TerabyteWise
Updated · Specifications verified September 1, 2026

Calculate Storage for Local AI Models and Datasets

Models, variants, growth, backups and RAID—without confusing capacity with VRAM

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Quick answer

Enter model count, average file size, variants, checkpoints, datasets, embeddings, media, growth, backups and protection mode. The calculator estimates active data, backup storage, required raw capacity and a practical matched-drive tier. Storage capacity is not RAM or VRAM. Storage holds model weights, quantizations, datasets, embeddings and backups at rest; RAM/VRAM determines which model and context can be active during inference.

As of September 12, 2026
Best price per TB
$26.11
Products tracked
60
Prices updated
3 hours ago

Local AI storage calculator

Capacity planning only—this does not estimate RAM or GPU VRAM.

Active storage now2.7 TBModels: 960 GB
Projected active set5.9 TBAfter growth, before backups
Backup storage5.9 TB1 independent copy
Recommended array4 × 6TB16.4 TB estimated usable
Recommended raw capacity24 TB21.6 TB minimum by the selected assumptions
Estimated drive cost$627Uses the current qualifying HDD $/TB; enclosure not included

The usable estimate applies the chosen parity layout and a 9% binary/filesystem allowance. Backups are separate copies, not RAID parity. Confirm drive support, keep working model caches local when latency matters, and round up when a single checkpoint can temporarily double during export.

