A wise user avoids unnecessary expenses on drives that might not meet their needs. Installing the right hard drive can solve digital storage problems for years to come. Say goodbye to capacity worries for movies, music files, photos, documents, and anything else you’ve managed to amass over time.
For those looking for the best HDDs of 2025, follow our guide. Here’s our list of the most interesting internal HDDs of this year. Save time by directly finding the most important points of each drive and no longer getting lost in the maze of useless options. Here you have the essential key elements, in terms of capacity, specifications, and additional features.
The Seagate FireCuda is one of the best HDDs for desktop computers used as workstations. The top-ranked model here offers up to 256MB of cache. It also boasts a 7200 RPM rotational speed with CMR technology.
This is complemented by a solid 5-year warranty. With its maximum sustained transfer rates of 260MB/s, this drive is available in 4TB and 8TB capacities.
This model is particularly attractive due to its manufacturer’s Rescue data recovery services. The brand offers this recovery plan for a period of 3 years. Users therefore need not worry about losing their data in the event of a computer incident.
| What we like |
|---|
| – High performance – Good warranty – 3 years data recovery services |
| What we like less |
|---|
| – High price |
#2 Western Digital WD Blue 2TB, the HDD to choose to save money
If you want the most affordable hard drive possible from a proven brand, the WD Blue is a serious contender. It does the job well for the price and comes in a variety of capacity ranges. It has 256GB of cache for the 2TB to 6TB models. If you’re looking for more than 2TB, the 8TB model offers the best value with few compromises.
The latter uses CMR technology with a rotational speed of 5640 rpm that can provide up to 185 MB/s of throughput. This is a satisfactory speed that also helps reduce noise and overheating in a build. To increase the capacity of a workstation without spending too much, consider this drive.
| What we like |
|---|
| – Affordable price – Wide range of capacities |
| What we like less |
|---|
| – 128 MB cache memory – Low warranty compared to high-end |
#3 Seagate IronWolf Pro 10TB (ST10000NT001), for NAS systems
The Seagate IronWolf Pro ranks higher than models like the competing WD Red Pro in most use cases. Once again, the manufacturer sets its product apart with its data recovery services. These last three years and are one of the brand’s compelling selling points. It’s worth noting that this service, even if provided by a third party, remains very expensive.
This HDD offers generous cache for larger capacity options, including the 20TB. The same is true for supported workloads of 300 to 550TB/year. Overall, this drive is a robust and high-performance solution, ideal for optimizing the operation of NAS systems.
| What we like |
|---|
| – Satisfactory performance – Suitable for different use cases Good warranty |
| What we like less |
|---|
| – 256 MB not enough for all types of users |
#4 Western Digital WD Red Plus 2TB SATA, a convincing alternative for NAS
For those looking to upgrade their NAS system to a different manufacturer, Western Digital offers its Red Plus series. The WD Red Plus is a solid drive for random workloads. It boasts a rotational speed of 7200 RPM. Additionally, it comes with 512MB of DRAM cache if you choose the 14TB model.
The brand adds a 3-year warranty for its product, with a drive that can handle a workload of 180 TB/year. In addition to having a larger DRAM cache, this model benefits from NASware 3.0 technology, making it better for compatibility and reliability in demanding environments.
| What we like |
|---|
| – Good performance – 512 MB cache |
| What we like less |
|---|
| – Insufficient workload rate |
#5 WD Gold 6TB (WD6003FRYZ), the best enterprise HDD from Western Digital
The WD Gold series is a benchmark in the professional hard drive segment. It outperforms the WD Purple Pro and WD Red Pro series with higher sustained transfer rates. This series, starting at 22TB, features OptiNAND and ArmorCache. The latter uses dedicated flash memory to secure DRAM data in the event of a power outage.
The WD Gold architecture optimizes data protection through two operating modes. There’s Write Cache (WCE) for enhanced security and Cache Disabled (WCD) to ensure maximum integrity. This design significantly improves random write performance. This is a significant plus during large transfers.
| What we like |
|---|
| – OptiNAND and ArmorCache technology – Large capacity – Good warranty, software support |
| What we like less |
|---|
| – High price |
#6 Seagate Exos 7E8 3.5 HDD 4TB (ST4000NM000A), the perfect HDD for businesses
The Seagate Exos X20 is a high-performance hard drive designed for professional environments. It offers capacities of up to 20 TB and operates at a rotational speed of 7200 rpm. Furthermore, the product has a 256 MB cache and boasts a workload rate (WRL) of 550 TB/year. The package comes with a five-year warranty.
