F4-424 M.2 drives for OS & cache

[agarza647]

After much research on nascompares.com, I have finally settled on the F4-424. I plan to install two 12Gb drives initially and some M.2 drives for OS storage and cache. The NAS will be used for backups (Mac & PC), multimedia (Plex), file storage (both general and video editing), and possibly VM/Docker usage in the future.

1. What would be the recommended drives (brand and size) for the two slots?
   
2. I realize that the M.2 for OS storage would need to be installed initially, but does the M.2 for caching need to be installed at the time of initial setup also?
   

Thank you for supplying the community with such a wealth of information and resources.

[ed]

Great choice with the F4-424! It sounds like you have a solid plan for your NAS setup. Here’s a breakdown of your questions regarding M.2 drives for OS storage and caching.

Recommended M.2 Drives
For the F4-424, you'll want to choose NVMe SSDs that offer good endurance, especially since you'll be using them for both OS storage and caching. Here are some recommendations:

Samsung 970 Pro (1TB or 2TB): Known for high performance and reliability with a DWPD of 0.66.
Samsung 990 Pro (1TB or 2TB): Excellent speed and endurance (0.68 DWPD).
Seagate FireCuda 530 (1TB or 2TB): High endurance (0.7 DWPD) and great for intensive workloads.
WD Black SN850 (1TB or 2TB): Another strong performer with a DWPD of 0.6.
Installation of M.2 Drives
OS Storage: Yes, you need to install the M.2 drive for the OS storage initially. This is essential to boot the NAS and run the operating system effectively.

Caching Drive: You do not need to install the M.2 caching drive at the time of the initial setup. You can add the caching drive later on once you have your NAS configured and are ready to enhance performance.

Considerations for Future Use
Since you mentioned using the NAS for backups, Plex, file storage, and potentially VMs/Docker in the future, having a good caching SSD will help speed up data access and overall performance. Installing a caching drive later can be a straightforward upgrade as your needs grow.