The Most Reliable Nas Hard Drive For 2024

Nicolas Ward By, Nicolas Ward
Updated
Most Reliable Nas Hard Drive
Most Reliable Nas Hard Drive

The Rundown

1. Best Overall: Seagate IronWolf 4TB NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD – CMR 3.5 Inch

Seagate IronWolf 4TB NAS Internal Hard Drive is designed to be the ideal solution for up to 8 bay, multi user NAS environments craving powerhouse performance. With Advanced Format technology, you can keep your data safe on this high capacity hard drive with up to 4TB per platter. Read Review

2. Runner Up: Western Digital 6TB WD Red Plus NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD - 5400 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, CMR

Stream, backup and share your digital content. WD Red Plus drives and NAS are designed to seamlessly share content with devices at home and work. NASware 3.0 technology improves the compatibility of your drives with your existing network. WD Red Pro drives deliver outstanding performance for larger businesses with 24-bays. Read Review

3. Best Capacity: Seagate IronWolf 10TB NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD (ST10000VN0008)

Amazing versatility and dependability combine with incredible speed lightning-fast performance and titanic storage of up to 10TB to give your desktop or creative professional system the edge you need to perform at your peak. These drives, designed and tuned for creative applications, have higher random performance and drive reliability than standard PC compute drives. Read Review

4. Best Durable: Western Digital 4TB WD Red Plus NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD

Western Digital Red NAS 4TB Hard Drive offers a single solution for both personal and business data. Designed to be the perfect complement to WD Red NAS Systems, this hard drive provides a complete solution to meet all your storage needs. Read Review

A hard drive is the easiest way to store your music, photos, and videos. Most people own a computer or smartphone nowadays, so the ability to connect to the internet is just about everywhere. However, not all hard drives are created equal.

Even with the increased options that today’s market offers, there are still some reliable options for storing your media collection and other digital files. With that in mind, we’ve listed the most reliable NAS hard drives for storing digital media at home or in the office. They’re fast and affordable, so you won’t need to worry about replacing them soon. Let’s take a closer look at each of them and see why they stand above their competition.

Our team, including qualified experts in this area, conducted a survey and carried it out for a significant amount of time to find the right products for most reliable nas hard drive, nearly 17 hours. And after lots of effort, we have done it well. 

As a result, we found some top trending models on the market that many customers tend to search for. In addition, we believe that the Seagate IronWolf 4TB NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD – CMR 3.5 Inch with up to 8 bays  is one of the best options available to you. We have provided you with a detailed buyer's guide and many other good choices so that you can decide which one is the best for your requirements.