Although it shares similarities with the IronWolf Pro, the Exos X20 is specifically targeted at businesses. It has a good capacity to handle heavy workloads. In addition, its 2.5 million-hour mean time between failures (MTBF) improves its reliability.
| What we like |
|---|
| – Good performance – Guaranteed satisfactory |
| What we like less |
|---|
| – 256 MB cache |
#7 Toshiba X300 10TB, the best drive for workstations
The X300 Pro is a benchmark for high-performance hard drives for HEDT (High-End Desktop) configurations. This HDD combines high-end technical specifications with a wide range of capacities. Capacities start at 4 TB and can reach 20 TB. It features CMR technology with a rotational speed of 7200 rpm.
These are combined with a generous 512MB cache on 10TB and larger models. Finally, the 5-year warranty is a testament to its long-term reliability and the brand’s confidence in its product.
| What we like |
|---|
| – Good performance, especially in 12TB models – 512MB DRAM cache from 10TB to 20TB – Satisfactory price of 20TB |
| What we like less |
|---|
| – N300 Pro at a better price at 12-18TB – No great features or support |
#8 Seagate SkyHawk AI 8TB (ST8000VE001), the best drive for surveillance and NVR
With capacities ranging from 8TB to 20TB, the Seagate Skyhawk AI stands out in the surveillance hard drive market. It has a rotational speed of 7200 RPM and a cache of 285MB. Its “AI” firmware optimizes the simultaneous management of 64 HD video streams and 32 artificial intelligence streams without dropped frames.
Although the WD Purple Pro offers a larger cache, the Skyhawk AI still has a competitive advantage. It comes with a three-year data recovery service and a five-year warranty. These features, combined with its CMR technology, make it an ideal solution for video surveillance systems and network video recording (NVR).
| What we like |
|---|
| – Ideal for heavy workloads – Good warranty |
| What we like less |
|---|
| – Only 256MB DRAM cache – High price |
#9 WD Black 4TB SATA 6Gb/s – WD4005FZBX, the best hard drive for high-end builds
The WD Black has a well-deserved reputation. It’s one of the most accessible and easiest ways to achieve optimal performance. This drive comes with a speed of 7200 RPM.
The WD Black 4TB SATA 6Gb/s – WD4005FZBX comes with 256MB of DRAM cache, which improves its performance over the competing WD Blue hard drive. The Black’s overall performance is higher, and the warranty is much better at 5 years instead of 2.
| What we like |
|---|
| – High performance – Good warranty |
| What we like less |
|---|
| – Dear |
#10 Toshiba N300 6TB (HDWG460EZSTA), for small capacity NAS systems
The Toshiba N300 Pro is another NAS solution. Its sustained performance is high and it offers more cache in the 10TB+ category than its competitors. Its price is also relatively good in the 12-18TB range, although there are better options at 20TB.
Nonetheless, the drive remains quite powerful and affordable and will work well in storage systems with up to 24 drives. Additionally, it has a MTBF (mean time between failures) of 1.2 million hours, providing increased durability and reliability for NAS12 environments.
| What we like |
|---|
| – Mainstream performance – 7200 rpm and a data transfer rate of up to 281 MB/s |
| What we like less |
|---|
| – Annual workload (WRL) of 180 TB/year |
Best Hard Drives 2023-2024 Selection
#1 Seagate FireCuda SSHD 500GB (ST500LX025), for best overall performance
Not quite a hard drive, not quite an SSD, the Seagate FireCuda blends both storage types into one unit. It features built-in NAND in addition to storage capacity for increased performance. The FireCuda improves upon the traditional mechanical hard drive . It can also be purchased in higher capacities, while still delivering significantly better performance than 7200 RPM hard drives .