Live new CMR drives for the calculated capacity tier

Price per
60 products
ProductCapacityPrice$ / TBTypePrimeBuy
Western Digital Internal Hard Drives 18Tb DC HC550 Surveillance,Wd 3.5 HDD Sata 6Gb/s 7200 PRM NAS 512 mb Cache for Dvr Nvr18 TB$469.99$26.11Enterprise HDD · SATACMREnterprise-Buy on Amazon
HGST Ultrastar He12 | HUH721212ALE601 | 0F27454 | 12TB 7200 RPM 256MB SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Cache | 512E | BitLocker Hard Drive Encryption | Power Disable Function |12 TB$329.99$27.50Enterprise HDD · SATACMREnterprise-Buy on Amazon
Western Digital HUH721212ALE604 12TB Ultrastar DC HC520 SATA HDD - 7200 RPM Class, SATA 6 Gb/s, 256MB Cache, 3.5"12 TB$349.00$29.08Enterprise HDD · SATACMREnterprise-Buy on Amazon
WD Ultrastar DC HC580 WUH722424ALE6L4 - Hard Drive - 24 TB - Internal - 3.5" (8.9 cm) - SATA 6Gb/s - 7200 RPM - Buffer: 512 MB24 TB$749.99$31.25Enterprise HDD · SATACMREnterprise-Buy on Amazon
Seagate Skyhawk ST6000VX001 6TB 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - SATA6 TB$209.94$34.99NAS HDD · SATACMR-Buy on Amazon
Toshiba N300 PRO 24TB Large-Sized Business NAS (up to 24 Bays) 3.5-Inch Internal Hard Drive - Up to 550 TB/Year Workload Rate CMR SATA 6 Gb/s 7200 RPM 1.0 GB Cache - HDWG82EXZSTB24 TB$844.99$35.21NAS HDD · SATACMR-Buy on Amazon
Toshiba N300 8TB NAS 3.5-Inch Internal Hard Drive - CMR SATA 6 GB/s 7200 RPM 512 MB Cache - HDWG780XZSTA8 TB$282.51$35.31NAS HDD · SATACMR-Buy on Amazon
Seagate IronWolf Pro 24TB Enterprise NAS Internal HDD Hard Drive – CMR 3.5 Inch SATA 6Gb/s 7200 RPM 512MB Cache for RAID Network Attached Storage, Rescue Services (ST24000NT002)24 TB$848.86$35.37Enterprise HDD · SATACMREnterprise-Buy on Amazon
IronWolf ST12000VN0008 Hard Drive12 TB$429.99$35.83NAS HDD · SATACMR-Buy on Amazon
Seagate Skyhawk AI 24TB Video Internal Hard Drive HDD – 3.5 Inch SATA 6Gb/s 512MB Cache for DVR NVR Security Camera System with in-House Rescue Services (ST24000VE002)24 TB$859.99$35.83NAS HDD · SATACMR-Buy on Amazon
Seagate Skyhawk AI 20TB Video Internal Hard Drive HDD – 3.5 Inch SATA 6Gb/s 512MB Cache for DVR NVR Security Camera System with in-House Rescue Services (ST20000VE003)20 TB$719.99$36.00NAS HDD · SATACMR-Buy on Amazon
Seagate IronWolf Pro 14 TB NAS RAID Internal Hard Drive - 7,200 RPM SATA 6 Gb/s 3.5-inch (ST14000NE0008)14 TB$509.00$36.36NAS HDD · SATACMR-Buy on Amazon
Seagate IronWolf Pro 28TB Enterprise NAS Internal HDD Hard Drive – CMR 3.5 Inch SATA 6Gb/s 7200 RPM 512MB Cache for RAID Network Attached Storage, Rescue Services (ST28000NT000)28 TB$1,019.99$36.43Enterprise HDD · SATACMREnterprise-Buy on Amazon
Seagate IronWolf Pro 24TB Enterprise NAS Internal HDD Hard Drive – CMR 3.5 Inch SATA 6Gb/s 7200 RPM 512MB Cache for RAID Network Attached Storage, Rescue Services (ST24000NTZ02)24 TB$899.97$37.50Enterprise HDD · SATACMREnterprise-Buy on Amazon
WD Ultrastar DC HC570 0F48155 22 TB Hard Drive - 3.5" Internal - SATA (SATA/600) - Conventional Magnetic Recording (CMR) Method22 TB$829.99$37.73Enterprise HDD · SATACMREnterprise-Buy on Amazon
Toshiba N300 20TB NAS 3.5-Inch Internal Hard Drive - CMR SATA 6 GB/s 7200 RPM 512 MB Cache - HDWG62AXZSTA20 TB$759.95$38.00NAS HDD · SATACMR-Buy on Amazon
Seagate IronWolf 12TB, Interne Harde Schijf, voor NAS RAID, NAS, 3.5", SATA 6 GB/s, 7200 RPM, 265 MB Cache, FFP, Data Rescue Service (ST12000VNZ008)12 TB$457.30$38.11NAS HDD · SATACMR-Buy on Amazon
Seagate Skyhawk AI 16TB Video Internal Hard Drive HDD – 3.5 Inch SATA 6Gb/s 256MB Cache for DVR NVR Security Camera System with Drive Health Management and in-House Rescue Services (ST16000VE000)16 TB$615.00$38.44NAS HDD · SATACMR-Buy on Amazon
Western Digital Ultrastar DC HC550 18 TB Hard Drive - 3.5 Internal - SATA18 TB$694.45$38.58Enterprise HDD · SATACMREnterprise-Buy on Amazon
Western Digital 10TB WD Red Plus NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD - 7200 RPM, SATA 6 GB/s, CMR, 512 MB Cache, 3.5" - WD100EFGX10 TB$389.99$39.00NAS HDD · SATACMRPrimeBuy on Amazon
