Question Which of these 12TB internal HDDs is best for a desktop machine?

[stlsailor]

On my desktop PC (Intel Core i7 10-700K) I am looking to replace a 6T HDD which is woefully short on space. It is used for a Lightroom catalog and for photos.

When I built it 4 years or so ago I chose a 6T WD Black drive.

Now I am trying to decide with which drive to replace it (probably 12TB or so depending on prices). I'd read earlier to use a WD Black or a Seagate BarraCuda but not a a mid- or upper-tier (IronWolf, IronWolf Pro, Exos) because they had firmware that was designed for NAS or enterprise use (prioritizing placing the data rather than aggressively trying to fix a problem). And I've read recently that the Exos has sensors to adjust watts/TB (can they slow it down?) as well as being better at damping vibration.

Is that still the case today? I have read of people recommending these drives for desktop use of late. Between the Black, IronWolf, IronWolf Pro, and Exos, are there any that I should avoid, or that I should definitely consider in the 10-16TB range?

Thanks.

Dale

 

[USAFRet]

As long as you have a good automated backup routine....any or all of those drives are fine.

 

[faalin]

I run Western Digital Red Pro drives, Ive had 6TB drives for over 6 years and two years ago replaced them with 18TB drives. Pro drives run at 7200RPM while the standard reds run at 5400RPM.

I have 4 Seagate 8TB Ironwolf drives in my Ubiquiti NVR system for over 3 years now

 

[TeamRed2024]

My 12TB Seagate Barracuda Pro is still running great after 7 years.

 

[USAFRet]

I have 4x 4TB IronWolf in a secondary pod attached to my NAS.
AN 8TB Tosh Enterprise in another secondary pod.

My actual PC is SSD only.

 

[TeamRed2024]

My actual PC is SSD only.

I thought about doing that too... but it just didn't make a lot of sense. No point in tossing a perfectly good working HDD and selling it wouldn't net me anything either. So I'm not quite rid of HDDs just yet. If it ever dies though I won't be getting another. Large capacity SSDs are getting cheaper.

 

[USAFRet]

I thought about doing that too... but it just didn't make a lot of sense. No point in tossing a perfectly good working HDD and selling it wouldn't net me anything either. So I'm not quite rid of HDDs just yet. If it ever dies though I won't be getting another. Large capacity SSDs are getting cheaper.

No reason to toss the drive. Just repurpose it.

All my house systems have been SSD only for years.
Except for the ~100TB spinners in or attached to the NAS.