Intel Core i9-14900KS · Intel B760 · 64GB DDR4 · 2TB NVMe + 2TB HDD build

Smart build — best all-round · tower build on LGA 1700 + Intel B760

Still the recommended build for:

Photo editing PC Photo editing PC · Europe

Parts · Smart build — best all-round≈ €1,655

cpuIntel Core i9-14900KS24C/32T · 5.7 GHz · 150 WAlternatives & swap
€672
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motherboardASUS B760 PRIME PLUS D4 LGA1700 DDR4 ATXIntel B760 · ATX · 7× M.2Alternatives & swap
€121
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ramCorsair Vengeance LPX Black DDR4-4000 CL18 64GB (2x32GB)64 GB DDR4 · 4000 MT/sAlternatives & swap
≈ €451
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caseSHARKOON VS8 ATX Mid Tower BlackATX/MATX/ITX · 2× 3.5″Alternatives & swap
€35
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coolingThermalright Assassin X 120 R Digital ARGB Air 151mm 70.84 CFM Whiteair tower · 151 mmAlternatives & swap
€23
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psuRosewill VMG 750W Fully Modular 80+ Gold Certified ATX750 W · gold · modularAlternatives & swap
€61
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storageADATA XPG GAMMIX S50 Lite 2TB M.2 SSD PCIe 4.0 NVMeNVME · 2 TBAlternatives & swap
€210
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storageHitachi HGST Ultrastar 7K4000 2TB Internal Server Hard Drive HUS724020ALA640 3.5 Inch HDD SATA 6Gb/s 7200RPM 64MB Cache3.5 HDD · 2 TB · NAS-ratedAlternatives & swap
€82
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Performance100

Value80

Efficiency69

Expandability93

Silence50

Longevity85

Reliability70

Overall82

Future-proof score

Strong future-proofing

80/100

Strong future-proofing (80/100) — this build should stay relevant for years without major surgery.

Upgrade path75

DIY build — the CPU, motherboard and PSU can each be upgraded independently without replacing the whole system.

Expansion100

Expansion headroom: 3 PCIe slot(s), 6 M.2, 3 SATA, 1 drive bay(s), 2 RAM slot(s) free.

Storage growth70

Storage is 100% utilized with 1 free drive bay(s) and 3 free SATA port(s).

Memory growth75

2 RAM slot(s) free; memory is 75% utilized.

Networking80

Networking is 2500 Mbps, and a free PCIe slot can add a faster NIC later.

Replacement ease90

ATX form factor with standard, socketed components — most parts are easy to replace.

Workload change70

No GPU (the iGPU handles transcoding), but there is room (3 PCIe slot(s), PSU headroom 3.9x) to add one for AI.

Homelab Risk Score

Moderate risk

37/100

Moderate risk (37/100) — a few items are worth fixing before you commit (see checklist).

high

Single point of failure

Storage has no redundancy (2 drives, no mirror/parity) — a single drive failure exposes the array.Fix: Add at least a mirror (RAID 1/ZFS mirror) for irreplaceable data, or an additional parity drive for larger arrays.

low

Storage risk

1 NAS-rated hard drive(s) — rated for 24/7 operation.Fix: Keep drives cool and monitor SMART health.

critical

Data loss risk

2 drive(s), no redundancy, hard-drive media — the worst combination for keeping data safe.Fix: Add redundancy and an off-site/off-box backup for anything irreplaceable.

low

Power risk

PSU is 750W, peak load 194W (26%).Fix: PSU sizing leaves healthy headroom for spikes and future parts.

low

Network risk

Single 2500 Mbps NIC — a switch/port failure takes the box fully offline, and multi-user media can saturate 2500 Mbps.Fix: Consider a second NIC or a managed switch; for heavy media, plan for 2.5/10G before the build.

low

Expansion risk

3 PCIe, 6 M.2, 3 SATA, 1 bays free.Fix: Healthy room for future drives, NICs and accelerators.

low

Upgrade risk

2024 platform — current generation with a forward-looking socket/feature set.Fix: Buy for the workload, not the socket — upgrade paths are a bonus, not a guarantee.

Final build audit

Audit found 0 critical and 1 warning item(s) worth fixing before you buy.

1 Warning2 Optional3 Future

Warning

No storage redundancy

2 drive(s) with no mirror or parity for the data you plan to store.Action: Add at least a mirror for irreplaceable data before you migrate anything.storage

Optional

Add a UPS

An always-on server holding data should survive power blips.Action: Add a line-interactive UPS sized for the build's peak draw (≥ 10 min at typical load for a clean shutdown).power

Optional

Keep a backup off-box

Redundancy inside the box does not survive fire, theft or a whole-array fault.Action: Mirror the important data to an external drive, a second box, or cloud.storage

Future

RAM expansion available

2 RAM slot(s) free for a later upgrade.Action: Leave them free until the workload actually grows.memory

Future

Drive bays remain

1 drive bay(s) free for future capacity.Action: Expand capacity in pairs (mirror/parity) when needed.storage

Future

PCIe slot available

3 free PCIe slot(s) for a NIC, HBA or GPU later.Action: Use it for a 10G NIC, extra HBA, or an accelerator when the need appears.expansion

What becomes the limit

Most likely to date this build within 1-2y: Storage nearly full.

1-2y

Storage nearly full

Why: 100% of raw capacity is already in use — media libraries and backups grow fast.What to do: Expanding is easy: add a drive to the free bays/ports.

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