Seagate IronWolf Pro ST14000NE0008 14 TB Hard Drive - 3.5" Internal - SATA (SATA/600)14 TB$550.00$39.29NAS HDD · SATACMR-Buy on Amazon
Seagate IronWolf Pro ST16000NE000 16 TB Hard Drive - 3.5" Internal - SATA (SATA/600), Mechanical Hard Disk16 TB$634.75$39.67NAS HDD · SATACMR-Buy on Amazon
Seagate ST18000NM003D 18TB Exos X20 SATA Hard Drive, 3.5" HDD, SATA 6Gb/s, 7200rpm, 256MB Cache, 512E, 4.16ms, NCQ18 TB$715.00$39.72Enterprise HDD · SATACMREnterprise-Buy on Amazon
HGST WD Ultrastar DC HC510 10TB 7200 RPM SATA 6Gb/s 3.5" Helium Platform Enterprise Hard Disk Drive - HUH721010ALE604 (0F27606)10 TB$399.00$39.90Enterprise HDD · SATACMREnterprise-Buy on Amazon
Toshiba N300 PRO 12TB Large-Sized Business NAS (up to 24 bays) 3.5-Inch Internal Hard Drive - Up to 300 TB/year Workload Rate CMR SATA 6 GB/s 7200 RPM 512 MB Cache - HDWG51CXZSTB12 TB$478.99$39.92NAS HDD · SATACMR-Buy on Amazon
Seagate Technology ST20000NM002H 20TB Exos X24 HDD 3.5 SATA 7200 ISE Bare Hard Drive20 TB$799.99$40.00Enterprise HDD · SATACMREnterprise-Buy on Amazon
Seagate Exos X24 24TB Enterprise Internal Hard Drive HDD - 6GB/s SATA 7200RPM 2.5M MTBF (ST24000NM002H)24 TB$959.99$40.00Enterprise HDD · SATACMREnterprise-Buy on Amazon
Seagate Exos M 30TB Enterprise Internal Hard Drive HDD - 3.5in 6GB/s SATA 7200RPM 2.5M MTBF (ST30000NM004K)30 TB$1,199.99$40.00Enterprise HDD · SATACMREnterprise-Buy on Amazon
Seagate Exos 32TB Enterprise Internal Hard Drive HDD - 3.5in 6GB/s SATA 7200RPM 2.5M MTBF (ST32000NM004K)32 TB$1,279.99$40.00Enterprise HDD · SATACMREnterprise-Buy on Amazon
Western Digital 26TB WD Red Pro NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD - 7200 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, CMR, 512 MB Cache, 3.5" - WD260KFGX26 TB$1,046.17$40.24NAS HDD · SATACMRPrimeBuy on Amazon
Western Digital 18TB WD Red Pro NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD - 7200 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, CMR, 512 MB Cache, 3.5" - WD181KFGX18 TB$729.99$40.56NAS HDD · SATACMRPrimeBuy on Amazon
Seagate IronWolf 14TB NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD – CMR 3.5 Inch SATA 256MB Cache for RAID Network Attached Storage – Frustration Free Packaging (ST14000VN0008)14 TB$569.75$40.70NAS HDD · SATACMR-Buy on Amazon
Western Digital 20TB WD Red Pro NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD - 7200 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, CMR, 512 MB Cache, 3.5" - WD202KFGX20 TB$814.99$40.75NAS HDD · SATACMRPrimeBuy on Amazon
Western Digital 24TB WD Red Pro NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD - 7200 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, CMR, 512 MB Cache, 3.5" -WD241KFGX24 TB$979.99$40.83NAS HDD · SATACMRPrimeBuy on Amazon
Western Digital WD Ultrastar HC570 WUH722222ALE6L4 22TB 7200RPM 3.5'' Desktop HDD 0F4815522 TB$899.99$40.91Enterprise HDD · SATACMREnterprise-Buy on Amazon
Western Digital 16TB WD Red Pro NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD - 7200 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, CMR, 512 MB Cache, 3.5" - WD161KFGX16 TB$654.99$40.94NAS HDD · SATACMRPrimeBuy on Amazon
for Enterprise Hard Disk ST18000NM000J 18TB Exos X18 7200 RPM18 TB$739.68$41.09Enterprise HDD · SATACMREnterprise-Buy on Amazon
WD Ultrastar DC HC590 0F65672 - 26 TB26 TB$1,072.99$41.27Enterprise HDD · SATACMREnterprise-Buy on Amazon
Toshiba N300 10TB NAS 3.5-Inch Internal Hard Drive - CMR SATA 6 Gb/s 7200 RPM 512 MB Cache - HDWG71AXZSTA10 TB$414.99$41.50NAS HDD · SATACMR-Buy on Amazon
Seagate Exos X14 ST12000NM0008 12 TB Hard Drive - 3.5" Internal - SATA (SATA/600)12 TB$499.97$41.66Enterprise HDD · SATACMREnterprise-Buy on Amazon
Seagate IronWolf ST4000VN006 4 TB Hard Drive - 3.5" Internal - SATA (SATA/600) - Conventional Magnetic Recording (CMR) Method4 TB$167.49$41.87NAS HDD · SATACMR-Buy on Amazon
