PCStorage Systems

Guide to WD Red vs Seagate IronWolf – 4TB Models Deep Dive

Guide to WD Red vs Seagate IronWolf - 4TB Models Deep Dive
NAS Drive Comparison: WD Red vs Seagate IronWolf (4TB)
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NAS Drive Comparison Guide

WD Red vs Seagate IronWolf - 4TB Models Deep Dive

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WD Red

WD40EFAX

Recording SMR
Speed 5400 RPM
Transfer Rate 180 MB/s
Cache 256 MB
Workload 180 TB/year
MTBF 1M hours
Warranty 3 years + Rescue
Power (Active) 4.8W
Best For 1-8 bay SOHO Balanced

IronWolf Pro

ST4000NE00253

Recording CMR
Speed 7200 RPM
Transfer Rate 214 MB/s
Cache 256 MB
Workload 300 TB/year
MTBF 1.2M hours
Warranty 5 years + Rescue
Power (Active) 9.0W
Best For Up to 16 bay SMB Pro Features

Use Case Recommendations

🏠
Home & SOHO NAS (1-8 bay)

For personal backups, media streaming, and light RAID arrays. Focus on value and reliability for home users.

💼
SMB & Creative Pros (up to 16 bay)

For intensive multi-user environments, video editing, and business-critical data. Performance and endurance are key.

Key Differentiators

💿
Recording Technology
WD Red uses SMR for higher capacity efficiency, while all others use CMR for consistent performance in RAID.
Performance Leaders
WD Red Pro leads with 217 MB/s transfers and 550 TB/year workload rating - best for heavy usage.
🛡️
Data Protection
Seagate offers unique Rescue Data Recovery plans - IronWolf gets 4 years, Pro includes 2 years.
🔧
NAS Technologies
WD uses NASware 3.0, Seagate employs AgileArray with dual-plane balancing and RV sensors.
💰
Value Proposition
Standard models offer 3-year warranties for budget builds; Pro versions extend to 5 years for business use.
🔊
Noise & Power
WD Red and IronWolf standard models are most power-efficient at 4.8W. Pro models consume more power (6-9W) but deliver superior performance.
BF 1M hours
Warranty 3 years
Power (Active) 4.8W
Best For 2-6 bay home NAS Budget Option

WD Red Pro

WD4005FFBX

Recording CMR
Speed 7200 RPM
Transfer Rate 217 MB/s
Cache 256 MB
Workload 550 TB/year
MTBF 2.5M hours
Warranty 5 years
Power (Active) ~6-7W est.
Best For Multi-bay RAID Performance

IronWolf

ST4000VN006

Recording CMR
Speed 5400 RPM
Transfer Rate 202 MB/s
Cache 256 MB
Workload 180 TB/year
MT
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