Top Hardware Components for TrueNAS / FreeNAS NAS Servers

TrueNAS / FreeNAS is a FreeBSD-based storage platform that utilizes ZFS. The fact that it uses a thoroughly enterprise file system and it is free means that it is extremely popular among IT professionals who are on constrained budgets. At STH we test hundreds of hardware combinations each year. From this experience, we are going to keep a running log of the best TrueNAS / FreeNAS components. We are going to focus this guide on TrueNAS servers with under 30 storage devices and will periodically update the listing.

Of course, iXsystems, the company behind TrueNAS sells NAS units so if you want a pre-configured solution that is a great place to start. Here are our Top Picks for TrueNAS / FreeNAS Buyer’s Guides:

Top TrueNAS / FreeNAS ZFS Storage Picks

Like most ZFS systems, the real speed comes from caching. ZFS is designed to make effective use of RAM and solid-state drives for caching. This means that there are four primary classes of drives for a FreeNAS system: boot drives, hard drives, L2ARC SSDs and ZIL/ SLOG devices. We maintain a list of the top five picks in each category to take the stress out of picking components:

We will keep these updated on a periodic basis.

Top TrueNAS / FreeNAS Networking Picks

We have a list of our Top FreeNAS NICs. Networking performance is extremely important to overall performance. Nothing is worse than having an awesome network storage appliance then not being able to use it.

FreeNAS Mini XL Plus Front Fans And Cable Management
FreeNAS Mini XL Plus Front Fans And Cable Management

TrueNAS / FreeNAS System Reviews

The company behind FreeNAS, iXsystems, now sells various appliances aimed at the SOHO, creator, SMB, and ROBO market segments. We are going to have our system reviews here

You can read more about the appliancesĀ New FreeNAS Mini E and FreeNAS Mini XL Plus Launched and the older generation inĀ FreeNAS Mini XL Launched.

Have a specific question?

If you are looking for an awesome deal or have a specific question about FreeNAS hardware, feel free to ask in the STH forums.

Last updated 2022/08/17