The 10 Best Raid Drives Of 2024, Researched By Us

Dan Simmons By, Dan Simmons
Updated
Best Raid Drives
Best Raid Drives

The Rundown

1. Best Overall: LaCie STHT8000800 Raid 8TB External Hard Drive HDD

LaCie Raid 8TB External Hard Drive is the perfect solution for those needing a secure and reliable storage solution. With a USB-C, USB 3.0, and 1 Mo Adobe CC compatibility, this hard drive is drop, shock, dust, and water resistant, making it ideal storage solutions. Read Review

2. Best For The Price: Seagate IronWolf 12TB RAID Internal Hard Drive HDD

The Seagate IronWolf 12TB RAID Internal Hard Drive HDD is the perfect solution for your Network Attached Storage (NAS) needs. With a massive 12TB capacity a 7200 RPM spindle speed, it offers plenty of storage for even the most demanding storage applications. Read Review

3. Best Capacity: Oyen Digital 8TB RAID V3 Portable Dual Hard Drive

The Oyen Digital 8TB RAID USB-C Portable Dual Hard Drive is an ideal solution for those needing to fast data transfer speeds and securely store large amounts of data. This reliable drive is backed by advanced RAID technology for data protection and performance. Read Review

4. Best Powerful: WD WDBFBE0160JBK-NESN 16TB RAID External Hard Drive

The 16TB WD RAID External Hard Drive is a reliable storage solution for your home or office that allows you to store large amounts of data, such as photos, videos, and documents. It has a USB 3.1 connection and includes password protection and auto backup software. Read Review

5. Best Quality: Oyen Digital 10TB RAID Hard Drive

The Oyen Digital 10TB MiniPro RAID USB-C Portable Rugged Hard Drive is the perfect solution for data storage and backup. It's designed with a USB-C interface to make connecting and transferring data quick and easy, and no additional software is needed. Read Review

Raid drives are fantastic for keeping a backup system even when the primary drive is experiencing problems. They use multiple hard drives to store and recover data simultaneously, making them great for large files and programs that take up much space. However, if you don’t have another drive to add as a secondary storage location, you might not get much use out of your raid drive. RAID drives offer a perfect blend of speed, security, and capacity, making them an ideal choice for data-intensive applications.

But with so many RAID drives available in the market, choosing the best one for your needs can be challenging. Luckily, not all raid drives are created equal. In this article, we’ll explain which external hard drives work best with raid systems so you can choose wisely when purchasing one for your home or business computer setup. Keep reading to learn more about how raids work, the different types of raid systems, and our recommendations on which external hard drives work best with your specific setup.

We think the best raid drives of 2024 is LaCie STHT8000800 Raid 8TB External Hard Drive HDD. With its USB-C and USB 3.0 compatibility, this hard drive is perfect for quickly and reliably transferring large files. It is water, drop, shock, and dust resistant, making it perfect for taking on the go. However, to provide the reader with a wider variety of alternatives, we recommend adding Seagate IronWolf 12TB RAID Internal Hard Drive HDD if you are interested in purchasing another appealing one.

Our Top Picks

Easily configure RAID 0/1 using the step-by-step wizard to optimize the system for performance or redundancy

Protect projects from unauthorized access with Rugged RAID Shuttle’s self-encrypting password system

Store, pack, and send out content like never before with 8TB of massive capacity in a Rugged external hard drive built uniquely flat for jam-packed gear bags and shipping envelopes

TOP Choice #2 Seagate IronWolf 12TB RAID Internal Hard Drive HDD
Our Score:
9.5
Seagate

Store more and work faster with a NAS-optimized hard drive providing ultra-high capacity 12TB and cache of up to 256MB

Three-year limited warranty protection plan included

Purpose built for NAS enclosures, IronWolf delivers less wear and tear, little to no noise/vibration, no lags or down time, increased file-sharing performance, and much more

TOP Choice #3 Oyen Digital 8TB RAID V3 Portable Dual Hard Drive
Our Score:
9.3
Oyen Digital

Bus-powered or external adapter power (included)

Interface: USB-C (Compatible with USB 3.1 and Thunderbolt 3). It is not compatible with Thunderbolt 2 or earlier.

Capacity: 8TB HDD (2 x 4TB Seagate Momentus ST4000LM016 installed)

Configurable for JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1, & BIG modes. No software required.

2x USB 3.0 hub ports

USB 3.1 Gen 1-ready, USB 3.0 compatibility

Massive capacity storage with auto and system backup

256-bit AES hardware encryption and password protection

RAID-0 ready out of the box

5 Oyen Digital 10TB RAID Hard Drive
Our Score:
9.1
Oyen Digital

Configurable for JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1, & big modes. No software required.

