Homelab Storage
Storage is where most homelab money goes and where most homelab data is lost. The decisions that matter are recording technology, interface, redundancy level, and whether a drive's warranty outlives its usefulness. Capacity per dollar is the headline number, but it is the wrong one to optimise alone.
- What is the difference between CMR and SMR drives?
- Can I use SAS drives in a home NAS?
- What does a recertified hard drive actually mean?
- How many power-on hours is too many for a used drive?
- What is a good price per terabyte for a used hard drive?
- How many drives do I need for RAID or ZFS?
- Is RAID a backup?
- What is the difference between 512e and 4Kn drives?
- Should I use 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch drives?
- Does hard drive RPM matter for a homelab?
- Does hard drive cache size matter?
- What are SED, FIPS and ISE drives, and should I avoid them?
- Are helium-filled hard drives better?