NAS & RAID Calculator

NAS planning example

Brand Focus · Synology

Synology 4x 8TB RAID 10 NAS Calculator

Estimate usable TB, parity, and fault tolerance for Synology NAS users using 4x 8TB in RAID 10.

Planning route

Answer the capacity question, then validate the purchase path

Use this worked example as a numeric starting point, then validate the RAID choice, capacity reserve, hardware plan, and backup path.

Editorial method

What this calculator can—and cannot—decide

The capacity model makes drive count, drive size, RAID layout, and reserve visible. It is a planning aid: it does not predict exact performance, rebuild duration, hardware compatibility, or the probability of data loss for a specific system.

Last reviewed: July 10, 2026. Product links remain neutral category searches until a partner relationship and page-level disclosure are in place.

Capacity Snapshot

Raw Capacity

32.00 TB

Usable Capacity

14.40 TB

Fault Tolerance

1 drive per mirror pair*

Efficiency

50.0%

Excellent random I/O and rebuild behavior; capacity is typically 50% of raw. This scenario applies a 10% filesystem reserve.

Run Interactive Calculator

Alternative Mode Comparison

Mode Usable Tolerance Efficiency
RAID 5 21.60 TB 1 drive 75.0%
RAID 6 14.40 TB 2 drives 50.0%
RAID 10 14.40 TB 1 drive per mirror pair* 50.0%
RAID-Z1 21.60 TB 1 drive 75.0%
RAID-Z2 14.40 TB 2 drives 50.0%

Synology Planning Notes

Synology users usually optimize for predictable rebuild behavior and conservative free-space policies, especially when using large-capacity SHR/RAID pools for media and backup workloads.

Brand / Region Glossary

SHR

Synology Hybrid RAID that improves flexibility when mixing drive sizes.

Btrfs Snapshots

Point-in-time snapshots used for rollback and data protection policies.

Storage Pool

Logical disk group where RAID layout is created before volumes are provisioned.

NAS cluster navigation

Move through the storage decision path

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FAQ

How many disk failures can RAID 10 tolerate in this setup?

This setup can tolerate 1 drive per mirror pair*. Real-world survivability depends on mirror placement, rebuild stress, and drive health.

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 4x 8TB RAID 10 provide?

For Synology users, this NAS planning scenario estimates 14.40 TB usable after a 10% reserve from 32.00 TB raw.