Key Points
- The Western Digital Red Pro 20TB is a hard drive intended for NAS and server usage, but it has its fair share of problems.
- One reason to avoid the Western Digital 20TB hard drive is its high cost per terabyte compared to other drives on the market.
- The warranty coverage for the Western Digital 20TB hard drive is limited and does not cover damages to systems or loss of data.
- The Western Digital 20TB hard drive is loud and 7dB louder than the Red Plus models.
- The sequential data transfer rates of the Western Digital 20TB hard drive are slower compared to other drives.
Are you looking for reasons to avoid a Western Digital 20TB hard drive? Storage has never been cheaper than in 2023. Costs have plummeted for SSDs and hard drives alike, which is handy for the data hoarders out there. However, not all storage devices are made equal.
What Is the Western Digital 20TB Hard Drive?
The Western Digital Red Pro 20TB is a hard drive intended for NAS and server usage. The Red Pro line has served as Western Digital’s premier brand for business use. It still retains a degree of popularity with consumers thanks to the high capacity of these drives. The 20TB Red Pro is the upper limit of this line of drives. However, it does have its fair share of problems as you’ll discover.
The Red Pro line is meant to replace the previous Red Plus line of hard drives. These are a step below the Gold in terms of overall performance but still should be suitable for most data center and business needs.
| Specs | Western Digital Red Pro 20TB |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 20TB |
| Interface | SATA |
| Transfer Rate | Up to 268MB/s |
| Disk Speed | 7200rpm |
| Cache Size | 512MB |
| Warranty | Limited five-year |
| Operational Temperature | 0 to 65°C |
| Form Factor | 3.5 inches |
Reasons to Avoid a Western Digital 20TB Hard Drive
If you’ve been thinking about buying a Western Digital 20TB hard drive, it’s important to consider both the pros and cons before buying. Consider the following five reasons to avoid this hard drive before making any purchasing decisions.
The Cost Is High Per TB
One of the biggest reasons to avoid a Western Digital 20TB hard drive comes down to raw cost. When looking at other comparable drives of the same capacity, Western Digital’s option is a fair bit more expensive. The Red Pro 20TB currently retails at $379.99, meaning you’re looking at roughly $19 per terabyte of storage.
Options like the Seagate Exos have a retail price of $349.99, meaning you’ve got a cheaper per-terabyte cost of $17.50. While this might not be a deal breaker for some, it certainly is something to keep in mind when shopping for storage. The storage needs to be dependable and cost-effective to be truly worth a purchase.
Western Digital’s Warranty Is Lacking
You’ll want something iron-clad when it comes to warranty coverage for your hard drive. This is especially true if you’re using something with an extremely high capacity, like the Red Pro from Western Digital. Sadly, when it comes to coverage, this is one of the better reasons to avoid a Western Digital 20TB hard drive.
It does come with a five-year limited warranty, but the terms and conditions for getting the warranty serviced are quite draconian. It only covers defective materials, not damages to systems or loss of data. While this might not be the norm for most industries, word of mouth spreads quite far when it comes to enterprise-grade storage solutions.
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It’s Loud
Mechanical hard drives are noisy, that’s just a fact of life. When compared to NVMe and M.2 drives, they are almost cacophonous with the level of sound produced. The Red Pro line of hard drives from Western Digital are among the loudest offered by the manufacturer.
Now, this might not be important to you. However, if you’re running a NAS with multiple drives in a bay, this will be quite pronounced. One of the reasons to avoid a Western Digital 20TB hard drive comes down to them being 7dB louder than the Red Plus models.
Sequential Data Transfer Rates Are Slow
SATA mechanical hard drives are faster than their forebears, but still pale in comparison to SSDs. One of the biggest tests of any hard drive is how it handles sequential read/write tasks. While initial transfers for smaller files might be done in a flash, larger files can prove to be troublesome.
The 20TB Western Digital Red Pro performs worse than its 18TB counterpart. It also is slower than the Seagate Exos x20 and IronWolf Pro. While this might not be one of the biggest reasons to avoid a Western Digital 20TB hard drive, it is something to consider.
