I'm a long time lurker, new poster.  I would consider myself an enthusiast, but far from a "pro" with FreeNAS.
At this point, I have built a little system ( 25.1TB ) that I've almost outgrown.
		
	
 
There are (8) 3TB drives in a Raid-Z2 configuration and an additional (7) 2TB drives also configured as Raid-Z2. Both of those volumes are presented as one pool which totals about 25.1TB of usable space.
The system has a 16 SATA port controller, but it is only 3gb as I was less concerned with speed - and more concerned with storage space and pricing when I built it.
-KeithHyer-
	
		
			
		
		
	
			
			At this point, I have built a little system ( 25.1TB ) that I've almost outgrown.
	There are (8) 3TB drives in a Raid-Z2 configuration and an additional (7) 2TB drives also configured as Raid-Z2. Both of those volumes are presented as one pool which totals about 25.1TB of usable space.
The system has a 16 SATA port controller, but it is only 3gb as I was less concerned with speed - and more concerned with storage space and pricing when I built it.
-KeithHyer-