NAS & RAID Calculator

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3x 16TB RAID 5 NAS Calculator | Usable TB

Estimate usable TB, parity overhead, and fault tolerance for 3x 16TB in RAID 5. Includes reserve planning for NAS and homelab arrays.

Capacity Snapshot

Raw Capacity

48.00 TB

Usable Capacity

28.80 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 28.80 TB 1 drive 66.7%
RAID 6 N/A N/A N/A
RAID 10 N/A N/A N/A
RAID-Z1 28.80 TB 1 drive 66.7%
RAID-Z2 N/A N/A N/A

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FAQ

Can this calculator replace real-world benchmark and rebuild testing?

No. Use this page for pre-purchase sizing, then validate with workload benchmarks, SMART health policy, and a tested restore plan.

Why include a 10% reserve when planning NAS available space?

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

How much effective storage does 3x 16TB RAID 5 provide?

This NAS planning scenario estimates 28.80 TB usable after a 10% reserve from 48.00 TB raw.

Is RAID 5 still viable with 16TB drives?

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