M.2 SSD Cache Size

[Enquiries]

I am currently building a Terramaster F4-424 to advance my current system. It will have (2) 8 TB HDD and (2) 12 TB HDD. I will be using the system mostly for Jellyfin server that will be used for sharing with about 8 different households. It will also have a couple other services used for just my home like file backup of the phones.

My biggest question is I don't know what size m.2 SSD cache to use. The system comes with 2 slots. Should I spread the cache size over the 2? Meaning if I need 2TB of cache size is it better to use (2) 1TB sticks or is it the same performance to use (1) 2TB stick?

If half of my NAS is for a Jellyfin server, is the SSD cache going to be that helpful?? I imagine it will be good for quicker loading of the jellyfin metadata for all the households but how much space is that really going to take up? 1 TB seems like a huge amount just for metadata cache mostly?

[ed]

It's great to see you're upgrading your system with the Terramaster F4-424! When it comes to choosing the M.2 SSD cache size, it's essential to consider your usage patterns and requirements. Since you'll primarily be using the NAS for a Jellyfin server shared among multiple households, having SSD caching can indeed improve performance, especially for quicker loading of metadata.

Regarding the size of the cache, you're correct that 1TB might seem excessive for just metadata caching. In your scenario, you could opt for a smaller cache size, like 500GB or even 250GB, which should still provide noticeable performance benefits while being more cost-effective.

As for whether to use two smaller SSDs or one larger SSD, it generally won't make a significant difference in performance. However, using two smaller SSDs could offer some redundancy in case one fails, providing a level of data protection.