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Seagate · Data-centre drive · ST30000NM004K

Seagate Exos M 30TB

Sold for data centres, but underneath it's a standard 3.5in SATA drive and any NAS with a 3.5in bay will take it without complaint.

Capacity
30 TB
Recording
CMR
Speed
7,200 rpm
Warranty
5 years
Workload
550 TB/yr
Failure rate
No failure data

Good for

  • Busy arrays (550 TB a year)
  • Big media libraries
  • RAID, SHR and ZFS rebuilds
  • 5 years' warranty

Not for

  • A desk or bedroom (7,200 rpm is the louder class)

Updated 27 Oct 2026 · Method 2.0

Is the Exos M 30 TB right for you?

It makes most sense when you're chasing terabytes per pound and the NAS sits somewhere noise doesn't matter. Think garage, or a rack in the cupboard under the stairs. Seagate backs it for five years, which is a long time in drive terms. CMR, thankfully. SMR and parity rebuilds don't get on.

Watch out for

At 7,200 rpm it's from the louder, warmer class. Fine in a cupboard, less fun on a desk.

No Backblaze failure rate for this one. They don't run enough of them, if any, for a figure worth quoting. Seagate's datasheet puts it at 28 dB idle and 32 dB seeking. Power draw is 6.9 W idle on Seagate's figures, or 60 kWh a year if it spends the whole year idling. Put four in RAID 5 and you'll have 90 TB to fill (Windows will call it 81.9 TB).