100TB for $2,850??? - Are Archive Drives Useless?

The video opens with a quick overview of Seagate archive drives and a cost calculator sheet that Linus shares in the description, followed by a tour of Cooler Master’s Mastercase Maker 5 modular system. He explains the basics of magnetic recording,longitudinal, perpendicular, and shingled,before diving into the performance of the 8 TBTE archive drives he tested. Linus then outlines his plan to combine these drives with an enterprise drive for parity, aiming to build a 100 TB storage server that is both cheap and fast. In the second half he walks through the build, discusses read‑modify‑write performance, and presents benchmark results showing 190 MB/s read speeds and 100 MB/s write speeds, concluding that the hybrid array works well for small‑office NAS. The video continues with a detailed discussion of the drive cost calculator, the choice of drives, and the layout of the array. Linus explains how the shingled recording technique allows more data to be stored without increasing platter size, and how the enterprise drive’s 247 RPM rating helps reduce rebuild times. He shows the benchmark data, compares it to pure archive and pure enterprise arrays, and explains why the hybrid setup outperforms both. The video ends with a call to action: subscribe, like, and check out the links in the description for the calculator sheet and the merch store. Overall, the video is a solid guide for anyone looking to build a cost‑effective, high‑performance storage server using archive drives, with clear explanations, useful links, and a practical benchmark that demonstrates the viability of the hybrid approach.

Viewers praise the clear audio levels and the practical benchmark data. Many comments note that the cost calculator sheet is a handy resource, and several users mention that the audio is consistently balanced throughout the video. Some commenters point out the usefulness of the shingled recording explanation, while others appreciate the detailed build walkthrough. Overall, the feedback is positive, with a few suggestions for future videos on similar build guides. UserScore: 8.5

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