Question Which Hard Disk should I buy?

[ozturkozgr]

Hello.
Sorry for my English but I want to buy a Hard disk to plug into my computer. I gave up using the Seagate 8TB Skyhawk I bought before because it was noisy. Normally, I trust Seagate's quality, but as far as I researched, Seagate Exos x18 18TB Hard disks are said to be a bit noisy. I'm considering Toshiba NAS300 18TB instead. What are your opinions? I care about durability and silence. I've never had Toshiba experience before.

Seagate exos 3.5" 18TB 7200 512E/4KN ST18000nm000j.
256MB, rv sensor, SATA 3, 7/24 nas diski.

Toshiba 3,5 N300 18TB 512MB 7200RPM hdWG51JUZSva.
SATA 3, 7/24 nas.

 

[jeremyj_83]

I would go with the Seagate. While the Toshiba is a NAS HDD the Seagate Exos is a DataCenter drive that you would use in a SAN so it should have greater actuator endurance.

 

[35below0]

Lower RPM usually means less noise, but it's not possible to entirely eliminate it.

 

[thestryker]

I would lean towards the Seagate of those two, but keep in mind that the EXOS series is known for being fairly loud. I went with WD Red Pro drives when building my last box as I thought it was going to be in a room I was in often because of their sound profile.

 

[jeremyj_83]

Another option if available to you is the WD Gold.

 

[MWink64]

I haven't used a Skyhawk but I assumed they wouldn't be on the louder side. Seagate doesn't seem to publish specs on how loud this drive is. I can virtually guarantee you'll be unhappy with a Seagate Exos or WD Ultrastar/Gold. Those drives are very loud. If you can tolerate the low performance, you may want to go with a low end consumer drive, like the Seagate Barracuda or WD Blue. Those drives tend to be tuned to be quieter. Alternatively, a shucked WD Easystore/Elements drive may be an option. While they share a similar design to the Ultrastars, they appear to be tuned to be a bit quieter/slower.

 

[ozturkozgr]

I did a lot of research but came across very relative answers. As far as I understand, such hard disks can be noisy, but whether there is less or more noise is related to the production, not the brand, so I guess it is a matter of luck. The disc sold to me may be a little louder or a little less noisy. I think I'll choose Seagate Exos..

 

[MWink64]

While there can be some variance from drive to drive, the line and specific model are generally the biggest factors. Enterprise class drives (Exos, Ultrastar, Gold) are tuned for speed, as noise is generally not a concern in that environment. If you were unhappy with the noise of a Skyhawk, I'm quite confident you will not like how an Exos X18 sounds. I've used one, and depending on how it's mounted, you can potentially hear it through a wall.

I'll just mention that the mounting does make a big difference. Some cases will resonate more than others, especially if the drive cage doesn't have any vibration dampening.

 

[lvt]

Lower RPM usually means less noise, but it's not possible to entirely eliminate it.

Lower RPM also means lower data transfer speed.

 

[ozturkozgr]

While there can be some variance from drive to drive, the line and specific model are generally the biggest factors. Enterprise class drives (Exos, Ultrastar, Gold) are tuned for speed, as noise is generally not a concern in that environment. If you were unhappy with the noise of a Skyhawk, I'm quite confident you will not like how an Exos X18 sounds. I've used one, and depending on how it's mounted, you can potentially hear it through a wall.

I'll just mention that the mounting does make a big difference. Some cases will resonate more than others, especially if the drive cage doesn't have any vibration dampening.

Actually, I do not have a problem with the sound that occurs due to mounting and disk rotation, but I am disturbed by the clicking and gurgling sounds that occur while reading. Considering that the disk will not work continuously, the motor will not rotate continuously and Windows will stop the disk when it is not in use.

 

[faalin]

I run 3 18TB and 1 6TB WD Red Pro drives in my computer and cant hear them.
6TB has been running for 5 years now while the 18TB's for just over 2 years, I also never turn my computer off. The Seagates have been running for 3 years now non stop.

I also ran Seagate Ironwolf 8TB in my computer for a while, they have since been moved to my Ubiquiti NVR unit

Note my case is a 4U server case with 8 trays in the front of it. It sits around head high in the server rack right next to my desk.

 

[ozturkozgr]

I run 3 18TB and 1 6TB WD Red Pro drives in my computer and cant hear them.
6TB has been running for 5 years now while the 18TB's for just over 2 years, I also never turn my computer off. The Seagates have been running for 3 years now non stop.

I also ran Seagate Ironwolf 8TB in my computer for a while, they have since been moved to my Ubiquiti NVR unit

Note my case is a 4U server case with 8 trays in the front of it. It sits around head high in the server rack right next to my desk.

Unfortunately, there is no WD Pro series product in our country. Also, their prices seem a little more expensive.

 

[MWink64]

Actually, I do not have a problem with the sound that occurs due to mounting and disk rotation, but I am disturbed by the clicking and gurgling sounds that occur while reading. Considering that the disk will not work continuously, the motor will not rotate continuously and Windows will stop the disk when it is not in use.

The "clicking and gurgling" sounds (seeks) are what tend to be especially loud on enterprise class drives (like the Exos). These drives have fast seeks, thus they're louder. You stated your priorities were durability and silence, then proceeded to select one of the loudest drives from arguably the least reliable manufacturer.

 

[ozturkozgr]

The "clicking and gurgling" sounds (seeks) are what tend to be especially loud on enterprise class drives (like the Exos). These drives have fast seeks, thus they're louder. You stated your priorities were durability and silence, then proceeded to select one of the loudest drives from arguably the least reliable manufacturer.

Paradox 🤭

 

[ozturkozgr]

Thank you all for your interest. I purchased a 18TB Exos X18. At startup, the engine makes a starting sound and a few ticking sounds along with it, other than that, there is zero noise. I'm writing data right now and it's running extremely quietly.