Performance: 36 out of 40
Yes, from both an IOPS and even sequential r/w points of view, the IronWolf Pro 30TB is not a slam dunk. It arguably is the first ‘Wolf to not raise the bar higher than where its previous generation left it. However, performance equates to more than just ‘speed’ in the NAS environment. It means consistency. It means not shaking the entire NAS appliance. It means being user-friendly. All of which the IronWolf Pro and its highly optimized feature set offer in spades, and once you get used to its new quirks, it is rather impressive. As such, it is worthy of 36 out of 40 and not just 30 out of 40 as some may consider it to be.
Technological Innovation: 20 out of 20
With its combination of superlattice platter technology, plasmonic writer tech, micro-miniaturized gen7 spintronic “read” heads, all combined with new and highly(, highly</i… maybe even overly) optimized firmware running on a (relatively) high-performance SoC, this is an extremely focused Network Attached Storage solution. So focused and optimized that it will be a veritable Siren Song for professionals. Color us highly impressed.
Build Quality & Warranty: 20 out of 20
Cutting-edge tech with enterprise-grade quality? Check. Firmware actually optimized for the specific needs of the NAS environment? Double Check! Same excellent warranty with 3 years of recovery as the previous generation? Triple yum. In other words, this is a drive that is built like an Enterprise Drive. Not a S/MB (let alone “consumer) drive series. Mix in the fact that while typical warranties can easily seem like a game of “find the loophole in the fine print”… Seagate’s IronWolf Pro’s warrant is also more like an Enterprise drive here too. So much so that we have basically no nits to pick in this category.
Value: 11 out of 20
If we thought the Exos M 30TB was going to be controversial, then the IronWolf Pro takes that and turns the dial the eleven(ty) via a completely new focus and philosophy. So yes. This is indeed going to make some previous buyers rather confused by what this series is all about. So much so, some are going to grab their pitchforks, hold off on going the 30TB route for another generation… and review bomb this drive (like the wo/man-children they are). On the other hand, for the first time in a long, long time, the IronWolf Pro is not just a slightly modified Exos. It is tailor-made for NAS environments and will help make the IronWolf Pro from an ‘also ran’ (back) into the NAS solution for serious buyers. So while we are giving it a ’11’ ((2+20)÷2), we strongly suggest you adjust your own personal scoring according to your wants/needs/desires.
Final Score: 87% or 87 out of 100
The IronWolf Pro 30TB is a highly specialized, high-capacity NAS drive that not only dances on the very razor’s edge of technological innovation but also gives serious consideration to the realities of NAS environmental thermal and acoustic constraints. As such it may not be as flexible as its predecessor, but it is ideally suited to small- to medium-sized business IT teams (and even non-professional storage enthusiasts) who need unparalleled capacity without resorting to expensive system overhauls. As such, users who are looking for NAS optimized storage, the IronWolf Pro 30TB represents the most efficient and future-proof(ish) storage solution available today.
