Where to Find Raspberry Pi 5 NAS Kit?
Raspberry Pi 5 NAS kits are available through specialized retailers like Arace Tech, Amazon, Geekworm, and AliExpress, with the Radxa Penta SATA HAT being the most popular option at around $45. Complete raspberry pi 5 nas kit solutions including cases like the Pironman 5 are emerging from SunFounder, though pricing isn't finalized yet.
Unlike previous Raspberry Pi models, the Pi 5's PCIe interface opens up genuine NAS possibilities. However, finding the right components requires navigating a fragmented market where complete kits are rare and most builders assemble from separate parts.
Understanding What You Actually Need
Building a Pi 5 NAS isn't about buying a single kit-it's about understanding which components work together. The confusion stems from the fact that the official Raspberry Pi store doesn't sell NAS-specific accessories, pushing buyers toward third-party manufacturers.
Your core shopping list breaks down into three categories: the SATA/storage interface, power delivery, and enclosure. Each category has multiple options with different trade-offs.
Storage Interface Options
Radxa Penta SATA HAT remains the dominant choice for multi-drive setups. This board connects via the Pi 5's PCIe FFC connector and provides four top-mounting SATA ports plus one eSATA port. The direct PCIe connection delivers significantly better performance than the USB-to-SATA adapters used with Pi 4.
Where to buy:
Arace Tech: $44.99 (confirmed in stock, EU shipping available)
Amazon: $45-50 (search "Radxa Penta SATA HAT Raspberry Pi 5")
AliExpress: Available through Radxa's authorized resellers (typically $40-48)
Evelta (India): Listed with 14-day replacement warranty
The Penta SATA HAT requires a specific FPC cable for Pi 5 compatibility-older versions designed for Rock Pi boards won't work directly. Radxa includes the correct cable with Pi 5-specific purchases.
Single-Drive NVMe Solutions suit users needing fast storage rather than capacity. Pimoroni's NVMe Base ($25-30) mounts underneath the Pi and supports M.2 drives from 2230 to 2280 sizes. This approach delivers read speeds up to 800MB/s compared to microSD's 80MB/s, though you're limited to one drive.
Geekworm offers similar NVMe adapter boards ranging from $20-35, many including OLED displays for system monitoring.
USB-Connected Drives work but introduce performance compromises. The Pi 5's official 5V/5A power supply limits bus-powered USB devices to a combined 1.6A total-enough for one SSD, possibly two depending on power draw. Three or more drives require self-powered USB hubs or external enclosures.
Power Supply Reality Check
This trips up more first-time builders than any other issue. The Pi 5's official USB-C power supply cannot handle multiple SATA drives. Period.
The Radxa Penta SATA HAT solves this with three power modes:
12V DC barrel jack (5.5mm outer, 2.5mm inner, center positive): Most common choice, requires 12V 3-5A supply depending on drive count
Standard ATX/SFX 4-pin Molex: Useful if integrating into an ATX case
Type-C to Pi only: For single-drive scenarios where the HAT isn't powering drives
When the Penta SATA HAT receives 12V power, it supplies power back to the Pi through the 40-pin GPIO connector. You don't need the Pi's separate power supply-one 12V adapter powers everything. A 12V 3A supply (36W) typically handles four SSDs plus the Pi; spinning rust may need 5A.
Budget $15-25 for a quality 12V power supply. Cheap supplies claiming high amperage often deliver half their rated output under load.
Raspberry Pi 5 NAS Kit Options
True "unbox and assemble" kits remain uncommon, but a few manufacturers are moving in that direction.
Pironman 5 NAS (Coming Soon)
SunFounder's Pironman 5 NAS represents the most complete solution announced so far. The kit includes an aluminum case measuring 4.3" × 4.3" × 8.5", dual SATA connectors supporting 2.5" or 3.5" drives, a 90mm cooling fan, 2.5GbE port (in addition to Pi's gigabit Ethernet), and an OLED status display.
The catch: it's not officially available yet. Documentation exists and reviewers have tested pre-release units showing solid performance, but SunFounder hasn't announced pricing or release dates. Based on other Pironman cases ($46-95), expect $80-120 for the NAS version.
Monitor these channels:
SunFounder's official store
Amazon (likely launch platform)
The DIY Life blog (received early review unit, may announce availability)
GeeekPi N07 MiniTower NAS Kit
Available now on Amazon, the GeeekPi raspberry pi 5 nas kit focuses on NVMe storage rather than SATA. The package includes a mini tower case, ice tower cooler, N07 PCIe board supporting M.2 NVMe drives (2230-2280), GPIO expansion board, and an integrated OLED display.
