Toshiba N300 12 TB

NAS HDD

Part number HDWG21C*ZSTA · N300 series · 3.5'' SATA HDD. If your machine is listed below, this drive is officially supported — not a forum workaround.

N300NAS HARD DRIVE3.5" SATA HDDTOSHIBA

Part of the Toshiba N300 series →

Check HDWG21CZSTA price on Amazon  partner link

18
Compatible NAS models
0 Syn · 0 QNAP · 18 Asus · 0 TM
By vendor
12 TB
Listed capacity
Toshiba
Manufacturer
NAS
Product line (manufacturer rating)
7200
Spindle speed (RPM)
CMR
Recording
256 MB
Cache
180 TB
Rated workload / year

Specifications are the manufacturer's published ratings for this product series; verify the exact part number before purchase.

Strong pick as a cold copy

Rated CMR (conventional magnetic recording) — the right recording type for a large cold copy. CMR keeps a full-library backup pass fast even at 16–24 TB, which is the whole point of the offline slot in a 3-2-1 plan: rotate two drives monthly, keep one powered off, and the backup tooling (Veeam, Duplicati, Hyper Backup, HBS 3) does the scheduling. Full rule and vendor tool table: 3-2-1 for NAS.

Compatibility verdict

It appears on the official compatibility lists of 18 machines and series — 18 Asustor. This is a NAS-class drive: built for 24/7 operation with vibration compensation for multi-bay enclosures — the right tier for most 1-8 bay home or small-office NAS units. Its series rating is on file as CMR (conventional) — what RAID rebuilds and full-library copies want.

Compatible NAS models

Asustor AS 10 See its full HCL → Asustor AS 10 v2 See its full HCL → Asustor AS 11 See its full HCL → Asustor AS 31/32 See its full HCL → Asustor AS 31/32 v2 See its full HCL → Asustor AS 33 See its full HCL → Asustor AS 40 See its full HCL → Asustor AS 50/51 See its full HCL → Asustor AS 52/53 See its full HCL → Asustor AS 61/62 See its full HCL → Asustor AS 63/64 See its full HCL → Asustor AS 65 See its full HCL → Asustor AS 65R See its full HCL → Asustor AS 66 See its full HCL → Asustor AS 70 See its full HCL → Asustor AS 71 See its full HCL → Asustor AS 71R See its full HCL → Asustor AS6004U See its full HCL →

Same-capacity alternatives

Other drives listed at 12 TB capacity, ranked by how many machines list them:

Western Digital WD121KRYZ 381 machines · Gold Toshiba MG07ACA12TE 329 machines · MG07ACA*** Seagate ST12000NM0008 315 machines · Exos X14 Seagate ST12000NE0007 311 machines · IronWolf Pro Seagate ST12000NE0008 296 machines · IronWolf Pro Seagate ST12000VE0008 287 machines · SkyHawkAI Western Digital HUH721212ALE600 287 machines · Ultrastar DC HC520 Western Digital HUH721212ALE604 285 machines · Ultrastar DC HC520

Quick answers

Is the HDWG21C*ZSTA officially compatible with my NAS?

It appears on the official compatibility lists of 18 machines and series — 18 Asustor. Every machine page linked below shows the vendor's own list entry, refreshed daily.

Is the HDWG21C*ZSTA CMR or SMR?

As a Toshiba N300 drive, it is rated CMR. CMR (conventional magnetic recording) is what a RAID array wants: SMR drives slow rebuilds dramatically. See the <a href="/faq/cmr-vs-smr-nas-drives/">CMR vs SMR guide</a> for the full series table.

Is the HDWG21C*ZSTA a good NAS drive?

This is a NAS-class drive: built for 24/7 operation with vibration compensation for multi-bay enclosures — the right tier for most 1-8 bay home or small-office NAS units. Its series rating is on file as CMR (conventional) — what RAID rebuilds and full-library copies want.

Can I use the HDWG21C*ZSTA for a 3-2-1 cold backup copy?

Rated CMR (conventional magnetic recording) — the right recording type for a large cold copy. CMR keeps a full-library backup pass fast even at 16–24 TB, which is the whole point of the offline slot in a 3-2-1 plan: rotate two drives monthly, keep one powered off, and the backup tooling (Veeam, Duplicati, Hyper Backup, HBS 3) does the scheduling. Full rule and vendor tool table: 3-2-1 for NAS.

What are alternatives to the HDWG21C*ZSTA?

At the same capacity, the most widely listed alternatives are Western Digital WD121KRYZ (381 machines), Toshiba MG07ACA12TE (329 machines), Seagate ST12000NM0008 (315 machines). The full ranked list is below.