Question HDD - High Capacity, Low Noise, Well Priced

[virtualdanger]

Hi, I'm looking to add drives to my desktop computer. This is for 4k media storage, and thus I'm looking for large, inexpensive drives.

Based on cost per GB, the best options in my region are:

• Seagate EXOS X20 20TB
• WD Ultrastar DC HC560 20TB
• Toshiba MG10AFA 22TB

I already have 2 EXOS X20 20TB drives, and they are audible during operations. In a quiet room you can hear them. And when playing back the 4k video content, in soft sections, you can hear the drive reading.

However, I understand that all such high-capacity data center drives, designed for rack mounting, are relatively noisy.

1. Any specific thoughts on the WD HC560 and the Toshiba MG Series drive?
2. Other drives you could recommend, that are large capacity, not very expensive and quiet?

I'm not looking to build a NAS in a different room, and accommodate the louder drives there.

My searching online leads me to articles suggesting much smaller 4TB Baracuda drives, which make little sense. Nothing under 10TB does.

 

[shaester_123]

I find the higher capacity drives more prone too failure . Mine are 2 and 4 TB SSDs . I swore off hard drives personally .

 

[virtualdanger]

I find the higher capacity drives more prone too failure . Mine are 2 and 4 TB SSDs . I swore off hard drives personally .

Low-capacity HDDs just won't work for me. I have about 25TB of data I'm looking to accommodate.

 

[Misgar]

I have about 25GB of data I'm looking to accommodate.

I suspect you mean 25TB, not 25GB. I assume you keep several backup copies of important files elsewhere? Just don't keep all your eggs in one basket.

Based on cost per GB, the best options in my region are:

• Seagate EXOS X20 20TB
• WD Ultrastar DC HC560 20TB
• Toshiba MG10AFA 22TB

All three of those drives appear to be CMR, not SMR so you should be OK. Avoid SMR.

I'm looking for large, inexpensive drives.

Large, inexpensive drives are likely to come with shorter warranties, but a drive can fail at any time, even expensive Enterprise class models.

In a quiet room you can hear them. And when playing back the 4k video content, in soft sections, you can hear the drive reading.

If drive noise is distracting, perhaps you should consider moving the disks somewhere they can't be heard, or invest in a sound proof (ventilated) enclosure. I don't mind drive noise. It gives me confidence they're still running.

 

[virtualdanger]

I suspect you mean 25TB, not 25GB. I assume you keep several backup copies of important files elsewhere? Just don't keep all your eggs in one basket.


All three of those drives appear to be CMR, not SMR so you should be OK. Avoid SMR.


Large, inexpensive drives are likely to come with shorter warranties, but a drive can fail at any time, even expensive Enterprise class models.


If drive noise is distracting, perhaps you should consider moving the disks somewhere they can't be heard, or invest in a sound proof (ventilated) enclosure. I don't mind drive noise. It gives me confidence they're still running.

Thanks for that. Have corrected it to TB.
And yes, the data is backed up, on a different computer. The most critical, such as documents and photos are on the cloud as well (so 2 backups).

I'm familiar with the degraded performance of SMR drives, but does that impact sound in any way?

I have the sound-dampened CoolerMaster Silencio S600. But I can still hear the EXOS drives.

 

[virtualdanger]

I was able to find the guidance I was looking for online.
Nas Compares is a superb resource this, and I got a response from the team running it, with the data I needed.

https://ask.nascompares.com/index.php

So to answer my question, if looking for high capacity but lower noise, the NAS oriented drives like Seagate IronWolf and Iron Wolf Pro drives, as well as comparable WD Red/Red Pro drives.

 

[virtualdanger]

In my region both the Seagate NAS drives and the WD NAS drives were overpriced, but I was able to get a good deal on the Toshiba NAS drive. It was only moderately more expensive compared to the enterprise MG series, as NAS drives should be.

I ended up buying the N300 model, with a capacity of 18TB, and can attest to its operating noise levels being very low, compared to Toshiba's enterprise drives, the MG series.

The loudest being the Seagate EXOS X20 enterprise drives, louder than the Toshiba MG series.