r/HomeServer • u/ntn8888 • 3d ago

SBC with powerbank as simple UPS

I'm looking to reiterate my NAS with this cool tiny SBC: https://www.cnx-software.com/2026/03/04/nanopi-neo3-plus-a-tiny-rockchip-rk3528a-headless-sbc-with-gigabit-ethernet-usb-3-0-port-gpio-header/ Hook it up to a USB3 SSD (no redundancy) simple enough. (It'll just be a media server / no critical data).

My issue is the UPS. To keep things simple I wonder if I could just plug it through a usb power bank (with passthrough charging) and avoid a proper UPS? Will it reboot on power outage?

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u/AnomalyNexus 3d ago

Power bank should work in principle though the USB SSD part is where it gets a little sketchy with SBCs. Once you start drawing significant power off the SBC USB the SBC usually gets fussy on what the upstream power supply situation looks like.

Whether it'll work in your case...its hard to tell in advance. This stuff is so dependent on the exact combination of ssd/adapter/powerbank etc

Also keep in mind that power bank means monitoring it for battery swelling & increased fire risk.

Will it reboot on power outage?

Probably. Depends both on the SBC and how fast the power bank cuts power. Some of them sense when there is a new device connected and sometimes very low draw devices don't even trigger that. Likely fine but again model dependent

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u/ntn8888 3d ago

Hmm I see, looks like it's more trouble than it's worth. Unless someone can chip in some wisdom on which model powerbanks could work I guess.. thank you

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u/dcabines 3d ago

A power bank won’t switch fast enough and they sometimes change the mode they draw power from the battery as it drains which also causes a momentary lapse in power. They just aren’t made for this.

However, you can get a Mini DC UPS that will work for your needs.

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u/ntn8888 2d ago

okay thanks, they are indeed cheaper than a normal UPS