Top 10 Quietest Hard Drives You Can Buy (Silent Saviors 2023)

This comprehensive guide gathers the top 10 quietest hard drives along with the handy buying guide.

Let’s get in quickly to discover everything!

Are you looking for a hard drive that is both reliable and quiet? Then you’ve come to the right place!

We have researched to uncover the top 10 quietest hard drives on the market for Silent Saviors 2023.

Finding the right and quietest hard drive can be tricky, so our guide will help narrow your choices. So you can make the best decision for your needs.

We’ll look at each hard drive’s noise levels, speed, and storage capacity to determine your best choice.

So, let’s get started and find the perfect silent savior for your computer!

 

Uncovering the Quietest Hard Drives on the Market

In today’s world, it’s crucial to have a reliable hard drive that’s quiet so you can concentrate on your work.

If you’re looking for a quiet hard drive, the following models are some of the best options.

 

1) Western Digital 10TB WD Red Pro NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD

The Western Digital 10TB WD Red Pro is designed for everyday use, providing reliable storage and robust performance.

The drive has a 7200 RPM spindle speed, 256 MB of cache, and a SATA 6 Gb/s interface for fast data transfer speeds.

Also, it features advanced vibration and shock protection which helps to protect your data from external forces.

Furthermore, this drive is compatible with many devices, making it an ideal solution for your home or business.

With its low noise and power consumption levels, this drive is the perfect choice for a silent operation.

If you’re looking for a high-performance drive that can deliver impressive performance without creating too much noise, the WD Red Pro HDD is the perfect option.

 

Pros:

• The hard drive is incredibly spacious, offering up to 10TB of storage.
• It is a WD Red Pro drive, tested and proven to work in NAS systems.
• The drive runs quietly and coolly, making it an excellent option for use in a home or office environment.
• A five-year warranty backs the drive.

 

Cons:

• The drive is slower than some of the other options on the market.
• Also, the drive is less durable than other options on the market.
• The drive does not come with backup software.
• The drive is not available in a 2.5″ form factor.

 

2) Seagate IronWolf Pro 20TB NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD

The Seagate IronWolf Pro is one of the quietest hard drives on the market. It packs a powerful punch with its 20TB of storage capacity.

It’s explicitly designed for a Network Attached Storage (NAS) environment.

Also, it has a rotational speed of 7200 RPM, which allows for fast read/write operations.

The drive has a vibration-dampening system that helps minimize noise even further. This makes it ideal for home and office settings where quiet operation is essential.

The drive includes:

• Advanced error recovery technology.
• Data protection.
• Power-saving features make it a great choice for businesses.

If you’re looking for a hard drive that’s both quiet and reliable, the Seagate IronWolf Pro is an excellent choice.

 

Pros:

• The drive is designed for NAS usage and offers excellent performance and reliability.
• The IronWolf Pro features several other pros, such as withstanding vibrations and working in various temperatures.
• Also, the IronWolf Pro is available in several capacities, making it an excellent choice for users who need a lot of storage space.
• The drive also has several software features, making it a great choice for NAS users.

 

Cons:

• Its price is high, but it is worth it for the unique features it offers.
• Its write performance may not be as good as other NAS drives, but it is still a great option.

 

3) Seagate 16TB HDD Exos X16 7200 RPM 512e

If you’re looking for a hard drive that delivers ultimate storage capacity and speed while being incredibly quiet, the Seagate 16TB HDD is a great choice.

This powerhouse drive provides up to 16TB of storage, with a spindle speed of 7200 RPM and 512e format.

That means you’ll have plenty of space for your data and can access it quickly.

The Seagate 16TB HDD stands out from other hard drives because of its silent operation.

Thanks to its advanced noise reduction technologies, it runs almost silently.

You’ll hardly hear any sound.

This makes it perfect for environments where low noise levels are essential, such as home offices and libraries.

Also, the Seagate 16TB HDD offers enhanced power efficiency, making it an ideal choice for those who want to reduce their energy bills and carbon footprint.

