Can you mix hard drive sizes in a NAS is a common question. All hard drive sizes aren’t the same, so it is understandable why individuals would ask this question. Network assigned storage (NAS) is system used in data centers to store large amounts of data. Since NAS requires hard drives with large capacities and having one brand and size may not always be possible, the question is worth consideration.
So, can you mix hard drive sizes in a NAS? We will answer this query and others as we look at this pertinent topic, so the reader can be well informed and make the best decisions possible. If you want to know more about using hard drives in NAS systems, keep reading, we are sure you will be glad you did!
Contents
Can You Mix Hard Drive Sizes In A NAS? – The Facts
You can mix hard drive sizes in a NAS, but there are restrictions to the minimum, maximum and recommended size of each hard drive. The biggest factor is the ratio between your drives as a whole, which determines how well they balance out performance and redundancy. If your ratio is not balanced, there could be serious consequences for your data if one fails.
Depending on the system, hard disk drives must have a compatible size and compatibility with each other. The most common reason for not being able to mix sizes is that they don’t match capacities or speeds.
Can You Mix Hard Drive Sizes In Synology NAS?
You can mix different drive sizes in a Synology NAS. The amount of space available to you will depend on your chosen configuration and the capacity of each hard drive. The total available space for the entire system will not exceed the current capacity of the smallest HDD in the set.
However, you must use disks that have the same interface type (such as SATA or SAS), form factor, and capacity. The disk array options in Disk Manager will show you if there are problems with your hard drive configuration.
Can Synology Have Different Size Drives?
Yes, the Synology DS216 can support different size hard drives. Make sure to check the operating system that has been installed on your device, as some versions can only use a single type of drive. Synology DiskStation is designed to be expandable, with the ability to accommodate multiple drive bays.
When you have larger-sized drives, they can be installed in any number up to your storage limitations. This also means that if you have less space than you anticipated, this can also be upgraded simply by adding a new hard disk drive. The new added drive’s size will not affect the initial performance and security of the device until recognized by the OS.
Can You Use Different Size Hard Drives In A QNAP NAS?
Yes! You can use different size hard drives in your QNAP NAS. The DiskStation Manager (DSM) will automatically calculate and assign the remaining space to any newly allocated empty Data Volume Folders. However, if you plan on creating a RAID with more than two hard drives, you need to set up your array using the Master Information tab in the RAID Management console.
The operating system in the NAS automatically configures the storage volume on the hard drive according to the capacity of each hard drive it is configured with. A common misconception is that 2.5-inch hard drives will not fit inside a 3.5 inch drive cage as they require different case designs, but this is incorrect as most enclosures accept both sizes.
Do NAS Drives Have To Match?
Network Attached Storage drives do not have to match depending on the type of NAS you use. You can mix and match drives of different capacities with each other and in the same NAS drive bay. For example, a 4-bay NAS storage device can utilize all four drive bays with any combination of 1TB, 2TB, 3TB or 4TB (terabyte) capacity drives.
If one drive is slower than the others, it will slow down the entire system. For example, if you have a 4TB array that combines one 8TB drive and three 3TB drives, all four of them must be either 6Gb/s or 12Gb/s drives. The single exception is when you use an enclosure with adaptive caching technology like RAID 6 (which uses two parity drives). In this scenario, you can mix drive speeds as long as they’re all 6Gb/s or greater.
Can I Mix Seagate And WD In A NAS?
Yes, you can mix Seagate and WD in a NAS. Both brands are equally good and they offer multiple models of hard drives with different pricing. There are some better options on the market with better performance but at the same time, they cost more than other brands too. So it all comes down to what you expect from your NAS server or your budget.
If you are setting up a NAS at home, it is recommended to use the hard drive of your choice. The most important thing to note here is to ensure that its power consumption does not exceed the maximum allowed power input for the NAS.
Can I Mix HDD And SSD In NAS?
You can have both an HDD and an SSD in a NAS, but sadly, you can’t mix the two in the same NAS enclosure. You may have heard or seen reports of people mixing SSD and HDD together in their NAS builds—while it is possible to do so, this is not a recommended configuration.
You can combine hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid state drives (SSDs) in your Synology NAS to boost overall storage performance. However, when you mix different types of drives, the read/write performance may vary depending on the type of data stored on each drive. Synology suggests that you install HDDs for storing general purpose data and keep SSDs for frequently accessed applications such as virtual machines, databases and web servers.
Final Thoughts On Can You Mix Hard Drive Sizes In A NAS
Our conclusion on can you mix hard drive sizes in a NAS is clear. You can mix hard drives, but must be aware of the challenges you could encounter with different speeds and types. You should check to see if the NAS you have will work well if you mix your hard drives.
