The fastest storage upgrade for my home server wasn't a faster drive; it was more RAM
Giving the server a boost.
When expanding the capabilities of a home server, it is not always necessary to invest in a faster storage drive. Instead, more RAM can prove to be the faster storage upgrade. In the case of a home lab set up for running virtualized instances using Proxmox, more memory proved to be the most beneficial addition. The server consisted of smaller NVMe SSDs for the Proxmox node OS boot drives, SATA SSDs for app storage and data, and HDDs for long-term backups and media storage.
The resident NAS server featured Seagate IronWolf drives for consumer-grade network storage. The home lab server was not experiencing any delays due to storage performance or running intensive services, so an upgrade in storage speed was not required. Instead, the system memory was identified as a critical component for running multiple virtualized instances.
Linux systems excel at managing resources, and having ample spare memory available for page caching can enhance performance. Page caching stores recently accessed file data in RAM, which can replace the need for storage altogether, allowing faster data retrieval. This is particularly useful when running numerous services that access the same files.
By doubling the RAM capacity from 8GB to 16GB on the Intel Core i5-10210U processor in the home lab server, the system now has ample memory to handle the various services being run simultaneously, such as Home Assistant, Jellyfin, Immich, Gitea, and others. This upgrade not only provides flexibility for adding more services but also ensures there is headroom for caching and unexpected usage spikes.
While memory upgrades can greatly benefit a Proxmox server, they may not resolve all issues related to storage saturation. In cases of genuine storage saturation, physically replacing the affected drive may be necessary. However, based on the system reporting and logs, adding more RAM turned out to be the most noticeable improvement in performance.
Considering the current high prices, it is crucial to make informed decisions about where to allocate budget for home lab upgrades.
Written by urgent.news from XDA Developers's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
