30TB NAS hard drive buying authority

Seagate IronWolf Pro 30TB ST30000NT011

Verified spec guide ·

The Seagate IronWolf Pro 30TB, model ST30000NT011, is the middle capacity in Seagate's newest high-capacity IronWolf Pro NAS generation. It is close enough to 28TB and 32TB that the right answer is rarely about capacity alone.

The useful question is whether 30TB gives your NAS a better balance of density, current availability and price per usable terabyte than the adjacent models. This page treats ST30000NT011 as a specific buying decision, not another broad 30TB hard-drive catalogue page.

Model
ST30000NT011
Capacity
30TB
Recording
CMR on Seagate's HAMR IronWolf Pro platform
Interface
SATA 6Gb/s
Quick answer

The IronWolf Pro 30TB is the balanced pick when ST30000NT011 is meaningfully cheaper per TB than the 32TB model but gives enough extra density over 28TB or 24TB to reduce bay pressure. If the 32TB listing is close on $/TB, buy the 32TB instead; if 28TB is discounted, the 30TB middle slot can lose its purpose.

Best fit

IronWolf Pro 30TB specifications

Manufacturer-published values for the exact product family. Retail listings can collapse these details, so match the part number before ordering.

SpecModel number
ValueST30000NT011
SpecCapacity
Value30TB decimal marketed capacity
SpecRecording technology
ValueCMR on Seagate's HAMR IronWolf Pro platform
SpecPlatform
ValueHelium NAS drive with AgileArray, RV sensors, IronWolf Health Management and Rescue service
SpecInterface
ValueSATA 6Gb/s
SpecSector format
Value512e logical sectors on 4K physical media
SpecSpindle speed
Value7200 RPM
SpecCache / buffer
Value512MB
SpecMaximum sustained transfer rate
Value275MB/s maximum sustained transfer rate, outer diameter
SpecWorkload rating
Value550TB/year
SpecReliability rating
Value2.5M hours
SpecWarranty
Value5-year limited warranty; 3 years Rescue Data Recovery Services
SpecPower
Value6.8W idle average; 8.3W average operating; 2.0A typical 12V startup current
SpecAcoustics
Value28dBA idle typical; 32dBA seek typical
SpecOperating temperature
Value10C minimum ambient operating; 60C maximum drive-reported operating
SpecCompatibility note
ValueNAS-focused SATA drive; qualify the exact ST30000NT011 entry with your NAS vendor.
Current market status

No exact in-stock live row is currently matched for ST30000NT011. Relevant live alternatives are shown so the page does not collapse into an empty catalogue.

Relevant live alternatives ranked by current $/TB

Live prices · updated every 4-5 hours · last checked 3 hr ago · exact model not currently matched in live stock

Best $/TB in this tier
16TB ST16000NE000 CMR at $26.87/TB — $430 for 16TB
16TB ST16000NE000
CMR
16TB · · 300TB/yr · 5yr
$26.87/TB · $430Buy
10TB ST10000NE0008
CMR
10TB · · 300TB/yr · 5yr
$40.00/TB · $400Buy
10TB ST10000NEZ008
CMR
10TB · · 300TB/yr · 5yr
$40.00/TB · $400Buy
8TB ST8000NEZ01
CMR
8TB · 7200rpm · 300TB/yr · 5yr
$43.75/TB · $350Buy
10TB ST10000NE0004
CMR
10TB · 7200rpm · 300TB/yr · 5yr
$55.45/TB · $554Buy
10TB ST10000NT001
CMR
10TB · 7200rpm · 550TB/yr · 5yr
$59.45/TB · $594Buy
8TB ST8000NE001
CMR
8TB · · 300TB/yr · 5yr
$68.06/TB · $544Buy

Workload rating is recorded per part number from Seagate's datasheet for that exact model, not blanketed across the line — two drives of the same capacity can differ because they are different generations. A dash means the figure is not stated for that listing. Recording technology comes from the manufacturer's published CMR/SMR list; a model absent from that list is shown as UNVERIFIED rather than guessed. Rows priced above 3× this line's in-stock median are flagged and excluded from the winner callout and from every median we compute.

Live acquisition math for exact matches

This table is computed from live DatacenterDisk rows when an exact in-stock match exists. It is intentionally blank for unavailable models rather than filled with stale prices.