| What we like |
|---|
| – Great value – Faster than traditional hard drives |
| What we like less |
|---|
| – Still outclassed by SSDs |
#2 WD Gold 2TB, Best HDD 2023-2024 for Network Storage
The WD Gold 2TB is an excellent option for archiving and backups. It’s specifically designed for network-attached storage systems. The manufacturer offers a product that guarantees reliability and offers optimal lifespan. This model also comes with a 5-year warranty. Technically, this component can handle up to 550TB of workloads per year with a mean time between failures (MTBF) of 2.5 million hours.
| What we like |
|---|
| – Low power consumption – Perfect for most systems |
| What we like less |
|---|
| – More expensive than WD Red |
#3 WD Black 6TB SATA 6Gb/s – WD6003FZBX
Western Digital’s crème de la crème, the Black line represents some of the best products the company has to offer alongside traditional mechanical hard drives. While they aren’t the fastest, surpassed by the FireCuda and WD VelociRaptor, they remain solid and reliable and deserve to be included in the list of the best HDDs 2023-2024. They are ideal for game storage.
| What we like |
|---|
| – Great value – Reliable |
| What we like less |
|---|
| – Five-year warranty |
#4 Seagate BarraCuda Pro 10TB (ST10000DM0004), Best Affordable HDDs 2023-2024 for Everyday Use
The BarraCuda Pro has a maximum workload of 300TB/year, like the WD Black, making it ideal for gaming. It’s a 7200 RPM drive that supports SATA 6 Gb/s. The Seagate BarraCuda Pro series of mechanical hard drives boasts the most robust reliability and a longer warranty than the regular BarraCuda .
| What we like |
|---|
| – Excellent performance – Numerous storage options |
| What we like less |
|---|
| – Back against Firecuda |
#5 Western Digital VelociRaptor, for 10,000 rpm
If you are looking for the best hard drive performance , the WD VelociRaptor is a huge contender in the hard drive market. The VelociRaptor spins at 10,000 RPM , so if you don’t want to use an SSHD , this option is among the best HDDs 2023-2024 in terms of performance with a five-year warranty in case of any problems.
| What we like |
|---|
| – 10000 rpm fast – Five-year warranty |
| What we like less |
|---|
| – Limited storage options |
The Seagate BarraCuda 8TB is convincing with its excellent price/performance ratio . For users who need to add storage to their PC and want to save money, the Seagate BarraCuda is one of the best HDDs 2023-2024 for the budget. Office, gaming or media file storage and more, this model does the job and attracts with its features.
| What we like |
|---|
| – Large storage capacity – Reliable hard drive |
| What we like less |
|---|
| – Performance drops with 4k bitrates |
#7 Toshiba X300 5TB, Best HDD 2023-2024 for Gamers
For extreme performance and plenty of capacity, the Toshiba X300 is the internal hard drive to consider. With its 5TB capacity, this drive will certainly accommodate more than a handful of installed games. Its maximum sequential read/write speeds are rated at over 200MB/s.
| What we like |
|---|
| – Good performance – Satisfactory performance for its category |
| What we like less |
|---|
| – Modest 2-year warranty |
#8 Seagate 6TB IronWolf Pro, for small businesses
Designed for small businesses, the Seagate 6TB IronWolf Pro aims to satisfy hard drive users who want a solid mix of performance and data protection. Equipped with a rotational speed of 7200 RPM, a cache of 256 MB, and a maximum read/write speed of 214 MB/s, the IronWolf is available in a size range from 1 TB to 12 TB of storage.
| What we like |
|---|
| – Great value – Excellent overall performance |
| What we like less |
|---|
| – Quite expensive |
#9 Western Digital Blue, Best HDDs 2023-2024 for Reliability
Western Digital’s budget-friendly hard drive line , WD Blue, is essentially comparable to the BarraCuda. With 3TB of storage, you’ll be good to go for a while. This model does its part of the job perfectly in your enclosure . It’s not the most powerful, but it does have the merit of being affordable.
| What we like |
|---|
| – Great value – Multiple storage options |
| What we like less |
|---|
| – A little more expensive than Seagate |
#10 WD Red Pro 10TB for NAS
The WD Red Pro 10TB is the hard drive of choice when it comes to streaming, backing up, sharing, and organizing your digital content. The hard drive is very easy to install and is superior in performance compared to traditional drives. Finally, these models are designed to withstand 24/7 use .
| What we like |
|---|
| – Generates little noise – High reading speeds |
| What we like less |
|---|
| – Heats easily |
