IronWolf Pro high-capacity guide · 28TB
Seagate IronWolf Pro 28TB: ST28000NT000 Price, Specs and NAS Guide
The 28TB ST28000NT000 is the first capacity in Seagate’s current 28TB-to-32TB IronWolf Pro specification group. It delivers a meaningful 16.7% jump over 24TB, but it also carries higher published acoustics, a 60°C drive-reported maximum and a 270MB/s sustained-rate figure. This page examines whether the extra bay density is worth that profile for four-, six- and eight-bay NAS systems.
Quick answer
Choose 28TB when 24TB misses the usable-capacity target but 30TB or 32TB adds unnecessary cost. Four ST28000NT000 drives provide about 84TB in RAID 5 or 56TB in RAID 6. The model is listed with 512MB cache, up to 270MB/s, 6.8W idle, 8.3W average operating power and 28/32 dBA acoustics.
Exact model data
ST28000 exact specification snapshot
| Capacity | Model | Design | Cache | Max sustained | Idle / operating | Acoustics idle / seek | Drive-reported max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28TB | ST28000NT000 | Helium | 512MB | 270MB/s | 6.8W / 8.3W | 28 / 32 dBA | 60°C |
Specifications are attached to the exact model shown. Verify the full model number, interface, seller, condition and regional warranty route before ordering.
Live catalogue
Current new IronWolf Pro 28TB offers
Only fresh, new-condition IronWolf Pro HDD offers from the existing Cloudzat catalogue are eligible. Exact capacity and family matching are enforced.
Interactive decision tool
Plan a 28TB IronWolf Pro array
Enter the number of 28TB drives, RAID layout, current price and operating assumptions. The calculator estimates raw and usable capacity, purchase cost, drive-only energy and a best-case sequential rebuild floor.
28TB is the bridge into the newest high-capacity tier
Moving from 24TB to 28TB adds 4TB per bay, a 16.7% increase. In a four-drive array that is 16TB more raw storage; in eight bays it is 32TB. The jump is large enough to change a design rather than merely pad it. A team that cannot reach its forecast with 24TB may find 28TB sufficient without paying for the maximum 32TB model.
The move also changes the published operating profile. ST28000NT000 belongs to the same data-sheet group as the 30TB and 32TB models, with 28/32 dBA acoustics, 6.8W idle power, 8.3W average operating power and a 60°C drive-reported maximum. Capacity and environment should therefore be evaluated together.
28TB array sizes create useful six-bay configurations
Two mirrored drives provide roughly 28TB. Four drives offer about 84TB in RAID 5, 56TB in RAID 6 or 56TB in RAID 10. Six drives reach approximately 140TB, 112TB or 84TB respectively. Eight-drive RAID 6 provides around 168TB before formatting and reserve.
The six-bay RAID 6 figure is particularly useful for organizations seeking more than 100TB usable while retaining dual parity. Apply binary conversion, system partitions, snapshots and a free-space target before calling 112TB the working capacity. A 15% reserve reduces that planning figure to about 95TB, which may change whether 28TB actually meets the requirement.
The 270MB/s rating is not a reason to dismiss 28TB
ST28000NT000 has a lower published maximum sustained rate than the 20TB, 22TB, 24TB NT002 and 32TB models. Capacity does not increase in lockstep with this one performance figure. A 270MB/s drive can still exceed the throughput of a 1GbE connection and can participate effectively in an array where networking, file-system overhead or random access is the limiting factor.
Compare the workload, not only the headline. Large sequential media transfers on fast networking may expose drive-side differences more readily than backup jobs over 1GbE. Random metadata operations, many small files and concurrent users follow different patterns. The best model is the one whose capacity and whole-system behavior fit the application.
28TB versus 24TB: the 16.7% price test
On raw price per terabyte, 28TB beats 24TB when its exact-model price is less than 16.7% higher. The comparison must specify which 24TB drive is being used because NT002 and NT031 have different published profiles. A price-only card that merges them can produce a false sense of precision.
Bay value can justify a larger premium. If 28TB preserves an empty slot, avoids an expansion chassis or allows dual parity within the same enclosure, it may be worth more than raw capacity math suggests. Conversely, a buyer with several empty bays may prefer cheaper 24TB drives and use the budget for a spare or independent backup.