The Annual Workload Is Low
This is arguably one of the biggest reasons to avoid a Western Digital 20TB hard drive. With the Red Pro line, you’re looking at a maximum suggested workload of 300TB a year for the 20TB model. 300TB is nothing in the grand scheme of things, especially when looking at the five-year warranty coverage of the Western Digital hard drive line.
300TB a year is what you might expect from a low-grade consumer SSD, not a nearly $400 hard drive intended for RAID and NAS usage. Compare this to the Seagate Exos x20, which comes with nearly double that effective rate at 550TB a year. While anyone can speculate on the reasons, spending this much on a hard drive for a significantly lower lifespan is just unacceptable.
Alternatives to a Western Digital 20TB Hard Drive
If you’ve decided to avoid a Western Digital hard drive, here are some great alternatives.
Toshiba MG10 Series 20TB Hard Drive
- 3.5-inch form factor
- 6.0Gbps interface speed
- Data transfer speeds 271/268MiB/s
- 7200rpm
- 550TB per year workload rating
Toshiba is one of those brands that has been content to stay under the radar when it comes to storage. The MG10 Series drive from the manufacturer is a highly reliable and cost-effective hard drive intended for enterprise use. It comes with the same 20TB capacity seen with the Western Digital Red Pro line.
However, where it differentiates itself is higher sequential data transfer rates of 271/268MiB/s, lower latency, and a better cost. The annual data expectations of 550TB are about in line with the Seagate offerings, so you should be set if you’re looking for a hard drive to slot into your NAS.
Seagate Exos X20 Hard Drive
- 3.5-inch form factor
- SATA 6.0Gbps
- 7200rpm
- 550TB per year workload rating
- 285 MB/s data transfer speeds
The Seagate Exos X20 is a favorite among data hoarders thanks to its durability and speed. You have access to the same 20TB storage as the Western Digital Red Pro but in a quieter chassis with better data transfer rates of 285MB/s. It also has a 550TB per year workload rating.
Overall pricing is lower than the Western Digital line of enterprise hard drives. This means you’re getting a better cost when looking at individual terabytes. These hard drives are prepped for RAID arrays out of the box as well. The Exos X20 should be a dependable choice for years to come for your high-data needs.
Seagate IronWolf Pro Hard Drive
- 3.5-inch form factor
- SATA 6.0Gbps
- 7200rpm
- 285MB/s transfer speeds
- 550TB per year workload rating
The IronWolf Pro is more expensive than the Red Pro line from Western Digital, but you’re simply getting more of everything. Seagate provides a better warranty with this hard drive, along with three years of data recovery coverage in the event of a drive failure during production hours.
It still uses the same SATA interface, but this is very much a high-end enterprise hard drive that will take a beating. It has higher sequential read/write speeds at 285MB/s and a 550TB per year workload rating. This is a far better hard drive in terms of reliability and manufacturer coverage.
Closing Thoughts
The Western Digital Red Pro 20TB hard drive is a perfectly fine choice for home lab users. However, if you’re looking for a hard drive meant for mission-critical storage in your enterprise NAS, you’ll need to seek an alternative. While the Red Pro is a noted improvement on the Red Plus line of hard drives, it is hindered by high costs, mediocre transfer rates, and a woefully low lifespan.
Better Alternatives to a Western Digital 20TB Hard Drive
| 1. Toshiba MG10 Series 20TB Hard Drive |
| 2. Seagate Exos X20 Hard Drive |
| 3. Seagate IronWolf Pro Hard Drive |
- $314.99Buy Now
- 3.5-inch form factor
- 6.0Gbps interface speed
- Data transfer speeds 271/268MiB/s
- 7200rpm
- 550TB per year workload rating
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
12/08/2023 02:59 am GMT - $344.99Buy Now
- 3.5-inch form factor
- SATA 6.0Gbps
- 7200rpm
- 550TB per year workload rating
- 285 MB/s data transfer speeds
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
12/08/2023 02:59 am GMT - $399.00Buy Now
- 3.5-inch form factor
- SATA 6.0Gbps
- 7200rpm
- 285MB/s transfer speeds
- 550TB per year workload rating
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
12/08/2023 02:55 am GMT
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