NAS Build
NAS Build
I share a lot more details than just the basics. I own over 100 hard drives, many of which have exceeded 30K hours. Typically, I expect them to last between five to ten years before they’re no longer reliable. I’ve had to take out more drives from service because they’re too small or underperforming, not due to failure.
Within a $200 budget, is there another choice that offers a more effective alternative to what you proposed?
You're currently in the US. For this setup, I'm likely going single with a 4TB drive. Consider IronWolf or Toshiba if they're more affordable; desktop drives aren't significantly cheaper, so I'll opt for one of the NAS 4TB options. If you need more storage, I'd expand to external 8TB drives. Raid isn't necessary—just keep data safe by using an external HDD and storing it offsite, syncing monthly or as needed.
Hard drives perform reasonably well over time, though regular checks are advisable. The effectiveness depends on your setup choices in the operating system, and sometimes simply adding a new drive can increase available space using techniques like Btrfs, ZFS, or storage quotas.