From d8c52275d07f751919dd58dc961cc34ddc4af816 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Yanxin Lu Date: Sun, 29 Mar 2026 12:04:20 -0700 Subject: [PATCH] vault backup: 2026-03-29 12:04:20 --- notes/Unraid Drive Replacement Plan.md | 19 +++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 19 insertions(+) diff --git a/notes/Unraid Drive Replacement Plan.md b/notes/Unraid Drive Replacement Plan.md index 72e2472..37a9646 100644 --- a/notes/Unraid Drive Replacement Plan.md +++ b/notes/Unraid Drive Replacement Plan.md @@ -25,6 +25,25 @@ Total data stored: ~25TB, growing ~1TB/year +## Drive Buyer's Guide + +Only 3 manufacturers make 3.5" HDDs: Seagate, WD, and Toshiba. All others (Samsung, Hitachi, HGST, Maxtor) were acquired. + +| Brand | Line | Tier | CMR | RPM | Workload | MTBF | Warranty | ~16TB Price | +|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| +| **Seagate** | BarraCuda | Consumer | **SMR** | 5400 | — | — | 2 yr | ~$250 | +| | IronWolf | Home NAS | CMR | 7200 | 180 TB/yr | 1M hrs | 3 yr | ~$210 | +| | IronWolf Pro | Pro NAS | CMR | 7200 | 300 TB/yr | 1.2M hrs | 5 yr | ~$230 | +| | Exos (X18/X20/X24) | Enterprise | CMR | 7200 | 550 TB/yr | 2.5M hrs | 5 yr | ~$220 | +| **WD** | Red | Light NAS | **SMR** | 5400 | 180 TB/yr | 1M hrs | 3 yr | ~$210 | +| | Red Plus | Home NAS | CMR | 5400-7200 | 180 TB/yr | 1M hrs | 3 yr | ~$210 | +| | Red Pro | Pro NAS | CMR | 7200 | 300 TB/yr | 1M hrs | 5 yr | ~$230 | +| | Ultrastar | Enterprise | CMR | 7200 | 550 TB/yr | 2.5M hrs | 5 yr | ~$220 | +| **Toshiba** | N300 | Home NAS | CMR | 7200 | 180 TB/yr | 1M hrs | 3 yr | ~$200 | +| | MG Series | Enterprise | CMR | 7200 | 550 TB/yr | 2.5M hrs | 5 yr | ~$210 | + +**Avoid SMR drives** (BarraCuda, WD Red no suffix) — terrible for Unraid parity rebuilds. Home NAS tier (CMR) is perfectly adequate; enterprise is worth it when the price gap is small (<$15/drive). Best deals typically appear during Black Friday / Cyber Monday (20-40% off). + ## Shopping List | Drive | Model | Purpose | Est. Price |