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12tb hgst - wd ultrastar dc hc520 helium hdd review: high-capacity sata 6gb/s hard drive logo

12TB HGST - WD Ultrastar DC HC520 Helium HDD Review: High-Capacity SATA 6Gb/s Hard Drive Review

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Very good

Revainrating 4 out of 5  
Rating 
4.2
🖴 Internal Hard Drives, 💾 Data Storage

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Description of 12TB HGST - WD Ultrastar DC HC520 Helium HDD Review: High-Capacity SATA 6Gb/s Hard Drive

Key Features

The HGST - WD Ultrastar DC HC520 HDD (model number HUH721212ALE600) is a high-performance internal hard disk drive designed specifically for data centers and storage-intensive applications. It offers a range of advanced features to ensure optimal performance, security, and durability.

Enhanced Security and Reliability

The Ultrastar DC HC520 HDD incorporates Instant Secure Erase (ISE) technology, which allows for quick and efficient data sanitization when retiring or repurposing the drive. With this feature, sensitive information can be securely erased, ensuring data confidentiality. Additionally, the dual safe firmware provides reliable updates, reducing the risk of data corruption during the firmware update process.

Power Efficiency and Endurance

This helium-filled hard disk drive is engineered with an endurance-optimized design, making it ideal for demanding workloads and continuous operation. With a Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) of 2.5 million hours, it offers exceptional reliability. Furthermore, it is power-efficient, consuming less idle power per terabyte (W/TB) compared to traditional air-filled drives. This ensures reduced energy consumption and lower operating costs in large-scale storage environments.

High Capacity for Big Data Storage

With a massive storage capacity of 12TB, the Ultrastar DC HC520 HDD is well-suited for big data storage applications. It provides ample space to store and manage vast amounts of data, making it an excellent choice for cloud storage and hyperscale environments. Its high capacity enables efficient data consolidation, helping organizations streamline their storage infrastructure.

Applications

This versatile hard disk drive finds application in various scenarios that require reliable and high-capacity storage solutions. Some notable use cases include:

  • Data Centers: The Ultrastar DC HC520 HDD is specifically designed for data center environments, where it excels in handling large-scale data storage and retrieval tasks.
  • Cloud Storage: It is well-suited for cloud storage providers, enabling them to offer scalable and secure data storage services to their customers.
  • Hyperscale Storage: The drive's durability, security features, and high capacity make it an ideal choice for hyperscale storage environments, meeting the demands of massive data centers.
  • Big Data Analytics: With its extensive storage capacity, the Ultrastar DC HC520 HDD supports big data analytics platforms, facilitating data processing and analysis at scale.
  • Archival Storage: Its reliability and security features make it suitable for long-term data archiving, ensuring data integrity and availability over extended periods.

    • Instant secure erase (ISE), endurance optimized with field-proven helium design. Dual safe firmware for reliable updates, 2.5M MTBF, power efficient with low idle W/TB than air-filled drives. High capacity storage for big data storage applications, perfect for cloud and hyperscale storage that need durability and security. Optimal for high-density data centers and centralized video surveillance for reliability, capacity density, and power efficiency. 12TB of storage capacity, SATA III interface, 256MB buffer, 7200 RPM spindle rotational speed.

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    Reviews

    Global ratings 15
    • 5
      9
    • 4
      2
    • 3
      2
    • 2
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    Type of review

    Revainrating 5 out of 5

    Great quality, happy with it one hundred percent!

    4th generation helium disk technology, 2.5 million hours MTBF and 600,000 cycles on and off, 5 year warranty, line speed: 243 MB/s (write) and 255 MB/s (read). I purchased two of these drives for a NAS server a little less than a year ago, they work there 24/7, and have already accumulated 5,693 hours. No problems have arisen. I recommend to everyone.

    Pros
    • - Large capacity — High reliability - filled with helium - not noisy — Technology of perpendicular magnetic recording PMR - The presence of protection against rotational vibration - RVS (Rotational Vibration Safeguard) (relevant for multi-disk systems) - Second generation of two-stage actuator for more precise positioning of the read head — The presence of a backup microcircuit with firmware (Dual safe firmware technology) - Cache 256 MB - Doesn't heat up
    Cons
    • No deficiencies found. Unless a large number of pancakes: 8 plates with a capacity of 1.5 TB each and 2 heads for each plate adds complexity to the design. Maybe the price, but it's all relative.

    Revainrating 5 out of 5

    Full compliance with the manufacturers assurances, high quality.

    There are 4 such drives in the NAS Synology DS418play in the hallway. Connected in RAID SHR. When copying large volumes, a slight "crackle" is sometimes heard, but this is short-term, and in living rooms it is not audible at all, both day and night. I am very satisfied with the purchase.

    Revainrating 3 out of 5

    Not a bad product, nothing extraordinary.

    Decent junk this drive) I strongly do not recommend, it is better to take WD Gold 12 TB or Seagate, but in the upper price category. How the file washer will do, it’s not clear how these disks also claim to be server disks with a SAS interface Has pros: Only a large volume and even the price, which seems to be not large in this class, does not save it) Different cons: Cracks, makes noise, freezes (microlags), it feels like the developers only increased the volume, but everything remains the…

    Revainrating 5 out of 5

    I was surprised by the quality for the price.

    I bought one of these from Synology ds718+ and now the second one is the same. As for the noise, with random reading it is audible, like any HDD. Nas stands in the bedroom, 3 meters from the bed and at night the transmission pumps torrents to the fullest, and I sleep like a "baby" :)! Pros below: 1. Linear read/write speed up to 255MB/sec. 2. Average access speed 42022 ms. 3. Search time 8 ms. 3. MTBF - 2.5 million hours. 4. Warranty 5 years. 5. Volume. 6. Price! Has some cons With random…

    Revainrating 4 out of 5

    I like everything, the price and quality are acceptable.

