Workload choice

RAID 5 or RAID 10?

Compare capacity efficiency, mirror-pair rebuild behavior, drive count, and workload characteristics before choosing a protected array layout.

Best fit

RAID 5

Capacity-oriented arrays where one-drive tolerance and a verified recovery path fit the stated risk boundary.

  • • Uses one drive equivalent for parity.
  • • Degraded-array behavior and workload need consideration.
  • • Does not replace an independent backup.

Best fit

RAID 10

Workloads where mirror-pair rebuild behavior and random I/O characteristics justify the capacity tradeoff.

  • • Usually provides about half of raw capacity.
  • • Requires an even drive count.
  • • Multiple-drive survival depends on which mirror pairs fail.

Decision rule

Use the same capacity target and drive count for both layouts. Choose RAID 10 only when its workload and rebuild characteristics matter enough to justify the additional capacity cost.

Build the baseline first

Sources and scope

Last reviewed 2026-07-13. This page separates the decision it supports from the facts that still require a platform or model-specific check.

Applies to

Equal-size drive capacity and layout comparison.

Does not cover

Performance benchmarks for specific hardware.

Synology RAID CalculatorCapacity estimation for supported Synology drive combinations.Open source ↗CISA ransomware guideIndependent backups and recovery-testing guidance.Open source ↗