Network-attached storage (NAS) has become powerful enclosures that do much more than simply store data. They run software, and services, and can even be turned into servers with multiple features. Want to create your own media streaming service to replace your Netflix and Spotify subscriptions? That's possible on the same NAS where you store device backups. The same goes for a home surveillance system or web server. You can even install Windows inside a virtual machine. What your NAS will require is plenty of RAM to achieve all of this. Here are some reasons why having more memory inside your NAS is a good thing.

Higher capacity for Docker containers

Docker containers are excellent for running apps and services on your NAS. The only issue with Docker is attempting to install and run multiple containers on a system with insufficient memory. Swap storage is slow and inefficient, so adding more RAM capacity to your NAS is a great way to improve the performance of Docker containers and allow more to be installed, so long as the CPU can keep up.

More cache for better performance

RAM is used as a cache by systems, including Linux. Having higher capacity memory installed on your NAS will allow the OS to cache more data, improving system performance, especially with files you frequently access. Filesystems like ZFS also love system memory. It's often believed that free RAM is wasted RAM, so the more you have for the OS to utilize, the less you'll need to rely on your slower storage drives.

Run some virtual machines

Have you tried running Windows on your NAS? So long as the dedicated resources meet the requirements, you can install and run Microsoft's commercial software within a virtual machine. Having ample RAM available to dedicate to VMs is a great way to run software on the same system that wouldn't otherwise be supported by the native OS, usually powered by Linux. The more RAM available, the better the VM will run. If you want to get truly lost inside the rabbit hole, run more than one VM at once, because why not?

A modern NAS is basically a PC

Gone are the days when NAS were simple devices used to store data on the network, hence the name. A modern NAS is a PC or server, able to run software, virtual machines, game servers, web servers, and so much more. Inside the enclosure (or custom build) are basic components such as a CPU, motherboard, and system memory. RAM inside a PC is often the determining factor for overall performance, be it general computing with 50 browser tabs or gaming. The same goes for a NAS. The more RAM you have, the more responsive the system will be.

FAQ

Q: How much RAM does my NAS require?

This is a question only you can answer! An OS will have its requirements and brands such as Synology will load enclosures with enough memory to run their proprietary operating systems. Not every NAS can be upgraded, so be sure to check you can access SO/DIMM slots. I'd recommend 2GB to 8GB for general use and a few Docker containers, depending on which platform you use. The best way to work out how much you'll need is to use the NAS as you typically would and see how much is used and if the system is sluggish.