by 996 reviews.
Seagate Exos 1TB Internal Hard Drive Review: A Reliable Enterprise-Grade HDD
When it comes to enterprise-grade hard drives, the Seagate Exos 1TB Internal Hard Drive (ST1000NM0008) stands out as a top contender. Designed for data centers, servers, and heavy workloads, this 3.5-inch SATA HDD combines high performance, durability, and efficiency. With a 7200 RPM speed, 128MB cache, and a 6Gb/s interface, it’s built to handle demanding storage environments. But is it worth the investment? Let’s dive into the details based on real customer experiences.
Key Features at a Glance
- 1TB Storage Capacity
Ideal for enterprise-level data storage. - 7200 RPM & 128MB Cache
Ensures fast data access and smooth performance. - 550TB/Year Workload Rating
Built for continuous operation. - 2M Hour MTBF
Exceptional reliability with a mean time between failures of 2 million hours. - PowerChoice Technology
Optimizes power efficiency for reduced operational costs. - 5-Year Limited Warranty
Provides long-term peace of mind.
Pros and Cons: What Customers Are Saying
Performance and Reliability
The Seagate Exos 1TB is widely praised for its performance and reliability. One reviewer compared it to other Seagate drives, stating, "Exos > Ironwolf Pro > Ironwolf > Barracuda." They highlighted that the Exos drives outperform IronWolf Pro in terms of reliability, speed, and durability. With a 2.5 million hour MTBF and a 550TB/year workload rating, this drive is built to last. Another user noted that it’s quieter than expected, saying, "This drive is very quiet... even writing I can barely hear it."
However, some users reported high seek and read error rates in SMART data. While this might seem concerning, one reviewer clarified that "this may be normal for Seagate drives," and the absence of uncorrectable errors suggests the drive is functioning properly.
Durability and Build Quality
The Exos 1TB is designed for 24/7 operation, making it a solid choice for data centers and enterprise applications. One user mentioned that the drive runs hot under heavy workloads, stating, "This drive runs HOT if you are writing a lot of data to it." They recommended ensuring proper airflow, especially in non-data-center environments. Despite this, the drive is rated to operate at temperatures up to 60°C, so it’s built to handle the heat.
On the downside, some customers were disappointed with the packaging. One reviewer described the anti-static bag as "really crinkled," which gave the impression of a used product. While this didn’t affect functionality, it’s worth noting for those who prioritize presentation.
Usability and Compatibility
The Seagate Exos 1TB is highly versatile, supporting a wide range of systems and applications. One user highlighted its compatibility with Linux systems, mentioning that they successfully disabled TLER/ERC (a feature intended for RAID arrays) using a simple command. They noted, "With TLER disabled, there is really no reason not to use this drive."
However, some users reported issues with warranty registration. One customer in the UK discovered that their drive was an OEM model, making it difficult to register for the advertised 5-year warranty. They eventually resolved the issue but noted that the warranty had already been ticking for six months. This is something to keep in mind when purchasing, especially if warranty coverage is a priority.
Noise Levels
Noise is a common concern with enterprise-grade drives, but the Seagate Exos 1TB surprised many users with its quiet operation. One reviewer said, "This drive is very quiet... even writing I can barely hear it." However, they later added that under heavy workloads, such as automated backups, the drive can get quite noisy. They concluded, "For heavy-access tasks, you will want an SSD because this drive could 'drive' a person crazy."
Value for Money
The Seagate Exos 1TB offers excellent value for its price point. One user compared it to the WD Red drive, stating, "I chose this over the cheaper 2TB WD Red drive as it's 7200RPM vs 5400RPM." They appreciated the higher speed and reliability, even at a slightly higher cost. Another customer praised the drive’s performance, saying, "It just works. Silent, reliable, and perfect for NAS drives."
Final Verdict: Is the Seagate Exos 1TB Worth It?
The Seagate Exos 1TB Internal Hard Drive is a powerhouse for enterprise and heavy-duty applications. Its high performance, durability, and quiet operation make it a standout choice for data centers, servers, and NAS setups. While it runs hot under heavy workloads and has some minor packaging and warranty registration issues, these are outweighed by its overall reliability and efficiency.
Strengths:
- Exceptional reliability with a 2.5 million hour MTBF.
- High-speed performance with 7200 RPM and 128MB cache.
- Quiet operation under normal conditions.
- Excellent value for money compared to competitors.
Weaknesses:
- Runs hot under heavy workloads; requires proper airflow.
- Packaging could be improved.
- Warranty registration issues for OEM models.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a reliable, high-performance hard drive for enterprise or heavy-duty use, the Seagate Exos 1TB is a solid investment. While it’s not without its quirks, its strengths far outweigh its weaknesses. Just make sure to provide adequate cooling and double-check warranty details when purchasing. For those seeking a cost-effective, durable, and efficient storage solution, the Seagate Exos 1TB is a top-tier choice.