The drive is rated for 10 Watts in idle mode and uses even less energy during read/write operations.

 

Pros:

• The Seagate 16TB HDD is an excellent option for those who want to save space and keep their data safe.
• Its reading speed is breakneck, and it is very quiet when writing data.
• Also, it is effortless to use and comes with a very user-friendly user interface.
• The Exos X16 is a very reliable product with a meager failure rate.

 

Cons:

• There may be better options than the Exos X16 for those who want to write large amounts of data simultaneously.
• Better options exist for those who want to use it for long periods.

 

4) Seagate 18TB HDD

The Seagate 18TB HDD is perfect for a high-performance, reliable, quiet hard drive.

This drive features an impressive 7200 RPM speed, allowing it to transfer data quickly and efficiently.

Also, it features CMR technology, which offers improved random access times and lower latency.

It ensures your computer runs faster and smoother, making the workflow much more efficient.

When it comes to noise, this hard drive is one of the quietest on the market.

It has been designed with sound-dampening technology so that it won’t create distracting background noise.

Additionally, its vibration-dampening materials help to reduce noise further while working.

With these features, you can be sure that this hard drive won’t cause any distractions in your work environment.

 

Pros:

• One of the key advantages of the Seagate 18TB HDD is its low power consumption.
• Thanks to its SATA 6Gb/s interface, this hard drive uses minimal energy compared to other models.
• Not only does this save you money on energy costs, but it also helps protect our environment.

 

Cons:

• The downside to this model is that it needs to be compatible with Mac computers or laptops.
• Another thing to consider is the price. Although it is one of the most affordable options, it is cheaper than other models on the list.
• Nevertheless, considering all the features in this model, it makes up for the price tag by providing outstanding performance and silent operation.

 

5) Seagate IronWolf 8TB NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD

If you’re in the market for a reliable, quiet hard drive that can handle your data storage needs, then the Seagate IronWolf 8TB is a great option.

With an impressive 8TB of storage space, a 256MB cache, and 7200 RPM.

This hard drive is designed to handle heavy workloads with ease. Plus, its quiet operation ensures it won’t interfere with your work or play.

The Seagate IronWolf is designed to provide high-performance storage for your home or business.

It’s compatible with Windows and Mac computers so you can use it for any system.

Plus, its SATA 6Gb/s interface allows it to access your data quickly. Its 7200 RPM makes it ideal for demanding workloads.

 

Pros:

• The IronWolf 8TB drive offers a whopping 8 terabytes (TB) of storage space, enough to store hundreds of thousands of photos, videos, and files.
• The drive has a data transfer rate of up to 300 megabytes per second (MB/s), which is fast enough for even the most demanding applications.
• Also, the drive comes with a human touch-enabled feature that allows users to add their personalization to the drive’s activity LEDs.
• The IronWolf 8TB drive is affordable compared to other high-capacity hard drives.

 

Cons:

• The drive is designed for high-powered NAS devices and may not be compatible with lower-powered devices.
• If used in a high-powered NAS device, the drive may require additional cooling, generating a lot of heat.

 

6) Western Digital 10TB WD Purple Pro Surveillance Internal Hard Drive HDD

The Western Digital 10TB is ideal for those looking for a quiet, reliable hard drive that won’t wake the neighbors.

This hard drive offers exceptional speed and performance with a 256 MB cache and a 6 Gb/s SATA connection.

Its 3.5″ form factor can fit any desktop or workstation, but its exceptional silence sets it apart from other hard drives.

This hard drive is designed to be ultra-quiet and won’t produce any audible noise when running.

Another great feature of the Western Digital Hard Drive is its enhanced reliability.

With up to 2 million hours of life expectancy, this drive will last you through years of intensive use.

 

Pros:

• The WD Purple Pro offers a maximum capacity of 10TB, making it ideal for large-scale video surveillance systems.
• The drive is designed for 24/7 operation and offers high reliability.
• Also, the WD Purple Pro is one of the quietest hard drives on the market, making it ideal for noise-sensitive environments.
• The drive is very competitively priced, making it a great value for the money.

