by 42 reviews.
MDD 14TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal NAS Hard Drive Review: A Reliable Storage Solution?
If you're in the market for a high-capacity, reliable hard drive for your NAS system or data center, the MDD 14TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal NAS Hard Drive might have caught your eye. With a massive 14TB storage capacity, a 256MB cache, and a 5-year warranty, this renewed hard drive promises to deliver performance and durability. But does it live up to the hype? Let’s dive into the details based on real customer experiences.
Pros and Cons: What Do Customers Say?
Performance and Speed
Many users have praised the MDD 14TB NAS Hard Drive for its impressive performance. One customer mentioned that after replacing their older Barracuda drives with two of these in a ZFS mirror setup, they experienced a significant boost in speed, achieving steady transfer rates of around 200MB/s even for large files. This makes it an excellent choice for those handling large datasets or running media servers like Plex.
However, not all experiences have been smooth. Some users reported issues with the drive being rejected by their NAS systems or showing critical errors during initial setup. One reviewer noted that while the drive worked fine in a PC docking station, it failed to function in their Synology NAS, despite passing extended SMART tests. This inconsistency in compatibility is something to keep in mind.
Durability and Reliability
Durability is a key factor for any hard drive, especially one marketed for NAS and data center use. Several users have reported positive experiences, with one stating that their drives have been running 24/7 in a production environment without any issues. Another user highlighted the importance of stress-testing the drive upon arrival, recommending a 48-hour test using tools like Crystal Disk or HD Tune to ensure reliability.
On the flip side, there have been reports of dead-on-arrival (DOA) units. One customer received a drive that made beeping sounds, likely due to mishandling during shipping. While the seller promptly sent a replacement, this highlights the potential risks of purchasing renewed drives. Another user shared a frustrating experience of receiving three consecutive drives with critical errors, leading them to consider switching brands.
Value for Money
The MDD 14TB NAS Hard Drive is undeniably a cost-effective option for those needing high-capacity storage. One user explained their rationale for buying these renewed drives: by purchasing two and setting them up in a RAID configuration, they achieved 14TB of storage at a fraction of the cost of new drives, all while benefiting from a 5-year warranty. This approach makes sense for users who prioritize redundancy and data security over the potential risks of renewed hardware.
However, it’s worth noting that these drives are refurbished, meaning they’ve likely been cycled out of service before reaching their end-of-life. While the warranty provides peace of mind, the probability of receiving a DOA unit is higher compared to brand-new drives. As one reviewer aptly put it, "If you buy only one, you’re rolling the dice."
Ease of Use and Compatibility
The MDD 14TB NAS Hard Drive is designed for compatibility with a wide range of systems, including desktops, Macs, RAID setups, and NAS devices. Most users found the installation process straightforward, though some encountered compatibility issues with specific NAS systems. For example, one user’s Synology NAS rejected the drive despite it functioning perfectly in a PC docking station.
Additionally, the drive comes as a bare unit without screws, cables, or accessories, which might be a minor inconvenience for some users. A friendly reminder: don’t forget to format the drive on your system for it to be detected properly.
Conclusion: Is the MDD 14TB NAS Hard Drive Worth It?
The MDD 14TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal NAS Hard Drive offers an attractive combination of high capacity, speed, and affordability, making it a solid choice for users with demanding storage needs. Its NAS-optimized design and 5-year warranty add to its appeal, especially for those willing to take a calculated risk with renewed hardware.
However, the mixed reviews highlight some potential downsides, including the risk of receiving a DOA unit and compatibility issues with certain NAS systems. If you’re considering this drive, it’s crucial to stress-test it thoroughly upon arrival and ensure it’s compatible with your setup.
Final Verdict: If you’re looking for a budget-friendly, high-capacity storage solution and are comfortable with the inherent risks of renewed hardware, the MDD 14TB NAS Hard Drive is worth considering—especially if you plan to use it in a RAID configuration for added redundancy. However, if reliability and compatibility are your top priorities, you might want to explore other options or invest in brand-new drives.
