by 88 reviews.
MaxDigitalData 8TB 7200 RPM 256MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5-inch Internal Hard Drive Review
The MaxDigitalData 8TB 7200 RPM 256MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5-inch Internal Hard Drive (MD8000GSA25672DVR) is a renewed storage solution designed for heavy-duty use, particularly in surveillance systems, CCTV DVRs, and desktop PCs. With its massive 8TB capacity, 7200 RPM speed, and 256MB cache, this hard drive promises reliability and efficiency for continuous operation. But does it live up to the hype? Let’s dive into the details based on real customer experiences.
Pros and Cons: A Detailed Breakdown
Performance and Reliability
Pros:
- High Capacity and Speed: Customers praise the 8TB storage capacity, which is ideal for storing extensive surveillance footage or large data backups. The 7200 RPM speed ensures smooth video recording and playback, even under heavy workloads.
- Surveillance-Ready: Many users appreciate its design for 24/7 operation, making it perfect for CCTV DVRs and surveillance systems. One reviewer mentioned, "It's rated as a surveillance-grade drive, which is what I wanted for continuous use."
- Durability: A long-term user reported, "I've had a pair of these running in a NAS as backup for about 2 years so far, no significant issues." Another noted, "Only one of them has any reallocated sectors at all—13 total over 2 years."
Cons:
- Inconsistent Longevity: While some users report excellent durability, others have faced issues. One customer shared, "It had a lifespan of 115 days. It went from zero errors to just not responding." This inconsistency raises concerns about long-term reliability for some users.
Usability and Compatibility
Pros:
- Easy Setup: Many users found the drive easy to install and format. One reviewer said, "Recognized by the disk manager. Appropriate noise level. No complaints so far after a month of use."
- Compatibility: The drive works seamlessly with desktop PCs, Macs, RAID systems, and NAS setups. A user mentioned, "I use a drive interface called 'Plugable,' USB 3 device. This drive spun right up, and I formatted it as NTFS, GPT, simple volume."
Cons:
- Head Parking Issue: A significant drawback highlighted by a tech-savvy user is the aggressive head parking. They explained, "The load cycle count is extreme. The drive will wear out long before the actual medium degrades at this rate." However, they also provided a workaround using SeaChest or openSeaChest tools to disable idle_b state.
Value for Money
Pros:
- Affordable Price: Many customers appreciate the drive's affordability compared to other 8TB options. One reviewer said, "A very good price for a new internal hard drive."
- Surveillance-Grade Features: The drive's 24/7 operation capability and energy efficiency make it a cost-effective choice for surveillance systems.
Cons:
- Risk of Failure: While the price is attractive, some users caution against relying on it for critical data. One unhappy customer shared, "Make certain you don't trust your data to these drives, because at least in my case, it had a lifespan of 115 days."
Conclusion: Is It Worth It?
The MaxDigitalData 8TB Internal Hard Drive offers a compelling mix of high capacity, speed, and affordability, making it an excellent choice for surveillance systems and general storage needs. Its 24/7 operation capability and energy efficiency are standout features that cater to demanding environments.
However, the drive's inconsistent longevity and aggressive head parking issue are notable drawbacks. While some users report years of trouble-free operation, others have experienced premature failures. Additionally, the head parking problem, though fixable with third-party tools, may deter less tech-savvy users.
Final Verdict: If you're looking for an affordable, high-capacity drive for non-critical applications like surveillance or backups, the MaxDigitalData 8TB is a solid choice. However, for mission-critical data storage, you might want to consider more reliable (and pricier) alternatives. Always ensure you have a robust backup strategy in place, regardless of the drive you choose.
Specification MaxDigitalData 8TB 7200 RPM 256MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5inch Internal Hard Drive for Surveillance (MD8000GSA25672DVR) (Renewed):
Comments from Amazon:
This hard drive was inexpensive compared to other drives of the same size and it's rated as a surveillance grade drive, which is what I wanted as I was installing it in a security DVR for continuous use. It's been in service for about a month now and works well, I can't speak to the longevity of the drive as I just got it, but so far it has worked well and the DVR has always played back video on demand and has not experienced any drive errors.
I bought this drive on Saturday, September 14, 2024. Monday, January 6, 2025, a bunch of the files on my server were gone. After investigation I find my newest hard drive isn't showing in bios, and emitting the click of death. Make certain you don't trust your data to these drives, because at least in my case, it had a lifespan of 115 days. According to my monitoring software, it went from zero errors to just not responding. No warning. I'm really upset. I'm never getting my data back. That's the true cost of trusting cheap drives.
A very good price for a new internal hard drive.
Recognized by the disk manager. Appropriate noise level. No complaints so far after a month of use.
Great drive! Comes with important info about large capacity drives, compatibility. I use a drive interface called 'Plugable', USB 3 device. This drive spun right up and I formatted it as NTFS, Gpt, simple volume. Then I started backing up old drive data. Excellent drive so far and I will buy another in a few months. Very good price too.
Have two other drives just like it have had no issues works great
I've had a pair of these running in a NAS as backup for about 2 years so far, no significant issues - so I bought another, and then 6 more 40 days after that one. Of the initial 2, only one of them has any reallocated sectors at all. 13 total, over a 2 year lifespan under regular use. Very decent. As of 11AM EST today, all of these drives just completed a full-disk dd with no issues whatsoever (writing 1s) - and the drive with the 13 bad sectors has not found any more. Time will tell. Load_Cycle_Count increment is the only problem I have with these drives, and this is not an MDD problem. For the uninitiated, these are Seagate drives underwater. Seagate implements some proprietary power-saving - they are NOT compatible with APM (IE: via hdparm). So telling these drives to stop parking the heads via normal methods (ie: hdparm -B 255) will not work, which I did not notice for 2 years. As you can see, /dev/sda and /dev/sdf are the drives which were initially purchased. Over a 2 year lifespan, the load cycle count of /dev/sda and /dev/sdf is fairly extreme - and there are 11526 Load_Cycle increments in just 40 days for /dev/sdh: # for i in {a..i}; do echo /dev/sd$i && smartctl -a /dev/sd$i | grep Load_Cycle; done /dev/sda 193 Load_Cycle_Count 0x0032 001 001 000 Old_age Always - 206445 /dev/sdb 193 Load_Cycle_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 7 /dev/sdc 193 Load_Cycle_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 11 /dev/sdd 193 Load_Cycle_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 13 /dev/sde 193 Load_Cycle_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 7 /dev/sdf 193 Load_Cycle_Count 0x0032 013 013 000 Old_age Always - 175988 /dev/sdg 193 Load_Cycle_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 7 /dev/sdh 193 Load_Cycle_Count 0x0032 095 095 000 Old_age Always - 11526 /dev/sdi 193 Load_Cycle_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 7 Power-on hours for /dev/sda and /dev/sdf are 17289. Power-on hours for /dev/sdh is 983. Power-on hours for /dev/sdc and /dev/sdd is 22. Power-on hours for the remaining 4 is 16. So, obviously, this is completely insane. The drive will wear out long before the actual medium degrades at this rate. To stop this nonsense: Explicitly disable idle_b state on the drive via SeaChest (Windows) or openSeaChest (Linux, find it on GitHub) to stop the drives from parking the heads so aggressively: # openSeaChest_PowerControl -d all --idle_b disable Arguments in favor of excessive head parking can be made, and I'm sure some people are very convinced by them. These people are wrong. If you're shoving a bunch of these in a rack and not jumping up and down while writing data to them, then there's no reason to park your heads this often. I will be buying more of these.