I have a Pro 4 (running OS 6.x) I'm looking at and if I decide it's a keeper I'm trying to figure out which storage option I want to go with...
1 - 6TB drive - and expand as I go. 4 - 3TB drives - and be done with it.
If I start with one 6TB is there any restrictions as I add more 6TB drives? I guess I could create more than one volume if so. Any gotcha's with the 3TB if I decide not to add them all at once? Cost wise the 6TB is less to start although it's more per TB. Redundancy really isn't an issue and it will take quite a while before I outgrow the 6TB. So I think I have the answer...
I do not own a Pro 4, however, I have read here on the ReadyNAS forum that there are Pro users who use 6 TB disks and it works fine. If you plan to use 6 TB drives (as well as for later expansion), an alternative is to put OS 6 into your Pro 4. This requires a reset to factory defaults. Check this forum link as reference: viewtopic.php?f=66&t=79374
Take note that there is NO support if you put OS 6 on your Pro 4. However, you could browse the ReadyNAS forums for references:
There is nothing about the Pro 4 that is supported and per my post it's strictly OS 6.x related. 🙂 With OS 6.x I think most (all) expansion restrictions have been lifted and I just want to be clear whether the older hardware comes into play and has its only set of restrictions. Especially since adding drives might be far down the road and going factory resets might get more difficult (ensuring a good backup exists). Again the data isn't of high importance...
There's no technical reason why the 6 TB drives won't work.
If you use xraid, and start with a 6 TB drive, then your future drives will also need to be 6 TB (and the next one would be for redundancy). Though if you don't need/want redundancy or a single volume, flexraid/jbod should work well.
From a cost perspective, two 3 TB drives are cheaper than one 6 TB drive. 3 TB drives are actually the cheapest per TB (using the WDC Red pricing to compare them).
2 TB = $96 -> $48 per TB 3 TB = $110 -> $36.67 per TB 4 TB = $160 -> $40 per TB 5 TB = $215 -> $43 per TB 6 TB = $270 -> $45 per TB
Another way to look at this is that you spend ~$50 more with the 6 TB drive, and get an empty slot in the NAS in return.
From a cost perspective, two 3 TB drives are cheaper than one 6 TB drive. 3 TB drives are actually the cheapest per TB (using the WDC Red pricing to compare them).
I'm looking at Reds and my price is... Fry's WD Red retail kits (not the OEM packaging).
$400 - 4 3TB drives $279 - 1 6TB drive
I might get the 6TB down to $250 if I get lucky (sell at Fry's in the next two weeks via price match). I already have the drives (3TB and 6TB) and just trying to decide which to commit to... I'm about to exceed my current 3TB drive so I have to go one route or another. It just seems silly to have four 3TB drives spinning (or money invested in them) for no good reason. So I guess I could go 2 3TB drives and spend a little more per drive (the $400 was a combo price). That ends up $228 (my pricing) versus the $279 for the 6TB drive... which appears to be winning. 🙂 Neither would offer any protection. And I presume the 6TB price will be dropping in the future... which is another reason not to commit to 4 drives at this time.
I have one 6 TB, and will probably pick up a second over the next couple of months. I'll be configuring them as jbod, and using them to consolidate my NAS backups.
Generally if you want expansion in the future, its cheapest over the long haul to keep at least one empty slot.
I ripped open the 6TB drive and starting copying. I need to decide (for sure) if I want any redundancy at all. If I do I'm thinking the 3TBs are a better choice. For $400 I get 9TB (rounded numbers) and I'd have to get 3 6TBs to meet or exceed that storage at roughly $840. Actually unless I think I'm going to exceed the 9TB with redundancy or 12TB without I'm now thinking the 3TB are the clear winner.
You could go with 4 TB, not sure why you are only considering 3 and 6.
I try to use my local Fry's whenever possible. They even price match online stores. However for some unknown reason they don't stock the WD 4TB Reds. They do carry the Green, Black and Purple... Also they only stock the retail kit so I can only price match them.