Specification MDD (MD14TSATA25672NAS) 14TB 7200 RPM 256MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal NAS Hard Drive - 5 Years Warranty (Renewed):
Comments from Amazon:
First one I received was DOA. It could have been due to the very minimal packaging. The first one was making beeping sounds as if it was dropped. With minimal packaging and how these carriers handle packages, it's not surprise. The seller was very quick to send out a replacement. The second one passed all tests and is truly a 12TB NAS drive. It has been working great for my personal server and will probably pick up another one in the future.
I have a few of these running in production so far and they are working as expected. They are being written to and read from 24/7 and I have had no issues with them. They are in a NAS for a Plex server and haven't shown any unexpected errors or problems. Pro-tip: As soon as you get them, run your favorite SMART software at it, and something that can stress it. Mix Crystal Disk, HD Tune, setup some batch files, whatever. Hit it hard for 48 hours or so then check to make sure it's all good. In my experience if you test it for 48 hours and don't see any errors, it will be good to go for years and years. I hope this helped!
Bought as a spare for my Synology NAS. Needed to install it this past week. The drive was immediately rejected by the NAS. Ran an extended test on the thing that lasted a couple days. It said it was ok. Tried it in the NAS and it would not work. Put it in the docking station for the Win 11 PC and it finds and uses the drive just fine. It's an NAS type drive, I didn't buy it for a PC. The sad thing is I ordered another one before I found the problem with this thing. 11 Apr 2024 Update: Received the last one I ordered today. Put it in the NAS and it said critical error, meaning read errors from the drive. S.M.A.R.T. testing showed many Raw Read Error Rate errors plus Seek Error Rate errors. That's three in a row. I will look for a different brand.
I'm acquiring more parts for the build and haven't finished yet. All research about these drivers indicates these will be ideal for this build.
Been running two of these as a ZFS mirror for about a month and they have been nearly flawless so far. I heard some clicking when I first installed them (hence "nearly flawless") but none now. This mirror is about 3 times faster overall than the Barracuda mirror they replaced. Approach a steady 200MBs transfer even on very large files. For the first time in years I feel like I have plenty of space, especially since my focus involves very little graphics and even less video. Very pleased so far. Glad I found them. If you're buying one of these thinking it's a cheap, magically renewed drive with an amazing unabashed 5 warranty, well, it's not. These are used drives very likely cycled out of service on a schedule designed to minimize the loss of data by requiring change-out before statistics say the drives, as a group, will start to fail. The 5 year warranty with free returns means the cost to whomever your purchase money is going to has acquired these at a price low enough to assure an acceptable profit while honoring the warranty. Is the probability that any one drive will be DOA higher than newly manufactured drives? Yes. How much higher? No way to know, same as brand new drives. If you buy 100,000 of these refurbished drives, they can tell you very accurately how many of them will be DOA. If you buy 100,000 brand new drives, same. The number of brand new DOAs *will* be lower. But if you buy only one? They will all shrug their shoulders. So why am I happy buying these? Very simple: RAID. I buy two of these, mirror them, and I have 14TB of storage for about 1/4 the cost of RAID'ed new drives and with a 5 year warranty that most new drives don't have. Why not buy just one brand new drive? Because I want a single drive failure to be a relatively minor and unremarkable maintenance issue, not a possibly life-changing catastrophe. Because I want a single drive failure to mean about 10 minutes replacing the drive rather than taking days, if not weeks, recovering data and my equanimity about my data, particularly the data I may never see again. I will NEVER store data worth keeping on a single drive other than for the time it takes to replace the failed drive in the RAID. WE have no trouble keeping tabs on our fuel/energy meters in our cars to make sure we don't end up stranded on the side of the road. The dynamic is fairly very similar for hard drive storage.
Purchased two of these for massive video back ups. So far I’ve had to reformat them twice. Waiting for results of long term storage.
This drive has been performing excellently. I should have purchased 2.