Single Client Access - NAS Benchmarks

Evaluation of single client performance in a networked environment was done by configuring three drives in RAID-5 in the QNAP TS-EC1279U-SAS-RP unit. Two of the network links were bonded (configured with 802.3ad LACP). Our usual Intel NASPT / robocopy benchmarks were processed from a virtual machine in our NAS testbed. The results are presented in the graphs below.

HD Video Playback

2x HD Playback

4x HD Playback

HD Video Record

HD Playback and Record

Content Creation

Office Productivity

File Copy to NAS

File Copy from NAS

Dir Copy to NAS

Dir Copy from NAS

Photo Album

robocopy (Write to NAS)

robocopy (Read from NAS)

For almost all workloads, there is no discernible difference between the performance of various drives, indicating that it is the network acting as a bottleneck for single client access. Differences start to appear when there are multiple clients accessing the NAS.

Single Client Access - DAS Benchmarks Multi-Client Access - NAS Environment
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  • Guspaz - Tuesday, December 23, 2014 - link

    $300 for a 6TB drive doesn't seem very cost-effective when 8TB drives sell for $260, and 4TB drives sell for $140. Heck, even the 4TB HGST DeskStar NAS sells for only $165. This isn't really a fault with the HGST drive specifically (since other 6TB drives aren't any cheaper), but more a fault with the 6TB capacity point.

    Of course, the 8TB drive in question is using SMR, and so ought to be rather slow for writes, but when you've got a bunch of them in a server with some SSDs for caching, it shouldn't be so bad.
  • insz - Tuesday, December 23, 2014 - link

    Can you please provide a link to an 8TB drive for $260?
  • Dreamwalker - Tuesday, December 23, 2014 - link

    Here in EU you can get the Seagate Archive 8TB for ~226EUR (275USD with vat). It targets cloud/cold storage market but I think it should be great for a HTPC too...
    https://geizhals.at/eu/seagate-archive-hdd-v2-8tb-...
  • patrioteagle07 - Tuesday, January 6, 2015 - link

    You do not want that drive... it is cheap because it is SMR. SMR is for COLD storage not NAS.
  • BeAi - Wednesday, January 7, 2015 - link

    Hi there, we are Premium Reseller of HGST, about these disks i could give some more inputs... First, the Seagate is a SMR Disk, only good for Backupszenarios, further they have only 3 years warranty.
    The HGST 8TB Disk is not a SMR Disk, HGST has got the 10 TB SMR Disk for Backupsolutions. Than the HGST Disk have got 5 Years warranty, for business solutions is that an argument. Last but not least, HGST has released on all SAS3 Disk the Media Caching Technologie, the disk are probably up to 3 times faster than other disk on the market. We have tested disks in our Lab, with a 1.2TB media caching 10k Disk, it will be faster than a 15k normal 2,5 inc disk. For more information, feel free to visit our online Shop: shop.storagespace.ch Kind Regards.
  • BeAi - Wednesday, January 7, 2015 - link

    Sorry i have forget that the HGST 8TB also have the Helium 8 Technologie, its also a He8 Plate, the Seagate havent got helium inside...
    Benefit of HGST Helium: up to 50% less energy cost, and less heat from the plate... If you wanna have an offer or more informations: info@storagespace.ch
  • takeshi7 - Tuesday, December 23, 2014 - link

    I think he's citing this article. That $260/8TB is bulk pricing for buying 20 drives it looks like.
    http://www.extremetech.com/computing/195543-seagat...
  • nandnandnand - Tuesday, December 23, 2014 - link

    The $260 8 TB drive isn't out yet. But it is a good thing
  • realwarder - Friday, December 26, 2014 - link

    Having a higher performance 6TB drive now is worth the extra money in the time saved over upgrading a 4TB drive later. It may be twice the price, but in $ it's not really much compared to reworking an entire setup later to add storage (unless you have a 8+ disk array with lots of room to grow)
  • hlmcompany - Tuesday, December 23, 2014 - link

    Regardless of the capacity, this HGST drive is in the same category as a WD Red Pro, NOT a WD Red.

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