 

Cons:

• The WD Purple Pro does not offer built-in encryption, so users who require this feature will need to purchase an external encryption solution.
• The WD Purple Pro does not include a write cache, which can impact performance in some applications.

 

7) Seagate BarraCuda 8TB Internal Hard Drive HDD

The Seagate BarraCuda 8TB HDD is a reliable and quiet hard drive that will ensure you can keep all your data safe.

This hard drive has an impressive storage capacity of 8TB, making it perfect for storing large amounts of data.

It runs on a SATA 6 Gb/s interface with a rotational speed of 5400 RPM and a 256MB cache.

This hard drive offers great performance while still being one of the quietest drives on the market.

The noise level is below 25 dB, so you won’t be distracted by it while you are working or gaming.

Also, it has a 5-year warranty so that you can be confident in its long-term reliability.

The Seagate BarraCuda 8TB Internal Hard Drive HDD is an ideal choice for anyone who needs a reliable and quiet hard drive for their computing needs.

 

Pros:

• The BarraCuda 8TB is one of the most reliable hard drives on the market. It has a mean time between failures (MTBF) of 1.8 million hours, significantly higher than the average hard drive.
• The BarraCuda 8TB has a fast data transfer rate of up to 190 MB/s. It means you can easily transfer large files or back up your data quickly.

 

Cons:

• The BarraCuda 8TB is one of the most expensive hard drives on the market.
• The BarraCuda 8TB is noisy when it’s in use. It is because it has a high spindle speed of 7200 RPM.

 

8) Western Digital 10TB WD Red Pro NAS Internal HDD

The Western Digital HDD is an excellent choice if you’re looking for an ultra-reliable, high-performance hard drive.

Boasting an impressive 7200 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, CMR, 256 MB Cache, and 3.5″ size.

This hard drive is capable of handling your most demanding tasks with ease.

The Western Digital 10TB Hard Drive is designed to run quietly and efficiently in various applications.

It’s optimized to work with network-attached storage (NAS) systems with up to 8 bays. Also, it is rated to last over one million hours without fail.

Its improved vibration resistance and power consumption capabilities can handle high workloads while keeping your system quiet and energy efficient.

This powerful hard drive also features an advanced Error Recovery Control system that quickly identifies, isolates, and recovers from errors.

It helps ensure data integrity and reduces the risk of data loss.

Also, the drive has improved read/write performance over traditional HDDs and is designed to resist vibration.

 

Pros:

• The WD Red Pro 10TB offers incredible storage space, making it ideal for storing large amounts of data.
• Also, the WD Red Pro 10TB offers fast data transfer speeds, making it easy to quickly transfer large amounts of data.
• The WD Red Pro 10TB is designed for reliable operation, making it a great choice for mission-critical applications.

 

Cons:

• The WD Red Pro 10TB is one of the most expensive hard drives on the market.
• Also, the WD Red Pro 10TB requires a NAS system for operation, which can add to the overall cost.
• The WD Red Pro 10TB may be too much hard drive for some users, who may only need a little storage space or performance.

 

9) SanDisk Professional 5TB G-DRIVE ArmorATD HDD

The SanDisk is the perfect solution if you’re in the market for a durable portable hard drive that can withstand the rigors of everyday use.

With its tough, water-resistant aluminum housing and shockproof design, this drive offers robust protection for your data.

The SanDisk Professional 5TB G-DRIVE offers up to 5TB of storage and comes with a USB 3.1 Gen 1 connection, offering data transfer rates of up to 5 Gbps. Its USB-C connector also enables quick connection and charging on modern devices.

It has a rotational speed of 7200 RPM, helping you quickly access your data.

This reliable external hard drive is incredibly easy to use.

All you need to do is plug it into your computer or laptop, and it’s ready to go.

Its built-in LED indicator lets you quickly check whether your drive is active.

With its robust construction and fast data transfer speeds, this drive ensures your data remains safe and accessible no matter where you are.

