Performance: 40 out of 40
The performance of this next generation IronWolf Pro is exemplary. Depending on what your typical workload looks like the IronWolf Pro 20TB will match and possibly even exceed what the Exos X20 can do. Bluntly stated it is the gold standard upon which all 3.5-inch non-Enterprise drives must be judged… and it’s now a rather high bar to clear.
Technological Innovation: 16 out of 20
Seagate has once again pushed the boundaries of capacity and given us a drive whose platters can hold over 1.1TB per side. Furthermore, they have done so without the need for exotic technology like HAMR or slow SMR. That is indeed impressive. Also impressive is how smart the improved algorithms really are at guessing what data you will need before you even know you need it. On the other, we expect Seagate to improve their MTC with every new generation and were hoping for even more. So, while good there is still room for improvement.
Build Quality & Warranty: 17 out of 20
As with its predecessors, the IronWolf Pro 20TB may not be built to Exos X levels of OCD but it still is pretty much overkill for the vast majority of scenarios and buyers. Basically, all but the major server farms who cram 44….60…72… even 90 HDDS in a 4u chassis will find the IronWolf Pro to easily live up to its Professional moniker. The same is true of the warranty. For most 300 vs 500 TB per year is not a concern. It’s overkill. So while there is still room for improvement the IronWolf Pro 20TB is still a well built series with a very decent warranty.
Value: 17 out of 20
Much like the Exos X20 the IronWolf Pro 20TB is going to be controversial from a value point of view. It really will be a love/hate proposition and it will come down to price sensitivity and what you need vs. what you want. Want the fastest Seagate SATA HDD for home/SOHO (and possibly SMB) scenarios? Hard to beat the ‘Wolf Pro. Want the most durable… probably not the ‘Wolf Pro. Want the best bang for your buck… almost certainly not the 20TB variant. Basically, if you have a need for speed and capacity but do not need the insane levels of overkill the Exos X line offers the cost savings make the IronWolf Pro 20TB extremely attractive. If that description does not match you and your needs its probably going to be a drive you buy when the next generation drops… as it is a six hundred dollar proposition. Per drive. Thus, it will be a great value (easily 19 out of 20) to its intended customer niche. Just understand that your value score will probably not match ours.
Final Score: 90%
With its combination of excellent performance and cavernous capacity backstopped by trusted technology the IronWolf Pro 20TB is indeed worthy of its Professional moniker. It is a drive that buyers can trust to not only fit a wide range of scenarios but thrive in them. So much so that the IronWolf Pro 20TB is our new gold standard upon which all home and small office hard drives will be judged against. Counteracting this, is the asking price which is sure to induce sticker shock in buyers not used to seeing a single drive cost as much as their CPU.
