Free ZFS Encrypted NAS CPU Recommender Tool 2025 Edition

Tejas Adesara

1 month ago

ZFS Encrypted NAS CPU Recommender

Answer the questions below to get a CPU recommendation for your ZFS-encrypted NAS build, based on current industry insights and community experience.

1. What is your target encrypted throughput (network speed)?

>40 Gb (Enterprise, Multi-Petabyte Arrays)

10-25 Gb (SMB / Heavy Homelab)

2-10 Gb (Prosumer NAS, Plex + Backups)

≤2 Gb (Silent, Always-On, Remote Backups)

2. Do you prioritize power efficiency (low idle power) or raw core count for other applications?

Power Efficiency (low idle power, e.g., for 24/7 operation)

Raw Core Count (for other applications/VMs alongside NAS)

3. Is hardware crypto off-load (Intel QAT) a significant factor for you?

Yes, I want to leverage hardware crypto off-load if available.

No, I'm comfortable with CPU-based encryption, or I might use a PCIe QAT card.

ZFS Encrypted NAS CPU Recommender