The ever-decreasing price of SSDs means that traditional hard drives are less versatile than ever. As multimedia libraries grow and 4K video becomes commonplace, the role of affordable high-capacity storage is still very important. HDD for NAS allows you to create a small local server for storing and processing information.
Hard drive or solid state drive
The choice of the necessary device depends on the preferences of the user. HDD for NAS most often acts as an additional drive. Currently, if users buy a hard drive, it is most likely an additional storage for the desktop system. Under any circumstances, experts recommend using SSD as a system drive, as the difference in performance is too great.
Unlike HDD for NAS, this device format allows you to process information faster. But it is not suitable for creating large local repositories. Not all devices can accommodate the required number of drives. In this case, it is best for users to equip their equipment with the largest SSD they can afford. Another more economical and practical solution is to use NAS technology or cloud storage for your personal files.
How many terabytes are needed
A terabyte of HDD for NAS is enough to store about 285,000 songs in MP3 format or about three million Word documents. But this does not mean that the user will never need more. Collections of digital photographs and media libraries take up a lot of space, especially with the advent of 4K video. As work at home becomes more and more popular, additional documents appear that store numerous document and project files. You may need to back up downloaded installers, because games and applications no longer work on physical media.
Therefore, it makes sense to allocate a lot of free space for yourself and make sure that you do not have to worry again and again about difficulties with expanding the storage in a year or two. As a rough guide, many users who have, for example, a Seagate HDD for NAS, say that 2 TB should be enough to cover the modest storage needs for the foreseeable future. Fans of games, as well as films, should think about a 4 TB drive.
Do I have to worry about performance
The Seagate HDD version for NAS is not always suitable for system tasks. Performance is extremely important to the system drive because Windows constantly reads and writes dozens of files at once. There is no such problem for the drive. It is likely that you only need access to one or two data files at a time, and even the slowest disk is fast enough to stream high-definition movies without additional load.
However, if users want to do something more intense, for example, edit large series of RAW photos, create their own videos or complex musical compositions, then you should look for HDD 3.5 for NAS. The fastest models can read and write data about 40% faster than the most basic versions, and they also offer faster access times, so files can be opened and closed faster.
What about hybrid drives
A hybrid drive is a regular hard drive with a small built-in SSD, which is used to improve performance. It works by figuring out which files users often access and caching them in high-speed solid state storage. Since all this is done independently by the drive controller, it is very difficult to say with certainty what kind of performance gain the owners will really see. There is no doubt that the disk will not be able to cache all Windows files and frequently used applications. For NAS on 4 HDD, such models also will not work. Only one type of model must be installed in the drive for stable operation.
Are the number of disks, spindle speed and cache size important?
The parameters are important in that they directly affect the performance of the HDD drive for NAS. Storage boxes with a large number of recorders are faster because they can read and write more bytes at the same time. A higher spindle speed means that it takes less time to access the required sector and start reading or writing, and the increased cache works like an SSD part of a hybrid drive to speed up read and write operations.
If the owner of the drive is not a true technical enthusiast, he does not need to worry about these details. The best way to compare drives is to look directly at actual performance. For example, Seagate NAS HDD 4tb at 7200 rpm will run faster than a similar model of SSD-drive. The technologies by which information is processed are different for each writing device.
What happens if a hard drive crashes?
In a situation where the HDD 2.5 for NAS fails, some of the information from the drive is lost. However, it is possible to partially or fully return it. All HDDs are warranted, usually two to five years. Unfortunately, this usually applies only to the physical disk. If user data is erased due to a mechanical failure, they are out of luck. One notable exception is the Seagate BarraCuda Pro drive, which guarantees a file recovery service in the event of a failure during the first two years. This still does not guarantee that the data will be recoverable, but only that they will try to return it.
As always, the only reliable way to protect user information is to back it up. For example, 2 HDD for NAS ways to conduct duplicate recording of information. Such an action can be a problem when the owner of the drive is dealing with several terabytes of data - cloud backup is likely to be expensive, and it may take several days for everything to move to the right source.
Users can also consider buying multiple drives and configure them in a RAID configuration. This will make it possible in case of failure of one of the drives to restore data from the other. Although not all motherboards support this natively. Such work is best suited for a separate NAS device. You can also buy hard drives specifically designed for storage units, which are designed for constant round-the-clock use.
When bundling a NAS, it is important to make sure that there is a suitable hard drive or SSD for storing files. Technically, an HDD can be installed inside a network storage device.
To use any hard drive in your NAS, you need to check the following properties:
- SATA connection (therefore, some Enterprise drives also support SAS).
- At least 5400 rpm or higher, otherwise there will be a delay during access, which only gets worse as more drives are added.
- The capacity is at least 120 GB and above, since often NAS applications and operating systems, as well as updates, will be more than 50-80 GB.
- At least 64 MB cache.
The presence of these properties will allow you to install the HDD on almost any NAS released in 2018 and earlier. Now it remains to choose the appropriate drive model. Thousands of models of various formats are presented on the market. Many of them have similar parameters. Below we will review six categories that will allow the user to decide on the choice of a suitable device model.
The most affordable hard drive
If users are looking for the best hard drive price this year, they should take a look at the Seagate Ironwolf (not Ironwolf Pro) series. The price per terabyte (and compared to WD, HGST and Toshiba) is much lower. On average, a drive will cost from 5 to 12 thousand rubles, depending on its volume. In addition, it is a network HDD for NAS. Built-in technology allows you to quickly create a local data warehouse with access to files via the Internet.
