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3x 14TB RAID 5 NAS Calculator | Usable TB

Estimate usable TB, parity overhead, and fault tolerance for 3x 14TB in RAID 5. Includes reserve planning for NAS and homelab arrays.

Capacity Snapshot

Raw Capacity

42.00 TB

Usable Capacity

25.20 TB

Fault Tolerance

1 drive

Efficiency

66.7%

Balanced capacity and redundancy, but rebuild stress can be high on large disks. This scenario applies a 10% filesystem reserve.

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Alternative Mode Comparison

Mode Usable Tolerance Efficiency
RAID 5 25.20 TB 1 drive 66.7%
RAID 6 N/A N/A N/A
RAID 10 N/A N/A N/A
RAID-Z1 25.20 TB 1 drive 66.7%
RAID-Z2 N/A N/A N/A

NAS Cluster Guides

NAS Hub RAID Level Compare RAID Capacity Matrix Planning Quick Sheet RAID Selector NAS FAQ

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2x 4TB RAID 1 2x 6TB RAID 1 2x 8TB RAID 1 2x 10TB RAID 1 2x 12TB RAID 1 2x 14TB RAID 1 2x 16TB RAID 1 2x 18TB RAID 1 2x 20TB RAID 1 3x 4TB RAID 1 3x 4TB RAID 5 3x 4TB RAID-Z1 3x 6TB RAID 1 3x 6TB RAID 5 3x 6TB RAID-Z1 3x 8TB RAID 1

Sequential Long-Tail Navigation

← Previous: 3x 14TB RAID 1 NAS Calculator | Usable TB Next: 3x 14TB RAID-Z1 NAS Calculator | Usable TB →

FAQ

How much real-world usable storage does 3x 14TB RAID 5 provide?

This NAS planning scenario estimates 25.20 TB usable after a 10% reserve from 42.00 TB raw.

Why include a 10% reserve when planning NAS capacity?

Keeping free space improves filesystem behavior for snapshots, metadata, and write performance. Full arrays often perform worse and rebuild more slowly.

Should I optimize this 3-drive plan for storage headroom or resiliency first?

For long-lived NAS pools, resiliency first is usually safer. Capacity can be expanded later, while a risky parity choice can force migration sooner.

Is RAID 5 still practical with 14TB drives?

It can be practical, but larger drives increase rebuild windows. Validate parity choice and backup policy before committing to the final layout.