5 Best Linux Server Hard Drives (Reviews) of 2024
Are you on the lookout for new hard drives to use in your Linux server or NAS? Having trouble figuring out what drives you should buy? We can help! Follow along as we go over the 5 best Linux server hard drives to get.
Linux hard drive compatibility
If you plan to get a new hard drive to use in your Linux server, home NAS, project server, or media server, you should be aware of Linux hard drive compatibility. Unlike Windows Server, you won’t be able to use any fancy firmware upgrade tools or manufacturer-created applications to monitor your drives.
When you buy a new hard drive for your Linux server, keep in mind that these particular tools will be unusable. However, with that in mind, Linux is in a good place when it comes to hard drives and servers. 99% of hard drives on the market today will work with Linux out of the box.
Best Linux server hard drives
There are many great hard drives out there that work fantastic in Linux servers, NAS devices, etc. That said, some drives are better than others. This list aims to show you the absolute best ones you can get to use on your Linux system.
1. Seagate IronWolf NAS Internal Hard Drive
The Seagate IronWolf is our top pick for the best hard drive to use with Linux. The reason? It comes with a tremendous amount of storage options, from 1 TB all the way to 18 TB for starters. Secondly, it has a very respectable workload shelf-life of 300 TB per year, has 7200 RPM drive speed, compatibility with storage array configurations, and much more.
Suffice it to say, if you’re on the lookout for an excellent hard drive to use on your Linux server, the Seagate Iron Wolf NAS internal hard drive should be first on the list.
Pros
- Seagate IronWolf NAS has a massive variety of storage options for consumers to choose from, starting at 1 TB and going as large as 18 TB, making it a monster for a home server or NAS storage solution.
- It comes with Seagate’s “AgileArray,” which makes the IronWolf perfectly compatible with things like RAID and other multi-drive arrays.
- Supports a massive workload shelf-life, coming in at 300 TB per year.
- The IronWold has built-in rotational vibration sensors to prevent lag in performance.
- 7200 RPM drive speed means massive read/write speed and performance, which is critical for a NAS or home server.
Cons
- In some cases, the IronWolf drive may be 5800 RPM rather than the advertised 7200 RPM.
2. Western Digital WD Red NAS Internal Hard Drive
The WD Red NAS hard drive is second on our list of picks for the best hard drives to use on Linux servers. Under the hood, it has a workload rate of 180 TB a year, support for storage sizes of up to 6 TB, has a read speed of up to 180 megabytes per second, and a good drive speed clocking in at 5400 RPMs.
WD Reds are used a lot in storage systems for their reliability and sturdiness. If you’re looking to build a NAS or data server running Linux, you will do well to take a look at the Western Digital WD Red NAS internal hard drive.
Pros
- The Western Digital 4TB NAS drive comes in various sizes, starting at 2 TB and ending at 6 TB.
- It has a read speed of 180 Megabytes per second, perfect for a Network Attached Storage solution or home server.
- The drive supports a massive workload rate of 180 TB a year.
- Built and tested to run large amounts of data through it means it is reliable.
Cons
- NAS drives can be slower than general-purpose hard drives.
3. Western Digital 2TB WD Gold
The Western Digital 2 TB WD Gold hard drive is 3rd on our list of drives to get for Linux. It’s a high-performance hard drive designed for the enterprise, with impressive features like 7200 RPM drive speed, 200 Mbps read speed, a 500 TB per year workload rate, and more. However, it’ll work just as well in a Linux server project in your home.
If you need a high-performance drive for your Linux system, look no further. The Western Digital 2 TB WD Gold hard drive is the right one for the job.
Pros
- The drive is Enterprise-grade and an all-around fast hard drive that clocks in at 7200 RPMs. Perfect for both fast data delivery as well as storage.
- It has a read speed of 200 megabytes per second, which is more than adequate for accessing data at a reasonable speed on a home server or NAS.
- It has a tremendous workload rate of up to 500 TB per year, ensuring the drive will last for quite a long time.
- WD Gold has enhanced reliability with a 2.5 million hour MTBF (Mean time between failures) rating.
Cons
- Only 2 TB in size and larger versions are hard to find.
4. WD SE 2TB Datacenter Hard Disk Drive
Coming in at number 4 in our list of picks is the WD SE 2TB Datacenter hard drive. It’s an impressive drive with enticing features, such as a fast drive speed (7200 RPM), a read speed of up to 124 Mbps, a write speed of up to 104 Mbps, and much more.
The WD SE 2TB Datacenter hard drive is a drive designed for high-class enterprise environments such as data centers, server farms — essentially everything involving handling high performance and data. So, if you require a speedy hard drive that can handle your data, this is the one to grab.
Pros
- Fast drive speed clocking in at 7200 RPMs.
- Uses WD’s “StableTrac” and “RAFF” for better vibration tolerance.
- It has a good workload tolerance of up to 180 TB per year, so it should last quite a long time before failure.
- Has a read speed of up to 124 Megabytes per second, and a write speed of up to 104 megabytes per second.
Cons
- The only storage option available for this drive is 2 TB, which may not be enough for some.
5. Western Digital WD Blue PC Hard Drive
If you’re on a budget and in need of a good hard drive to use on your Linux server or NAS project, the Western Digital WD Blue PC hard drive is a good choice. It’s a great general-purpose HDD with decent specs such as 180 Mbps read, decently large storage size choices (up to 6 TB,) and a respectable drive speed for the price.
While the WD Blue isn’t nearly as impressive as some of the other WD drives on this list, it more than makes up for it for how inexpensive it is. If you need a good drive for little, do check it out.
Pros
- General-purpose HDD with large storage space options. The WD Blue can be used in a wide variety of server applications.
- WD Blue has multiple hard drive speed options, which means there’s something for everyone, offering up 7200 RPMs for the 1 TB model and 5400 RPM for larger storage sizes.
- WD Blue is very inexpensive compared to other hard drives in the Western Digital hard drive line, perfect for those on a budget.
- A decent read rate (180 Megabytes per second) means using the drive on a home server or NAS is doable.
Cons
- Users will need to trade higher data capacity for faster speeds, as larger drives are slower.
Linux HDDs: Conclusion
In this list, we went over the best Linux server hard drives to get.
What hard drives do you use in your Linux server or NAS?
Tell us in the comment section below!