The choice of HDD for NAS of this model was associated with additional characteristics. The manufacturer took into account many of the nuances in the work of the writing device. Hard disks of the Ironwolf NAS series with a rotation speed of 5900 rpm, a 3-year manufacturer’s warranty and built-in software for drive health will definitely give many advantages. Media of the same series with a capacity of up to 12 terabytes with built-in vibration and temperature sensors are excellent for use with one hard drive or several in a device with RAID support, up to 8 bays.
It is also worth considering such budget models of devices:
- Seagate Ironwolf 4 TB.
- Seagate Ironwolf 6 TB.
- Seagate Ironwolf 10 TB.
Best quality hard drive
This parameter is not always related to price. The best build and components of a NAS hard drive are independent of the price in dollars or rubles. This parameter indicates that the user receives for his money. If you look at the whole range, then the most suitable hard drives are the WD Red series. Unlike Seagate HDD for NAS 4 Tb, the model works more stable and without interruptions when activating network mode. The brand has repeatedly received high awards for achievements in the field of data storage.
These devices are considered one of the best-known NAS media on the market today and come with regularly updated NasWare 3.0 firmware. These drives are often 2-5% more expensive than their Seagate counterparts, but with a lower failure rate (insignificant but real) and a much faster warranty replacement. The devices come with a three-year manufacturer’s warranty, with different speeds in the range of 5200-7200 rpm and are quieter during operation than the Seagate Ironwolf series.
The most reliable hard drive
In terms of reliability, Seagate Ironwolf Pro drives are simply the best drive for those who need reliable data protection from time to time. This NAS comes with a 5-year manufacturer's warranty and a dedicated speed of 7200 rpm. The model has significant improvements due to the large cache area - from 128 to 256 megabytes. In addition, all Seagate Ironwolf Pro discs come with the included Seagate Rescue Pack. It allows you to expand the warranty. Unlike Enterprise HDD NAS? The model has built-in security packages.
This means that if the drive fails, the user will have a regular warranty replacement, but also a recovery package, which means that representatives of the service center will try to recover the data. They can send all information from the drive through the cloud storage. This is quite profitable, since most companies involved in data recovery will charge thousands of rubles for such a service, and the Seagate Ironwolf Pro Series includes a warranty recovery package for only 1.5 thousand rubles.
In addition, Seagate Ironwolf Pro can be used in drives up to 24 bays, for example, in scalable server platforms. On top of all this, Synology and QNAP allow you to access the Seagate Health Management Tool on each drive directly from the NAS user interface, adding another layer of support provided by this hard drive. Ultimately, according to many users, it has not yet been possible to find a drive that provides this level of software support and recovery from any other brand. For those who appreciate every megabyte and gigabyte for their home or business, this model will be the best solution.
Best hard drive with warranty service
As practice and numerous user reviews show, the guarantee is a serious problem for those who have ever had a failure of at least one hard drive. An official replacement or repair coupon does not guarantee that the data on the disk will be restored, and it is always recommended that those who are worried about losing information have a backup copy and RAID protection. However, many users with backup, have a great interest in restoring the operability of an expensive device.
Many owners of storage units believe that the WD Red Pro series models are leaders in terms of warranty service and device replacement. In addition to the fact that the discs are made of high quality and will last for more than one year, an extended warranty applies. In the event of technical problems, service specialists will quickly repair or completely replace the device with a new one.
Of all the drive models, the WD Red Pro Series was the most attractive in terms of service. Failures on the operation of devices should be expected, but they are quite rare. However, what really sets the model apart is the fact that service employees issue a replacement device of the same volume for use while they perform the necessary service work. The fact that this drive comes with a 5-year warranty and a speed of 7200 rpm, along with a large cache, more and more optimized firmware and heat and vibration sensors, makes it one of the leaders in the review.
The WD Red Pro model can also be used in NAS assemblies not only for the home, but also as a local data warehouse and in the enterprise. Professional build quality makes it possible to use the model in various conditions. The storage unit is able to withstand constant and high loads. The manufacturer for various purposes provides several versions of drives that have volumes up to 6 to 110 terabytes. Many developers note that the hard drive is able to work equally well on different platforms. When using the drive unit as a media service, the hard disk can additionally cache various files for their further accelerated download.
The fastest hard drive
The fastest hard drive for NAS, according to users, is the WD Gold model. Although the device is more suitable for working not as a drive for NAS, but for data centers, its assembly and design is even better than that of WD Red Pro, and has a much higher mean time between failures (MTBF). In addition, the price of the model is much lower than many drives of the same type. Like the WD Red Pro Drive, the WD Gold has 7,200 rpm and a 5-year warranty. Since this is a disk for a data center, its vibration and temperature sensors, as well as its external physical design, are better than other models.
These small changes and improvements led to the fact that the HDD (in a RAID 0 environment on 3-4 drives) surpassed many consumer solid-state drives, and also significantly reduced the price per terabyte for SSDs. The speed of information processing and the ability to work in multi-threaded mode make this model a leader in this market segment.
The quietest hard drive
The quietest drive for a NAS is, alas, not a hard drive, but a solid state drive. Of course, there are some drives that are quieter than others. However, they are all inferior in this parameter to the SSD device. If users value peace and quiet, they should consider this option.
Almost all known models of solid state drives on the market are completely silent. Therefore, when choosing the right device, you must rely on how much is needed for the NAS drive. For home media centers, a 1-2 terabyte SSD is a great solution.
However, experts and users themselves do not recommend using such a drive format for processing a large array of information or creating a large-scale project. In their opinion, it is better to look at classic hard drives.