Best 12 TB Hard Drives
12 TB is one of the most popular capacity points for NAS builders and budget-conscious storage shoppers. It sits in the sweet spot between high density and affordable per-TB pricing — large enough to meaningfully fill a bay slot, but using mature platter technology that keeps costs down. At 12 TB you will find well-established models across NAS, enterprise, and general-purpose lines from both Seagate and Western Digital.
Why 12 TB?
12 TB drives typically offer some of the lowest per-TB pricing because they use proven, high-volume platter configurations. Four 12 TB drives in RAID 5 give you ~36 TB usable — enough for a substantial media library, backup target, or small-business file server. For many buyers, 12 TB hits the optimal cost-per-TB sweet spot without overspending on cutting-edge capacities.
Prices updated hourly from Amazon US and UK. All links go directly to the retailer. Details.
Best Value 12 TB Drives
All new 12 TB hard drives ranked by price per terabyte. The best deals across enterprise, NAS, and standard lines.
ModusTech 12TB External (DESKTOP) Hard Drive USB 3.1 Type-C - High-Speed Data Storage for PC, Mac, Laptops, and Gaming Consoles - Durable Design, Compatible with Windows, MacOS, Linux (TB)
Seagate Expansion Desktop 12TB, External Hard Drive, USB 3.0, Data Rescue Services (STKP12000400)
SanDisk Professional 12TB G-DRIVE Enterprise-Class Desktop Hard Drive HDD, Ultrastar Drive Inside, USB-C (5Gbps), USB 3.2 Gen 1 - SDPH91G-012T-NBAAD
Toshiba Bulk X300 Performance HDD 12TB
Avolusion HDDGear Pro X 12TB USB 3.0 External Gaming Hard Drive (Pre-formatted for Xbox One X, S, Original)
MDD 12TB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s 256MB Cache 3.5inch Internal Desktop Hard Drive, MD12TBGSA25672
Western Digital HUH721212ALE604 12TB Ultrastar DC HC520 SATA HDD - 7200 RPM Class, SATA 6 Gb/s, 256MB Cache, 3.5"
OSENTRiX BX100 12TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-C External Hard Drive for Windows or MacOS Desktop PC/Laptop
NAS 12 TB Drives
IronWolf and WD Red 12 TB models designed for always-on NAS enclosures. Firmware optimised for RAID arrays and multi-bay vibration tolerance.
Seagate IronWolf 12TB, NAS, Internal Hard Drive, CMR, 3.5 Inch, SATA, 6GB/s, 7.200 RPM, 256MB Cache, for RAID Network Attached Storage, Data Rescue Services, FFP (ST12000VNZ008)
Seagate IronWolf 12TB NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD – CMR 3.5 Inch SATA 6Gb/s 7200 RPM 256MB Cache for RAID Network Attached Storage (ST12000VNZ008/ST12000VN0008)
WD Red Pro 12TB NAS 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - 7200 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, CMR, 512MB Cache
WD Red Plus 12TB NAS 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - 7200 RPM, SATA 6Gb/s, CMR, 256MB Cache
Seagate IronWolf Pro ST12000NE0008 12 TB Hard Drive - 512E Format - SATA 600-3.5" Drive - Internal - 7200RPM - 256 MB Buffer - Hot Pluggable
IronWolf ST12000VN0008 Hard Drive
WD Red Plus 12TB NAS 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - 7200 RPM Class, SATA 6Gb/s, CMR, 256MB Cache
Western Digital 12TB WD Red Pro NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD - 7200 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, CMR, 256 MB Cache, 3.5" - WD121KFBX
Enterprise 12 TB Drives
Seagate Exos and WD Ultrastar 12 TB models for server and datacenter use. 24/7 rated with 5-year warranties and high workload endurance.
Western Digital HUH721212ALE604 12TB Ultrastar DC HC520 SATA HDD - 7200 RPM Class, SATA 6 Gb/s, 256MB Cache, 3.5"
Seagate Exos X14 ST12000NM0008 12 TB Hard Drive - 3.5" Internal - SATA (SATA/600)
Seagate Exos X18 12TB HDD 512E/4KN SAS
WD-40 Ultrastar HE12 12TB SAS 512E
HGST Ultrastar He12 HUH721212AL4201 12 TB Hard Drive - SAS [12Gb/s SAS] - 3.5 Drive - Internal
Seagate Exos X24 12TB 3.5" 6 Gb/s SATA III Internal Hard Drive
HGST Ultrastar He12 | HUH721212ALE600 | 12TB 7.2K RPM SATA-6Gb/s 3.5" 256MB cache Hard Disk Drive
Western Digital HGST Ultrastar He12 HUH721212ALE600 12 TB Hard Drive - 3.5" Internal - SATA (SATA/600) - 7200rpm - 256 MB Buffer - 5 Year Warranty
Refurbished 12 TB Drives
Used and recertified 12 TB drives at reduced prices. Enterprise datacenter pulls that offer strong value for homelabs, backup targets, and non-critical storage.
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA 12TB 7200RPM 256MB Cache SAS 12.0Gb/s 3.5inch Internal Enterprise Hard Drive (MDD12TSAS25672E) - [ NOT a SATA HDD ] (Renewed)
HP 12TB 7200 RPM SAS 12Gb/s 512e 3.5in Enterprise Hard Drive DL20 DL110 DL320 DL325 DL340 DL345 DL360 DL365 DL380 DL385 DL560 ML110 ML350 MB012000JWDFD 868210-001 G11 (Renewed)
WD 12 TB Elements Desktop External Hard Drive - USB 3.0, Black
SanDisk Professional 12TB G-DRIVE Enterprise-Class Desktop Hard Drive HDD, Ultrastar Drive Inside, USB-C (5Gbps), USB 3.2 Gen 1 - SDPH91G-012T-NBAAD
HPE 12 TB Hard Drive - 3.5" Internal - SAS (12Gb/s SAS)
Hewlett Packard Enterprise HPE 12TB SAS 7.2K Lff LP HE 512E DS HDD
Water Panther WP Arsenal 12TB SAS 12Gb/s 7200RPM 3.5-Inch DAS Hard Drive for Storage Server, Enterprise JBOD, Business RAID Workstation, Internal SAS LFF HDD (Renewed)
Dell 12TB 7.2K RPM SAS 12Gb/s 512e 3.5in Enterprise PowerEdge Hard Drive for: R440 R750 R450 T150 R470 T560 T40 R250 R740 R640 T550 T350 R540 R840 ME4024 R650XS R550 77CYV G16 (Renewed)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 12TB a good size for a hard drive?
12 TB is a sweet spot for many buyers. It is large enough for a serious media library or NAS bay, while typically offering better price-per-TB than 8 TB drives. For NAS users, 12 TB drives in a 4-bay enclosure give you 36–48 TB of usable space depending on your RAID level.
What is the cheapest 12TB hard drive?
Refurbished enterprise 12 TB drives (Seagate Exos X12, WD Ultrastar HC520) regularly drop below $10/TB — under $120 per drive. New 12 TB NAS drives typically run $180–220. HDDHunt tracks these prices hourly so you can catch the best deals.
Which 12TB drive is best for NAS?
The Seagate IronWolf 12TB and WD Red Plus 12TB are purpose-built for NAS use with CMR recording and vibration compensation. For budget builds, a refurbished Exos X12 or Ultrastar HC520 delivers the same enterprise reliability at a lower price — they just run louder.
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Live hard drive deals ranked by price per terabyte. New and refurbished HDDs on Amazon US & UK — prices checked every hour so you never overpay.