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[Solved] Advice Needed: Dell Zx0 vs HP Mini PC Thin Client t510 as Budget NAS Server with External SSD

Crossbow 14487 23
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Which low-cost used thin client is a better choice for a home NAS with an external SSD over USB, and are there better budget alternatives?

The Dell Zx0 is the better choice than the HP T510 for a budget NAS, mainly because it has 2× USB 3.0, 1Gbps Ethernet, and can even take an internal SATA drive, while the T510 is more limited [#19009319] A USB SSD will work, but one reply warned that USB 2.0 becomes the bottleneck, with throughput around 40 MB/s, so it is not the best setup if speed matters [#19009255] Several replies also noted that RAM matters for serving multiple clients and that a simple NAS can be built on a thin client or a Raspberry Pi [#19009266] If you are open to alternatives, people suggested a Raspberry Pi 4 or 3, Odroid HC2/HC4, and the HP T5740 as a very cheap option with native SATA for one drive; the T610 was suggested if you want more drives and USB 3.0 [#19010287][#19013948]
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  • #1 19008222
    Crossbow
    Level 10  
    Posts: 59
    Rate: 1
    I am asking for advice. I would like to have a NAS server at home. I thought that I would do it on the basis of a terminal to which an external SSD drive would be connected via USB. As it is supposed to be a budget project, I want to buy a used terminal from one of the well-known Polish auction sites :-) As I don't want to spend more than PLN 100 on such a terminal (unless you convince me), I found two offers:
    The first offer is Dell Zx0 2x1.6 16GB SSD 4GB RAM Terminal for PLN 95
    2nd offer is HP MINI PC Thin Client Terminal t510 2GB 16GB for 82 PLN
    I am asking for advice, which one to buy? Possibly what instead of them? Is it profitable to add a few zlotys to Dell, which has more RAM or HP? Thanks in advance for any answers and help.
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  • #2 19009237
    sosarek

    Level 43  
    Posts: 83875
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    Crossbow wrote:
    an external SSD drive will be connected via USB

    This is a rather bad idea.
    Company Account:
    Z
    Pka, Poznań, 60-850
    Helpful post? Buy me a coffee.
  • #3 19009243
    Crossbow
    Level 10  
    Posts: 59
    Rate: 1
    Why? And what do you suggest in return for another? Keeping in mind that it would be a low cost.
  • #4 19009255
    badboy84
    Level 43  
    Posts: 8749
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    So what if you plug the SSD drive as it will be limited by USB 2.0? Transfer at the level of 40 a few MB, although cheaper NAS servers do not achieve much better results. You can let the SSD drive go in this case. Even disk drives can clog a gigabit network.
  • #5 19009266
    rapper3d
    Level 20  
    Posts: 546
    Help: 18
    Rate: 47
    You counted how much current the terminal will take and how much can a dedicated NAS with fast SATA 3.0 take, where such a disk will be much more efficient. The amount of RAM is important so that more machines can use the NAS at the same time, including 1Gbps ethernet. You can also do with raspberry. Raspberyy pi 3 you can already buy something for this price, you have a lot of Rpi file servers on the net. Maybe I don't know myself, but it will be faster and not so expensive at all.
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  • #6 19009267
    Crossbow
    Level 10  
    Posts: 59
    Rate: 1
    Do you see any other better and inexpensive option?

    Added after 5 [minutes]:

    The Raspberry pi is definitely an option worth considering. I am inclined to take it into account. Do you think it will actually be faster and less power-hungry?
  • #7 19009295
    xury
    Automation specialist  
    Posts: 7072
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    I have a Thin T550 on the HP. The peak power does not exceed 30W.
    The terminal has one IDE44 and one Sata. I have two disk drives attached. If you were to use SSD, the power consumed would decrease even more. Debian my services on it. You can use ready-made Openmediavault, which is also on Debian. You can also use RPi and the power consumed will decrease even more. The most important thing is the amount of RAM.
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  • #8 19009304
    sat2
    Level 15  
    Posts: 99
    Help: 10
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    Banana Pi M2U will be better than Raspberry. It has SATA.