Higher published acoustics change placement decisions
The 28/32 dBA idle/seek values are higher than the 20/26 dBA figures associated with ST20000NT001, ST22000NT001 and ST24000NT002. A single number cannot predict perceived noise in a particular room, but the change is significant enough to plan around. Multiple synchronized seeks, rigid trays and a resonant cabinet can make a high-capacity array intrusive beside a desk.
Place the NAS on a stable surface away from sleeping or recording spaces. Use intact tray hardware and manufacturer-approved vibration isolation. Do not trade airflow for silence by enclosing the chassis without ventilation. Fan noise is often easier to manage than repeated thermal excursions during scrubs, parity checks and rebuilds.
Cooling and power for a 28TB array
At the published figures, four drives account for about 27.2W idle and 33.2W during average operation, excluding the rest of the NAS. Eight drives double those numbers. Actual wall consumption also includes CPU, memory, fans, network controllers, power-supply losses and attached devices. The calculator intentionally labels its result as drive-only energy.
Seagate lists a 10°C ambient minimum and 60°C drive-reported maximum for ST28000NT000. Treat 60°C as a boundary, not an operating target. Validate temperatures under sustained load, especially in densely populated systems. A larger chassis with slower, well-managed fans can be both cooler and less objectionable than a compact enclosure constantly ramping its fans.
Migration and rebuild exposure grows with 28TB members
A high-capacity migration moves enormous amounts of data even when the network is fast. Plan the source, destination, verification step and rollback before replacing drives one at a time. Expanding an existing array may require several complete rebuild cycles, during which performance is reduced and the remaining members carry additional load.
Back up irreplaceable data before the first change. Review the NAS vendor’s supported replacement sequence and maximum capacity. Avoid combining a capacity expansion with unrelated firmware, file-system or networking changes. Keeping the project narrow makes failures easier to diagnose and reduces the number of variables during a long operation.
Who should choose 28TB
Twenty-eight terabytes is a strong fit for a six-bay dual-parity system targeting around 100TB working capacity, a four-bay system that needs more than the practical range of 24TB drives, or an eight-bay system where bay density matters but 32TB pricing is excessive. It is less compelling when 24TB already leaves generous headroom.
Confirm ST28000NT000, new condition, SATA interface and single-drive quantity. Compare the total array with 30TB and 32TB using current prices rather than fixed assumptions. Include spare availability, noise placement, cooling and backup cost. The correct decision is a system decision, not a capacity leaderboard.
How Cloudzat evaluates high-capacity IronWolf Pro drives
Cloudzat treats every exact model separately rather than assuming that all IronWolf Pro drives with the same family name or capacity share one operating profile. ST20000NT001, ST22000NT001 and ST24000NT002 form the lower published acoustic group; ST24000NT031 is a distinct 24TB HAMR model; and ST28000NT000, ST30000NT011 and ST32000NT000 share the newer high-capacity profile. Offers are rejected when they appear to be standard IronWolf, Exos, SAS, SSD, renewed, recertified, used, bundled, an enclosure or a NAS appliance.
Price per terabyte is based on the current single-drive purchase price divided by decimal capacity. RAID and energy calculations are planning estimates. File-system overhead, snapshots, spare drives, reserved capacity, rebuild throttling and the NAS implementation can materially change real results. RAID protects service availability against selected failures; it does not replace an independent backup.
Frequently asked questions
IronWolf Pro 28TB questions
How much larger is 28TB than 24TB?
What usable capacity does six-drive RAID 6 provide?
Why is the listed speed 270MB/s when some smaller models show 285MB/s?
Is ST28000NT000 quieter than ST24000NT002?
When does 28TB beat 24TB on raw value?
Does a 28TB array need better cooling?
Primary sources
- Seagate IronWolf Pro data sheet covering 28TB and neighboring models
- Seagate IronWolf Pro product page and current capacity range
- Seagate warranty and replacement support
Cloudzat may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Product availability, pricing and specifications can change. Confirm the exact IronWolf Pro model, seller, condition, regional warranty route and NAS compatibility before buying.