The 9 highest capacity hard drives

In the old days the 80GB hard drive was enough for data storage. And why chase the volume when movies and games weighed only 700 MB each? And they were stored most often not on HDD, but on an optical drive. Now everything has changed. Even a five minute movie shot in 4K resolution will weigh a few gigabytes. In short, there is an increasing need for hard drives capable of holding huge amounts of data. That is why we decided to tell you about the best of these devices. You might be surprised at how much data storage is available in the highest capacity hard drive for the average consumer.

Rating of the largest hard drives

The highest-capacity hard drives for your desktop and server

Seagate ST14000DM001

Rating: 4.9

As you might have guessed from the name of this hard drive, it has a capacity of 14TB! Exceptional capacity! Such a big capacity would be needed for a server with lots of sites. As for the average user, only video-bloggers come to mind that try to please their subscribers with new videos almost every day. Wouldn’t it be better to buy some smaller hard disks too?? The cost of this model reaches 40k. rubles. If the HDD fails, it will be a pity for the money spent. However, the long warranty and the reliable construction do their job – it is unlikely that the buyer will be seriously afraid of malfunctioning.

Unlike its less capacious brethren, the Seagate ST14000DM001 has 256MB of buffer memory. Another thing you can’t miss is that a conventional design would have made access to this or that information extremely time-consuming. That’s why the manufacturer has built in 16 heads. It remains to be seen how so many of them fit into the traditional 3.5-inch form factor. As for rotation speed, it is 7200 rpm. This is the maximum for stable operation of a modern hard drive – no one dares to exceed this parameter yet, since it may one day lead to physical rupture of the magnetic plate.

Connects to your computer via the 6 Gigabit SATA connector. Reads at a maximum speed of 600MB/sec. We managed to achieve such a parameter exactly by using a larger number of heads. It turns out that the data reading speed of this hard drive is comparable to budget SSD-drives!

It should be noted that this model requires a computer or server case with good cooling. If its temperature reaches 60°C, it can shut down in an emergency. Otherwise, it is a typical hard drive. During its work it is noisy, but not too much – the corresponding measurements showed that it doesn’t exceed 28dB. Shock resistance here is quite high, although in this respect the device is also inferior to solid state drives. As for the average latency, it reaches only 4.16 ms.

Advantages

• Extremely high capacity;
• A large amount of buffer memory;
• Implemented NCQ support;
• Not a very high lag time;
• Very high reading speed;
• High reliability.

Disadvantages

• Price tag is astronomical for an HDD.

Western Digital WD Gold 12 TB (WD121KRYZ)

Rating: 4.8

The hard drive is slightly less capacious but still expensive. It offers about 12TB for data storage. At the same time the manufacturer recommends to install his creation exclusively in the server. This is probably due to the high noise level, reaching 36 dB. If your computer has a power supply that only turns on the “turntable” under heavy load and some kind of water cooling for the processor, you will really hear the hard drive when reading and writing data. And during idle time the noise level is reduced to the traditional 20dB. As for the connection method, it uses the usual SATA connector, which supports speeds of 6 Gbit/s.

The maximum read and write speed here is equal – it is 255 MB / s. There are fewer read heads. However, the aforementioned speed is quite enough for most users. One more thing you should notice is that it uses 256MB buffer memory. The platters rotate at 7200 rpm – as we mentioned before, this is the maximum at which they can be preserved.

The manufacturer claims that his hard drive can be used for 2.5 million hours, which is the longest time something can happen to it. We think, that just for the sake of such figures an expensive HDD is bought – it is the case when long term storage is more important than high speed of reading or writing.

It remains to add that the device has a high resistance to shock and the power consumption of the hard drive does not exceed 6.9 W.

Note that this model is slightly longer than the standard one. Increased space inside the hard drive made the device cool – it does not heat up even with active use for many hours. But because of this you might need a new installation carriage for mounting the HDD.

Advantages

• Minimal heat;
• Fairly high read and write speeds;
• Long lifespan;
• Very large capacity;
• It supports NCQ.

Disadvantages

• Very high cost;
• Noise level is higher than usual.

HGST HUH721010ALE604

Rating: 4.7

Must be one of the most popular hard drives in our rating, if we talk exclusively about models designed for installation in a server or home computer system unit (a little later we will also look at external HDD). The capacity of this device does not exceed 10 TB. This is still a volume that hardly anyone would consider insufficient. For the average user it will be even too much – that’s why the manufacturer offers this model only to owners of servers.

The drive belongs to the traditional 3.5-inch form factor. As it should be, the product has a buffer memory and its capacity is up to 256 MB. Under the metal casing the magnetic plates are capable of rotating at 7200 rpm. What is the final reading and writing speed the manufacturer does not specify. However, the reviews of HGST HUH721010ALE604 say that this parameter may well reach 237-249 MB/s. Not a bad result, unachievable by less-capacious and cheaper hard drives. Of course, to use files at these speeds you must be connected to the latest generation SATA connector.

