Curious about how a special metadata VDEV can boost ZFS performance, especially with spinning disks? In this video, I walk through what it is, why it matters, and how to set it up in TrueNAS and some from the terminal. I’ll also share real-world benchmarks comparing pools with and without a special VDEV, so you can see the difference for yourself. While enterprise gear is great for businesses, I have found that if you have a good warranty, redundancy, and understand the trade-offs, consumer gear works great for home. Samsung 990 Pro: (affiliate link) Video Notes: You can find the script here: Merch Shop 🛍️: Support me on Patreon: Sponsor me on GitHub: Subscribe on Twitch: Become a YouTube member: Gear Recommendations: Get Help in Our Discord Community: 2nd channel: @TechnoTimTinkers (Affiliate links may be included in this description. I may receive a small commission at no cost to you.) 00:00 - Intro 00:53 - Quick ZFS Primer: What’s a VDEV 01:41 - Special VDEV & Metadata 02:33 - Metadata VDEV in TrueNAS 05:19 - Setting configuring small blocks 07:05 - Testing small blocks 08:47 - Special VDEV performance testing 11:57 - Should I use a special vdev? Thank you for watching!