Interface: USB-C (Compatible with all USB & Thunderbolt 3)

Capacity: 10TB HDD (2 x 5TB Seagate ST5000LM000 installed)

Enjoy long-term peace of mind with the included five-year limited including Rescue Data Recovery Services

Ideal for photographers, indie filmmakers, and YouTubers, 2big RAID is an external desktop storage solution offering up to 16TB of massive space and powerful speeds of up to 440MB/s

Easily configure RAID 0/1 using the step-by-step wizard to optimize the system for performance or redundancy

Hardware RAID 0/1 flexibility for speed (up to 240MB/s) or redundancy

Shock, dust, and water resistance for all-terrain use

Integrated SD card reader

USB 3.1 Gen 1-ready, USB 3.0 compatibility

RAID-0 ready out of the box

3-year manufacturer's limited warranty

256MiB Cache For RAID Network network attached storage model

10TB / 7200rpm

Industry-standard 3.5-inch form-factor and SATA interface

10 SanDisk SDPH62H-012T-NBAAD 12TB G-RAID 2  Drive
Our Score:
8.0
SanDisk Professional

5-year limited warranty

Ready to go with Mac (HFS+). Works with Windows via reformat.

Dual Thunderbolt 3 ports and a single USB-C port

Product Images, Product Titles, Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API

What to Look For in a best raid drives?

The best raid drives is influenced by a multitude of factors, including all those stated below. Depending on the sort of product, the learning process differs. We'll be ready to aid you and propose solutions since we're here to support you.

It's necessary to remember the following factors before selecting best raid drives:

Rotation Speed

Did you know that hard drives store information on spinning magnetic plates? The faster these plates spin, the faster the load and access time. The rotation is measured in RPM (Rotations per Minute), and although we recommend hard disks with 7200RPM, 5400RPM is still a good option.

Cache Memory

This is a cache that functions much like Computer RAM Memory. It stores important files temporarily so that it takes less time to access them on the disk. The larger the cache size, the faster the hard disk will be. However, the difference is not major, and as such, this should not be the biggest determiner.

External Vs. Internal HDD

The main advantage of external hard disks is their portability. Which also makes them perfect backups in case your PC is compromised. Desktop PCs allow you room to add extra hard disks, but if you are using a laptop or other gaming device, you will have to replace your existing hard drive.

Performance

Transfer speed is the feature that most people notice on a daily basis. We evaluated each drive with tests that replicated different real-world uses, and we focused on the drives that consistently outperformed the other contenders. Drives that did well on some tests but failed others were unreliable and not worth purchasing.

Size Of The Disk

I understand that you are buying the hard disk in order to eliminate the need to delete some files when you install a new game or add modifications. Also, at a time when a single game can take up to 100GB, Call of Duty WWII is 90GB; it only makes sense that you select the hard disk that will allow you sufficient storage space.

Speed

HDDs, or hard drives, contain spinning disks that read and write your data. The faster these disks spin—rated in rotations per minute (RPM)—the faster the drive can access data and transfer it to your computer.

Reliability

All hard drives eventually die, and there’s no definitive answer on when that day will come. We recommend replacing your backup drives between the third and sixth years of use, if possible. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to get metrics on which hard drive models are more reliable over the long run, and even so, there will always be outliers and failures that occur sooner than expected.

FAQs

What is a RAID Drive?

RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a storage technology that combines multiple hard drives into a single storage system for increased performance and reliability. RAID drives typically offer enhanced speed, capacity, and redundancy compared to traditional single-drive storage systems.

How does RAID work?

RAID works by combining multiple hard drives into a single logical storage system. Depending on the RAID configuration, data can be spread across multiple drives, allowing for faster read/write speeds and improved fault tolerance. Different RAID configurations offer different levels of redundancy and performance.

What are the benefits of using a RAID drive?

RAID drives provide enhanced performance, capacity, and redundancy compared to traditional single-drive storage systems. RAID drives are faster, more reliable, and can improve system availability in the event of a drive failure. Additionally, RAID drives can be used to create a redundant storage system for data protection.

How do I set up a RAID array?

The process of setting up a RAID array depends on the type of RAID used and the specific hardware used. It is generally best to consult a qualified technician if you are unsure of how to set up a RAID array.

What is RAID optimization?

RAID optimization is the process of improving the performance of a RAID array. This can be done by using RAID controllers with better performance, using larger disks, using faster disks, and using RAID configurations that are better suited for the application.


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About Dan Simmons

Dan Simmons

Dan Simmons is a writer who loves home theater and HiFi audio. As the editor of TheAudioInsights, he has helped countless people enjoy the best possible sound quality in their homes. He is an audiophile who takes great pleasure in helping others find the perfect audio equipment for their needs. When he's not writing or editing, Dan enjoys listening to music and spending time with his family.