05-16-2025, 11:29 AM
Thanks for reaching out!
The Seagate Exos 28TB drives—especially recertified ones—can be a great value if you're aiming for high-capacity storage at home. While they’re enterprise-grade drives not originally designed for NAS environments, they’re actually over-engineered for most home use cases. That said, there are a few points worth considering:
1. Recertified Drives
Recertified drives can be perfectly fine, especially if they come from a reputable vendor and include some form of warranty or return window. Just be sure to:
Check the seller’s credibility.
Confirm the firmware and SMART status when the drives arrive.
Run extended tests before trusting them with valuable data.
2. NAS Suitability
Even though the Exos line isn't explicitly marketed for NAS, they’re frequently used in datacenters and larger arrays—Backblaze's usage being a great example. For a RAIDZ2 configuration in a home NAS, they should perform very well, especially given your moderate workload.
3. Noise
You're right to factor in acoustic levels. The Exos drives are noticeably louder than something like WD Red Plus (more vibration, seeking clicks, and idle hum), but at 6 meters and a 45dB ambient level, there's a strong chance you won’t find them intrusive—especially if the NAS is behind a door or not in direct line of hearing.
4. Power and Heat
These drives use more power and can run warmer than typical NAS drives. Ensure your TrueNAS Mini+ has decent airflow, and consider checking drive temps occasionally, especially if you're running a full five-drive set.
Bottom Line:
If the drives check out after testing and you're not overly sensitive to sound or slight increases in power draw, they could be an excellent upgrade. With 28TB per drive, you’d also gain a lot of capacity with fewer disks.
The Seagate Exos 28TB drives—especially recertified ones—can be a great value if you're aiming for high-capacity storage at home. While they’re enterprise-grade drives not originally designed for NAS environments, they’re actually over-engineered for most home use cases. That said, there are a few points worth considering:
1. Recertified Drives
Recertified drives can be perfectly fine, especially if they come from a reputable vendor and include some form of warranty or return window. Just be sure to:
Check the seller’s credibility.
Confirm the firmware and SMART status when the drives arrive.
Run extended tests before trusting them with valuable data.
2. NAS Suitability
Even though the Exos line isn't explicitly marketed for NAS, they’re frequently used in datacenters and larger arrays—Backblaze's usage being a great example. For a RAIDZ2 configuration in a home NAS, they should perform very well, especially given your moderate workload.
3. Noise
You're right to factor in acoustic levels. The Exos drives are noticeably louder than something like WD Red Plus (more vibration, seeking clicks, and idle hum), but at 6 meters and a 45dB ambient level, there's a strong chance you won’t find them intrusive—especially if the NAS is behind a door or not in direct line of hearing.
4. Power and Heat
These drives use more power and can run warmer than typical NAS drives. Ensure your TrueNAS Mini+ has decent airflow, and consider checking drive temps occasionally, especially if you're running a full five-drive set.
Bottom Line:
If the drives check out after testing and you're not overly sensitive to sound or slight increases in power draw, they could be an excellent upgrade. With 28TB per drive, you’d also gain a lot of capacity with fewer disks.