Toshiba MG09ACA18TE 18 TB Hard Drive - 3.5 Internal - SATA [SATA/600]18 TB$754.00$41.89Enterprise HDD · SATACMREnterprise-Buy on Amazon
Seagate Exos X20 ST20000NM007D 20TB 7.2K RPM SATA 6Gb/s 3.5in Hard Drive20 TB$839.99$42.00Enterprise HDD · SATACMREnterprise-Buy on Amazon
Western Digital 3TB WD Red Plus NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD - 5400 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, CMR, 256 MB Cache, 3.5" -WD30EFPX3 TB$126.22$42.07NAS HDD · SATACMR-Buy on Amazon
Western Digital Ultrastar WUH722014CLE6L4 14 TB Hard Drive - 3.5" Internal - SATA - Energy-Assisted Magnetic Recording (EAMR) - Server Device Supported - 7200rpm - 512e Format - 512 MB Buffer14 TB$589.99$42.14Enterprise HDD · SATACMREnterprise-Buy on Amazon
Seagate 14TB HDD Exos X14 7200 RPM 512e/4Kn SATA 6Gb/s 256MB Cache 3.5-Inch Enterprise Hard Drive (ST14000NM0018)14 TB$592.41$42.32Enterprise HDD · SATACMREnterprise-Buy on Amazon
Western Digital WD Red Plus Internal Hard Drive 6 TB CMR 3.5 Inch SATA 5400 rpm 256 MB NAS (Amazon.co.jp Limited)6 TB$254.50$42.42NAS HDD · SATACMRPrimeBuy on Amazon
Western Digital WUH721414ALE6L4 14TB Ultrastar DC HC530 SATA HDD - 7200 RPM Class, SATA 6 Gb/s, 512MB Cache, 3.5"14 TB$594.75$42.48Enterprise HDD · SATACMREnterprise-Buy on Amazon
Seagate Skyhawk AI 14TB Surveillance Internal Hard Drive HDD–3.5 Inch SATA 6Gb/s 256MB Cache with Drive Health Management + 3-Year Rescue Service (ST14000VE0008)14 TB$594.75$42.48NAS HDD · SATACMR-Buy on Amazon
Seagate IronWolf 4TB NAS Internal Hard Drive CMR 3.5 Inch SATA 6Gb/s 5400 RPM 64MB Cache for RAID Network Attached Storage Rescue Services (ST4000VNZ06/006)4 TB$169.99$42.50NAS HDD · SATACMR-Buy on Amazon
Western Digital 8TB WD Red Plus NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD - 5640 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, CMR, 128 MB Cache, 3.5" - WD80EFZZ8 TB$339.99$42.50NAS HDD · SATACMR-Buy on Amazon
Western Digital 8TB WD Red Plus NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD - 5640 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, CMR, 256 MB Cache, 3.5" - WD80EFPX8 TB$339.99$42.50NAS HDD · SATACMRPrimeBuy on Amazon
Seagate IronWolf ST12000VN0007 12 TB 3.5 Internal Hard Drive - SATA - 7200rpm - 256 MB Buffer12 TB$515.00$42.92NAS HDD · SATACMR-Buy on Amazon
Seagate IronWolf 18TB NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD – CMR 3.5 Inch SATA 6Gb/s 7200 RPM 256MB Cache for RAID Network Attached Storage, Rescue Services – Frustration Free Packaging (ST18000VNZ00)18 TB$774.45$43.03NAS HDD · SATACMR-Buy on Amazon
Seagate IronWolf 16TB NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD – CMR 3.5 Inch SATA 6GB/S 7200 RPM 256MB Cache for Raid Network Attached Storage, with Rescue Service (ST16000VN001)16 TB$691.45$43.22NAS HDD · SATACMR-Buy on Amazon
Western Digital Ultrastar DC HC550 WUH721816ALE6L4 0F38462 16TB 7.2K RPM SATA 6Gb/s 512e 512MB 3.5" SE HDD16 TB$694.45$43.40Enterprise HDD · SATACMREnterprise-Buy on Amazon
Seagate IronWolf Pro 12TB NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD – 3.5 Inch SATA 6Gb/s 7200 RPM 256MB Cache for RAID Network Attached Storage Data Recovery Service – Frustration Free Packaging (ST12000NEZ008)12 TB$524.45$43.70NAS HDD · SATACMR-Buy on Amazon
Seagate IronWolf Pro ST12000NE0008 12 TB Hard Drive - 512E Format - SATA 600-3.5" Drive - Internal - 7200RPM - 256 MB Buffer - Hot Pluggable12 TB$524.45$43.70NAS HDD · SATACMR-Buy on Amazon
Seagate Exos 12TB Internal Hard Drive Enterprise HDD – 3.5 Inch 6Gb/s 128MB Cache for Enterprise, Data Center – Frustration Free Packaging (ST12000NM0007)12 TB$525.00$43.75Enterprise HDD · SATACMREnterprise-Buy on Amazon
Seagate IronWolf Pro 14TB NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD – CMR 3.5 Inch SATA 6Gb/s 256MB Cache for RAID Network Attached Storage, Data Recovery Service – Frustration Free Packaging (ST14000NEZ008)14 TB$614.45$43.89NAS HDD · SATACMR-Buy on Amazon

