NAS & RAID Calculator

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3x 6TB RAID-Z1 NAS Calculator | Usable TB

Estimate usable TB, parity overhead, and fault tolerance for 3x 6TB in RAID-Z1. Includes reserve planning for NAS and homelab arrays.

Capacity Snapshot

Raw Capacity

18.00 TB

Usable Capacity

10.80 TB

Fault Tolerance

1 drive

Efficiency

66.7%

ZFS single-parity equivalent of RAID 5; common for smaller homelab pools. This scenario applies a 10% filesystem reserve.

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Alternative Mode Comparison

Mode Usable Tolerance Efficiency
RAID 5 10.80 TB 1 drive 66.7%
RAID 6 N/A N/A N/A
RAID 10 N/A N/A N/A
RAID-Z1 10.80 TB 1 drive 66.7%
RAID-Z2 N/A N/A N/A

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FAQ

Why include a 10% reserve when planning NAS storage headroom?

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

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.

How much effective storage does 3x 6TB RAID-Z1 provide?

This NAS planning scenario estimates 10.80 TB usable after a 10% reserve from 18.00 TB raw.

Is RAID-Z1 still viable with 6TB drives?

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