    Link
  • #9 19009313
    badboy84
    Level 43  
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    No, it won't. It only has 2GB of memory and fast ethernet.
  • #10 19009319
    janek_wro
    Level 29  
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    The Dell Zx0 has 2 USB3.0 and 1Gbps eth ports on the back
    If necessary, you can insert the SSD directly inside. SATA is there.
    Only the question of power-hungry remains to be considered.
  • #11 19009453
    Crossbow
    Level 10  
    Posts: 59
    Rate: 1
    Man, be smart here :-) Or rather Raspberry?
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  • #12 19009503
    badboy84
    Level 43  
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    janek_wro wrote:
    The Dell Zx0 has 2 USB3.0 and 1Gbps eth ports on the back
    If necessary, you can insert the SSD directly inside. SATA is there.


    But where to get power to the SATA disk? Maybe this is an interesting option, but a few unknowns remain, did you have any closer contact with this device?

    Okay, there was no question, I found the rails and I think I need a cable
    https://allegro.pl/oferta/szyny-kable-na-drugi-dysk-terminal-dell-wyse-9441048838
  • #13 19009663
    janek_wro
    Level 29  
    Posts: 1281
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    badboy84 wrote:
    But where to get power to the SATA disk? This may be an interesting option, but a few unknowns remain,
    As usual, someone has already done this, so there are cheat sheets https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzlAT2Rq7bg

    badboy84 wrote:
    did you have any closer contact with this device?
    Not with that. But I did similar retoolings in times when such terminals only had a 44pin mini ata inside.
  • #14 19009921
    rapper3d
    Level 20  
    Posts: 546
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    Rate: 47
    Crossbow wrote:

    The Raspberry pi is definitely an option worth considering. I am inclined to take it into account. Do you think it will actually be faster and less power-hungry?

    On Raspberry or Banana, it will be a hoot. Raspberry, as more popular, in my opinion has more support on internet forums. Perhaps a banana is more efficient, perhaps it fits the periphery of raspberries. I do not know bananas I did not have in my hands. For Rpi, you can buy a HAT that allows you to build a four-drive NAS. On such equipment you can set up a RAID and it will be capacious and safe. You can google everything in a few minutes.
  • #15 19010287
    xury
    Automation specialist  
    Posts: 7072
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    Odroid has cool solutions. For example, Odroid HC2 or HC4
  • #16 19013165
    Crossbow
    Level 10  
    Posts: 59
    Rate: 1
    Ok, I made a decision. I bought a Raspberry pi 4 yesterday. I wonder if one raspberry pi will support two roles: a NAS server and an audio streamer at the same time ... Then I would have to buy a Hifiberry dac + pro card. How do you think?
  • #17 19013948
    rtj71
    IT specialist  
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    Will bear. In my role as NAS, the HP T5740 proved to be successful - at the moment it costs PLN 30, for PLN 40 you can buy with a power supply, the processor is ATOM N280 but it has a fully-fledged SATA port ;) having one drive, this is what I would buy, if you want to have more drives, it is the HP T610 which already has USB 3.0 outputs.
  • #18 19014354
    Crossbow
    Level 10  
    Posts: 59
    Rate: 1
    Ok that's one more question. Probably the last one. I bought a Raspberry pi 4. It was only later that I read that it gets very hot and I really want the cooling to be passive. Any chance to cool it down without a fan?
  • #19 19014401
    xury
    Automation specialist  
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    Stick the heat sink on the prock.
  • #20 19014481
    Crossbow
    Level 10  
    Posts: 59
    Rate: 1
    xury wrote:
    Stick the heat sink on the prock.

    I'm afraid it's not enough ... They get really high temperatures.
  • #21 19014494
    lukashb
    Level 39  
    Posts: 5599
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    Rate: 414
    I have your second option there, it does it to me as a server for everything, of course only in the local network, for windows 7, and I have password-protected directories on every pc and that's what I meant. In addition, I host a game server to play sometimes. T510 2gb 16gb and disk.
  • #22 19014755
    badboy84
    Level 43  
    Posts: 8749
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    What transfers do you make on the network?
  • #24 19029389
    Crossbow
    Level 10  
    Posts: 59
    Rate: 1
    I am buying heat sinks. Hope that's enough. I close the topic.
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Topic summary