Some complaints to HDD can be made only about the average access time, when writing this parameter reaches 8.6 ms. However, only models with low-density platters are faster. Noise level is about 36dB, but hardly anyone would complain, especially if you will really put a hard drive in a server.

Manufacturer claims 2.5 million hours MTBF. No one could check this statement, because HDD was manufactured relatively recently. Add to this the standard power consumption of 6.8W or less.

Advantages

• Large capacity;
• An optimal price tag for such a capacity;
• Decent amount of buffer memory;
• High read and write speeds;
• A very long MTBF;
• Almost no heat build-up.

Disadvantages

• Noise level is definitely too high.

Western Digital WD Red 6 TB (WD60EFRX)

Score : 4.6

As you know, the company Western Digital divides all its hard drives into several lines. The Red series consists of the most durable solutions. These “hard drives” have a high spindle speed, but not a record – the manufacturer tries to ensure that nothing happens to the magnetic plates. For example, the discs of this model spin at 5400 rpm. The device capacity does not exceed 6 TB. It is clear that such parameters don’t require a huge amount of buffer memory – 64 Mb is enough. We must admit that the noise level during reading or writing is 28dB, only 3dB more than during idle mode. This allows us to recommend the drive for installation into home or office NAS. It’s also possible to plug it into the system unit – the SATA connector used here doesn’t bother you at all. But its insides should be well cooled as under a regular load the HDD can get quite warm. However, reviews suggest that it takes a lot of effort to reach the temperature at which the HDD emergency shutdown.

In other respects it is a typical hard disk drive which will hardly surprise you. It is quite shockproof, but it is not quite as good as solid state drives. MTBF of just 1 million hours. However, even this “all” is good enough for the vast majority of customers. And the power consumption has been reduced to 5.3W.

Advantages

• Very fast read and write speeds;
• Not very noisy;
• Decent life span;
• There is support for NCQ;
• Capacity is sure to please the average user;
• The price tag is not astronomical.

Disadvantages

• Some copies are noisier than others;
• Not everyone will be happy with the rotating speed of the discs, though.

The highest-capacity external hard drives

Lacie STFK60000400

Rating: 4.9

How big can a modern external drive be?? Our rating shows that it’s about as high as it can go. The model called Lacie STFK60000400 can hold up to 60TB of data! Of course it is possible to achieve this by combining several HDD’s at once. Essentially for 320-330k. RUB. You get a whole NAS with six 3.5″ hard drives. The device is colored gray, and its operation is signaled by a blue LED. Each HDD is located in a sliding compartment. Hard drive can be quickly and easily replaced if needed. The whole set of drives is able to work in RAID 0, RAID 5 or RAID 6 mode. This means that you will be able to duplicate information by writing it to two hard drives at the same time. If one of the drives fails, information is sure to stay on the other. In this usage mode 60 TB does not seem to be too much, does it??

You can achieve read and write speeds of up to 1400MB/sec in certain operating modes. It is really something else! To beat this result can only SSD-drives, connected through the standard M.2 which we’ll also talk about at some point!

On the rear panel of this “box” you will find not only a power slot, but also two Thunderbolt 3 interfaces. It is through these ports that the highest speed of data transfer and reception is possible. However, if your computer does not have the aforementioned connector, the connection is available through USB-C, corresponding to the standard USB 3.1. Theoretically the speed indicator of such port reaches 10 Gbit/sec, so there should not be any problems. The connection cable is included. And it would be strange if they forgot about it, with such a price tag… There is a power adapter in the box with the external hard drive (if it can be called so after all).

Benefits

• A large number of ultra-high-speed connectors;
• Exceptionally fast read and write speeds;
• Huge capacity;
• Multiple modes of operation;
• It comes with everything you need;
• Hard drives are easy to swap out.

Disadvantages

• Astronomical cost;
• Virtually only stationary use.

Western Digital My Cloud Pro Series PR4100 32 TB (WDBNFA0320KBK)

Rating: 4.8

My Cloud product line includes external hard drives of two different categories. The first is a typical portable device with only one drive. Well, the representative of the second category hit our rating. In fact, it is a full-fledged NAS with hard drives in special sliding bays. There is even an Intel Pentium quad-core processor installed here – it is responsible for correct redistribution of information among drives and for some other tasks.

The device is a fairly large “box” of black. Accommodates a total of four 3.5-inch HDDs. It also has a nice backlit display that shows off the beauty of the surroundings. The familiar button is used to start the device – it is located right next to the hard drive bays. It also has a USB 3 plug.0. If we talk about this port in particular, it is intended exclusively for connecting one more storage device – for example, a traditional flash drive. As for the data transmission from HDD-drives, there are other interfaces which you have to look for on the rear panel.

The network drive is required to provide access to information via Ethernet connectors. Here there are exactly two. You can run a cable from them either to the router or directly to the computer. However, in the second case it is easier to use USB 3 ports.0, of which there are also two on the back panel.

