Seagate IronWolf Dorado 12TB
NAS HDD
Part number ST12000VN003 · IronWolf Dorado series · SATA 6Gb/s (SATA III). If your machine is listed below, this drive is officially supported — not a forum workaround.
Check ST12000VN003 price on Amazon partner link
No series-level recording rating is on file for this part number yet — check the exact model for CMR vs SMR before buying it as a large cold copy (SMR is the one trait that makes a 16 TB+ backup copy painfully slow). The 3-2-1 guide and the backup tools encyclopedia cover what to schedule it with.
Compatibility verdict
It appears on the official compatibility lists of 97 machines and series — 32 QNAP, 50 TerraMaster, 15 UGREEN. 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. No series-level recording rating is on file for this part number yet, so check CMR vs SMR on the exact model before buying for an array.
Compatible NAS models
Same-capacity alternatives
Other drives listed at 12 TB capacity, ranked by how many machines list them:
Quick answers
Is the ST12000VN003 officially compatible with my NAS?
It appears on the official compatibility lists of 97 machines and series — 32 QNAP, 50 TerraMaster, 15 UGREEN. Every machine page linked below shows the vendor's own list entry, refreshed daily.
Is the ST12000VN003 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. No series-level recording rating is on file for this part number yet, so check CMR vs SMR on the exact model before buying for an array.
Can I use the ST12000VN003 for a 3-2-1 cold backup copy?
No series-level recording rating is on file for this part number yet — check the exact model for CMR vs SMR before buying it as a large cold copy (SMR is the one trait that makes a 16 TB+ backup copy painfully slow). The 3-2-1 guide and the backup tools encyclopedia cover what to schedule it with.
What are alternatives to the ST12000VN003?
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.