ST30000NT011 Seagate IronWolf Pro 30TB: NAS or Enterprise?

The ST30000NT011 is a Seagate IronWolf Pro 30TB, the NAS-class drive at the top of the capacity range, and the question is whether a NAS drive this large is the right class or whether enterprise is. This covers both.

What is the Seagate ST30000NT011?

A 3.5 inch, 30TB, SATA 6Gb/s drive from the IronWolf Pro family. 7200 RPM class, helium filled, conventional magnetic recording, rated for multi-bay NAS operation with the IronWolf Pro workload rating and warranty.

The NT in the part number identifies IronWolf Pro; VN identifies standard IronWolf. Our part numbers guide covers Seagate suffixes.

IronWolf Pro vs Exos at 30TB

The decision at this capacity.

IronWolf Pro (NT) is the NAS-class drive: rated for many-bay NAS units, tuned for the noise and vibration environment of a NAS enclosure, with NAS-oriented health monitoring. Workload rating is high but below enterprise.

Exos (NM) is the enterprise nearline drive: higher workload rating, SAS option, built for rack servers and arrays.

For a NAS unit on the vendor compatibility list, IronWolf Pro is the intended class and usually the better fit. For a rack server or array behind an enterprise controller, Exos. Our drive class guide covers the differences, and our Exos 24TB guide covers the enterprise side.

Is the ST30000NT011 CMR?

Yes. IronWolf Pro drives use conventional recording and are suitable for RAID and NAS. Our SMR vs CMR guide covers why it matters at 30TB, where SMR drives exist at similar capacities.

Will my NAS support a 30TB drive?

The question that stops purchases at this capacity.

NAS vendors test drives per model and publish compatibility lists. A 30TB drive may not be listed for your unit, or may be listed only at a specific firmware level. Older NAS units may not address 30TB at all. Check before buying. Our compatibility guide covers reading the list.

And plan for rebuild time. A 30TB rebuild can take days. RAID 6 or equivalent, with a hot spare, is the sensible minimum. Our 32TB guide covers what changes at the top of the range.

What to check before buying

NAS compatibility list for your exact model and firmware. Bay count against the IronWolf Pro rating. RAID level appropriate to the capacity. Helium level monitoring, per our helium guide. And backup, because 30TB unprotected is a large loss.

Frequently asked questions