The Seagate BarraCuda 3TB (ST3000DM008) uses SMR recording.
Verified against: Seagate BarraCuda 3.5in data sheet DS2131 ยท Checked
Shingled recording overlaps tracks like roof tiles to raise density. Reading is unaffected, and for sequential work, archives, media libraries, backup targets, files written once and read many times, this drive is genuinely fine and the saving is real. The problem is sustained random writing, because modifying data under an existing track can force the tracks above it to be rewritten too. A RAID rebuild or a ZFS resilver is hours of exactly that pattern with no idle time to recover, so a 3TB ST3000DM008 in an array can extend a rebuild dramatically, and the rebuild window is precisely when the array has no redundancy left. Do not put this drive in a NAS or a parity array.
| Model number | ST3000DM008 |
| Brand | Seagate |
| Family | BarraCuda |
| Capacity | 3TB |
| Form factor | 3.5" |
| Rotational speed | 7200 RPM |
| Cache | 256 MB |
| Recording technology | SMR |
| Workload rate | 55 TB/year |
| Warranty | 2 years |
| Status | Discontinued |
| Replaced by | ST3000DM007 |
A dash means the manufacturer does not state that field for this exact model. We leave it blank rather than filling it from a retailer listing.
If this drive is going into an array, a NAS, or anything that rebuilds, shingled recording is the wrong choice at any price. These are conventionally-recorded drives at this capacity or one step up, in stock right now with live prices.
| Drive | Capacity | Recording | $/TB | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HUS724030ALS640 3TB SAS 6G | 3TB | CMR | $15.13 | $45 | Buy |
| ST3000NM0023 3TB SAS 6G 7.2K | 3TB | CMR | $17.49 | $52 | Buy |
| 3TB Enterprise Capacity SAS 6G | 3TB | CMR | $17.98 | $54 | Buy |
Verified CMR model numbers at this size: ST3000VX009, DT01ACA300, HDWD130, WD30EFZX.
It is SMR. That comes from Seagate BarraCuda 3.5in data sheet DS2131, which is Seagate's own documentation for this exact part number rather than a capacity-level summary or a retailer listing.
We would not. Shingled recording turns a rebuild into hours of the write pattern it handles worst, which can extend the window during which your array has no redundancy. For sequential and archival use outside an array this drive is fine.
The ST3000DM007. Check that model's own page before assuming it carries the same recording technology, because within this family the successor does not always match its predecessor, that is exactly the trap this site exists to catch.