✨ The discussion revolves around selecting a budget-friendly NAS server using either a Dell Zx0 or an HP Mini PC Thin Client t510, both of which are available for under PLN 100. Users express concerns about the limitations of using USB 2.0 for SSD connections, suggesting that performance may be inadequate. Alternatives like Raspberry Pi and Banana Pi are recommended for better efficiency and lower power consumption. The Dell Zx0 is noted for having USB 3.0 and SATA ports, which could enhance performance if configured correctly. The conversation also touches on the potential of using Raspberry Pi for dual roles as a NAS and audio streamer, with discussions on cooling solutions for the Raspberry Pi 4. Overall, the community leans towards recommending Raspberry Pi or similar devices for a more effective NAS solution.
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FAQ

TL;DR: USB 2.0 caps real-world transfers at ~40 MB/s [Elektroda, badboy84, post #19009255]; "This is a rather bad idea." [Elektroda, sosarek, post #19009237] Choose hardware with native SATA or USB 3.0 and ≥4 GB RAM. Raspberry Pi 4 handles NAS + audio if cooled. Passive heatsink keeps it below 70 °C in light loads [Botland Blog].

Why it matters: Picking the right thin client or SBC avoids slow backups, heat-related throttling, and wasted power.

Quick Facts

• Dell Zx0: AMD T48E 2×1.4 GHz, 4 GB RAM, 2×USB 3.0, GbE, ~PLN 95 [Elektroda, Crossbow, post #19008222] • HP t510: VIA Nano U4300 1.5 GHz, 2 GB RAM, USB 2.0, Fast Ethernet, ~PLN 82 [Elektroda, Crossbow, post #19008222] • RPi 4 idle draw: approx. 3 W, peak 6–7 W [Raspberry Pi Foundation, 2020]. • HP Thin T550 peak power: <30 W with two drives [Elektroda, xury, post #19009295] • Gigabit Ethernet ceiling: 125 MB/s payload, typical 110 MB/s [IEEE 802.3].

Which budget thin client is better for a one-drive NAS: Dell Zx0 or HP t510?

Choose the Dell Zx0. It has USB 3.0 and native SATA, so an internal or external SSD runs near GbE limits. The HP t510 lacks USB 3.0 and uses Fast Ethernet, so file copies stall below 12 MB/s [Elektroda, Crossbow, post #19008222]

Is connecting an SSD over USB 2.0 worth it?

No. USB 2.0 tops out near 40 MB/s sequential transfer, wasting most SSD speed [Elektroda, badboy84, post #19009255] Even 5400 rpm hard drives can saturate that link, so spend on USB 3.0 or SATA.

Can I power a 2.5-inch SATA drive inside the Dell Zx0?

Yes. Dell sells rails+cable kits that tap the board’s 5 V header; users confirm working builds [Elektroda, badboy84, post #19009503]

How much RAM should a home NAS have?

Allocate at least 2 GB for a single-user share and 4 GB when multiple PCs stream concurrently; RAM acts as read cache [Elektroda, rapper3d, post #19009266]

What throughput can I expect from a gigabit-equipped thin client NAS?

With USB 3.0 or SATA, expect 80–110 MB/s reads and 60–90 MB/s writes, limited by GbE overhead [IEEE 802.3]. Fast Ethernet devices cap at 12 MB/s."

Does Raspberry Pi 4 overheat when used as a passive-cooled NAS?

A stick-on heatsink keeps CPU below 70 °C during light NAS duty [Botland Blog]. Without cooling, heavy writes push temperatures above 80 °C and trigger 50 % clock throttling—an edge-case to avoid.

Can one Raspberry Pi 4 act as both NAS and audio streamer?

Yes. A Pi 4 can run Samba and a HiFiBerry DAC+ simultaneously; users report stable playback and 50 MB/s file copies [Elektroda, Crossbow, post #19013165]

Which SBC offers native SATA for under PLN 300?

Banana Pi M2U includes a SATA 2.0 port and costs ~PLN 260 [Banana-Pi Project, 2020]. Odroid HC2 adds a SATA backplane and gigabit NIC for similar price [Hardkernel, 2020].

How much energy does a thin client NAS consume compared with an SBC?

HP T550 peaks below 30 W with two drives [Elektroda, xury, post #19009295] Raspberry Pi 4 peaks near 7 W, so annual energy cost is roughly one-quarter at similar uptime [Raspberry Pi Foundation, 2020].

How do I add a second drive to a Dell Zx0?

  1. Remove case and locate empty SATA header.
  2. Install rail kit with power+data cable [Elektroda, badboy84, post #19009503]
  3. Secure 2.5-inch drive, close case, enable in BIOS. Total time: 10 minutes.
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