Synology DS124 to TrueNAS SCALE

Custom-built TrueNAS server

November 2025

Project Overview

Successfully migrated from an underpowered Synology DS124 (1GB RAM, 4TB single drive) to a custom-built TrueNAS server with Intel i5-12500, 32GB DDR5 RAM, and 2x8TB mirrored drives. This upgrade enabled hardware-accelerated 4K Plex transcoding, expandable storage up to 48TB+, and secure remote access through Tailscale.

Migration Complete

Status: Successfully completed in November 2024. All services operational, data integrity verified.


  • Data Transferred: ~2.2TB via rsync with auto-retry loop for reliable transfers
  • Downtime: Minimal - services migrated incrementally to maintain availability
  • Seeding Preserved: qBittorrent sessions maintained throughout migration with no ratio loss
  • Storage Optimization: Post-migration hardlink reorganization eliminated 2.2TB duplicate data, improving efficiency
  • Result: 4K transcoding enabled, storage capacity doubled with ZFS redundancy, room to expand to 48TB+

Hardware Specifications

CPU Intel Core i5-12500
iGPU Intel UHD Graphics 770
Motherboard ASRock B760M Pro RS
RAM 32GB DDR5-5600
Storage 2x Seagate IronWolf 8TB NAS
Boot Drive Kingston NV3 1TB NVMe M.2
PSU Corsair CX550 80+ Bronze 550W
CPU Cooler Thermalright Assassin X120
Case Fractal Design Define 7

Performance Capabilities

4K Transcoding

15+ simultaneous streams with Intel UHD 770 Quick Sync hardware acceleration

7.27TB Usable

ZFS mirrored RAID1, expandable to 48TB+ with 4 bays remaining

Hardware Acceleration

i5-12500 with 6 cores, 12 threads at 3.0-4.6GHz

Data Redundancy

ZFS mirror protects against single drive failure with automatic scrubbing

Migration from Synology DS124

Hardware and performance comparison between Synology DS124 and TrueNAS custom build
Feature DS124 TrueNAS Build
CPU 2-core ARM (1.7GHz) 6-core Intel i5-12500 (3.0-4.6GHz)
RAM 1GB (Non-upgradable) 32GB DDR5-5600
Transcoding None Intel Quick Sync (15+ 4K streams)
Storage Single 4TB drive 2x 8TB Mirrored (7.27TB usable)
Expandability 1 Bay (Maxed out) 6 Bays (4 free for expansion)
Redundancy None ZFS Mirror

Primary Use Cases

  • Plex Media Server: Stream movies & TV shows with 4K transcoding support for 15+ simultaneous users
  • Network Storage: Centralized file storage for all devices with ZFS data integrity
  • Docker Hosting: 40+ self-hosted services and applications
  • Data Redundancy: ZFS mirroring protects against drive failure with automatic recovery
  • Remote Access: Secure access from anywhere via Tailscale mesh VPN
  • Photo Management: Immich for self-hosted photo backup (30,000+ photos, 2,000+ videos)
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