an off-the-shelf system with the expansion capabilities I needed for my fairly substantial (and growing) library that I prefer not to run through HandBrake. After all, I bought mostly Blu-Ray (including some 4K/UHD) disks specifically for the image quality, and storage space is reasonably affordable, so why degrade the video quality? My research led me to conclude that the two most important components in this equation were the case and the motherboard (for SATA connections), and fortunately for me, all this happened just as the Jonsbo N5 was being released.To make a long story short, I bought this case and am glad I did. Despite my lack of experience, I think the ample room inside not only supports future expansion but made it easier for this novice to connect everything. My only complaint was that of the ten standoff screw holes I used to mount my motherboard, one was poorly drilled, and I used to use pliers to force the standoff into it. Otherwise, it was smooth sailing, and my system is now working fine with plenty of HDD upgrade potential.For reference, the other components I picked were:- Motherboard: ASRock Z790 Steel Legend WiFi ATX LGA1700 Motherboard- CPU: Intel Core i9-12900K- Cooler: Noctua NH-D15- Boot drive: WD_BLACK 2TB SN7100 NVMe Internal Gaming SSD- Memory: CORSAIR VENGEANCE DDR5 RAM 64GB (2x32GB) 6000MHz CL30- PSU: CORSAIR RM1000x Fully Modular Low-Noise ATX Power Supply- HDDs: Western Digital 20TB WD Red ProI skipped the GPU because the i9-12900K should be able to handle my transcoding needs and because, well, in my opinion, GPUs are overpriced. Also, I went with 12th-generation Intel after reading about the voltage issues in the newer ones, though the 12th has its own issues, which is a good segue into mentioning a couple of technically optional (but recommended) other components:- Thermalright CPU Contact Frame for LGA 1700- APC UPS Battery Backup and Surge Protector, 600VA/300 Watts Backup Battery Power Supply, BE600M1You can do the math: this isn't a cheap system, and some of the components (e.g., the cooler) may be overkill, but at least, for example, I don't have to worry my system isn't being cooled enough. A couple of other things I should mention are:1. The second (optional/external) fan on the Noctua NH-D15 can't be installed with this configuration, at least not if you have the fans blowing towards the rear, but that's a motherboard RAM placement issue unrelated to the Jonsbo N5 case.2. Another reviewer said using the RM1000x prevents you from also using the N5's removable four-drive cage, but that's only true of the older and deeper/longer (2021) RM1000x model. If you get the newer (2024) model, it's a shorter 160mm in depth/length, and I can confirm from personal experience doesn't prevent you from also having the 4-bay cage installed.As you can see, most of my comments here weren't about the Jonsbo N5 at all, and that's a good thing: it worked like it was supposed to and seems to be a good option for my needs. It isn't cheap, but as with most things, you get what you pay for.
