Unraid ZFS performance over SMB shares can really sail provided you follow certain steps and have the right hardware tuned up. I step you through the process of setting up and testing Unraid ZFS pools and getting the settings just right to max out your performance. We cover this with my 40GBe networking powering the SMB share to a Windows 11 Workstation. I recommend you not get an R520, the R720 is often just as cheap and is technically a better server. An R730XD would be even better gear for a high performance file server. If you are a content creator, this is a good video for you. We test out a great DIY NAS setup I included some raw photo browser testing and 4K video editing a massive project file direct off the SMB share at the end. Use our link to get started with Unraid (affiliate link): Written Guide HOMELAB GEAR CLIENT (or server) WORKSTATION MOBO AMD TR Pro 595WX 256GB DDR4 3200 EVGA 1600W PSU Fractal Meshify XL 2 ConnectX-3 Pro 40Gbit NICs QSFP+ cable SERVER (much better options vs R520) Dell r730 Dell r720 Dell r720xd Optane 900P 40Gbit SWITCHES Mellanox sx6036 Switch Brocade icx6610 Switch Be sure to 👍✅Subscribe✅👍 for more content like this! Join this channel @DigitalSpaceport/join Digital Spaceport Website Patreon Buy Me a Coffee Please share this video to help spread the word and drop a comment below with your thoughts or questions. Thanks for watching! Chapters 0:00 Unraid Home Server 2:35 Topics 5:25 Unraid ZFS Setup 7:25 Unraid Performance Settings 12:30 SMB Shares Benchmark 21:40 Photographer NAS Testing 23:35 4K Video Editing NAS 30:25 Conclusions ***** As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. *****