    In addition to this HDD, I also have Seagate ST4000DX001 (Hybrid) and WD Black for 1 TB in my system, I don’t remember the model. housing be quiet! Dark Base 900 Pro (very well isolating the sound of the system). So you should try to hear these guys during their work, and you immediately understand what this beast is working, what exactly it grunts at. In general, I am satisfied with the performance of the HDD.

    Pros
    • The volume is 10.9 GB. (available in the system), read and write speed for HDD, large cache, Price compared to competitors.
    Cons
    • Loud.

    Revainrating 2 out of 5

    I did not like it, I do not advise buying.

    Fully agree with the previous review. When I wanted to buy this model, I read these reviews, I thought it was a fake, but everything turned out to be true. Took hard, produced in August 17th. I inserted it into the docking station, turned it on and was horrified by the hum and vibration. I have 40 hard drives (1-2-4-5-6tb), but I have never seen / heard such horror. On the same day I ran to make a return. If you don't believe me, I can show you the return receipt.

    Pros
    • 12 ter, a sane price for such a volume.
    Cons
    • Terrible hum.

    Revainrating 5 out of 5

    I am amazed! It was definitely worth the money!

    Previously - It was Hitachi, now these drives are produced by Western Digital, so they do not differ in any way from similar 7200 rpm WD drives - not in noise, not in operating temperature - absolutely the same technical characteristics! (Less noise level and lower operating temperature only for 5400 rpm drives!) I got a drive released in December 2022. I installed it in an external box paired with a "Seagate" 8 TB, and Seagate turned out to be noisier in practice and 2-3 degrees higher than…

    Pros
    • Very playful, quiet, cold. At the moment, the most adequate price for a disc with a volume of 12 TV!
    Cons
    • until I noticed.

    Revainrating 5 out of 5

    The best product, from those that I have viewed, I advise everyone!

    A lot of people here talk about some kind of rumble and noise. I don’t know, maybe I got some kind of “special” disk, but I didn’t notice any difference compared to the 8 terabyte HUH728060ALE604. During idle, the disk is inaudible, as with linear reading. Yes, during random reading it is audible, like any HDD, but not critical. For those who complain about noise, I advise you to listen to the HDN726060ALE610 during random reading. Disc silent [SPOT] By temperature: the fans are constantly on…

    Pros
    • Volume, speed, quiet, not hot, price compared to similar drives. In theory, reliability.
    Cons
    • -

    Revainrating 4 out of 5

    Satisfactory product quality, good price.

    Bought, put in NAS (WD MyCloudEX2Ultra) in the hallway. I am constantly in the back room at the computer and I hear the disk buzzing. Although I heard that server disks are noisy, I thought "ah, garbage, it will still stand at the other end of the apartment", but nifiga, it interferes with sleep. :( P. S. Since this is the first review, I do not exclude the possibility that the disk is simply defective or damaged (I checked with the program, everything is ok with the disk).

    Pros
    • Price Capacity
    Cons
    • Sooo noisy

    Revainrating 5 out of 5

    Excellent drive with good price per TB (and expected high reliability)

    This is an enterprise quality drive - a big investment in reliability and huge capacity. This is the first 6TB+ drive I've bought (today I prefer 6TB Western Digital Black drives). I have to say I'm pretty converted. One small catch: the newer enterprise-market drive has different screw holes for installing the drive than the standard screws used on the 500GB drive. up to 6 TB hard drives from previous years. Two identical and two different on the sides and also on the back. Therefore, although

    Pros
    • Confident
    Cons
    • Could have gone for a newer model

    Revainrating 5 out of 5

    Great hard drive from a trusted brand

    I've been a fan of Ultrastar hard drives since before Western Digital bought Hitachi's hard drive business. HGST/Hitachi drives are consistently ranked #1 in Backblaze's annual drive analysis report. For many years I have been using Hitachi drives in a large enterprise environment with thousands of drives in a high density storage cluster. Have also used dozens of these at home for almost a decade. There are very few drive failures. Trouble-free operation for many years with a 5-year guarantee.

    Pros
    • Perfect for outdoor activities
    Cons
    • Unbelievable price

    Revainrating 5 out of 5

    "Is this disc ok? "

    You may be wondering. Several reviewers complain that they can't get the drive to spin up due to an enterprise feature that leaves the drive offline until its enclosure allows it to spin up. I had no problems with it on my QNAP NAS, although I wouldn't use it on a desktop. It immediately flipped over and started rebuilding my array. I'm replacing 8TB WD Gold drives that I bought a few years ago to increase capacity. These drives are physically identical to my old ones. That definitely inspires…

    Pros
    • Permanent test results
    Cons
    • Poor teaching

    Revainrating 3 out of 5

    Avoid Sellers Platinum Micro

    If you can get the correct product/part number to match this Revain page (0F30144) you will have relatively easy installation and use of this drive. This is a reliable product from a reliable brand with an excellent reputation. HOWEVER, it's a different story when your provider is Platinum Micro. I and many others in these reviews have received units with part number 0f29610 which have a feature which, barring very specific hardware purchases on your part, causes the drive not to boot when…

    Pros
    • Very Good Value
    Cons
    • Security

    Revainrating 1 out of 5

    I reject this: Data retention

    First, I blame myself. I thought I studied the drives before I pulled the trigger. I ended up going with the HGST brand because it got good reviews and the helium technology seemed like a good buy. This would be my first drive in my NAS that I built. I didn't realize that this is POWER DISABLED technology. I didn't know what it was until they delivered it to me. I couldn't get it to work. For those who don't know, this was introduced a few years ago and requires a special motherboard to be able

    Pros
    • Ease of use
    Cons
    • No