No exact in-stock row is available right now. Use the availability table for nearby live alternatives, then re-check the exact model before ordering.

30TB deployment math

Raw capacity is not usable capacity. This table shows the slot-level math before filesystem overhead, snapshots, reserved space and vendor-specific parity layouts.

Drive count4 bays
Raw capacity120TB
Single-parity usable90TB
Dual-parity usable60TB
Drive count6 bays
Raw capacity180TB
Single-parity usable150TB
Dual-parity usable120TB
Drive count8 bays
Raw capacity240TB
Single-parity usable210TB
Dual-parity usable180TB
Drive count12 bays
Raw capacity360TB
Single-parity usable330TB
Dual-parity usable300TB

The 30TB middle slot

Middle capacities are easy to misbuy. A 30TB drive looks like a simple upgrade from 28TB, but it only adds 2TB per bay. In a four-bay single-parity layout, that is 6TB usable before overhead. In a 12-bay dual-parity layout, it is 20TB usable. The larger the array, the more the middle slot matters.

ST30000NT011 keeps the NAS-focused IronWolf Pro traits: CMR, SATA, 7200 RPM, 512MB cache, RV sensors, IronWolf Health Management, 550TB/year workload rating and a five-year warranty. The purchase case is therefore not about a different workload class. It is about slot efficiency and price.

24TB, 28TB and 30TB context

If you are replacing a mature 24TB array, 30TB produces a 25 percent raw capacity lift with the same drive count. That can delay a chassis migration, which is often worth more than a small drive-price premium. If you still have open bays, the math changes and lower capacities often win.

Against 28TB, the 30TB model is a finer decision. The extra capacity is useful for 8-bay and 12-bay arrays, but a launch premium can erase it quickly. Watch the live $/TB table and compute at the array level rather than per single drive.

ZFS and rebuild planning

Because ST30000NT011 is CMR, TrueNAS and ZFS users do not face the host-managed SMR restrictions that apply to WD HC680 and HC690. That does not make rebuilds short. A full resilver at 30TB capacity remains a long window of elevated risk, especially in same-age arrays.

Plan dual parity for large vdevs, avoid mixing several new and old capacities without knowing the layout consequences, and check the enclosure's maximum supported capacity. A NAS that recognizes older IronWolf Pro drives is not guaranteed to have firmware validation for this exact model.

Final verdict

The IronWolf Pro 30TB is a strong buy only when the market gives it a clear role between 28TB and 32TB. Its specs are credible and NAS-appropriate, but the deciding number is live usable cost at your bay count.

For procurement, treat ST30000NT011 as an exact model. Do not accept a generic 30TB Seagate listing unless the full model number is visible.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the model number for the Seagate IronWolf Pro 30TB?

The current 30TB IronWolf Pro model covered here is ST30000NT011.

Is ST30000NT011 CMR?

Yes. Seagate's current IronWolf Pro data sheet lists the 30TB ST30000NT011 as CMR.

Should I buy 30TB or 32TB?

Buy 30TB when it is materially cheaper per usable TB. If 32TB is close on live $/TB, the 32TB model gives more slot value.

Should I buy purely by the lowest price per TB?

No. Price per TB is the first screen, not the whole decision. Match recording method, interface, bay count, firmware support, warranty position and rebuild risk before accepting the cheapest row.

Sources

Specification claims on this page were checked against the pages below on 1 September 2026. Where a widely-repeated figure did not survive that check, we report what the source says now and say so in the text rather than repeating the familiar number.

  1. Seagate Technology - IronWolf Pro support and specification page (Seagate.com, 2026)
    Used for: current ST28000NT000, ST30000NT011 and ST32000NT000 model identities, SATA interface, 7200 RPM class and five-year warranty
  2. Seagate Technology - IronWolf Pro 32TB, 30TB and 28TB data sheet (Seagate.com, 2025)
    Used for: CMR recording, 512MB cache, 550TB/year workload rating, 2.5M-hour MTBF, 3-year Rescue, power, acoustics and sustained transfer rates by capacity
  3. DatacenterDisk Research - Live price and stock database (DatacenterDisk.com, Live)
    Used for: current product availability, live prices, stock state, condition labels and cost-per-terabyte calculations