The ZimaBlade Makes an Amazing DIY NAS @BranchusCreations
The ZimaBlade Makes an Amazing DIY NAS  @BranchusCreations
Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
My old Synology DS216se had served me well for years, but it was starting to show its age. Rather than buying another commercial NAS, I decided to see if I could build something more powerful, more flexible, and just as practical using a ZimaBlade 7700.

In this video I install TrueNAS Community Edition, design and 3D print a custom enclosure, test the cooling, benchmark the performance, and find out whether this tiny x86 computer really can make an amazing DIY NAS.

If you’re looking for an affordable, low-power DIY NAS that isn’t locked into a single vendor’s software, the ZimaBlade is definitely worth a look.

IMPORTANT CORRECTION
Throughout the video I refer to the CPU as an Intel® Celeron™, but it is actually an Intel® Atom™. My apologies for the mistake.

LINKS:
ZimaBlade (not an affiliate link, I was not paid to promote this product.)
zimaspace.com/products/blade-personal-nas

TrueNAS Community edition
truenas.com/truenas-community-edition

ZimaBlade Specs
Model: ZimaBlade 7700
Processor: 1.6GHz E3950 Intel® Atom™ Processor (2.0GHz burst)
L2 Cache: 2MB
Graphics: Intel® HD Graphics 505
Onboard storage: 32GB eMMC 5.1
RAM: 1 x DDR3L SODIMM slot
2x SATA 6.0 Gb/s Ports
1x GbE LAN Port
1x USB 3.0 port (USB A)
1x PCIe 2.0 x4 Port
1x Mini-DisplayPort 1.2
1 x USB-C PD 3.0 Port (12V/3A)

CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:35 Synology DS216se NAS
01:18 Unboxing the ZimaBlade 7700
02:45 ZimaBlade features
04:16 Unreal Tournament 2004
05:46 Designing the NAS case
08:33 Case cooling
08:54 Thermal testing
09:46 Installing TrueNAS
12:26 Configuring TrueNAS
14:38 First test of the ZimaNAS
14:56 Benchmarking
15:54 Power consumption
16:17 Summary

#ZimaBlade #TrueNAS #DIYNAS #HomeServer #NAS #SelfHosted #3DPrinting #Synology #Intel #Homelab

T-SHIRTS
Do you like my wacky t-shirts? I buy all of them from Qwertee. Use the discount code: BranchusCreations to get £1/€1/$1 off your order. Check out the range here:
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Stirri Product range (affiliate link) includes 10% discount:
stirri.com/BRANCHUS

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patreon.com/branchuscreations

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*Tools/Products used (paid links):*

HOT AIR STATION:
Quick 861DW: amzn.to/2ZjYzPH

SOLDER:
Kester 63/37 0.5mm diameter: amzn.to/3Pf6uLe

FLUX (Get 10% off with BRANCHUS discount code):
StirriASM-TF: stirri.com/products/stirri-asm-tf

SOLDER WICK:
Goot Wick 2mm: amzn.to/3YWlRvw

TWEEZERS:
Hakko CHP 3-SA: amzn.to/2NqkhPz

OTHER:
Vevor 30L Ultrasonic Cleaner (5% off on all Vevor sites code: VVMH5%OFF):
AU site: https://s.vevor.com/bfP7q7
US site: https://s.vevor.com/bfP7uN
EU site: https://s.vevor.com/bfQaMb
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The ZimaBlade Makes an Amazing DIY NAS

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