Free RAID Calculator
Instantly calculate RAID capacity, efficiency, and performance for RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, and 10. Get accurate estimates with vendor presets for Synology, QNAP, and ZFS systems.
RAID Configuration
Min: 3 disks for RAID 5
Custom Performance Values
OptionalIf you know your disk's specific performance characteristics, enter them here. Otherwise, we'll estimate based on the media type.
Leave empty to use estimated values
Leave empty to use estimated values
RAID 5 requires a minimum of 3 disks.
Can survive failure of 1 disk.
Popular Configurations
Quick-start with proven RAID configurations from leading NAS vendors and storage systems.
DS220+ Basic RAID 1
Synology
2-bay NAS with mirroring for data protection
DS423+ Performance RAID 5
Synology
4-bay NAS with RAID 5 for balanced performance and protection
TS-464 Media Server
QNAP
4-bay media server with RAID 5 for large capacity
TS-253D Backup Solution
QNAP
2-bay backup NAS with RAID 1 protection
RAIDZ1 (RAID 5 equivalent)
ZFS
ZFS RAIDZ1 with 4 drives for balanced performance
Basic RAID 1 Mirror
Generic
Simple 2-drive mirror for basic protection
Need help choosing? Check out our vendor-specific guides:
Popular Configurations
Jump straight into real-world NAS setups. Click a preset to auto-fill the calculator and get a shareable link.
How RAID Works
Understanding RAID levels and their trade-offs between capacity, performance, and reliability.
RAID 0
Striping
Data is split across multiple disks for maximum performance. No redundancy - any disk failure results in total data loss.
Advantages
- •Maximum performance
- •Full capacity utilization
- •Simple implementation
Disadvantages
- •No fault tolerance
- •High failure risk
- •Not suitable for critical data
Best For
Temporary storage, video editing, gaming
RAID 1
Mirroring
Data is duplicated across disk pairs. Excellent reliability but only 50% capacity efficiency.
Advantages
- •Excellent fault tolerance
- •Fast read performance
- •Simple recovery
Disadvantages
- •50% capacity efficiency
- •Higher cost per TB
- •Write performance penalty
Best For
Critical systems, databases, boot drives
RAID 5
Striping + Parity
Data and parity information distributed across all disks. Good balance of capacity, performance, and protection.
Advantages
- •Good capacity efficiency
- •Single disk fault tolerance
- •Balanced performance
Disadvantages
- •Write performance penalty
- •Vulnerable during rebuild
- •Complex recovery
Best For
File servers, general storage, home NAS
RAID 6
Dual Parity
Similar to RAID 5 but with dual parity for enhanced protection. Can survive two simultaneous disk failures.
Advantages
- •Dual disk fault tolerance
- •Better rebuild safety
- •Good for large arrays
Disadvantages
- •Higher write penalty
- •More complex
- •Requires minimum 4 disks
Best For
Enterprise storage, large arrays, critical data
RAID 10
Mirrored Stripes
Combines RAID 1 mirroring with RAID 0 striping. High performance and reliability but expensive.
Advantages
- •High performance
- •Excellent fault tolerance
- •Fast rebuild times
Disadvantages
- •50% capacity efficiency
- •High cost
- •Requires even disk count
Best For
High-performance databases, virtualization