Quiet NAS Drive/s for a 2-Bay Synology?

Finner on 19/11/2022 - 09:23
Last edited 19/11/2022 - 12:03 by 1 other user

I'm looking for recommendations for a quiet drive to use in my 2-bay Synology NAS. I'm currently using a Seagate 8TB IronWolf Pro (ST8000NE001), but it can be considerably noisy (living in a small place, I can hear it between rooms). The spec sheet listed it as one of the quieter drives, and I've had it replaced once as a warranty replacement, but it's not much better. I had a WD Red, but that turned out to be SMR and switched to the Seagate given their reported problems.

Is there a better/quieter drive I should consider?
Do drives tent to get louder the larger they are?
Is it better to have 2 smaller drives than 1 large one?
If I just have 1 drive, should I stick to a NAS drive, or is it worth considering other drive types too?

Computing NAS Synology

Comments

  • lanky074 on 19/11/2022 - 09:39
    +1

    My personal experience, WD are quieter and if you are worried about noise get a Non pro, Pro and Plus models are CMR. If you are doing any sort of raid I suggest a NAS drive. I have had both and yes Seagate are noisy (Stay way clear of Seagate Exos, I have tried them too..)

    Edit:
    I suggest biggest drive you can afford, as most people will always want more storage at some stage. I would say if you have any data that might be semi important, try a Raid 1 and then a backup on another drive.

    • Finner on 19/11/2022 - 09:54

      Yeah, I'm thinking that if I put in a new drive, I'll step it up to 10TB - but also not sure if smaller drives are quieter, and if it's better to have, say, 2 x 6TB?
      Don't need raid, all important files are backed up on separate cold storage drives.

      • darxtorm on 20/11/2022 - 07:33

        Obligatory RAID is not a backup comment.

  • megadeth on 19/11/2022 - 09:42
    +2

    Anything that doesn't run at 7200 rpm should be quieter. ST8000NE001 appears to have been specced as a desktop drive. Lots of people go with WD Reds which are said to be purpose built for NAS.

  • Justplanemad on 19/11/2022 - 09:45
    +1

    Non pro IronWolf should be quieter from the quick reading I just did?

    I’ve just had 2x WD 4tb RED fail within days of each other… so going to switch to IronWolf non Pro with Black Friday sales.
    My Segates 8tb and 4tb on both NAS have been solid

    • lanky074 on 19/11/2022 - 10:48

      I have had both Non Pro and Pro.. there is a difference but it minimal.
      The Wd are Quieter.

      Side Note:
      RMA on Seagates is in Sydney (where you send them) I have had one of those fail brand new.

      WD is overseas which is annoying (as you have to usually cover the postage costs). If you have to RMA more than one, I would call and complain especially if you had more than one fail (As I did and they covered the shipping costs). I personally was Using WD for years (12 bay and 8 bay) and after years of use and upgrading at times, a bunch just failed one after the other (about 4).

      • Justplanemad on 19/11/2022 - 10:52

        Thanks. I’ve got a feeling these WD red drives are 5+ years old- I’m guessing they probably won’t be covered unfortunately. I’ll have to do some reading

  • Finner on 19/11/2022 - 09:49

    It's sounds like the noise ratings on spec sheets are highly idealistic. The suggestion of a non-7200 rpm drive is a good call though.

    Sounds like it wouldn't need to be a NAS drive if I'm just using 1 (or 2), despite it being on 24x7? It's not undertaking huge load, mostly being used as a file server (with Plex).

  • bbinc on 19/11/2022 - 11:12

    I have a 2 bay Synology running 2 4tb Seagate Ironwolf NAS 3.5” ST4000VN008 December 2020
    Don’t hear them unless I pay close attention and it’s on the desk next to me. One of them was clicking occasionally (not a good sign I’m told), but I reseated everything and it’s been fine for a year.Purchased locally (Centre Com) so I have access to local warranty service. They were a bit cheaper on Amazon, but shipped from USA. Using for MAC TimeMachine so they are running a lot. Using RAID.
    Just a decibel meter on iPhone right in front of it. 46db to 50db when running.
    Just as well i checked it - hasn’t backed up since late September! No wonder I think it’s quiet.

    • bbinc on 19/11/2022 - 13:16

      I'd changed the password for the Synology, but didn't think to tell Time Machine. Duh! Typo above 'Just used a decibel meter'

    • scottb721 on 23/11/2022 - 10:32

      "I have a 2 bay Synology running 2 4tb "
      Same, not sure whether to increase drive size or switch to 4 bay.

      • bbinc on 23/11/2022 - 11:54

        I started with 2 x 2TB, upgraded to 2 x 4TB in Dec 2020. Now I am getting 80% capacity alerts from the DSM. I find splitting stuff between drives difficult and end up with multiple backups. If I had a 4 bay, I’d reinstall my 2 x 2TB drives (if that is possible). I’m quite sure it’s all overkill and I’m wondering about cloud storage for my important backups. YMMV.

        • scottb721 on 24/11/2022 - 17:32

          I'm sitting at 77% atm
          I think I'll go the 920 if they're down towards $700, bang in my 2 4TBs, add in the 4TB from my PC and buy another 4TB.

  • Switchblade88 on 19/11/2022 - 11:32

    Different drives won't make much difference to noise. The quietest drive is an unused one, but that's not very useful.

    Try sealing the whole NAS is a noise-isolated box or cabinet, pad it with dense foam inside and out

  • darxtorm on 20/11/2022 - 07:49

    You want quiet drives in a NAS? Put some SSDs in it, you will never hear the drives again.

    Hard drives will always make noise when in use, but they should be acceptable under the right circumstances. My experience has been that ironwolf pros are one of the louder, not quieter drives; I'd be looking at 5400rpm and low speed/low power if I was really concerned with the quietest spinning disk.

    Alternatively, I'd consider things like vibration and acoustic reflection/amplification. It is very possible that the location that it is in or the surface that it sits on is making it louder or more noticeable than it needs to be.

    Try cupboards as enclosures and concrete surfaces; also consider soundproofing materials such as curtains and rugs, softer wall and floor surfaces, and even door draft stoppers, as they can make a significant difference.

  • danceswithdeals on 22/11/2022 - 12:11

    Anything 8tb and over will be considerably louder than say a 4tb drive.

  • Fuzzy Toaster on 24/11/2022 - 16:27

    I've been looking in to this myself in prep for Friday/Monday deals. I've settled on the WD Red Plus 8TB - WD80EFZZ. CMR, lower rpm so less noise & heat, still plenty quick enough given I only have 1Gbps networking.

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