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4x 18TB RAID-Z1 NAS Calculator | Usable TB

Estimate usable TB, parity overhead, and fault tolerance for 4x 18TB in RAID-Z1. Includes reserve planning for NAS and homelab arrays.

Capacity Snapshot

Raw Capacity

72.00 TB

Usable Capacity

48.60 TB

Fault Tolerance

1 drive

Efficiency

75.0%

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 48.60 TB 1 drive 75.0%
RAID 6 32.40 TB 2 drives 50.0%
RAID 10 32.40 TB 1 drive per mirror pair* 50.0%
RAID-Z1 48.60 TB 1 drive 75.0%
RAID-Z2 32.40 TB 2 drives 50.0%

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FAQ

Is RAID-Z1 still practical with 18TB drives?

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

How much effective storage does 4x 18TB RAID-Z1 provide?

This NAS planning scenario estimates 48.60 TB usable after a 10% reserve from 72.00 TB raw.

Should I optimize this 4-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.

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.