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 real-world usable storage does 4x 12TB RAID 10 provide?
For UK homelab buyers, this NAS planning scenario estimates 21.60 TB usable after a 10% reserve from 48.00 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.
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.