Our Top Picks

  • Store more and work faster with a NAS optimized hard drive providing 4TB and cache of up to 64MB
  • IronWolf internal hard drives are the ideal solution for up to 8 bay, multi user NAS environments craving powerhouse performance
  • Purpose built for NAS enclosures, IronWolf delivers less wear and tear, little to no noise/vibration, no lags or down time, increased file sharing performance, and much more
  • Easily monitor the health of drives using the integrated IronWolf Health Management system and enjoy long term reliability with 1M hours MTBF
  • Small or medium business NAS systems in a 24x7 environment
  • NASware firmware for compatibility
  • Supports up to 180 TB/yr workload rate*| * Workload Rate is defined as the amount of user data transferred to or from the hard drive. Workload Rate is annualized (TB transferred ✕ (8760 / recorded power-on hours))
  • Available in capacities ranging from 1-14TB with support for up to 8 bays
  • 3-year limited warranty
  • 5400RPM performance class
  • This model uses CMR technology and is being renamed “WD Red Plus” to distinguish it from the current “WD Red” product, which uses SMR technology
  • During this transition period, WD Red Plus devices may be delivered with a ”WD Red” label, but rest assured the device you are receiving will be the CMR-version of WD Red and can be confirmed by the model number
  • Storage Capacity: 10 TB
  • Features: rotational vibration sensor
  • Buffer: 256 MB, Multi-User Technology: 180 TB/year, Max Sustained Transfer Rate OD ( MB/s) = 210MB/s.
  • Spindle Speed (rpm): 7200
  • Features: halogen-free
  • NASware firmware for compatibility
  • Available in capacities ranging from 1-14TB with support for up to 8 bays
  • Supports up to 180 TB/yr workload rate Workload Rate is defined as the amount of user data transferred to or from the hard drive. Workload Rate is annualized (TB transferred ✕ (8760 / recorded power-on hours)). Workload Rate will vary depending on your hardware and software components and configurations.
  • Small or medium business NAS systems in a 24x7 environment
  • High reliability with workload rate of up to 300 TB/year and MTTF up to 1.2 million hours.
  • Designed for 24/7 operation
  • Optimized for RAID environments with integrated RV sensors to mitigate rotational vibrations
  • High performance 7200 RPM drive with large cache size
  • Built for medium or large business NAS with up to 24 bays
  • NAS systems with daily workloads associated with personal and home office environments and idle time available to perform necessary background operations
  • Supports up to 180 TB/yr Workload Rate* | * Workload Rate is defined as the amount of user data transferred to or from the hard drive. Workload Rate is annualized (TB transferred ✕ (8760 / recorded power-on hours))
  • 5400RPM performance class
  • NASware firmware for compatibility
  • Available in capacities ranging from 2-6TB with support for up to 8 bays
  • 3-year limited warranty
  • 1 Year Warranty from Reseller, Worry free Return! 100% Full Refund
  • Datacenter Storage, Enterprise Grade, Excellent Condition
  • Maximum capacity, Heavy application workloads, 24x7x365 reliability
  • 3 Terabyte Capacity, SATA III 6.0Gbps Interface, 64MB Buffer Size, 7200RPM Rotation Speed
  • Perfect for Desktop PC, Mac, RAID, NAS, Surveillance Storage, CCTV DVR
  • Enhanced reliability with 3D Active Balance Plus technology and error recovery controls with NASware 3.0 technology
  • Supports up to 300TB/yr workload rate(2) | (2) Workload Rate is defined as the amount of user data transferred to or from the hard drive. Workload Rate is annualized (TB transferred ✕ (8760 / recorded power-on hours)). Workload Rate will vary depending on your hardware and software components and configurations.
  • Extended drive testing to ensure each drive is tested for extended reliable operation
  • 5-year limited warranty(3) | (3) See official Western Digital website for regional specific warranty details.
  • Available in capacities ranging from 2 to 22TB(1) with support for NAS systems with up to 24 bays | (1) 1GB = 1 billion bytes and 1TB = 1 trillion bytes. Actual user capacity may be less depending on operating environment.
  • Vibration protection technology for improved performance
  • Energy-assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) and triple-stage actuator (TSA) (in 16TB capacities and above)
  • Available in 1TB to 20TB capacities. | 1As used for storage capacity, 1GB = 1 billion bytes and 1TB = one trillion bytes. Actual user capacity may be less depending on operating environment.
  • HelioSeal technology delivers high capacities with a low power draw (12TB and above)
  • Designed to handle workloads up to 550TB2 per year | 2Workload Rate is defined as the amount of user data transferred to or from the hard drive. Workload Rate is annualized (TB transferred X (8760 / recorded power-on hours)). Workload Rate will vary depending on your hardware and software components and configurations.
  • NASware firmware for compatibility
  • 3-year limited warranty
  • Tested for 24x7 reliability
  • Ships in WD-certified box for safe transit during shipping
  • Specifically designed for use in NAS systems with up to 8 bays
  • Package includes a hard drive only - no screws, cables, manuals included. Please purchase mounting hardware and cables separately if necessary.
  • Small and home office NAS systems in a 24x7 enviornment
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What to Look For in a most reliable nas hard drive?

Capacity

In simple terms, the more drives you can cram into a NAS the greater its potential storage capacity. In most cases, we suggest something with four or five bays like the Synonology DS-1511. Loaded up with a swag of 1TB or 2TB drives it offers plenty of capacity.
If your needs are more modest then a two-bay unit is also handy and won't break the bank.

Ease Of Use

A NAS is a great option for small businesses that need a solution that can run without much maintenance. Choosing a NAS that can be set up quickly with minimal labor is always a wise decision. For enterprise solutions, higher labor and administrative costs are insignificant when compared with the benefits that a NAS can bring.

Ports And Connections

Don't overlook connectivity. If your priority is to use your NAS as a home video server, it might be worth picking one with an HDMI output like the QNAP TS-251B so you can connect it directly to your TV. And if your TV can't play video from a network source, you'll need a separate media streamer.

RAID

RAID stands for redundant array of inexpensive disks. RAID can be quite complex but at a basic level, you’ll want to use it to provide redundancy so if a disk fails your data is still safe. Three of the most popular variants are RAID 1, 5, and 6.
Whatever RAID you choose, however, don’t consider your NAS to be the only backup of your data. If the box just dies, or if something catastrophic happens like a fire, you’ll still lose all your data. To mitigate this you'll want another external backup, preferably to the cloud.