This suits single-drive NAS builds or users prioritizing speed over capacity. Pricing runs $60-80 depending on whether you bundle storage.
Piece-It-Together Approach
Most Pi 5 NAS builders currently assemble from individual components. A typical four-drive setup costs:
Raspberry Pi 5 (4GB or 8GB): $60-80
Radxa Penta SATA HAT: $45
12V 5A power supply: $18-25
Four 2.5" SSDs (user-supplied): Variable
MicroSD card (32GB+): $8-12
Cooling solution: $5-15
Case (optional): $0-50
Total before drives: $135-180
The Radxa HAT works as a bare-bones setup-you can stack drives directly on top with included hardware standoffs-but adding a proper enclosure improves thermals and protects components.
SunFounder NAS Kit (Pi 4 Compatible)
SunFounder sells an older NAS kit designed for Pi 4B/3B+/3B that some users adapt for Pi 5. The kit includes a NAS HAT with E-ink display, dual cooling fans, and acrylic case for around $40-50. However, this connects via USB rather than PCIe, sacrificing Pi 5's main advantage for NAS applications. Consider this only if you already own one and want to repurpose it.
Regional Purchasing Considerations
Availability and pricing vary significantly by region.
North America: Amazon provides the widest selection with Prime shipping. Arace Tech ships from the US with 5-10 day delivery. Adafruit carries Pimoroni products including the NVMe Base.
Europe: Arace Tech explicitly supports EU shipping. Pimoroni (UK-based) ships throughout Europe. Many builders report successful AliExpress purchases, though delivery takes 2-4 weeks.
Asia: AliExpress and Radxa's authorized resellers offer best pricing, often $5-10 below Western retailers. Evelta serves the Indian market specifically.
Australia: Limited local stock means most builders import from Amazon or AliExpress. Factor in 2-3 week shipping and potential customs.
What "Compatible with Pi 5" Really Means
Marketing materials aren't always clear. Here's how to verify compatibility:
PCIe HATs: Must include a Pi 5-specific FPC (flat flex cable) connector. The Pi 5 uses a different PCIe connector than earlier boards. Radxa's Penta SATA HAT explicitly lists "Raspberry Pi 5" compatibility and includes the correct cable.
NVMe adapters: Should state "Raspberry Pi 5" support and include the proper ribbon cable. Generic M.2 adapters won't physically connect without the right cable.
Cases: Pi 5's layout differs from Pi 4, particularly around the PCIe connector area. Cases must account for the ribbon cable routing. 3D-printed designs on Thingiverse often provide Pi 5-specific models.
Power supplies: The official Pi 5 supply uses USB-C Power Delivery at 5V/5A. Many NAS HATs power the Pi through GPIO, making the official supply redundant when using external 12V power.
Performance Reality vs. Marketing
Let's address what the single PCIe Gen 2 x1 lane means practically. That's a 500MB/s theoretical maximum shared across all connected drives.
Jeff Geerling's testing with the Radxa Penta SATA HAT showed:
Read speeds: 230MB/s consistently over gigabit Ethernet
Write speeds: 100-150MB/s (bottlenecked by network and Mac OS quirks in testing)
Adding a 2.5GbE USB adapter pushed reads to 275MB/s
The gigabit Ethernet port becomes the real bottleneck before PCIe limitations matter for most home NAS applications. For 4K media streaming, file backup, and local file storage, the Pi 5 performs adequately. High-traffic multi-user environments or 10GbE networks might strain it.
Power consumption sits at 6-8W idle and 10-16W under load with four SSDs-dramatically lower than traditional x86 NAS boxes pulling 30-60W.
Case and Cooling Solutions
Open-air setups work but expose drives to dust and accidental disconnection. Several case options exist:
3D-Printed Enclosures: Radxa publishes STL files for their Penta SATA HAT. Community designs on Thingiverse provide variations supporting different cooling approaches. If you have 3D printer access, this costs only filament.
Commercial Metal Cases: Generic 4-bay 2.5" cases ($25-40 on Amazon) can be adapted with Dremel work for cable routing. This protects components but requires DIY modifications.
Pironman 5 NAS: Once available, offers the most polished solution with integrated cooling, cable management, and professional appearance.
Active Cooling: Critical for enclosed builds. The Raspberry Pi Active Cooler ($5) handles the Pi itself adequately. The Penta SATA HAT top board supports PWM fan control-Radxa sells a top board with OLED and fan headers separately, though availability is sporadic.
