Kinda depends The parity has to be larger than your largest drive. but you can have it move data around between fast and slow drives as it is used. It can do pretty cool stuff with a few clicks. It amazes me every day.

Unraid. Mix and match drive sizes. Its magic

for ease of use i would not use a pci coral. usb just is easier. passing the usb through to a dock or vm is easier. i use unraid and it was extra work to get the pcie vs usb coral setup. I have a nuc with a bunch of ssds for this kinda thing too.

Never forget you matter. Pain takes away our humanity. I believe you. You will find those around you can’t understand, because if they did, the lack of empathy would be so hard for them to accept. You will show empathy in a way others will never understand. Its your gift. I have severe daily pain from a motorcycle accident. 20 years later and i finally am getting out of pain my stretching. I never finished my PT and have had severe atrophy. i accepted never walking away with out pain. never breathing with out pain. that is now not something i have to keep accepting. I feel like i am breaking out of a concrete mold. each step is just as painful as the step before, but its a step forward. It took two into my recovery and i am feeling like a new person. im kind of a cool guy when not chasing away pain. I hope you find your way to pain free. never give up. life is long. Sorry for your pain my friend. I love you.