 

Pros:

• The SanDisk Professional 5TB GDRIVE ArmorATD is a very reliable hard drive.
• It’s been designed to withstand harsh conditions, making it an excellent option for those who need a durable storage solution.
• The SanDisk Professional 5TB GDRIVE ArmorATD is a speedy hard drive.

 

Cons:

• The SanDisk Professional 5TB GDRIVE ArmorATD is on the expensive side. But it’s worth the price if you need a reliable, durable hard drive.

 

10) WD 18TB My Book Desktop External Hard Drive

The WD 18TB Hard Drive offers massive storage space with impressive speeds and the ease of use you expect from WD.

Boasting USB 3.0 technology, this external hard drive can transfer files up to 5Gbps.

The hard drive is encased in an aluminum enclosure, making it highly durable and resistant to damage.

Plus, it runs quietly, ensuring minimal disruptions while you work or play.

It’s compatible with Windows and Mac computers and includes a 3-year warranty, so you can rest easy knowing your data is secure.

With its enormous storage capacity, sleek design, and reliable performance, the WD 18TB Hard Drive is ideal.

 

Pros:

• It is one of the easiest external hard drives to use. It comes with all the necessary cables and a user-friendly interface.
• Also, it is very affordable.

 

Cons:

• The WD My Book does not support Thunderbolt 3.

 

Buying Guide

When buying a hard drive, noise levels can be a major concern.

Having an ultra-quiet hard drive is necessary if you’re working in an office or have a home entertainment setup.

Luckily, there are plenty of quiet hard drives available on the market.

To help you make an informed decision, we’ve rounded up the 10 most silent hard drives you can buy in 2023.

We’ll also provide you with a few buying tips.

 

1. Consider Your Needs: 

Before making a purchase, consider your computing needs. Do you need a large-capacity hard drive?

Are you running a high-performance system with lots of storage-intensive tasks?

It will help narrow your choices to the best-suited hard drive for your specific needs.

 

2. Look for Reviews: 

Read up on reviews from experts and other customers. Reading up on reviews can give you insight into performance, noise level, price, and more. It’s essential to do your research before buying any hard drive.

 

3. Check the Warranty: 

Most quiet hard drives come with warranties ranging from 1-5 years.

Knowing what kind of warranty is offered with your purchase is essential, as it can provide peace of mind if anything goes wrong.

 

4. Consider Noise Levels: 

Hard drive noise levels can range from 30dB to 40 dB.

30dB is considered silent, while 40dB is slightly louder but quieter.

Be sure to check the noise levels of any drive before buying it.

 

5. Think About Price: 

Quiet hard drives are more expensive than hard drives due to their specialized construction and materials.

However, many models offer great value for money.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

• What Is the Quietest Hard Drive I Can Buy?

Many factors determine how quiet the drive will be when it comes to silent hard drives.

Generally speaking, the quietest hard drives you can buy are those with low RPMs (spins per minute), such as 5400 or 7200 RPMs.

Also, drives with good airflow and acoustic dampening will be much quieter than others.

 

• Are There Any Other Ways to Reduce the Sound of a Hard Drive?

Yes! Adding additional acoustic dampening material or replacing your hard drive’s fans is the Way to Reduce the Sound of a Hard Drive.

Additionally, make sure your computer case is well-ventilated.

Ensuring all cables are correctly routed away from the fan can help reduce noise levels.

 

• What Other Features Should I Look for When Buying a Hard Drive?

In addition to noise level, you should consider size, storage capacity, read/write speeds, and price when purchasing a hard drive.

Research different models and compare specs to find the best suits your needs.

 

Conclusion

No matter how great your PC is, a noisy hard drive can significantly distract you.

If you’re looking for a solution to keep your computer quiet, you should consider investing in one of the top 10 most quietest hard drives of 2023.

These silent saviors provide reliable and quiet performance, allowing you to enjoy your computing experience without being disturbed by the noise.

You may have to pay more upfront for a higher-end hard drive.

But the money spent will be worth it when you can work quietly.

Whether you need a good storage option for gaming, streaming, or video editing, you can find a reliable and quiet hard drive that meets your needs.