Passive cooling works for 1-2 SSDs in open air. Four drives stacked closely need active airflow to avoid thermal throttling, especially in warm environments. Users report idle temperatures around 60°C for the Pi without active cooling in enclosed setups, rising to 75°C during intensive operations like BTRFS scrubs.
Software Considerations Before Buying
Hardware compatibility extends to software choices.
OpenMediaVault (OMV) dominates Pi NAS installations due to ARM compatibility and web-based management. However, OMV requires Raspberry Pi OS Lite (no desktop environment) and doesn't work with the same drive for both OS and storage-you need the microSD card for the OS plus separate storage drives.
TrueNAS technically runs on Pi 5 through unofficial ARM ports requiring UEFI bootloaders, but this breaks GPIO, PWM control, and the built-in Ethernet port. You'd need a USB Ethernet adapter. Community member Joel0 maintains the most stable TrueNAS ARM variant, though it's not officially supported and requires significant troubleshooting.
DIY with Samba/NFS: Experienced Linux users skip NAS-specific software, configuring Raspberry Pi OS Lite directly with Samba for Windows/Mac access and NFS for Linux clients. This provides maximum flexibility but requires command-line comfort.
The software choice affects your hardware needs. OMV's separate OS drive requirement makes NVMe-only setups slightly more complex (you boot from microSD but store data on NVMe). TrueNAS's Ethernet limitations make the Pi 5's main advantage irrelevant.
Common Purchasing Mistakes to Avoid
Buying Pi 4-era SATA HATs: These work but connect through USB, not PCIe. You lose the Pi 5's speed advantage. Confirm "Raspberry Pi 5" in the product listing and check reviews for Pi 5-specific mentions.
Undersized power supplies: A 5V/5A Pi power supply cannot run multiple drives regardless of what the spec sheet says. Budget for 12V/3-5A depending on drive count.
Assuming faster drives matter: The gigabit Ethernet and single PCIe lane bottleneck before drive speed does. Budget 2.5" SSDs like Crucial BX500 perform identically to premium NVMe in network transfer tests. Save money on drives, invest in a 2.5GbE USB adapter instead.
Forgetting cooling: Enclosed four-drive setups without active cooling will thermal throttle. The $5 for a fan is worth avoiding performance degradation.
Skipping the microSD card: Even if you boot from NVMe, having a microSD backup OS makes troubleshooting dramatically easier. They're $8-just buy one.
Alternative Approaches Worth Considering
Before committing to a Pi 5 NAS, evaluate these alternatives:
N100 Mini PCs (Beelink, GMKtec): Around $150-180 with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. Native SATA ports, x86 compatibility, more processing power. Higher idle power consumption (15-25W) but eliminates many Pi limitations.
Used Office Desktops: Dell OptiPlex or HP ProDesk machines often sell for $100-150 refurbished with proper SATA controllers and expansion room. Power consumption is higher but you get mature hardware.
Pre-built Budget NAS: QNAP and TerraMaster's entry models start around $200 with two bays, closer to traditional NAS functionality but less DIY flexibility.
The Pi 5 makes sense when:
You want a learning project
Power efficiency is critical (sub-15W)
You need a compact footprint
You already own a Pi 5
It makes less sense when:
You need multi-user performance
You're storing critical data without external backups
You want plug-and-play reliability
Initial cost is your only concern
Checking Stock and Availability
Supply chains for Pi accessories remain inconsistent. Before assuming something's unavailable:
Check multiple retailers: Arace Tech, Amazon, AliExpress, and Pimoroni often have different stock levels of the same product.
Monitor Radxa's official distributor list: Found on radxa.com, this shows authorized sellers by region who get priority stock allocation.
Join forums: The Raspberry Pi Forums and r/raspberry_pi subreddit often have users announcing stock drops. Jeff Geerling's blog comments section frequently mentions availability.
Consider alternatives: If the Penta SATA HAT is out of stock, Geekworm makes similar products. They're less proven but specifications suggest comparable performance.
Subscribe to notification lists: Most retailers offer back-in-stock email alerts. Amazon particularly has reliable notification systems.
Building Smart for Future Expansion
Think beyond initial assembly.
RAID configuration: Software RAID 1 (mirroring) provides redundancy but requires matched drive sizes and reduces capacity. The Pi 5 handles RAID 0/1/5 through mdadm or BTRFS, though RAID 5 write performance suffers from the limited computing power. Plan your drive configuration before buying-switching later means data migration.
