Quite HDDs

[Enquiries]

I've been watching a few noise tests on the channel and it appears that there's a very significant difference in noise level between typical consumer HDDs and the datacenter grade models. Are there any high capacity (e.g. ~20TB) that are known to be on the quieter side compared to the others? Or are they all about the same in terms of dBA?

[ed]

In general, enterprise-grade or datacenter-grade hard drives tend to be louder than consumer-grade models, but there are some models that are designed to be quieter than others.

One example is the Western Digital Ultrastar DC HC620, which is available in capacities up to 20TB. It is designed to operate at a relatively low noise level of 20-36 dBA, which is quieter than some other enterprise drives.

Another option to consider is the Seagate Exos X18, which is available in capacities up to 18TB. Seagate claims that it is one of their quietest enterprise drives, with a noise level of 20-36 dBA.

It's worth noting that noise levels can vary depending on factors such as the specific drive model, the number of drives in a system, and the design of the chassis or enclosure being used. In general, larger capacity drives may produce more noise because they have more platters and require more power to operate.

If low noise is a priority for you, it may be worth considering a larger number of smaller capacity drives, rather than a smaller number of high-capacity drives. This can help spread the heat and noise load across a larger number of drives, which can help reduce overall noise levels. Additionally, using a high-quality enclosure or chassis with good noise dampening can help reduce the overall noise levels of the system.