So I'm about to take the plunge and build a FreeNAS box, but I'm really struggling to select the hard drives to use. I'm going to have a 24-bay case and I'm currently considering a variety of configurations that I welcome comments on...
4 vdevs of Z2 with 6 drvies each
3 vdevs of Z3 with 7 drives each (3 bays empty or spares)
2 vdevs of Z3 with 11 drives each (2 bays empty or spares)
...but that's not my current problem.
My current problem is I can't find a drive I like. Power utilization and compatibility with the number of drives are my concerns. I'll be the only user and it'll be in my basement so I don't like the idea of paying for more power than necessary. Given my very infrequent access (1-2 hours/day on average) I might even consider spinning the drives down.
So to my HD problems:
Seagate NAS: 1-8 bays ....so they're out
Seagate Enterprise NAS: 1-16 bays & 7200 RPM...too much power use
Seagate Enterprise Capacity: No bay limit, but 7200 RPM and ~10W !?
WD Red: 1-8 bays ....nice 5400RPM...I'd prefer these if they didn't have the 8 bay limit
WD Red Pro: 1-16 bays & 7200 RPM...too much power
WD RE: No bay limit, but 7200 RPM and too much power....also paying for reliability and performance...
WD RE+: No longer listed on their website...judging by availability they're discontinued?
WD SE: Seems to trade substantial reliability/performance for very slightly less money than the RE models.
WD AE: Scary low MTBF/Workload relative to RE...are these the rejects? 5900RPM is nice though.
HGST He: Seems like the best bet...7200 RPM, but attractive SATA model power usage (6.8W in use, 5W idle)...pricey though
Anything else I'm missing or not considering? Opinions on something like 24xWD Red? I'm a little scared they said 8 drives for a reason (vibration) and don't want to risk my data.
Thanks,
Ben
4 vdevs of Z2 with 6 drvies each
3 vdevs of Z3 with 7 drives each (3 bays empty or spares)
2 vdevs of Z3 with 11 drives each (2 bays empty or spares)
...but that's not my current problem.
My current problem is I can't find a drive I like. Power utilization and compatibility with the number of drives are my concerns. I'll be the only user and it'll be in my basement so I don't like the idea of paying for more power than necessary. Given my very infrequent access (1-2 hours/day on average) I might even consider spinning the drives down.
So to my HD problems:
Seagate NAS: 1-8 bays ....so they're out
Seagate Enterprise NAS: 1-16 bays & 7200 RPM...too much power use
Seagate Enterprise Capacity: No bay limit, but 7200 RPM and ~10W !?
WD Red: 1-8 bays ....nice 5400RPM...I'd prefer these if they didn't have the 8 bay limit
WD Red Pro: 1-16 bays & 7200 RPM...too much power
WD RE: No bay limit, but 7200 RPM and too much power....also paying for reliability and performance...
WD RE+: No longer listed on their website...judging by availability they're discontinued?
WD SE: Seems to trade substantial reliability/performance for very slightly less money than the RE models.
WD AE: Scary low MTBF/Workload relative to RE...are these the rejects? 5900RPM is nice though.
HGST He: Seems like the best bet...7200 RPM, but attractive SATA model power usage (6.8W in use, 5W idle)...pricey though
Anything else I'm missing or not considering? Opinions on something like 24xWD Red? I'm a little scared they said 8 drives for a reason (vibration) and don't want to risk my data.
Thanks,
Ben