Network upgrades: If you're spending $150+ on a NAS build, a $20 USB 2.5GbE adapter dramatically improves transfer speeds if your network infrastructure supports it. Test with gigabit first, but be aware the upgrade path exists.
Storage expansion: The Penta SATA HAT's fifth eSATA port enables external drive connections without disassembling the case. This provides backup or temporary expansion options.
Multiple Pi NAS units: Some users build two identical units-one as primary storage, one for automated nightly backups. At $150 per unit, this approaches the cost of enterprise backup solutions but provides complete redundancy.
The Price-Performance Sweet Spot
Current pricing creates an interesting calculation. A functional four-drive Pi 5 NAS runs $135-180 before storage drives. Add four 1TB SSDs ($200-280) and you're at $335-460 total.
Comparable pre-built four-bay NAS systems from Synology or QNAP start around $300-350 empty plus drives, putting them in similar total-cost territory with more refined software and support but less flexibility.
The Pi approach wins on:
Power consumption (40-60% lower)
Physical size
Customization potential
Learning experience
Component repurposing if needs change
Commercial NAS wins on:
Software polish
Official support channels
Mature RAID implementations
Long-term reliability track record
Your priorities determine which matters more.
Practical Next Steps
If you're ready to build:
Verify your network supports your speed goals. Gigabit Ethernet is adequate for 1-2 users streaming 4K content. More users or faster workflows benefit from 2.5GbE infrastructure.
Choose your drive strategy: Four smaller drives with RAID, two larger drives mirrored, or single large drives with external backup? This determines whether you need the Penta SATA HAT or can use simpler solutions.
Check current stock at three retailers: Prices fluctuate $5-10 regularly. Arace Tech, Amazon, and AliExpress cover most regions with reasonable shipping.
Calculate power requirements: Count drives, add Pi consumption, and multiply by 1.3 for headroom. That determines your 12V power supply spec.
Plan for cooling: Enclosed? Active fan. Open air? Passive adequate for 1-2 drives.
The fragmented market means "where to find" is really "how to assemble from multiple sources." Bookmark retailer pages for the Radxa Penta SATA HAT and set up stock alerts. Monitor SunFounder's announcements for the Pironman 5 NAS if you prefer complete solutions.
Most builders successfully source components within 2-3 weeks across different retailers. The Pi 5's PCIe interface makes legitimate NAS performance achievable-you just have to navigate the scattered ecosystem to get the parts. Whether you choose a pre-configured raspberry pi 5 nas kit or assemble components individually, understanding compatibility and power requirements ensures a successful build.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use any SATA HAT with Raspberry Pi 5?
No-older SATA HATs designed for Pi 4 or Rock Pi boards require different FPC cables. The Pi 5's PCIe connector is unique. Buy products explicitly stating "Raspberry Pi 5" compatibility or including Pi 5-specific cables. The Radxa Penta SATA HAT is specifically manufactured for Pi 5 with the correct cable included.
Will the official Pi 5 power supply work with multiple drives?
The official 5V/5A supply limits bus-powered USB devices to 1.6A combined. This runs one SSD reliably, possibly two. Four drives need external power through a SATA HAT with its own 12V supply. Most SATA HATs power the Pi back through GPIO when they receive 12V, eliminating the need for separate Pi power.
What's the actual performance difference between Pi 4 and Pi 5 for NAS?
The direct PCIe connection via the Penta SATA HAT delivers roughly 2x faster sequential transfers compared to Pi 4's USB 3.0 connection. In real-world file transfers over gigabit Ethernet, this means sustained 230MB/s reads on Pi 5 versus 100-120MB/s on Pi 4. Both hit network limits before storage limits.
Why isn't the Pironman 5 NAS available for purchase yet?
SunFounder released early units to reviewers but hasn't announced official launch timing or pricing. Manufacturing and regulatory certification for new products can take 3-6 months. Check SunFounder's website and social media for announcements, or sign up for notifications at retailers like Amazon where they'll likely launch first.
Purchase Priority List
Radxa Penta SATA HAT ($45) - Arace Tech or Amazon
12V 5A power supply ($20) - Generic DC supply with 5.5/2.5mm barrel
Raspberry Pi 5 4GB ($60) or 8GB ($80) - Multiple authorized retailers
MicroSD card 32GB+ ($10) - Any major brand
Storage drives (budget dependent) - Crucial BX500 for value
Optional 2.5GbE USB adapter ($25) - Significant performance gain
Total baseline: $155-195 before drives