CareTV 4U Thunderbolt 5 File Server Reference Build and Procurement Spec

Purpose: Buy a long-lived, open-platform 4U house file/JBOD server now, with the fastest current I/O and strong compute, while avoiding unnecessary bundled GPU/storage cost. The server should be reproducible enough for professional installers and simple enough that an entry-level technician can complete approved field additions.

Hard procurement requirements

Area	Requirement
Chassis	4U rackmount, standard 19-inch rack format, serviceable top/side access.
Core assembly	CPU, motherboard, CPU cooling, PSU, chassis wiring, and POST validation must arrive assembled and tested. End user is not expected to install CPU or motherboard.
User-installed once	Approved RAM, owned NVMe drives, RTX 5070 Ti, and optionally a 100GbE QSFP28 fiber NIC may be installed during initial commissioning. After commissioning, repeated internal hardware maintenance is to be avoided.
Thunderbolt	Native Thunderbolt 5 is mandatory now. Do not substitute Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4 for the new server. No proprietary single-vendor Thunderbolt add-in card or special discontinued header dependency.
CPU	Strong current high-end mainstream CPU. Core Ultra 9 285K-class preferred where cost is reasonable. I/O architecture takes priority over buying an extreme-priced CPU, but a weak/entry-level CPU is unacceptable.
GPU	No bundled discrete GPU required. Chassis/PSU/PCIe must support owned RTX 5070 Ti immediately and a larger future GPU later.
Storage	No expensive bundled NVMe required. Must provide easily accessible M.2 NVMe slots compatible with owned high-capacity drives. Existing Thunderbolt JBODs must connect immediately.
Memory	Populate to maximum stable, motherboard-supported capacity during initial commissioning. Current target for ProArt Z890-class platform: 256GB if validated. Capacity/stability outrank memory overclocking.
Fiber networking	PCIe capacity for 100GbE QSFP28 fiber immediately. Exact lane topology must be documented before purchase.
Copper networking	Prefer native 10GbE RJ-45 copper Ethernet; ordinary RJ-45 copper Ethernet is mandatory.
Power	High-quality standard PSU with future GPU/network-card headroom; approximately 1200W-class preferred if compatible.
Operating model	Windows 11 Pro supported. BIOS/UEFI automatic power-on after AC loss required.
Budget	All new components for this server should remain under approximately $4,000. Owned RTX 5070 Ti and owned NVMe storage are excluded from new-money budget.

Area

Requirement

Chassis

4U rackmount, standard 19-inch rack format, serviceable top/side access.

Core assembly

CPU, motherboard, CPU cooling, PSU, chassis wiring, and POST validation must arrive assembled and tested. End user is not expected to install CPU or motherboard.

User-installed once

Approved RAM, owned NVMe drives, RTX 5070 Ti, and optionally a 100GbE QSFP28 fiber NIC may be installed during initial commissioning. After commissioning, repeated internal hardware maintenance is to be avoided.

Thunderbolt

Native Thunderbolt 5 is mandatory now. Do not substitute Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4 for the new server. No proprietary single-vendor Thunderbolt add-in card or special discontinued header dependency.

CPU

Strong current high-end mainstream CPU. Core Ultra 9 285K-class preferred where cost is reasonable. I/O architecture takes priority over buying an extreme-priced CPU, but a weak/entry-level CPU is unacceptable.

GPU

No bundled discrete GPU required. Chassis/PSU/PCIe must support owned RTX 5070 Ti immediately and a larger future GPU later.

Storage

No expensive bundled NVMe required. Must provide easily accessible M.2 NVMe slots compatible with owned high-capacity drives. Existing Thunderbolt JBODs must connect immediately.

Memory

Populate to maximum stable, motherboard-supported capacity during initial commissioning. Current target for ProArt Z890-class platform: 256GB if validated. Capacity/stability outrank memory overclocking.

Fiber networking

PCIe capacity for 100GbE QSFP28 fiber immediately. Exact lane topology must be documented before purchase.

Copper networking

Prefer native 10GbE RJ-45 copper Ethernet; ordinary RJ-45 copper Ethernet is mandatory.

Power

High-quality standard PSU with future GPU/network-card headroom; approximately 1200W-class preferred if compatible.

Operating model

Windows 11 Pro supported. BIOS/UEFI automatic power-on after AC loss required.

Budget

All new components for this server should remain under approximately $4,000. Owned RTX 5070 Ti and owned NVMe storage are excluded from new-money budget.

I/O-first procurement rule

The file server is purchased first for durable I/O: native Thunderbolt 5, usable PCIe lanes, 100GbE QSFP28 fiber, high RAM capacity, accessible NVMe, and standards-based expansion. A more expensive CPU must never be used to justify inferior I/O.

CareTV Open Platform anti-lock-in rule

No essential function may depend on a proprietary single-vendor expansion card, private header, proprietary cable, mandatory vendor cloud, or discontinued accessory. The ASRock X570 Taichi proprietary Thunderbolt-card dependency is the negative reference: a powerful computer can become unsuitable as an open reference platform when a required I/O feature depends on one unavailable vendor accessory.

Reference usability / reproducibility rule

The core server should be suitable for a professional installer to deploy rapidly and simple enough that a high-school-freshman-level technician can perform the approved field additions (RAM/NVMe/GPU/NIC) using clear instructions. CPU installation, motherboard installation, thermal-paste work, and obscure proprietary header work are not part of the customer workflow.

Current household deployment plan

MSI Raider 18 RTX 5090 laptop: primary interactive workstation.
Existing workstation: RTX 4070 Ti.
New 4U server: RTX 5070 Ti for AI surveillance/video analysis during initial commissioning.
Server role: long-term house file/JBOD/index/database/surveillance node, not a disposable interim computer.
Future higher-cost server: separate AI/compute node rather than replacement for this file server.
Future storage expansion: rack SSD/storage systems over high-speed fiber rather than repeated internal server surgery.

Current public reference principle

CareTV encourages households to start at whatever scale they need, while preserving a standards-based upgrade path from simple assistive displays and IP cameras through home production, 4K/8K media, AI video analysis, rack storage, and 100GbE QSFP28 fiber.

CareTV / Open Access Media Lab — current server procurement authority — 2026-08-17-v003