Does RAID rebuild time depend on how full the volume is?
It depends on the system. Traditional RAID (most Synology SHR, classic mdadm/hardware RAID) rebuilds the entire disk regardless of how full it is, so free space doesn't help. Some file-system-integrated systems (ZFS resilver on QuTS hero/TrueNAS) rebuild only used blocks, so a fuller pool takes longer and an emptier one is faster.
Last verified July 22, 2026 · 2 official sources checked Updated
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This genuinely differs by the storage system, so the honest answer splits in two. State it by what your NAS actually runs.
Traditional RAID: full disk, every time
Classic block-level RAID (including Synology SHR/RAID and standard hardware/software RAID (mdadm)) rebuilds the entire capacity of the drive, block for block, whether the volume is 10% or 90% full. The rebuild works at the disk level and has no concept of which blocks hold data, so how full the volume is makes no difference to the time. Capacity and drive speed set the duration.
File-system-integrated rebuilds: only used data
Systems where RAID and the file system are integrated, ZFS resilver on QNAP's QuTS hero or TrueNAS, rebuild only the blocks that actually hold data. On these, a nearly empty pool resilvers quickly and a full pool takes longer, roughly in proportion to used space. This is a real advantage of ZFS-based systems for large, lightly-used pools.
What this means for you
On a Synology using SHR, do not expect a half-empty volume to rebuild faster: plan for the full-disk time. On a ZFS system, an emptier pool is a faster resilver. Either way, capacity and using CMR drives dominate; state only what your vendor documents for edge cases. The table lists in-stock CMR drives.
Drives that solve this
Live Amazon.ca prices in CAD, ranked by price per terabyte. The Recording column is verified against manufacturer documentation. Prices checked
| Model | Capacity | Recording | Price | CA$/raw TB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() Seagate Exos X22 22TB SATA 6Gb/s 7200RPM 3.5" Enterprise Hard Drive - ST22000NM001ENewbest price per TB CMR recording, SATA enterprise drive Amazon.ca · sold by ServerPartDeals · one bare internal drive; shipping and taxes not included · checked Oct 7, 2026CA$1,108Buy on Amazon | 22 TB | CMR ✓ | CA$1,108 | CA$50.38/TB | Buy on Amazon |
![]() Seagate IronWolf Pro 32TB Enterprise NAS Internal HDD Hard Drive – CMR 3.5 Inch SATA 6Gb/s 7200 RPM 512MB Cache for RAID Network Attached Storage, Rescue Services (ST32000NTZ00)New CMR recording, SATA NAS drive rated for 24/7 use Amazon.ca · sold by THEKEYKEY · one bare internal drive; shipping and taxes not included · checked Oct 7, 2026CA$1,740Buy on Amazon | 32 TB | CMR ✓ | CA$1,740 | CA$54.37/TB | Buy on Amazon |
![]() Seagate Exos M 28TB Enterprise Internal Hard Drive HDD - 3.5in 6GB/s SATA 7200RPM 2.5M MTBF (ST28000NM003K)New CMR recording, SATA enterprise drive Amazon.ca · sold by Amazon.ca · one bare internal drive; shipping and taxes not included · checked Oct 7, 2026CA$1,543Buy on Amazon | 28 TB | CMR ✓ | CA$1,543 | CA$55.11/TB | Buy on Amazon |
![]() Seagate IronWolf 10TB NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD – CMR 3.5 Inch SATA 6Gb/s 7200 RPM 256MB Cache for RAID Network Attached Storage (ST10000VN0008) (ST10000VNZ008/N0008)New CMR recording, SATA NAS drive rated for 24/7 use Amazon.ca · sold by Deals2You · one bare internal drive; shipping and taxes not included · checked Oct 7, 2026CA$579Buy on Amazon | 10 TB | CMR ✓ | CA$579 | CA$57.91/TB | Buy on Amazon |
![]() Seagate Exos X24 ST20000NM002H 20TBNew CMR recording, SATA enterprise drive Amazon.ca · sold by THEKEYKEY · one bare internal drive; shipping and taxes not included · checked Oct 7, 2026CA$1,165Buy on Amazon | 20 TB | CMR ✓ | CA$1,165 | CA$58.25/TB | Buy on Amazon |
![]() Western Digital HUH721212ALE604 12TB Ultrastar DC HC520 SATA HDD - 7200 RPM Class, SATA 6 Gb/s, 256MB Cache, 3.5"New CMR recording, SATA enterprise drive Amazon.ca · sold by Seller_King · one bare internal drive; shipping and taxes not included · checked Oct 7, 2026CA$699Buy on Amazon | 12 TB | CMR ✓ | CA$699 | CA$58.25/TB | Buy on Amazon |
![]() Seagate Exos X24 24TB Enterprise Internal Hard Drive HDD - 6GB/s SATA 7200RPM 2.5M MTBF (ST24000NM002H)New CMR recording, SATA enterprise drive Amazon.ca · sold by THEKEYKEY · one bare internal drive; shipping and taxes not included · checked Oct 7, 2026CA$1,400Buy on Amazon | 24 TB | CMR ✓ | CA$1,400 | CA$58.33/TB | Buy on Amazon |
![]() Toshiba N300 PRO 8TB 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 - HDWG780XZSTBNew CMR recording, SATA NAS drive rated for 24/7 use Amazon.ca · sold by HYPER MEGA Electronics · one bare internal drive; shipping and taxes not included · checked Oct 7, 2026CA$480Buy on Amazon | 8 TB | CMR ✓ | CA$480 | CA$60.00/TB | Buy on Amazon |
![]() Seagate IronWolf Pro 20TB Enterprise NAS Internal HDD Hard Drive – CMR 3.5 Inch SATA 6Gb/s 7200 RPM 256MB Cache for RAID Network Attached Storage, Rescue Services (ST20000NTZ01/ST20000NT001)New CMR recording, SATA NAS drive rated for 24/7 use Amazon.ca · sold by THEKEYKEY · one bare internal drive; shipping and taxes not included · checked Oct 7, 2026CA$1,235Buy on Amazon | 20 TB | CMR ✓ | CA$1,235 | CA$61.75/TB | Buy on Amazon |
![]() Western Digital 22TB WD Red Pro NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD - 7200 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, CMR, 512 MB Cache, 3.5" - WD221KFGXNew CMR recording, SATA NAS drive rated for 24/7 use Amazon.ca · sold by Deals2You · one bare internal drive; shipping and taxes not included · checked Oct 7, 2026CA$1,400Buy on Amazon | 22 TB | CMR ✓ | CA$1,400 | CA$63.64/TB | Buy on Amazon |
Related questions
Sources
Every technical claim on this page is checked against manufacturer and standards documentation. Dates are when each source was last reviewed.
- Synology KB: Repair a Storage Pool (checked 2026-07-22)
- QNAP: Support / Compatibility (checked 2026-07-22)









