Seagate ST12000NM0038 Exos X14 12 TB Hard Drive – 3.5″ Internal – SAS (12Gb/s SAS)

The Seagate Exos X18 12TB ST12000NM0038 is an enterprise-class hard drive specifically designed for high-performance and high-capacity storage environments. With a storage capacity of 12 terabytes (TB), this hard drive is built to meet the demands of data centers, large-scale storage applications, and high-density environments where reliability, speed, and efficiency are critical. Here is a detailed breakdown of its features and specifications:

Key Features:

1. Capacity:
   • The ST12000NM0038 offers an impressive 12TB of storage space, making it ideal for handling large datasets, including video surveillance, archival storage, cloud storage, and big data applications. This large capacity allows for the storage of vast amounts of data in a single drive, minimizing the need for multiple drives and simplifying data management.
2. Performance:
   • This hard drive is equipped with a 7200 RPM rotational speed, delivering a balance of performance and energy efficiency. While not as fast as solid-state drives (SSDs), 7200 RPM HDDs provide a reliable and consistent performance that is ideal for workloads such as file storage, backups, and multi-user access environments.
   • It also features 256MB of cache memory, which helps to improve overall read/write performance by storing frequently accessed data and instructions close to the disk’s head for faster retrieval.
3. Interface:
   • The ST12000NM0038 uses the SATA III 6Gbps interface, offering fast data transfer speeds. Although SATA III is less fast than SAS (Serial Attached SCSI), it remains a widely used and compatible interface for many enterprise and desktop systems, ensuring ease of integration with existing infrastructure.
4. Reliability:
   • Designed for continuous operation in a 24/7 environment, the Seagate Exos X18 has an impressive MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) of up to 2 million hours, which makes it a highly reliable solution for enterprise applications.
   • The drive also features Advanced Format technology and Seagate’s IronWolf Health Management (when paired with IronWolf software), which provide increased durability and data integrity.
5. Data Protection & Security:
   • The ST12000NM0038 comes with Seagate’s seagate Secure technology, including self-encrypting drive (SED) options. This built-in security feature ensures that your data is always protected, even if the drive is physically stolen or misplaced. The encryption is hardware-based, providing an additional layer of protection without compromising performance.
6. Workload Rate Limit:
   • With a workload rate limit of up to 550TB/year, the ST12000NM0038 is designed to handle demanding workloads typical of modern enterprise environments, such as continuous data writes, frequent access patterns, and high-throughput applications.
7. Environmental Sustainability:
   • The Seagate Exos X18 is designed with energy efficiency in mind, consuming less power compared to earlier models, which helps reduce the overall cost of ownership in large-scale storage environments. The drive also features power management capabilities, further optimizing energy consumption based on workload activity.
8. Form Factor:
   • The drive comes in a 3.5-inch form factor, which is the standard for enterprise-level hard drives, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of servers, storage arrays, and NAS devices. Its robust design allows it to withstand the rigors of high-density rackmount configurations.
9. Firmware and Technology:
   • SMR (Shingled Magnetic Recording) technology in the Exos X18 optimizes storage density, allowing it to achieve higher capacities like 12TB while maintaining good read/write speeds. However, it is important to note that while SMR increases storage capacity, it may have slightly lower performance for heavy-write workloads compared to traditional PMR (Perpendicular Magnetic Recording).
   • Drive Health Monitoring and Drive Diagnostic Tools from Seagate enable easy monitoring of the drive’s status, helping IT teams anticipate potential failures and optimize the lifecycle of the storage equipment.
10. Warranty:
    • The Seagate Exos X18 comes with a 5-year limited warranty, which is standard for enterprise-class storage products. This warranty provides peace of mind for businesses that rely on the drive for critical data storage needs.