The Toshiba MA11 27TB is the lower-capacity member of the public MA11 27TB/28TB host-managed SMR branch. It should be evaluated for procurement timing, availability and price, not as a fundamentally easier alternative to the 28TB MA11.
The same core restriction applies: the host must support host-managed SMR behavior. A lower capacity does not make MA11 a conventional CMR drive.
Choose Toshiba MA11 27TB only if it is the better available or qualified HM-SMR SKU for an infrastructure that already supports MA11's recording model. Choose MA11 28TB when density and price are close. Choose MG11 CMR when the environment is conventional.
Manufacturer-published values for the exact product family. Retail listings can collapse these details, so match the part number before ordering.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Model number | MA11 27TB family |
| Capacity | 27TB decimal marketed capacity |
| Recording technology | Host-managed SMR with Toshiba FC-MAMR on the Mx11 platform |
| Platform | Toshiba MA11 cloud-scale SMR branch of the Mx11 generation |
| Interface | SATA 6Gb/s per public MA11 launch documentation |
| Sector format | Require exact channel data sheet and host support before ordering |
| Spindle speed | 7200 RPM |
| Cache / buffer | 1GiB |
| Maximum sustained transfer rate | Use the exact MA11 data sheet supplied through the procurement channel; do not infer from MG11 CMR values |
| Workload rating | 550TB/year class in Toshiba Mx11 launch documentation |
| Reliability rating | 2.5M hours MTTF/MTBF; 0.35% AFR class |
| Warranty | Confirm warranty on the exact MA11 ordering code |
| Power | Model power should be confirmed from the exact MA11 data sheet and qualified enclosure plan. |
| Acoustics | Confirm from the exact MA11 data sheet and data-center acoustic requirements. |
| Operating temperature | Use the exact MA11 data sheet for operating limits. |
| Compatibility note | Requires host-managed SMR-aware software; not a normal NAS, desktop or unqualified RAID replacement. |
No exact in-stock live row is currently matched for MA11 27TB family. Relevant live alternatives are shown so the page does not collapse into an empty catalogue.
Live prices · updated every 4-5 hours · last checked 24 min ago · exact model not currently matched in live stock
| Model | Capacity | Recording | RPM | Workload TB/yr | Warranty | $/TB | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3TB HUS724030ALS640REFURB | 3TB | CMR | 7,200 | — | — | $15.13 | $45 | Buy |
| 4TB HUS726040ALS210REFURB | 4TB | CMR | 7,200 | — | — | $16.15 | $65 | Buy |
| 3TB HUS724030ALA640REFURB | 3TB | CMR | 7,200 | — | — | $20.00 | $60 | Buy |
| 10TB HUH721010AL5200REFURB | 10TB | CMR | 7,200 | — | 5 yr | $23.50 | $235 | Buy |
| 14TB WUH721414ALE604REFURB | 14TB | CMR | 7,200 | — | — | $24.29 | $340 | Buy |
| 4TB HMS5C4040ALE640REFURB | 4TB | CMR | 7,200 | — | — | $24.73 | $99 | Buy |
| 14TB WUH721414ALE6L4REFURB | 14TB | CMR | 7,200 | — | — | $25.00 | $350 | Buy |
| 14TB WUH721414ALE604REFURB | 14TB | CMR | 7,200 | — | — | $25.00 | $350 | Buy |
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.
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.
| Live model | Drive price | $/TB | 100TB raw target | 500TB raw target | 1PB raw target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | |||||
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 count | Raw capacity | Single-parity usable | Dual-parity usable |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 bays | 108TB | 81TB | 54TB |
| 6 bays | 162TB | 135TB | 108TB |
| 8 bays | 216TB | 189TB | 162TB |
| 12 bays | 324TB | 297TB | 270TB |
The smaller MA11 model gives up only 1TB per bay, so price and qualification timing can outweigh density.
| Drive count | 27TB raw | 28TB raw | Raw capacity difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 drives | 216TB | 224TB | 8TB |
| 12 drives | 324TB | 336TB | 12TB |
| 24 drives | 648TB | 672TB | 24TB |
| 60 drives | 1620TB | 1680TB | 60TB |
The 27TB MA11 can make sense if it is available sooner, cheaper, or already qualified while the 28TB model is constrained. That is a procurement advantage, not a different workload class.
The capacity gap is 1TB per bay. In a 24-drive shelf, that is 24TB raw. Whether that matters depends on live pricing, protected-capacity targets and spare policy.
Do not read lower capacity as broader compatibility. The MA11 branch remains host-managed SMR. The storage software still has to handle the write model deliberately, and conventional RAID/NAS assumptions remain risky.
If the environment is not SMR-aware, MG11 24TB CMR, Exos X24 or Ultrastar CMR options are better first comparisons.
Choose 27TB MA11 for fleets where 27TB is the available, qualified and economically better HM-SMR option. Choose 28TB when price per TB and qualification are similar, because the extra capacity compounds across shelves.
For purchase orders, require the exact MA11 model code from the seller or Toshiba channel documentation. The public architecture note alone is not enough to accept substitutions.
Yes. Toshiba's public Mx11 material identifies MA11 27TB and 28TB as host-managed SMR.
No. It has the same host-managed SMR compatibility class; only capacity, price and availability differ.
Choose 27TB when it is materially cheaper, available sooner, or already qualified while 28TB is not.
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.
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.