Seagate IronWolf Pro 18TB vs WD Red Pro 18TB
Verdict: Seagate IronWolf Pro 18TB outperforms the WD Red Pro 18TB by 29 MB/s in sustained transfers according to Tom's Hardware and offers higher MTBF per Seagate specs. Both drives share 7200 RPM, 256 MB cache and 5-year warranties making them close in value. The IronWolf Pro's AgileArray firmware provides better multi-bay vibration handling per StorageReview testing.
Winner: Seagate IronWolf Pro 18TB
Seagate IronWolf Pro 18TB: 8.2/10
WD Red Pro 18TB: 7.6/10
Spec-by-spec comparison
| Seagate IronWolf Pro 18TB | WD Red Pro 18TB | |
|---|---|---|
| capacity | 18TB | 18TB |
| rpm | 7200 | 7200 |
| cache | 256MB | 256MB |
| warranty | 5 years | 5 years |
Seagate IronWolf Pro 18TB
What works
- 285 MB/s sustained transfer rate
- 1.2 million hours MTBF
- AgileArray firmware for NAS optimization
What doesn't
- Higher vibration in multi-bay setups
- Power draw peaks at 7.8W
WD Red Pro 18TB
What works
- 256 MB/s sustained transfer rate
- 1.0 million hours MTBF
- NASware 3.0 firmware for error recovery
What doesn't
- Lower sequential speeds than IronWolf Pro
- No 3D Active Balance Plus vibration control
Bottom line
Our pick: Seagate IronWolf Pro 18TB.
View full comparison on GoodPickr
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