Specification Seagate Exos 1TB Internal Hard Drive Enterprise HDD – 3.5 Inch 6Gb/s 7200 RPM 128MB Cache for Enterprise, Data Center – Frustration Free Packaging (ST1000NM0008):
Comments from Amazon:
This drive runs HOT if you are writing a lot of data to it, I had to keep a fan on it while I was doing stress-testing... I suppose its to be expected from an enterprise drive designed to go in a data center with good airflow, but its a little concerning. These drives are rated to up to 60c though, so it should be okay. Also, I am noticing very high seek and read error rates in SMART data.. Cursory research shows this may be normal for Seagate drives? This is my first Seagate so I'm not sure, but there are 0 uncorrectable errors, so I think it should be fine. Since this is an enterprise drive, you may want to disable TLER/ERC if using in a desktop as this is a feature intended for RAID arrays not desktop use, the command on linux is 'smartctl -l scterc,0,0 /dev/sdX', replacing X with drive location, not sure what it is on windows but it should be similar except using windows syntax for drive location. This drive supports disabling TLER/ERC, which I was worried about, so if anyone has similar concerns, this drive supports the command. With TLER disabled there is really no reason not to use this drive, I'm not sure yet if the setting persists after reboot but that should be an easy fix if it doesn't, make sure to check though. Drive's speed is acceptable, pretty good actually. Oh, also, this drive is very quiet, I was very concerned reading all the reviews saying the drive was loud and I was basically expecting an explosion when it spun up, lol. But it is pretty much totally quiet, even writing I can barely hear it. Maybe if it was like 6 inches away from you it might be noticeable. I can't hear a thing in my case which is 3 feet from me. Spin-up is a bit noisy but after that it is fine. No more noisy than any other drive I've had. Note that the drive I got was manufactured in 2017 (darn resellers) maybe newer models are different, but I doubt it. Despite DOM 2017 the drive I got is running the latest firmware, which is nice. All in all, supposing nothing goes wrong in the future, these drives can't be beat for the price point and value they offer. Just make sure to give it some good airflow if you are writing a lot of data at once, and disable TLER for desktop use. EDIT: depending on workload this thing can indeed get quite noisy. I didn't notice it at all writing random data to disk for testing, but when automated backups run this thing churns out some serious noise. I assume this is the head(s) accessing random parts of disk as opposed to just contiguous writes. Still works good for a data drive that doesn't get much access, opening videos/music/etc is pretty much silent, but for heavy-access tasks you will want a ssd because this drive could 'drive' a person crazy.
It just works. Silent, reliable, and perfect for NAS drives. I chose this over the cheaper 2TB WD Red drive as it's 7200RPM vs 5400RPM.
warranty is not 5 years, products delivered today has DoM of April 2020! 2.5years ago.
10 TB Festplatte bestellt. Festplatte erhalten, war leider kaputt trotz einwandfreier Verpackung. Zurückgesendet und Verkäufer kontaktiert. Nach Übermittlung der Versandbestätigung wurde sofort eine neue Festplatte versendet!!! Unglaublicher Service - perfekt. Zur Festplatte: macht was sie soll und funktioniert :-)
Beware! I bought the 6tb version specifically for the 5 year warranty, however despite the drive being sold and dispatched by Amazon themselves it's an oem drive! I'm unable to register it currently here in the UK. The warranty also started ticking 7 months ago! Am waiting a response from seagate as to honouring the warranty, if that's a no go then it will be going back. Edit 2/1/20 amending the star rating to three stars...... The email to seagate allowed me to then register the drive to my account with the warranty in place. However that did start ticking 6 months ago......... So depending on how old the amazon stock is you may be missing a bit of warranty.
Delivery timeframes to Perth Australia were excellent. Great hard drives
If you're looking at hard drives like this, you probably want the top of the line. You may be balancing your decision between a few well-known drives, and wondering what the difference is between them. I'll break it down easily for you... as far as Seagate goes, EXOS > Ironwolf Pro > Ironwolf > Barracuda. BackBlaze offers a yearly report on drives that have failed in their data centers, and the only drives that score a higher lifetime are the HGST drives, but those are much more expensive. This means that you're probably trying to decide between Exos and Ironwolf Pro drives. The Exos drives are better. IWP drives allow you to use up to 24 drives in a single NAS unit. For most, that is fine. But Exos does not have this limit, which is ideal for data archiving enthusiasts. IWP drives offer a Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) of 1.2 million hours, compared to Exos 2.5 million. IWP are rated for 300TB writes per year, while Exos are 550TB. IWP uses outdated write-back caching compared to Exos write-through policy. IWP uses SMR heads compared to Exos more modern TDMR heads. In the end, Exos drives are better than IronWolf Pro. More reliable, faster, longer-lasting, and less limitations. And somehow they end up being much cheaper most of the time... which I assume is only due to IWP being more widely-known and in-use by NAS devices (meaning you want to replace those with IWP drives, raising their demand). Even if you're just looking for a couple drives that can give you tons of reliability, Exos is where you should look. The only advantage IWP drives have is an included data recovery plan in case of drive failure... but if you're creating proper redundancy, you shouldn't need that. The only issue I had was the packaging... it came in a regular cardboard box with the plastic drive carriage as usual with HDD shipments. The only issue was the anti-static bag the HDD was in. The bag was really crinkled for some reason, though it was still closed. Almost like the bag was crunched up before they put the drive in. It still functioned fine, but I work as a Server Admin and I'm used to having drives sent to me in nice smooth anti-static bags. Though the drive was new, it gave the impression of being used. Very minor thing, but still not what you'd expect from a top-tier product.