Apps

After storage, the next main concern is software and features. We prefer NASes that have an app store where you can download popular apps such as Plex instead of forcing you to use the manufacturer's own media software. NASes also offer apps for Android and iOS, which make it easier to get to your photos, videos, and music from your phone or tablet.

Form Factor

The form factor of a computing device affects the design of hardware components that go into the larger unit. For NAS storage devices, form factor usually comes in two variations: rack-mount, and tower type cases. Choosing between these two options is straightforward. For example, rack cases would be suitable for enterprise networks since they have an expandable capacity. Tower type casing is better for consumers or small-to-medium businesses.

Transcoding

What type of processor does your NAS need? NAS drives run dedicated OSes that require a lightweight processor and more RAM. A faster processor and more memory will enable features such as transcoding, which means that any media files can be converted on the fly into a format that's playable by your TV or set-top box. It can also be useful if your videos are a higher resolution than your TV can handle, so look out for the ability to transcode 4K to Full HD in real-time.

FAQs

What Number Of Bays Are You Going To Need?

Do you have more than one bay for a NAS? You can create a RAID setup. This means that you let multiple hard drives work together. With the RAID 0 and JBOD, you create one large storage space. You can also save all files to be stored on the NAS in a RAID 1 setup. Choose enough bays for the RAID setup that you want.

What Is A NAS External Hard Drive?

A NAS external Hard Drive is an external storage device that is accessed over the internet or your home network. This means you can access the contents of the NAS on your iPhone, iPad, Smart TV, PS4, XBOX One, Sonos Sound System, Bose system, Laptop, and Smartphone without having to connect to it with a cable. Meaning you do not need to carry duplicates of all your data on all your devices, but can have one central NAS storage devices that all the other devices can access.

Do You Really Need A NAS?

If you have data spread across multiple devices without a single backup location, then you really need a NAS drive. As it will make backing up with multiple devices easier, more automated, and more reliable.

If you are a business with large amounts of data that needs to be accessible quickly, across multiple machines, or outside your office environment for off-site staff or clients, then a NAS is a must.

If you want your internet-accessible data to be 100% inaccessible when needed and are considering a Cloud provider or a NAS, then a NAS is the best option for you.

How Can I Connect To My NAS From A Distance?

You can connect to your NAS server remotely with the mobile applications that are free with your NAS Brand manufacturer for iOS and Android. Alternatively, you can use a number of desktop applications from the big brands QNAP and Synology NAS to access your device remotely. Finally, you can create a network and internet accessible drive with iSCSI and then setup software (Virtual Machine, backup, Surveillance and more) on your Mac or Windows machine to access the NAS remotely.

How Does A NAS Device Work?

What is a NAS? A NAS is like a computer that is dedicated to storing data that is made accessible across all your internet-enabled devices. It connects to your home network (in simple terms, the internet connected network in your home or office) and makes the data that is stored on it accessible. You can also access the data from outside the phone via WiFi at hotspots and other buildings, or via your mobile 3G or 4G internet connection.

Can I Use An SSD Drives In A NAS?

Although it's common to use a traditional hard drive inside a NAS box, you can use SSDs (solid-state drives) in some. You might even be able to use a PCIe NVMe SSD as a cache to improve performance.
However, you should choose an SSD designed for use in a NAS drive such as the Seagate IronWolf 110 or Western Digital Red SA500. Thanks to things like DuraWrite technology, they are designed for continuous use, which is critical inside a NAS. The downside of choosing SSDs is the limited capacity as they typically max out at 4TB. The other drawback is the much higher cost.

What Does Diskless NAS Mean?

Many NAS brands sell their NAS devices with drives already installed. This can often increase the price significantly, as well as limit the Hard Drives you can install. A diskless NAS is a device that you can choose which drives, how many, and the capacity you want and install them yourself, for a more customizable NAS storage device. Installing the Hard Drives is easy and can often save you a lot of time.

We decide facts since we are product consulting professionals with extensive expertise. Even so, we maintain and update the list of most reliable nas hard drive so the information is correct and up to date.

After reading this article, you should discover that selecting a most reliable nas hard drive that is both handy and economical to you is not difficult. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you require assistance.


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About Nicolas Ward

Nicolas Ward

Nicolas Ward is an elite author with many years of experience in the music field and the owner of many engaging articles at TheAudioInsights. He studies music production and has many years of passionate research into sound systems. Appearing in many popular newspapers, Nicolas Ward provides useful knowledge and the latest information on music and sound.