ASK NC

Greetings,
I'm convinced me that the following NAS is for me

DS923+ with 4GB RAM
10GbE network card
RAID 10 array

I'm looking for redundancy, reliability, and I/O. My usage case is fileserver, media server, and video workflow. No transcoding or VM. Maybe future surveillance video.

I'm need to populate this basic Synology NAS:

DS923+ with 4GB RAM
10GbE network card

WD PRO drives are 7,200 RPM and PLUS are 5,400, I don't know which are more reliable and/or faster in RAID10 arrays. Also wondering if adding an NVMe cache is a game changer.

Here are three potential configurations:

> Configuration 1 (slow HDDs)
3TB WD Red PLUS (5,400 RPM)
Cost = $990

> Configuration 2 (slow HDDs, plus caching)
3TB WD Red PLUS drives (5,400 RPM)
SNV3410 400GB SSD Cache
Cost = $1,150

> Configuration 3 (fast HDDs)
2TB WD Red PRO drives (7,200 RPM)
Cost = $1,090

Q1) Any standouts for reliability and/or I/O?
Q2) Would additional RAM help I/O at all?

Thanks!

Absolutely, your choice of the DS923+ with 4GB RAM and a 10GbE network card seems ideal for your intended use case as a file server, media server, and video workflow hub, with potential future surveillance video needs. Considering your requirements for redundancy, reliability, and I/O, I'd recommend focusing on optimizing the storage setup.

In terms of HDD selection, both WD Red PLUS (5,400 RPM) and WD Red PRO (7,200 RPM) drives are reliable options for RAID10 arrays, with the PRO drives offering slightly faster performance due to their higher rotational speed. However, it's worth noting that the IOPS difference between 5,400 RPM and 7,200 RPM drives might not be significant in this context.

If you're looking to enhance HDD performance, adding an NVMe cache could be a game-changer. This cache can significantly boost overall system performance by accelerating frequently accessed data. For your configurations, I'd recommend considering Configuration 2, which includes the 3TB WD Red PLUS drives (5,400 RPM) with a 400GB SNV3410 SSD cache. This setup strikes a balance between cost-effectiveness and improved performance.

In terms of additional RAM, while it can help in some scenarios, especially when dealing with extensive multitasking or running multiple applications, it may not have a substantial impact on I/O in this specific case. The DS923+ with 4GB RAM should handle your stated use cases quite well, and the focus on optimizing the storage setup with caching is likely to provide the most noticeable performance improvement.

But maybe consider using NVMe slots for storage not cache. Then HDD RAID can be used for "colder" data. MUCH faster IOPS and speed this way.