This design can be used for backups (there is even an appropriate button), and as an FTP-server, and for access to media data via DLNA. Internally mounted hard drives can have any modern file system – firmware is not affected. Also they can be combined in RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5 or RAID 10. The total volume of the default installed drives is 32 Tb.

This network drive is a must-have in any large office. Several computers can easily turn to it at once. And enough high speed of reading and writing data should please video bloggers. And don’t forget that any hard drive can be replaced by a faster one, one of those mentioned above.

Advantages

• High-speed connectors are present;
• There is a backup button;
• Large capacity;
• Data encryption available;
• Used 4 GB of RAM and a powerful processor;
• A lot of operating modes;
• You can also connect an additional external drive;
• Excellent appearance.

Disadvantages

• Very high price;
• The work can not be called very quiet.

Seagate STEL8000200

Rating: 4.7

Of course our rating is limited by traditional external hard drives that can by no means be considered as network attached storage. Usually the capacity of such drives is 3-4TB, but there are exceptions to the rule – Seagate STEL8000200 can store up to 8TB of data. This device belongs to the 3.5-inch form factor. From this derives its main disadvantage – an external hard drive requires additional power, the energy from the USB to it simply not enough.

As you can easily guess, an external drive is connected to a computer or any other equipment via USB 3.0. At the same time there are two additional USB-ports on the device body – a flash drive or something else can be connected to it using the device in question as a hub.

This model is quite heavy – its weight is 1 kg. But you wouldn’t expect anything else, because there is a big enough hard drive inside. Unfortunately, it is not the fastest drive. As you know, the standard USB 3.0 supports data transfer speeds of up to 500MB/sec. But you can’t get it to work. However, and particularly slow this external HDD is not.

Do I buy the Seagate STEL8000200 for 14k?. rubles.? As they say, it is up to you to decide. If speed is important to you, it is better to look for some other model. If you are looking for a high-capacity external hard drive for backup, this is not a bad option. For home use this drive is not suitable – it gets very warm and makes a lot of unnecessary noise.

Advantages

• Large capacity;
• Dimensions can not be called particularly large;
• It has all the most necessary things in the box;
• Has a USB hub;
• Not prohibitive price tag.

Disadvantages

• Not the fastest read and write speeds;
• Need to provide power;
• Increased heat;
• Decent noise level.

Western Digital WD Elements Desktop 6 TB (WDBWLG0060HBK-EESN)

Rating: 4.7

This is a familiar external drive, belonging to the 3.5-inch form factor. There is no USB hub or any other additional “chips”. The manufacturer made sure to get rid of unnecessary things to make their product smaller. As a result this external storage turned out to be a little bit bigger than its internal counterpart.

Like other external HDDs of the same form factor, this model requires a power connection. The volume of this drive reaches 6TB. It’s definitely enough for home use. You can safely download 4K movies on this hard drive, which usually weigh 40-80 GB. Connects to your computer or router via USB 3.0. The maximum throughput, of course, can not be achieved, after all, it is not the fastest “hard drive. But the cost of the drive, which is about 12k/kWh, is certainly worth it. Check out ., HDD justifies its price of about 12 thousand.

Advantages

• Not very high cost;
• The hard drive is not the noisiest;
• Adequate capacity;
• Not so big size.

Disadvantages

• The case is easy to damage;
• Requires the connection of the power adapter;
• Not a very high speed of reading and writing.

Lacie STFD5000400

Rating: 4.6

Unfortunately, a high-capacity hard drive is difficult to make compact. As you may have noticed, our ranking included mostly only models belonging to the 3.5-inch size. And only one external HDD is hiding a 2.5-inch hard drive inside – it’s Lacie STFD5000400. This silver-plated beauty has a capacity of 5TB. It seems that such a hard drive is enough to download 4K movies from the Internet. And if you use it to store your smartphone photos, you risk not running out of space for the next ten years.

The device turned out to be very light – all the other representatives of our selection are at least three times heavier than. Data transfer is done via USB 3.1 Type-C. Probably the main difference of this model from cheaper external HDD’s, because they usually have a different connector

Is the drive worth the 13 thousand dollars?. RUB., that they’re asking for? It is extremely difficult to answer this question. 3.5-inch form factor drives have slightly faster read and write speeds. But they require additional power, and this imposes some restrictions on the use. Here everything is as simple as possible: you connect the hard drive to, say, a TV and then start watching the files it contains.

Advantages

• A nice silver case;
• The price tag can not be called too overpriced;
• Small size and weight;
• It uses USB Type-C connector;
• Huge capacity for such a form factor;
• No need to plug in the power.

Disadvantages

• There are some questions about the reliability;
• Low read and write speeds.

Conclusion

Now you know which hard drives are the highest capacity hard drives today. I think that this article will be relevant for at least two or three years – until the active popularization of video equipment that can shoot in 8K resolution. While big computer vendors invest in developing solid state drives, not HDDs. However, this is another topic for conversation.