What each input covers

InputIncludeDo not include
Models × variantsGGUF/safetensors weights and retained quantizationsRAM/VRAM used while running
CheckpointsFine-tunes, adapters and intermediate savesTemporary GPU memory
DatasetsRaw, cleaned and processed durable copiesEphemeral scratch already deleted
Embeddings / RAGVector indexes, extracted text and database filesUnstored runtime cache
BackupsIndependent full-copy equivalentsRAID parity
Free bufferExports, snapshots and safe operating headroomA substitute for growth planning

How the estimate works

The tool totals today's active files, compounds annual growth across the planning horizon, adds each independent backup copy, then adds the chosen free-space buffer. Only then does it apply RAID overhead and a roughly 9% binary/filesystem allowance to recommend raw drive capacity.

The drive result rounds up to a common capacity tier. It is planning guidance, not a compatibility promise. Verify exact SATA/NVMe models with the chosen NAS, and keep databases or active model caches on SSD when latency matters even if HDDs provide the bulk capacity.

Preset intent

Use caseBest choiceWhy
CasualSmall mirrored setA handful of quantized models and one backup.
EnthusiastFour-drive paritySeveral model families, variants, RAG and media.
AI developerSix-drive dual parityCheckpoints and datasets make retention more important.
Multi-model labEight-drive dual parityMany variants, shared data and rapid growth.
Small businessDual parity plus two backupsLonger retention and recovery requirements.

Frequently asked questions

Does this calculator estimate VRAM?

No. It estimates storage capacity at rest. GPU VRAM and system RAM must be sized separately for the exact model, quantization, context and runtime.

Why are backups added before RAID?

RAID parity is not a backup. Each backup is another full-copy equivalent stored in a separate failure domain, while RAID keeps one array available during disk failure.

Why keep free space?

Model conversion, exports, snapshots and database maintenance can temporarily need another large copy. Nearly full filesystems also leave little room for safe operations.

Independent US storage-value site: NAS drives, DIY/TrueNAS build parts, and hard-drive shucking, ranked by live $/TB. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Synology, UGREEN, QNAP, TerraMaster, Seagate, Western Digital or Toshiba. All trademarks belong to their owners.

Last updated: 2026-09-12 06:02:12 UTC. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date indicated on Amazon.com and are subject to change. Any price displayed at the time of purchase will apply. CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON SERVICES LLC. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED AS IS AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.